persian new years.

this past week was persian new years,

or Norooz as my family calls it.

we said farewell to the the past year and welcomed the new year -

thirteen.ninety.three.

haha pretty neat, huh?

 

I have always loved being Persian for many reasons, but one of the major reasons is because of them having their own special holidays to celebrate & recognize.

Norooz is HUGE to my family. H U G E

My grandma gets all gung-ho about the table decorations being setup perfectly at every families house, and everyone gets dolled up for a big family party to ring in the new year together.

 

I especially love this because anytime a new year starts out on a bad note {much like 2014 had for me and our family} - BOOM. Another new year & new beginning is just around the corner.

So, since 2014 wasn't quite what I had expected so far,

now I have a whole new start to the year, and it's already going MUCH better than the original "new years" we celebrated.

Like I said, it's pretty neat.

 

This year we hosted the family party at our house & here are some fun pictures from the occassion.

My amazing amazing husband cleaned and DECORATED the house all by himself after we went to bed and surprised us all with a clean & festive house for the party on saturday.

I was so shocked to wake up to a house that was completely done-up and that I was able to just jump into cooking & setting up, completely free of cleaning and decorating!

Yes, he is THAT amazing.

SIXTEEN months of Gunner!

 

SIXTEEN MONTHS ALREADY?!
I can't even process that.
[[Partly because you still look like a baby and are still wearing your size 6-9 month clothes]]
But yes, you are a GROWING boy these days!
"Little Man" is the best way to describe you now.

U P D A T E S

you and your sister both just had checkups this week and dr t was so impressed with you! she couldn't believe how active you were and how strong your vocabulary and talking skills were. You are quite the chatterbox these days and you were talking to EVERYONE at the doctors office when we were there!
& you did not even CRY during your shots.
your dad and me both were shocked because you just kinda squeeled, then hopped up like nothing had even happened to you after. You didn't even want the "feel better bottle" after the shots were done.
BIG.BOY.STATUS.
 

Here are your most recent stats:

-weight: 20.032 lbs [8%]
this cracks me up because I was SO HAPPY to hear you finally hit 20 lbs, and I made sure the nurse put EVERY ounce on there that you weighed. Haha!
But yes, you gained less than a whole pound in the four months since your last checkup!
(& the 10 ounces you gained, included the 7 ounce bottle you drank on your way there!)

-height: 30.5 inches [12%]

head: 46.7 cm [39%]

you are quite a young MAN these days!
- you try to buckle your own carseat straps in now
-you run and sit down on the couch when you see us grab your shoes, and then stick your feet up one by one for us to put your shoes and socks on
-you want to put the shoes on by yourself sometimes, but it's still a bit tricky for you ;)
-you point to everything you want and grunt when you REALLY want it known that you are pointing at something you want right then.
-you are a c h a t t e r b o x
talking nonstop all day long. you hold conversations and you really do listen to us when we talk to you, and respond in ways that make me think you understand everything we're saying. & you have the facial expressions and tones down perfectly too.
-you mimick us - whether we say funny words to you or make faces - you pick right up on it and try and do or say the same thing just like we did.
-you are h i l a r i o u s ! totally our kid because you CRACK yourself up and anytime someone says something or laughs - you BUST UP in a loud laughter, making all things so much funnier than normal in our house!
-you know a ton of words now and seem to learn a new one everyday (also apart of the mimicking I think)
your favorite words are still: didter {sister}, mamaaa, dada, boddul {bottle}, bubble, nigh nigh {night night}, niiiiiii {nice}, no ball {when you throw your ball and can't reach or find it you say that} & new ones everyday come up now!
- you love playing with hair now - you twirl your hair sometimes by yourself, but you love to play with my hair when your tired or cuddling.
-yes, you a SUPER cuddle bug lately & I am soaking it ALLLLL up.
-you don't eat a SPECK of baby food anymore. you're 100% a big boy in that sense. you still have some baby snacks we're clearing out, but you actually eat normal snacks now, not the gerber baby snacks at all anymore.
-you LOVE your sister more than anything. You are always wanting to play with her or lay by her or just be near her.
-you're also a bit jealous again of your sister - not in a mean way though - but now if i'm taking a picture of her you'll run over and lay down right in front of my face or the camera so I also talk to you. It's pretty funny and cracks your dad & me up everytime.
-apart of your "mimicking" also is mimicking our actions - so now you clean the house like we do and it's the CUTEST thing to watch!
for instance - when dad vaccums, you take your popper around the house and vaccum JUST like him, going over all the areas and spots he does right after him. I was disinfecting the house the other day and had to give you a spray bottle (w/ water) and rag because you cried until you got to do it too. So you sprayed water and wiped up whatever place I did.
-you also have a "peephole" now at the door. (not really though haha) but you've seen me look outside enough through the peephole that now, EVERY TIME grizzly barks or you hear something outside - you instantly run over and look "outside" the door like you're looking through a peephole - even though there's no such thing where you're looking.
BEST THING EVER. never fails to make us laugh!
- you love to clean as much as your dad does (he has a bit of ocd w/ cleaning - NOT that I mind at all! but the guy never sits down) and neither do you! anytime your toys are all out, you run around picking them up and putting themin your box. If your hands get dirty you know how to mimick "washing your hands" and you run over to us doing it so we know you want to wash your hands to be washed in the sink.
-you hate almost all meats: deli meats, beef, chicken, fish, pork, hot dogs - you name it, you just are not a fan of meats at all yet. you love fruits, pastas, PANCAKES AND EGGS and everything else - but if there's meat in or near it, you just pick it out and set it aside.
-you are always on the move now! carts, carseats & strollers are not are friend after aboutttt 20 minutes. you just want to get out and run free.
-which lead us to you learning how to hold hands this month! obviously this is important since you have to be on your own walking at all times ;)
-you LOVE playing catch & with your basketball hoop - and you are REALLY good at both!
we play basketball with you or catch or some activity every night before bed and just in the last couple weeks you have turned into a litle allstar!
you make every hoop you throw and you can catch & throw like a champ now! you got a great arm on you also! sports are definitely in the future for you and we're super stoked for when that all starts!
-even though you are a clean freak, you are also 100% a boy. you love to get dirty and play hard. you now get little scratches and bruises from playing outside or with your toys so rough - now when we give you baths I realize how much you aren't a "baby" anymore - but a full on B O Y by all the little bumps & bruises you get from playing.
-you also are a daredevil. you are determined to give me a heart attack, I swear. you are constantly climbing no couches or trying to climb onto tables and jump off, or trying to slam doors & drawers in random rooms and as bad as it sounds, I feel like we are living with someone on suicie watch because there's no other way to put just how on HIGH ALERT we have to be with you at all times. take my eyes off you for two seconds and you've found a new place to jump off or climb up. it's exhausting!
-with that, we did get one of your baby gates this month! not by choice, but just the acceptance that you climbing over it and knocking it over everytime you wanted - sorta defeatd the point. so now you have a whole new side of the house that is open to play and run around {and newly baby-proofed as well!}


Like I said - you're a little MAN now! It's unbelievable. Every day hour that passes you are seriously picking up something new or doing something we've never seen you do before. Whether it's a new word, new laugh, new tone of voice when you're talking, new trick you learned, new way to play with the same toy you've had forever - it's always something new with you and we are loving it all so much. You are SO smart and SO funny and I love that you KNOW just how funny you are too! LOL, anytime we laugh - you bust up laughing at us, laughing at you! It's the best.

I can't even explain how much fun you are right now. Everyone always said how much fun boys are when they're older and you are 100% proof of that. As exhausting as it is running around chasing you, saving you from the 302912029320 hazzards you manage to find hiding in our house, or chasing you nonstop playing - you are the funnest little guy! You have such a fun and loving spirit about you and you manage to play hard all day like a big kid, but want to snuggle at night like a baby; it's so awesome.

Even though you're not growing a TON in size right now - you are still changing everyday and growing up more & more with each days passing. Your dad's newest joke is that your the first kid he's ever seen to wear OUT your baby clothes - because you play so hard now, but aren't growing into your bigger sizes, so you actually are wearing OUT your baby clothes. A shopping trip is in our near future, not for bigger clothes {we have tons of those packed for you} - but just for more 6-9 month clothes! LOL!

FOUR months of Kenzie!

My sweet, sweet girl is now

FOUR MONTHS OLD.

Each month is flying by even faster than the last!

But I can't even complain because every month that passes - you seriously grow leaps & bounds and there is NOTHING more fun than watching you learn all these new things!

 

U P D A T E S

you just went to the doctors this week for your four-month-wellness-checkup and did so great!

Everyone was loving how giggly you were and we were ALL impressed how great you handled your shots! Such a big girl these days, I can't even deal.

Here are your most recent stats:

-weight: 14.6 lbs [24%]

-height: 25 inches even [59%]

head: 40.9 cm [47%]

--I googed the conversion to inches - which is 16.1 inches, which means that you desperately need new headbands, because your biggest ones are 14-15".

But don't worry, I already put in a couple orders for new ones for you :)

 

-you have definitely started teething! No signs of a tooth breaking through, but it's definitely coming soon. Your gums are swollen, you're more fussy than normal & you're constantly sucking and drooling over everything all.day.long.

-you're quite the pro at rolling over now. tummy-to-back & vise versa.

-you prefer to sleep on your tummy almost always.

-you are ALL smiles ALL the time. If you're not smiling, your squeeling with laughter or having major outburts of laughter. It's the sweetest thing ever.

- you talk a lot more now and are constantly coo-ing or "talking" to yourself, even at night it wakes us up sometimes when we hear you just talking & talking away to yourself or your hands, they are definitely your favorites.

-you are SUPER tickelish. Like, instantly squeels & yells and scooting away everytime we tickle you. It's hilarious.

- you still love being naked - and you have the same reaction everytime we change your diaper or your clothes; it's the funniest thing to you. Dad's definitely not a fan of how much you love being clothes-less. lol.

-you know who mommy, daddy & brother are! & not sure which one you love more (probably gunner if I had to pick) - but you smile ear-to-ear anytime you spot one of us in a room or see us come home after work or being gone.

& There's nothing sweeter than knowing you recognize when we're gone & return.

- you still scoot yourself around on your play mat, in general you just don't like to stay stil very long.

- you're super long now and have insanely long legs - you're almost too long for your baby bathtub.

-speaking of baths, you still love bath time and playing with the water - but now we have to "prep" the kitchen before any baths because you kick and play so much you get water EVERYWHERE by the time the bath is over.

- you've gotten bath "post-bath" but still act like you're being tortured when it comes time to cleaning your nose or ears. dramatic is an understatement.

- you've grown a ton this last month, mostly in your thights. You finally have some chubby rolls on your thighs and arms and OH MY GOODNESS they are the cutest!! I take pictures all the time of your baby chub just because I know soon you'll be losing them.

-you'll probably ready to try rice cereal next month! (that's the plan)

-you LOVE your hands and toes & always are playing with them.

-you always always always have to have something in your hands - whether its your doll, your clothes, my hair or my clothes - you can't have empty hands or you freak out.

-your two favorite things in the world right now: your dolly (#1 BFF) and your seahorse that lights up and sings to you. You can't sleep or nap w/o either of them & they make car rides possible (thanks guys).

-you scratch your head, rub your eyes & play with your hair now.

-your feet haven't grown much so no shoes of yours fit quite yet, except your fuzzy slippers.

-you LOVE the bumbo and your bouncer! you still prefer to be laying flat on the ground so you can roll around as you please - but sometimes you really just want to be sitting - and those are your favorite things.

-yes, you are a bumbo PRO! My goal is to have you sitting on your own within the next month or so, that way you can be sitting in your 6 month photos!

{don't tell dad but I picked out the most beautiful dress for you to wear in your photos in May IF you can sit up and show it off! Otherwise, another lace romper it is - which is also fine, but you get the point}

- you're not really a fan of the carrier yet, at least not for periods longer than 15 minutes

-you really only cry when you're hungry, need a diaper change or want to be held - you're very easy to read though and overall a really happy girl!

-speaking of cries - if you get hurt {for instance gunner touching you with a toy} - you have a very delayed reaction before you cry. Like, by the time you are crying we have NO clue where or what happened because literally five minutes have passed before you start whaling.

-you LOVE LOVE LOVE your brother - he always makes you laugh and no matter where he's at in the house - you're GLUED to him. You just watch him and laugh, it's so sweet.

-With that though, you love him but HATE his toys. We don't need to go into details why.

- I am one happy HAPPY mama to say that you a TOTAL mama's girl! I mean, sometimes you prefer daddy over me- but in most cases, you just want me. And going from gunner who was the total opposite - yes, I could NOT be happier about this!

you're a very friendly girl now! You seem to enjoy people now and playing with them more. But, at the same time - you still mean mug like crazy. Haha!

-you are very stubborn already. if you want something - you will keep working at it or crying for it until you get it. For instance, if you want to roll over and are too tired - you will just keep trying and trying to throw your body over (and yelling) until we come over and give you that final nudge to roll over completely. Then your back to smiling & happy as a clam!

- you're SUPER photogenic now! (yayyy for that!) you now know how to smile and laugh on command and I am CONSTANTLY taking pictures of you and your brother because you're both so dang good at smiling on que!

-clothes: you are growing like a weed right now, so you're in 0-3/ 3 month sizes now and i'm sure will be completely into 3/3-6 very soon.

-feedings: you drink a 4-5 ounce bottle per feeding now, and you are hungry every 2-4 hours usually. yes, growing like a weed!

-sleeping: LOL. well, you're not a fan of that word quite yet. some nights are great and you'll sleep a solid 5 hours. but moreso than not, you wake up every 3-4 hours for a bottle and then go back to sleep. and then there are still nights where sleep is just not apart of your plan and you want to play and be wide awake by 3-4am.

Yeah, mom's mastered the "coverup the dark circles" w/makeup trick thanks to you, lol!

 

 

well, those are the big ones for this month.

I know it's a TON of new things, right?

Like I said - you are growing like a weed these days and it seems like everyday you are learning something new or trying to jump 10 steps ahead!

I can't even take it.

But, as sad as I am at how fast your infant days are going by - I also am LOVING each of these new milestones and stages with you.

I absolutely love this age though with you and am doing my best to soak it all up.

 

You are just such a sweet girl, kenzie. I couldn't have imagined a more loving and sweet little girl to call ours.

Everyday I ask myself how we got so lucky to have TWO healthy & HAPPY little babies to call our own. You both are such amazing little souls & make your dad and I happier than we ever imagined possible.

I am so excited for the next months and to see you start sitting and scooting and crawling!

It's going to be so fun, and I know the fun is just getting started!

 

Here's to you princess, all four beautiful months of you! <3

a day to be a leprechaun.

Yesterday was St. Patricks Day.

& what a GREEN filled day it was! 

A few months back I scheduled for both our little leprechauns to have their well-child checkups and shots at the same time. 

So naturally, a tall order like that required both parents to take them. 

I took the day off and just figured it was a great excuse for a family day (since those are so few & far between with rick and my work schedules).

So what a fun day to take off - because it happened to be St Pattys Day and I got to be home all day to enjoy the festivities!

 

 

Both kids did SO great at the doctors! Both are healthy as can be and took their shots like such champs!

Definitely a proud mama! & It was so nice that Rick and me both got to take them!

All their stats from their checkups are on their blog posts for this month ;)

Even after they both got 3-4 shots each - they were alllll smiles in by the time we packed them up and started our trip back home. LOVE that!

While they were taking their naps, a little leprechaun came and baked special sugar cookies for them!

 

Spotted this hottie on the road while driving to Ricks Grandparents ;)

 

Both kids had a ton of fun playing at their great-grandparents house!

Breakfast for dinner - St. Patty's Style!
Green Pancakes & Green scrambled eggs - Gunners favorites!

 

Playing with dad before bed!

 

& just like that - our fun day was complete.

Both kids slept SO great after the fun day we had being leprechauns and playing together as a family all day long.

 

I just love when we can have family days like this!

Hopefully my new job will allow me to work an earlier schedule, so we can have a lot more family time together in future (other than just our normal evening times)!

 

Happy St. Patty's day - hope you all had a great one!

 

New Beginnings: Esurance!

Well, my #1 goal for 2014 has been met.

I got a new job!!

 

I am so excited to say that I am now a member of the Esurance company!

Even though I already consider myself in a "big girl job" -

THIS is even BIGGER.

This is career status, guys.

 

My mom has worked in the insurance industry for as long as I've been around and she's always loved it & been VERY successful with it as her career.

 

& Now I'm in the business too!

 

I will be starting as a Material Damage Claims Assistant - which is very entry-level, but it's a great place to start & get my foot in the door.
And I will be working with some really great people!

It was a very LONG & Intense process of interviews & I was very anxious & nervous to see how everything would turn out and I about DIED when I got the phone call & email with my formal offer.

 

Just meeting my new boss and talking to her a few times, I am so excited to work with her! She seems so sweet and adorable and really has already worked with me to make sure all my goals and needs have been met - before even making my official offer!

Ahh!

 

The commute will be the exact same for me (literally my new job is a block away from my current job)

BUT I will be making a tiny bit more money,

Hours are FLEXIBLE (I already asked for the 6-3pm shift) so I may potentially be working my DREAM shift and home in time to have the whole day with the babies still *fingers crossed BIG TIME for that one*.

Oh & huge bonus: THE BENEFITS are incredible.

I'm talking, the whole family can be on ONE insurance plan now and won't break the bank.

Including Rick getting insurance too! (audience applauding)

(both kids & myself have insurance, but he's never had medical - and now he can)

HUGE HUGE HUGE relief!

Literally, the list of PROS go on & on.

This is a huge move & I'm certain it will be a positive one.

 

& yes, this is CAREER level.

There's tons of positions to move into and they promote very frequently based on performance.

& insurance is a great industry to be in, and this is just the beginning of what, I feel, will be the start of my career!

 

I am so excited and so happy to be getting this huge opportunity!

Everything about it is amazing and comes with so many benefits, including a stable position that is very rewarding!

 

My #1 goal this year was to find a new job that would benefit myself & my family.

It's not even halfway through the year and I've reached that goal!

Amazing.

2014 has given me lots of stress already,

but this makes up for everything.

This is just the beginning & I feel like this new year is finally starting off for us!

 

Thanks to everyone who kept me going & kept me hopeful,

I am just so relieved at such great news like this.

I feel great things are coming for our family & I really cannot wait.

 

#TeamEsurance

#ClaimsAssitant

#StartOfACareer

#Hopeful

#2014

#OurLuckIsChanging

#Greatful & #Excited

Farewell to Winter! {picpost}

This past weekend was the very last one of Winter! 

And, as normal California weather goes, it was NOTHING like Winter! It was mid 70's, sunny and just plain BEAUTIFUL out! 

It was the perfect weekend to be outdoors - so that's exactly what we did. 

ALL.WEEKEND.LONG! 

 

It was just what we needed after a stressful week at work and especially after we finally are ALL healthy after the Ornelas Plague that took over our house the last two weeks.
(there are not enough words to explain how thankful I am we are finally over that!)

Anywho - here's some pictures from our fun weekend in the sunshine! 

Saturday we spent the day walking around the Fountains and Sunday was spent at family brunch (Sunday tradition) then washing cars at Grandmas & playing in the water!

All in all - it was a very beautiful, very SPRING-like and very simple weekend. But any weekend full of sunshine, gunner & Kenzie - is a perfect weekend in my books! 

Cheers to the start of Spring! After this weekend I realized it may not be so bad leaving my beloved cold weather after all :)