Recent Pictures...

Rhowan and Alexa playing in the pack n play. Rhowan says, "exi" and just loves her cousins. She sees Alexa at daycare twice a week and so I know she'll be ok, cause she wants down to play with her right away. When she sees Nate walk into a room, she goes crazy and wants to play almost immediately! You can already see whos the boss in this picture! lol ;)

Rhowan's first walking toy, still a bit hard for her because it isn't that stury, however she doesn't give up and loves the music it plays! I took these right after her pictures on Friday last week.

I did it mom! :)

Mammoth

A few weeks ago Rhowan and I went to Mammoth with Oma, Papa, Nate, Auntie Nichole and Lexi. I was super bummed that TJ couldn't make it for a weekend getaway, but that is the reality of his job, so Rhowan and I went to join the rest of the family. Oh, how I am soooo glad that we did. I think it is one of my favorite places now. I grew up going to Tahoe since I was a baby and it was always a family tradition to go the day after Christmas for a week and ski. I love Tahoe and always will. However, I am not really much of a skier anymore and it is a freakin looooong drive. So we thought we would try out a trip to Mammoth, yes its not snowing, however I would love it just as much during that time of year for sure. We stayed at the Westin, which was incredible, it was so nice...the rooms were amazing with kitchens, big bath tubs, huge comfy beds, a fire place, a reading nook with a bench at the window, etc. It was so nice. They even had a kids club for Nate with tons of crafts to do and movies, etc. The pool was pretty, however it was a bit chilly for that the weekend we were there. There is a lot to do nearby, walking distance. Across the street was the main plaza with shops, restraunts, bars, etc. It had the small town vibe to it. They closed off the streets for a band each night and all the locals and vacationers brought their chairs out and just hung out, had drinks, dinner and listened to the music. Then you can take the shuttle to the lifts and bikers use the trails during summer. You can go hiking, which I will never do again with a stroller or there is a gondola ride to the top you can take and have lunch. Then there were even a few outlet shops with a Coach store and I have to say, I was in Heaven and wanted every purse. ;)

It was only about a 5 1/2 hour drive, not too bad, we did two stops each way for gas, changing diapers and to eat. The girls were very good on the drive. I wish TJ was there to share the weekend with us, I really think he would love it. The whole kick back vibe and just hanging out low key was my kind of weekend. Thank you mom and dad for treating us and I look forward to maybe making this our new spot or tradition each year?! :)

Here are just a few pics from the weekend.

Rhowan's 1st Bday Planning!

Hello everyone,

Oh my, our princess is almost 11 months (next week), which means, next month she will be ONE years old. So bitter sweet. I am loving the age that she is at now and am loving watching her learn to walk, gain some independence, play, dance, etc. She so full of life and energy! She had her 1st Birthday pictures last week with Angela, which I am soooo excited to see. She does such amazing work and is so creative that I just love that she could do her 1st Birthday shots. We did 3 outfits, the first being her Official Birthday Outfit, which she will wear on her big day. Our good friend Steph made her a matching onzie to go with the tutu that my mom had bought her and bedazzled some converse for her to top the outfit off, omg, so freaking cute. We are doing a black, purple and zebra print theme, so fun, as I said before we'll save the characters for when she can pick it! Then we did a casual/fun outfit and then last her cupcake eating outfit. Now I kept the cupcake eating to a minimum, one because she has not had any sweets and I wasn't excited about the diaper it would leave me and secondly, I bought her Joe Jeans, which I couldn't resist, and didn't want them ruined. I know, go ahead, talk your sh@! I can hear it now, but they were only $40 and they were adorable on her. What is the difference if I spend $30 at Gap, huh?! So, we got some shots with her eating her cupcake and then cleaned up quickly to get going. I can't wait for the pics and most importantly for her birthday when she can really get after it eating her first cake!

Here is a picture of her invites, which Steph is hand making each and every one, they turned so adorable (Thanks Steph, we love you and wish you could be here for her special day)

We are having it here at our home. All the girls and my mom offered to help me plant and get our backyard into shape, which is MUCH needed and I will take them up on that! I want to keep it simple with sandwiches, side dishes and then the cupcakes and cake. I am ordering and looking online at stickers and labels for the party favors and am still thinking out ideas for entertainment to keep the kiddos busy. I can't believe our princess will be ONE. Tears are currently dripping down my face! LOL. Oh how the time flies.

She has five teeth, she has taken about 6 steps on her own on a few occasions now, she only wants to eat things that she can feed herself lately, she is getting a little aggressive when she is tired or frustrated (hitting and pulling hair), we are on it though and making sure to stay on top of that, and overall she is an excellent baby. We get so many compliments on her demeanor, her personality, how happy and content she is. So all these rough days that I stress over has she eaten enough, slept enough, is she hitting the right stages, am I reacting ok, is she on a good schedule, is so worth it and I am learning to accept to laugh more than cry and take it all as a learning process, so once that baby #2 comes I will hopefully be able to be more easy going with. Hugs and Kisses to all and as always, we love and thank you all for your support.

PS...I have created a Wish List on Toys R Us for those who may want or need ideas for Rhowan's birthday. It has been requested to me that I do so being it is hard for people to know what she has and doesn't have, needs, etc. I feel a little weird about doing so because by any means, she has all that a princess could ever want, but just for some ideas for those of you who would like to shop for her, but please don't feel at all pressured to buy from this list or get her anything! :)

http://www.toysrus.com/wishlist/wishlistdetails/index.jsp?overrideStore=TRUS&wishlistId=30421076

If this link doesn't work, you can go to www.toysrus.com...click on Wish Lists and search by using her name.

xoxoxo

Labor Day Weekend

We had a great family weekend. It was the first weekend daddy had off in a long time. We were going to go to SD for the weekend and then decided to keep it low key and relaxing. So Saturday we met up with the Baca clan for a day at the street fair, then went to have some food and drinks on 2nd street while we cooled off from the heat wave of the day. The kids were so good all day, being it was freaking hot! Sunday we went to the swap meet, a pool party and home to bed. And Monday was errand running day...mommy and daddy bought a new bed, we are upgrading to a King size bed. I couldn't take the sleepless nights anymore of being scrunched in a corner from Rhowan waking up and joining us in bed. Yep, you heard it right, we haven't done the crying it out yet and just bought a bigger bed! Ahhhh, I have prolonged it knowing it will be a painful week when I finally cave in to doing it. So that was our weekend and here are some pictures to go along with it. We hope you all enjoyed your 3 day weekends as well. Now everyone is back to work and school (well I say everyone, but the teacher/school world), so I think it is about that time where summer has come to an end and time to get back on a good, regular schedule.

Rhowan and Daddy at the Orange Street Fair on Saturday this past weekend. It was so freaking HOT, but we made the best out of it and enjoyed our day. We met the Baca Clan for the day and had a great time!

Taking a break in the shade for a little bit...

Rhowan is learning how to drink out of her sippy cup and boy does she love it! We have to take out the non spill thing because she doesn't understand the concept to suck from her cup, so she gets a nice bath with her drink as well. However, she doesn't mind getting soaked because she loves, loves the water. Mommy just makes sure it is in an easy place to clean up after! :)

Say cheese Rhowan! :) She is such a big girl now, I can't believe she is almost one years old. Tear :( This was a picture I took on my phone to cheer up daddy one day last week while Rhowan was waiting for mommy to cook her lunch. She is eating much better, a little picky at times, but for the most part a good eater.

Rhowan at 10 months...

Well believe it or not tomorrow will be September and our princess is 10 months old already. The day after she turned 10 months on Aug. 21st, it was a Saturday and me, Rhowan and daddy were sitting on the front lawn, in the shade on a blanket (the heat wave made the outside cooler than the inside) and we were just playing and talking. I love moments like these, the down time...with daddy home and just hanging out. Like I keep saying, it is quality not quantity! Daddy and I were going on a date night with some friends of ours (first night out in a looonng time) so we were just getting Rhowan ready to go to Oma and Papa's. Well, long and behold, our little princess stood up, which she has been doing for about 2-3 months now and took, a step, another step, and another one, and omg...mommies eyes welled up and there she went, 4 whole steps without holding on! I was crying and almost screaming at the same time...Daddy was soooo excited...no neither one of us got it on camera, we didn't want to miss it, we just sat in awe! She was so proud of herself.

Well there you have it...10 months old and her first steps. She hasn't done it again on her own yet, however, she is walking like crazy holding onto just one of our hands or using the furniture to get around. So it's just a matter of time that she is running from room of the house to another. She already crawls around, following me from one room to another on days I am trying to get housework done. She seems to not like to be in a room alone. Even though all her toys are there, she has toys in every room, and her toons will be on, but the second she notices you walk away, there you have it, a whiny Rhowan! LOL.

These past few weeks have been a bit hectic. She has become more clingy than ever, separation anxiety from mommy to the max, especially at night. So, here goes our confession...She sleeps with mommy and daddy most nights! Yep, you heard it right. I have totally gone against my word. I am sooooo upset about this. I had her on such a good and strict schedule...people gave me such a hard time about being flexible, not being so regimented, etc. So I let loose a little and wanted her to well adjust to changes with our crazy lives and schedules. Well once we got home from Alaska she would come in bed with mommy at 4 am for her bottle and back to sleep. Well she got really used that so it continued even after Daddy got home. Then we had the heat wave and she wouldn't even start in her crib, she would start her night off in our bed. So, there you have it, back to trying to crib train. Last night, after an hour and a half of sleeping, crib, 20 minutes later, wake up, sleep, crib, 20 minutes wake up...daddy finally caved and brought her in bed with him. This is the story of our lives for the past few weeks and it is NOT good. We have to break it and the only way will be ferber/crying it out method...which FREAKS me out just thinking about it. I get anxiety hearing her cry. I hate to even think about it. I read up on this stage of 10 months and it seems this is normal...separation anxiety, learning they are separate people from us, scared we won't come back, clingy, etc. Well Rhowan is just happy as a clam spooned between daddy and mommy...yes, its cute to see us all cuddling and mommy and daddy holding hands between our daughter, but after a few no good nights of sleep, NOT so cute anymore! ;) Mommy and daddy need their bed back!

Oh, what to do what to do?????

Anyway, other than the rough patches we are hitting with sleeping and yes her temper...she is starting to hit and pull hair to show her frustration (my hair that is!) so we have to put her hand down firmly and say, "No!" Then show her, nice. Then she gives kisses. This happens about 10 times a day. Can't be terrible two's already, are there a such thing as terrible ones?! LOL.

She is surely coming into her own. She is still so happy and full of life and personality. She loves, loves to dance, she is getting to be a better eater, still loves her french fries (what girl doesn't, let's just hope she has daddy's metabolism), strawberries, rice, beans and green beans. She has 3 teeth and I see two more coming in...so I keep wondering, are these teething moments or 10 month phase moments, or is she just plain testing me?! ;)

She just started, one day last week and will go two days this week, a day care down the street from us. I want to send her two days a week through the month of September, in hopes that sub jobs will come up and things will turn around for me to work 2 days a week. I am also hoping this will help her get onto a schedule again and Lexi goes there so they get to play together and with other kids. Rhowan loves kids, she sees little ones and starts kicking her feet and gets so excited, so this is just a good socialization outlet for her and mommy. Plus if I can work two days a week that would cover daycare plus our "play" money for the month so we don't cut into bills. With TJ only getting paid once a month now with the university, it will be an adjustment and I want to help where I can. And, not to mention the sanity of getting a few days out of the house and still doing what I love. If subbing doesn't work out, I am going to stay home with Rhowan and might as well be a stay at home mommy until the kids are in school, which I have really struggled finding a balance with these past few weeks. I don't know if I am just not doing a good job, or if we just need to get into more of a routine, or what it is. I am so hard on myself and feel like I am just not doing a good job. Anyone who thinks staying at home is easy, well I will just stop right there, that is a whole other blog that will need to happen (stay tuned for that later!)

Well with September only a day away, that makes her 1st birthday less than two months away so...1st Birthday planning is in full force. I have her outfits set up for her pictures next Friday with Angela, our good friend Steph is hand making her invitations, so we got our theme, color scheme, not doing the whole character thing, she isn't old enough yet and when she can tell me who she loves and what she wants her bday to be, we will do theme with characters! I am so excited and can't believe our princess will be one!!!!! So bitter sweet.

More to come, pictures and updates from our amazing getaway to Mammoth this past weekend! xoxoxo,

The Bruce's

Our Water Baby

We love having daddy home early, its been a great few days being together as a family again. I love these moments and will never take them for granted. It isn't about quantity, especially with our busy lives and daddy's career, but quality, and that we have!

Family Day

Rhowan and I went to the park on Monday to get out of the house for a bit, she loves the swings!

And look who got off work early and surprised us?! :) We were both sooo excited to see Daddy and surprised. What a wonderful Monday it was.

It got too hot after just 15 minutes, so we went to Grandma and Grandpa's to go swimming after!
On Sunday we had our first family day since Daddy has been home. Mommy and Daddy had date night Saturday night, Rhowan stayed at her Oma and Papa's (thank you mom and dad!) and we had such a good time with friends we haven't seen in awhile. It was a great evening. Then the next morning we woke up, hurting with headaches (it's been awhile, we can't hang anymore.) then picked up Rhowan to go to the Irvine Spectrum for the day to walk around, shop and have a nice lunch/dinner. It was hot, but a nice day together.

Rhowan loves, loves water. She sees waterfalls, sprinklers, pools and goes crazy. Our little water baby!