Tuesday, May 29, 2007

A birthday, a night out, and a great guy!!!!!

This weekend was packed with things to do. On Saturday we had a BBQ/birthday party for one of Liv's boyfriends, Nicholas. Then on Sunday Vinay's Mom came to watch Liv so Vinay and I could go down the shore and finish some last minute work on the house. Vinay built some of the furniture. All I have to say is, it took 4 and a half hours to build 1 dresser. Unfortunately I don't have pictures from that. I would have liked to take some pictures of the drawers with no bottoms vinay put together. Then Vinay and I took advantage of our night out and went out to some bars with Vaishu and Jake. We actually stayed up till 2:30, something I have not done in a long time. Finally we came home on Monday and hung out with our Olivia.




Nicholas loved it when we sang happy birthday to him.
Liv and Addy watching the big kids in the pool.
The big kids, Ella, Jay, and Ava had so much fun splashing.
Olivia showing Alex how to work her Little Mermaid ride on toy.
Jenene and Tyler, on the right, making Luca and Tara-Lynn laugh
Finally an ode to our friend John, who is Tyler's Dad. John has been Vinay's friend since high school. Then when they went to college they were roommates. I met John the same year I met Vinay and I consider him one of my best friends. He is honest, hardworking, would do anything for you and he is a great father. John always reads my blog, and says he does many "blog worthy" things that never make the blog. Although Tyler has had lots of blog time since he's been born, I still wanted to give John a shout out.We love you Johnny!!!!!!!!

Friday, May 25, 2007

Fun at the park w/ Daddy and a new sippy cup

"Yippee, my Daddy is pushing me high on the swings"
"My first slide, wow Mommy never lets me do these fun things"
"I can go down this one myself, as long as my Daddy is right behind me."
"Guess what, I'm throwing out all my old Nubby sippy cups? I found a better one."
"It's a sippy cup with a straw! I can drink much better out of it. And it goes great with my teddy grahams. I'm only biting the heads off, so the bodies are up for grabs if you want some?"

Monday, May 21, 2007

What were doing now

So what has been keeping us sooooo busy lately. It's a house!
Recently Vinay and I purchased a rental property. We're hoping the house will eventually go up in value and we can sell it and use the money for Olivia's college. So we have been working hard cleaning, fixing it up, and furnishing it, so that it will be ready for summer rentals. So many of our friends have helped and we really owe them big time. Thanks guys, you know who you are!!!!






Here is the view from the street, it's just a small bungalow, but it has a great deck.
This is the view from our street. We are about a block and a half from the ocean.

Thursday, May 17, 2007

One year ago......

Exactly one year ago we first laid eyes on my precious baby girl. When I opened the email this is the picture I saw. Those inquisitive eyes staring back at me. Here is what I posted on that day.


Entry for May 16, 2006
She's here, My baby is here,I waited till about2 for the info.
Before we could accept the baby we had to agree to some wacky rules our attorney goes by. We had to agree that we would not meet her foster mother. The lawyer is very protective of her foster mom's and tries to protect them. We will however get to meet with a coordinator who will know all about our baby. We agreed, and then we waited.
I went to my Mom's to wait since I couldn't stand it anymore. I told work I'll be in when I'm in. At about 2pm the agency called and told me the lawyers name, the name of the foster mom, and yes the baby's name, Lucille Miranda Gomez. My mom started to cry.
I was on information overload taking down notes and trying to contain my excitement. I told her just to email me the info and I would call her back with questions.I quickly opened the file and there she was my beautiful baby girl. I started to cry.
She was just the sweetest baby I'd ever seen. Yes she was my baby, I knew it. Actually Ithink she does sort of look like vinay. I called Vinay he was driving back from a meeting. I forwarded the file and told him to call me as soon as he got it.
His first words, "Wow she's really cute" My husband the poet.I had to go to work at least for a little while.
I also had so much to do, call the DR and give him the info, Get our funds together to send the check, and have 1 more paper to fill out.I was flying, we both couldn't sleep, and I can't stop looking at her picture.
Oh yea we renamed her, Meet miss Olivia Miranda Nayak.


Wow it really does feel like it was yesterday. My excitement, my fear, all over the things to come. And here I am a year later watching that precious baby girl eating a snack, here in my home, in my life. I feel so blessed to have lived thru the last year, even the days I didn't think I'd survive. It was all worth it. She is worth it.



Here is one of my favorite pictures of Olivia, because when she laughs, a real laugh, she laughs with her whole face. She is so funny, still not eating too much, but she's funny!!!

Monday, May 14, 2007

Picky, Picky


Mommy, we're done with dinner, I won't eat a thing, but I'll help load the dishwasher" "Now where did you say my sippy cups go?"

Well it's official Liv is a picky eater. And I mean sooooo picky. First she does not like the texture of most food so forget about feeding herself any fruit or veggies, or noodles for that matter. She used to love chicken noodle soup, but now I can only get in about 2 mouth fulls before she clears off the tray of her highchair with the sweep of her hand, and starts to screech until I take her out. Here is what we are down to.
cheerios,
oatmeal
yogurt
Nutra grain waffles
pizza
grilled cheese
string cheese
soup w/ pearl pasta
once in awhile a chicken nugget
fruits if they are in yogurt
Vegetables if they are in yogurt, yes you read that right. I am desperate for her to get some veggies in her diet.
applesauce.
That's it. I am really stressing about this, because how is she going to get completely off her bottles if she doesn't have a balanced diet?
Anyone out there HELP, this girl won't eat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friday, May 11, 2007

Happy Mothers Day!!!!!

Wanted to wish all my fellow Mom's a happy mothers day!!!!
I will be especially thinking of all those Moms who's babies are not home yet. I was where you are, last year. It's a long hard wait, but sooooo worth it

Here is an article a friend sent me. Enjoy

Happy Mother's Day
This is for the mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in their arms, wiping up barf laced with Oscar Mayer wieners and cherryKool-Aid saying, "It's okay honey, Mommy's here." Who have sat in rocking chairs for hours on end soothing crying babies who can't be comforted.

This is for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their blouses and diapers in their purse.

For all the mothers who run carpools and make cookies and sew Halloween costumes. And all the mothers who DON'T.

This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they'll never see. And the mothers who took those babies and gave them homes.

This is for the mothers whose priceless art collections are hanging on their refrigerator doors.

And for all the mothers who froze their buns on metal bleachers at football or soccer games instead of watching from the warmth of their cars, so that when their kids asked, "Did you see me, Mom?" they could say, "Of course, I wouldn't have missed it for the world," and mean it.

This is for all the mothers who yell at their kids in the grocery store and swat them in despair when they stomp their feet and scream for ice cream before dinner. And for all the mothers who count to ten instead, but realize how child abuse happens.

This is for all the mothers who sat down with their children and explained all about making babies. And for all the (grand) mothers who wanted to, but just couldn't find the words.

This is for all the mothers who go hungry, so their children can eat. For all the mothers who read "Goodnight, Moon" twice a night for a year. And then read it again. "Just one more time."

This is for all the mothers who taught their children to tie their shoelaces before they started school. A nd for all the mothers who opted for Velcro instead.

This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and their daughters to sink a jump shot.

This is for every mother whose head turns automatically when a little voice calls "Mom?" in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring are at home -- or even away at college.

This is for all the mothers who sent their kids to school with stomach aches assuring them they'd be just FINE once they got there, only to get calls from the school nurse an hour later asking them to please pick them up. Right away.

This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, who can't find the words to reach them.

This is for all the step-mothers who raised another woman's child or children, and gave their time, attention, and love... sometimes totally unappreciated!

For all the mothers who bite their lips until they bleed when their14-year-olds dye their hair green.

For all the mothers of the victims of recent school shootings, and the mothers of those who did the shooting. For the mothers of the survivors, and the mothers who sat in front of their TVs in horror, hugging their child who just came home from school, safely.

This is for all the mothers who taught their children to be peaceful, and now pray they come home safely from a war.

What makes a good Mother anyway? Is it patience? Compassion? Broad hips?The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a shirt, all at the same time? Or is it in her heart? Is it the ache you feel when you watch your son or daughter disappear down the street, walking to school alone for the very first time? The jolt that takes you from sleep to dread, from bed to crib at 2 A.M. to put your hand on the back of a sleeping baby? The panic, years later, that comes again at 2 A.M. when you just want to hear their key in the door and know they are safe again in your home? Or the need to flee from wherever you are and hug your child when you hear news of a fire, a car accident, a child dying? The emotions of motherhood are universal and so our thoughts are for young mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation... And mature mothers learning to let go.

For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers. Single mothers and married mothers. Mothers with money, mothers without.This is for you all.For all of us. Hang in there.In the end we can only do the best we can.Tell them every day that we love them. And pray.


"Home is what catches you when you fall - and we all fall."

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

A few more pictures

Pictures are still coming in here are some more from the big day. We are still recovering, and we haven't even opened all the gifts yet. I've also started to help plan my Sister-in-laws bridal shower, so it still busy busy for me. But enjoy some of these pictures.





"hey is all this hoopla for little ol' me"
"Gia, so glad you and your parents made it. To bad we are to little to go in the moonwalk, maybe next year"
Mommy and Daddy you blow out the candle, I'll just sit here and look cute"
"My Vaishu Aukka (aunt) taught me how to open gifts, how fun is this"
"Ahh a successful party, all my friends, lots of gifts, and plenty of attention, now I can rest with a warm bottle and say good night. It doesn't get any better than this."

Sunday, May 06, 2007

Just a few pictures for now!!!!

Olivia's birthday was wonderful. The party was a great success. The food was good, the music was good and I think everyone really had fun. Olivia was of course overwhelmed, but I expected that.
Here is just a few pictures. I hope to post more tomorrow.











Our backyard just as people were arriving.
The birthday girl in her dress. Just as she woke up from her nap.
Mommy daddy and baby.
Breaking the pinata. The outfit she is wearing is from our secret blogger. Thank you so much, it was so cute.
The cake. My aunt made this to look like a pinata.
If anyone else has pictures please send them to me, I don't have too many.

Friday, May 04, 2007

Happy Birthday Olivia


Happy 1st birthday Olivia. Words can not describe how much I love this little girl. So I'll let this video do the talking for me.