Birthday Fun!

Here are some pictures from our little Family birthday party on his actual big day. The biggest surprise was that Russ’ mum flew all the way from NZ to surprise us and meet her little grandson for the first time. Russ and I were absolutely SHOCKED and SO glad she could be here. More posts to come of the fun we’re having (she’s here for 2 weeks!!).

Russ came in to my parents garage to see Brian’s new Porsche when Nana snuck up from behind. He was so surprised!

Thanks for the Balloon Nana!

Of course I made everybody put on a party hat! Our Little family!

We didn’t want to give him cake until his party so he had jello for the first time. He ate the whole jello cup. Yum!So glad my grandma can be a part of Rowan’s life. How great does she look for 83?!The two Moms/Grandma’sEven Grandpa Brian wore his party hat (well, at least for the picture)Family presents! Russ and I wrapped up a box full of stuff he actually needs: new shoes, pajamas, socks, etc.. haha. Like he cares! He would rather play with the boxes and wrapping paper anyway. We also got him a Jesus Storybook Bible but he’ll have to wait on that since he likes to tear pages. Thanks Heather and Ruth for the great books and NZ gear. Thanks Uncle Ron for the adorable PJ’s and shirts.

Rowan is ONE!!!

 

Isn’t he just the sweetest?

Here are the stats from his 12 Month well check.

Height: 32 inches (95th Percentile)

Weight: 20 lb 14 oz (25th Percentile)

I have so many emotions wrapped up in this whole turning one ‘thing’. I can honestly say that this has been the most amazing year of my life. It feels like Rowan has been in our lives for a really really long time, and at the same time, the past year flew by much faster than I can even articulate.

I always knew I wanted to be a Mom. I was the kid who said that was what I wanted to be when I grew up. I still think on a daily basis, about how thankful I am that God gave me the opportunity. I can’t even imagine a cuter, sweeter little boy.

Of course it’s come with a lot of challenges, don’t get me wrong…but overall, I continue to think that My heart just feels full. There’s really no other way to describe it.

A year ago I went through 15 hours of hard, unmedicated labor, but it was all worth it. I’ll never forget how I felt when the doctor placed him on my chest. I can still see his little face in my head, and hear his loud cry. I remember tears of joy (and relief!) streaming down my face as I felt this sense of being complete. I remember looking up at Russ, holding his son for the first time, and I get that same feeling even still, as I see how great of a dad he is, and how much he loves Rowan.

Some things I want to remember:

Rowan is VERY busy. He doesn’t stop from the moment he gets up in the morning until bed at night. He has done everything ‘physical’ on the early side. Not because I’m a crazy mom who thinks my kid is so advanced, but because he just wants to move!!! He LOVES to dance. Anytime he hears music, or anything that resembles a beat (washing machine, airplane, lawn mower, shopping cart, etc…) he starts dancing. He loves the bath. He loves to read books, and to turn the pages. He loves to play with a ball- fetch, haha, or to kick it. Rowan loves to be outside the most. He wants to pick up leaves, touch trees, dig in the dirt, or point out the “buh!” (birds). He loves Elmo, and dogs. Rowan loves to go swimming, and is a champ about going under water. He loves to clap, hold his hand to his ear and pretend he’s on the phone, and he spends the majority of his day pointing, babbling, and waving his arms around. He thinks it’s funny when we brush our teeth, blow our nose, or sneeze. He hates the carseat, and the stroller. He will eat anything, and everything. He loves to drink out of straws, tear paper, and touch just about anything he’s not supposed to. Rowan loves to give “cuddles” and “kisses”. He can be kind of serious when he’s in a new situation and checking everything out. He loves other kids. He is our absolute pride and joy.

Trip to LA!

My step brother got married over the weekend in CA. Rowan and I were lucky enough to get to go, thanks to my mom and Brian. Unfortunately Russ couldn’t take work off..we really missed him!

Rowan had a lot of firsts: first plane ride, first time in CA, first wedding, first time at a hotel… He did SO great! I literally almost didn’t go because I just couldn’t imagine taking him on a plane, let alone for a ride to the grocery store these days, hehe. I think he liked the hum of the plane and we just passed him back and forth and kept him entertained with snacks, and toys, etc.. He even took a nap each way.

On the plane

On the bus to get our rental car. Rowan wasn’t too thrilled to be strapped down once again.. but still did great!

Our Hotel was The Marriot in Camarillo. It’s fairly new and was really nice. Here’s Ro taking a little nap. I swear he slept better on our trip than he does at home. Probably because he was SO tired from all the fun.

My brother Ron lives in Sherman Oaks- about an hour away. He got to come meet his little nephew for the first time. it was so great getting the chance to spend some time with him. We walked over to a big baseball field across from the hotel and let Rowan run around. There were a lot of planes flying by overhead which Ro loved!

The Rehearsal Dinner was at a Ranch House BBQ restaurant and was a lot of fun. It was really great seeing Brian’s 4 kids, and more of the grandkids- Rowan’s cousins! Wish we had more time to visit but hopefully in the near future. On the day of the wedding we had a little time in the morning to head over to the beach. We put Rowan down in the sand and at first he looked pretty intrigued. He ran his fingers through it. As soon as I took his little toes for a dip in the ocean, he was done. He was crying for me to pick him up and if I even stepped in the water he would get upset. Haha..poor guy!The wedding was unbeleivable. Most beautiful venue I’ve ever been to. Right on the beach in Malibu. Jeff’s now wife, Monica was super organized and thought of everything, right down to the last detail. Here we are on the plane ready to head home. Rowan loves to hold cell phones up to his ear everytime we say hello. He babbles a bunch and waves his hands around like he’s having a conversation. Wonder where he got that from?!

My 27th Bday

Can’t even believe I’m 27! I seriously feel like I just celebrated my 21st birthday…  I really do feel like I’m at the best possible place for 27 though. I have a lot to be thankful for, and it’s crazy how much has happened in this decade alone.

I spent the day with my mom and Rowan. We went shopping, and to lunch. Always love to spend time with her.

Russ decided to “make” my cake this year… haha. I’m not really a huge cake fan and last year I didn’t even have one. Russ took my 2 favorite kinds of ice cream (mint chocolate chip, and cookies & cream), formed them into a cake and covered the whole thing with hot pink sprinkles, and sprinkly stars. He attempted to write Happy Bday and he even bought “2” “7” candles. For those of you who know Russ…this was pretty good. Even though the ‘cake” isn’t the prettiest, it was so cute that he wanted to do something thoughtful.

I finally got my Keurig too! Thank you Russ and Rowan for such a great gift. I seriously wanted one of these soo bad! It’s been awesome to wake up in the morning and make a quick cup of fresh coffee. Definitely worth it since I don’t usually drink more than one cup at a time.

Love both my guys so much.. Look at this sweet little face. Soon we’ll be celebrating his bday!

Asian Chicken Spinach Salad

Who wants to turn on the oven when it’s hot out? Not me! I made this last night and the first words out of Russ’ mouth were, “ Are you kidding me?! This is amazing!!” It’s definitely a keeper…the dressing is delish! Great for a summer evening or potluck!

Asian Spinach Salad
From: www.thisweekfordinner.com

Toss together:
- 1 small bag of spinach
- 8 oz. bowtie pasta (cook, strain, cool)
- 2-4 Tbsp. Sesame seeds
- 1/2 C. Sunflower seeds
- 1 can sliced water chestnuts
- 3 chicken breasts – season  with lemon pepper and salt, grill (or pan fry)and cut into bite size pieces
- 1 C. bean sprouts
- (I went to Trader Joes and they didn’t have water chestnuts OR bean sprouts so I used a yellow pepper and green onion…. SO yummy! I think I’d just do it like this again.)

Dressing:
- 1/2 C. Canola oil
- 1/2 C. sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp Seasoned Rice vinegar (unseasoned works too)
-- 1 tsp grated fresh garlic
- store in fridge. Return to room temp before combined

ENJOY!

Reading With Dad!

Rowan has been so into books lately (the teacher in me jumps for joy, hehe). It’s so cute how he’ll find a book, come over, hand it to me, and sit on my lap. He likes to point at everything on the pages and when I say “turn the page” he does! Pretty fun. Here’s some cute pictures of Ro reading with daddy!