Soon after we got back from Hawaii we found out we were expecting Baby Robertson # 2!
It was just about this time that Leia decided that she will be a Mommy also. She has devoted every waking moment to tending to her baby doll. She has this baby on a strict schedule. She wakes up and heads downstairs to fix a bottle for the baby, then the baby must sit in the highchair with her bib. She bathes and dresses her baby, then off they go for a walk in the stroller and finally she reads and sings baby to sleep. It's as if Leia has an instinctive sense that she will need this practice to help me raise her sibling.
I am just about finished with the first trimester, but still feeling the morning sickness that lasts all day for me. My bedtime has moved from 11p to 8p and I feel so appreciative that James has been such a supportive husband and father during this time of nausea and fatigue. Leia and James have been bonding so much while Mommy is "out of commission".
Leia has had a vocabulary explosion this past month and it is amazing to watch the changes that take place in an 18 month old. We can't get enough of her sweet personality and it will be so fun to see her as a big sister. Save the date for June 1st!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Paradise
We just returned home from our paradise vacation in Maui. We vacationed with our friends, the Halim family. We had the time of our lives enjoying the warm weather, beautiful water, and gorgeous landscape Hawaii has to offer. Enjoy the pics..
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| Swimming at the resort |
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| Same place we spent our honeymoon!! |
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| Leia's 1st snorkeling trip |
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| The Halim Family |
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| Hiking near Wailuku |
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| Silly baby and Daddy |
Celebrating Mom's Life
We celebrated my Mom today by attending Cancer Survivers Day. It has been 17 years since she was diagnosed and we consider every second she spends with us a GIFT!!
Happy 6th Anniversary!
This blog is dedicated to the love of my life.
James, you are everything I have ever dreamed of and I am the luckiest woman to call you my husband. Life just gets better and better with you. You have exceeded every expectation as my husband and as a father for our daughter. Thank you for all the happiness you bring to our family. You will always be Leia's and my hero. I love you with all my heart!
Happy Anniversary Sweetheart
James, you are everything I have ever dreamed of and I am the luckiest woman to call you my husband. Life just gets better and better with you. You have exceeded every expectation as my husband and as a father for our daughter. Thank you for all the happiness you bring to our family. You will always be Leia's and my hero. I love you with all my heart!
Happy Anniversary Sweetheart
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| We celebrated our Anniversary in Napa Valley wine country |
Our Expanding Family
Leia is proud to announce she will have 2 new aunties next year. My brother Rickey and James' brother John just got engaged and both weddings are scheduled for 2012! We are so excited to welcome Mason and Laura to our family.
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| Mason, Rick, and Leia | Laura, John, and Leia |
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Our latest adventure!
When James suggested that the 3 of us take a trip to Yosemite, I didn't realize what a life-changing adventure it would be. I had never been to Yosemite, or any national park for that matter. When I was growing up, the extent of a family vacation consisted of stopping half way to San Francisco and staying at Marriani's hotel in San Jose! A far cry from the adventure of hiking 10 hours to a waterfall that brought me to my knees! It was the most majestic and epic experience I have ever had. It was one of those times in life when you realize how powerful nature really is and how insignificant we as human beings really are. I was in heaven with the baby on my back, James at my side, and the most amazing waterfalls surrounding us. I am so happy that we were able to capture some of these majestic moments on camera.
PS. It was only 1 day after our visit to Yosemite that the tragic event of those 3 people fell down Vernall falls. Its hard to look at these photos without thinking of how thin the line is between life and death. I understand how drawing this waterfall really is. Our hearts and our thoughts go out to the family.
PS. It was only 1 day after our visit to Yosemite that the tragic event of those 3 people fell down Vernall falls. Its hard to look at these photos without thinking of how thin the line is between life and death. I understand how drawing this waterfall really is. Our hearts and our thoughts go out to the family.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Moments like these...
I love experiencing those moments in life when the time of day is forgotten, the “do list” dissolves, and the everyday stressors are non-existent. That’s how I felt this morning while James and I enjoyed a cup of coffee together from our hotel balcony in La Jolla. Those calm moments are rare now a-days and it was so enjoyable to reflect on all our wonderful blessings while watching our angel girl sleep. We have been in San Diego for a week now. My job sent me to San Diego, of all places, to complete a training course for my work as an information technology pharmacist. So it worked out perfectly that all of James’ family was able to take time out of their busy schedule and fly out there to meet us. In addition, James spent the entire week working with John, attending a training session for RH20 engineering, and finalizing a job proposal. We were in heaven enjoying our old stomping ground.
We have been traveling so much ever since James finished his school semester. We spent Memorial weekend in Scottsdale celebrating my cousin Omar’s wedding. We had the time of our life dancing and singing all weekend with my Arab relatives. Boy, do they know how to party!! Being with them made me realize 2 things: one being how important family really is and two, how much I miss my father. The sound of Arabic music and the excitement of the elegant dancing brings back so many beautiful memories, all that encompass Dad. It reminded me that I truly want Leia to be raised with the beauty of the Arab culture. I feel sad every day my dad never got to meet Leia, but I have vowed that I will instill in her the conservative values, the vibrancy, the traditional wedding customs, and the unconditional love and passion that accompany being Arab. We had the time of our lives and it was so wonderful for all my cousins to meet Leia for the first time.
The weekend after we got back from Phoenix, we decided to travel to Mount Whitney for a climbing adventure. James and his brother John have been wanting to get back into the crazy outdoor adventures that they used to do…starting with climbing Mt. Whitney, the tallest mountain in the continental US! Oh well, that’s James for you. Go big or go home He wanted to bring Leia and I with him so we made it a family trip. The day before the big climb, the boys took Leia and I do some amateur climbs which helped them get accustomed to the altitude change before they climbed Mt. Whitney. It was amazing to go start at 80 degree weather and end up in the snow at the top. Leia had the best time as James carried her on his back and he is so proud to say that he definitely has an adventuresome child on his hands—she is in training to climb Mt. Shasta next!
Baby Leia in Daddy's hiking boots:
Leia has changed so much just in the past week. She has learned how to walk and her vocabulary is exploding. She is growing up to be such a sweet little girl with her big round eyes, her luscious rosy cheeks, and her beautiful curls. She LOVES people so much and she especially loves to sing and dance. She is willing to go to anyone as long as they want to play with her. But be careful if you ask for a kiss, she will plant a juicy one right on your lips! We are head over heels in love with this little angel and we enjoy every waking moment spent with her.
We have been traveling so much ever since James finished his school semester. We spent Memorial weekend in Scottsdale celebrating my cousin Omar’s wedding. We had the time of our life dancing and singing all weekend with my Arab relatives. Boy, do they know how to party!! Being with them made me realize 2 things: one being how important family really is and two, how much I miss my father. The sound of Arabic music and the excitement of the elegant dancing brings back so many beautiful memories, all that encompass Dad. It reminded me that I truly want Leia to be raised with the beauty of the Arab culture. I feel sad every day my dad never got to meet Leia, but I have vowed that I will instill in her the conservative values, the vibrancy, the traditional wedding customs, and the unconditional love and passion that accompany being Arab. We had the time of our lives and it was so wonderful for all my cousins to meet Leia for the first time.
The weekend after we got back from Phoenix, we decided to travel to Mount Whitney for a climbing adventure. James and his brother John have been wanting to get back into the crazy outdoor adventures that they used to do…starting with climbing Mt. Whitney, the tallest mountain in the continental US! Oh well, that’s James for you. Go big or go home He wanted to bring Leia and I with him so we made it a family trip. The day before the big climb, the boys took Leia and I do some amateur climbs which helped them get accustomed to the altitude change before they climbed Mt. Whitney. It was amazing to go start at 80 degree weather and end up in the snow at the top. Leia had the best time as James carried her on his back and he is so proud to say that he definitely has an adventuresome child on his hands—she is in training to climb Mt. Shasta next!
Baby Leia in Daddy's hiking boots:
Leia has changed so much just in the past week. She has learned how to walk and her vocabulary is exploding. She is growing up to be such a sweet little girl with her big round eyes, her luscious rosy cheeks, and her beautiful curls. She LOVES people so much and she especially loves to sing and dance. She is willing to go to anyone as long as they want to play with her. But be careful if you ask for a kiss, she will plant a juicy one right on your lips! We are head over heels in love with this little angel and we enjoy every waking moment spent with her.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Friday, May 13, 2011
Pieces of Heaven
The alarm clock rings and I fumble to shut it off before it wakes up James and Leia. I finally manage to silence it and I open my eyes to see Leia and James lying cheek to cheek next to me. Her delicious baby scent and her soft baby skin overcomes me and I spend the next 5 minutes watching the two of them hugging each other thinking to myself this is what dreams are made of! Nothing is more attractive than a man with a baby girl in his arms! I am reminded of the song my mom and I sang every morning growing up “Good Morning Beautiful” by Steve Holy. Its 5:30a and I beg my aching and tired body to get up and get ready for work. My 40 minute commute to work gives me just enough time to reflect on all the important people in my life and the importance of making time to tell them how much they mean to me. My “to do” list is so vast that I can barely check one item off, but during my commute I turn off the radio and envision how I can be a better person. First, I need to call Riyad and tell him how proud I am of his graceful determination to stay positive, then I will text Carrie Stevens and tell her what an inspiration she is to me, after that I will call Rickey and remind him what a great brother he is and I am so happy for his happiness, then I need to send a present to Erin to cheer her up and remind her she is my soul-mate, then I have to call Dena and Mom to get my daily dose of sister-hood power. I arrive to work without a moment to spare and jump into the many problems that await me in pharmacy/computer world at work.
I return home from a long day’s work so anxious to have my sweet girl back in my arms. More often than not, I enter from the garage to find James and Leia playing together in the kitchen making dinner. She hears my voice and I hear the sweet pitter patter of her hands and feet across our hard-wood floor as she frantically crawls to me. I swoop her up in my arms and we kiss and hug each other. I give James a kiss and I am reminded how lucky I am to raise children with him. We enjoy the rest of the night dancing, singing, playing, and crawling up and down the stairs until we are so tired our eyes can’t stay open any longer. I guess bedtimes before 10p are over-rated in my house
I sleep the baby by nursing her until she is fast asleep, then carefully placing her in her crib avoiding waking her. I lay my head on my pillow and reflect on how blessed I am. I turn to James to say Goodnight or as Leia would say “dye dye”.
I return home from a long day’s work so anxious to have my sweet girl back in my arms. More often than not, I enter from the garage to find James and Leia playing together in the kitchen making dinner. She hears my voice and I hear the sweet pitter patter of her hands and feet across our hard-wood floor as she frantically crawls to me. I swoop her up in my arms and we kiss and hug each other. I give James a kiss and I am reminded how lucky I am to raise children with him. We enjoy the rest of the night dancing, singing, playing, and crawling up and down the stairs until we are so tired our eyes can’t stay open any longer. I guess bedtimes before 10p are over-rated in my house
I sleep the baby by nursing her until she is fast asleep, then carefully placing her in her crib avoiding waking her. I lay my head on my pillow and reflect on how blessed I am. I turn to James to say Goodnight or as Leia would say “dye dye”.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Heaven on Earth
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| Daddy and Leia at Carmel Beach |
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| The Monterey High Girls and their children |
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| Suzie and Baby Girl Enjoying the Ocean |
Right now I am reflecting on all the right things that happened to me that lead me to where I am today. Did I realize all that studying would finally bring my dream of becoming a pediatric pharmacist to fruition? Did I realize when I met the man who would become my husband that I would wake-up to him every day thanking my lucky stars to be married to my best friend? Did I realize when I helped my mom and dad choose the house in Monterey in 1989 that I was choosing the house that my own children would be raised in? And did I realize when I was 14 years old, going out for hot chocolate with friends that I would end up at the same Starbucks watching my very own baby girl sleep in my arms? Funny how life works out, isn’t it?
Leia turned 10-months old this week and she amazes us more every second. We are so lucky that between our weekly Grandma Janice visits, James’ flexible school schedule and my random days off, we have been able to avoid putting Leia in day-care. Her happiest moments are spent reading, singing, and “fixing” everything. She is becoming such a sweet lady with her dainty princess wave and sweet singing voice. She is now able to crawl everywhere, stand-up, and walk (as long as she is holding onto something). She can say “Dadda”, “Momma” and “goggie”. Leia has very specific desires and hilarious idiosyncrasies, like eating tags and anything that is shiny, including door stops. She loves to ride her bike that her Grandma bought her for Christmas and her most relaxing time is spent being strolled to the park and back. I am still nursing her and I feel the older she becomes, the more attached she (and I) become to the nursing ritual. Unfortunately, our bonding ritual occurs every 3 hours all night long—I guess I didn’t read the part in the baby manual where it said train your baby to sleep by herself at 2 months old by letting her “cry it out” –I’m afraid I skipped that chapter (or ignored it, perhaps) and I bought myself a beautiful nightly bonding session. When the alarm clock rings at 5:30a, I remind myself that I will miss these sleepless nights when she is begging for her independence at 13 years of age. Until then, James and I will soak up every second of this pure bliss-of-a life and be happy to say we are the happiest and luckiest people on earth!
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