Taking Bites out of Life

This week has been the first that felt 'real'. Things are moved in, curtains are hung (90%) and beds are put together. Yes, that means Isaac's bed too! We finally got his mattress, and he has been sleeping in his own bed. It's funny how last week I was about to loose my mind because I was waking up 4-9 times a night but now that Isaac is in his own room, I only wake up with him once or twice! It's glorious!! He is sleeping so well at night. Day...not so much. He has gone from 4-5 naps to 1-2 naps. That is a huge jump...and he's not doing it gracefully. I don't know why this is what he wants, but he must have hit a developmental milestone that told him to do it. At this point, I blame the forces of nature.

He has also received his second tooth this week! Now he has both front bottom teeth. He has been so whiney, but we find things to help. Like this toy from his Bama that I place ice-cubes into.

"Why did you put me down mom?? My teeth hurt!" face

"Wow, what is this thing?"

"Oh my goodness it feels good on my gums!"

The only con is that the front of his onesie gets soaked. 

We also decided to start on solids. Isaac always grabs my oatmeal in the morning, so I tried giving him some 'baby' oatmeal. He didn't eat much but he seemed to enjoy the experience. I think that might be the last time I give him oat cereal, but who knows.

Brent accuses me of being a homebody, and he is right. Mostly because I hate traveling in the car. In California traffic, this hatred is magnified! It is so crazy to drive here and everything takes forever to get to. Also, last year around this time Brent and I got in a huge wreck here. We were hit on the freeway and it totaled our car. We honestly suffer from post traumatic stress syndrome. 

Anyway, I decided we needed to get out more often. We found a huge event where hundreds of food trucks were gathering in Oakland. We invited some of our best friends and we got some yummy food!!

We saw a Paella place and Brent HAD to get some. He loves Spain so much because of his mission. They even had fake pig legs (a spanish delicacy) hanging at the truck. 

Here are the huge pans they cook the Paella in. 

It was super yummy!

 We also had to try these carmel and cinnamon covered sweet potato fries. They were really good though very sweet.

This coming week is finals for Brent. He is finishing his fifth of twelve quarters. I can't believe how far we've gone!

Also as a side note, I found some yummy recipes lately.

First, the best gluten-free cookies ever. Are they healthy for you? Heck no. So of course I love them! She said not to use natural peanut butter because it's thinner, but I did anyway. Mostly because I think other peanut butter is yuck, and it also has soybean oil in it which Isaac is intolerant to. So I just added a little bit of cornstarch to thicken the batter up and they were amazing.

http://www.averiecooks.com/2015/06/the-best-flourless-peanut-butter-cookies.html

An amazing soup:

http://www.cookingclassy.com/2014/02/kale-quinoa-minestrone-vegan-gluten-free/

Chiro Wife

Did I know what I was getting myself into when Brent said he wanted to be a Chiropractor? Not in the slightest. It has been a huge year for us since we started school. I say we, because I feel like this is my journey and career too. It has become our life and will be how we support our family. Sometimes, I get tired of how Chiropractic is 80% of what we talk about. But then I see a glimpse of the end of this and I get so excited! Brent has really settled into a groove with school and has found his passion within the field. He just completed his first National Board test for his license. He has three more, but it feels good to get one done! It was really hard to have him at school from 7-7 every day for the past three months. I'm always amazed at how dedicated he is and his ability to work hard. We have struggled by for the last year and finally the Lord is rewarding our faith and giving Brent so many wonderful opportunities. Blessings rarely come in the beginning for us, but when they do come they are amazing.

Because Brent has been so busy lately, he hasn't spent much time with Isaac. Isaac has also not been sleeping well lately. So, Brent walks him around and he falls asleep like magic. He won't do it for me, but he just loves his daddy snuggles. Though it's a bad habit, it is just SO sweet. Also very helpful on Sundays at church.

Things have been really good in our new house. We love our neighborhood and the 'house' feeling over the apartment feeling. I do not miss loud hispanic music, thunder mufflers roaring by at 2am, and the smell of smoke!

On a super happy note, Isaac slept in his room for the first time last night! Even though we've been in our new apartment for a week and a half things have been so crazy we haven't gotten his room enough together. He still doesn't have a crib mattress, he is sleeping in a pack n' play we borrowed from friends. I got the best nights sleep last night. Who knew that waking up only 3 times would be the ideal?

Isaac has really humbled me. I thought everything was put together. He was sleeping through the night and was such an easy baby until July when sleeping has got hard. That's what I get for thinking I had this mom thing down.

I love having a washer and dryer in our new place! It makes laundry so much easier. Isaac always helps!

We start him on solids this month, and I am so nervous! There is so many conflicting beliefs on introducing foods. Anyone know what is the best way? I guess the best way will be whatever way we finally do it.

Last side note, Isaac can sit in his stroller without the carseat now. My heart hurts! He looks so big and grownup sitting up looking around. When did my baby grow up?

In the mornings, I bring Isaac into bed with me and we just play and snuggle. It is the best thing ever. I love this time we have together!  He used to not care if we were with him or not, but he has really started to love us and want to spend time with us.

Upgrading

Sorry I'm a day late because of Labor day. Also, yesterday was crazy.

Brent and I originally tried to get into a group of duplexes when we first moved out to California. They are cheap and have other LDS chiropractic students living there. Unfortunately, it's a hot commodity and we didn't get in. We were blessed to find another apartment that was barely in our price range (but still there) and have loved living there. It was close to the school and we made so many wonderful friends there. It was a one bedroom, however, and we had smoking neighbors that drove me insane. If there is one thing that bugs me more than anything, even loud hispanic music, it's cigarette smoke.

Well, the Lord was watching out for us because he helped Brent become friends with a student who was graduating soon and lived in those first duplexes. We had an in! So last week we packed up everything and left our home of the last year. It was so hard to leave the area and most of all our friends. It has been the greatest comfort to me to be able to walk 50 feet from our apartment and run into my best friends.

Moving was also hard because Brent is in school. He took the day off and we moved everything. Unfortunately, Isaac decided that was the day he'd start teething and turned from a calm, chill baby into a needy monster who doesn't sleep. Luckily, he let me set him down enough that some boxes got packed.

Brent drove the moving truck over, and I took Isaac and the car to our new apartment. On the way I felt myself loosing my cool. Maybe it was because we'd spent an exhausting day packing and taking care of screaming Isaac, but I was very emotional. I felt tears forcing their way up as I turned down our new street. This wasn't home. This place was so foreign and how would I ever survive here without all my friends?

That emotional low has continued as we have been forced to unpack and try to put our life together at home while Brent is extremely busy with school since his big board exams are FRIDAY. This is my view of him all night long when he comes come:

I have been so exhausted I've barely known how to put my next foot forward as I stumble around trying to set up closets and put together a kitchen while holding a screaming baby whose teeth hurt him so much.

Thank heaven for weekends when husbands can be home and work can be accomplished. Yesterday, for the first time, our house started turning into a home. I got exited when I looked into Isaac's new bedroom. My heart melted when Brent helped Isaac go out and pick a petal from our rose bush and come give it to me (it was slightly wet for some reason...) I got little flutters of giddiness when Brent and I planned out how to set up our backyard into a garden. Goodbye patio stones!

And I realized, you know what? This place is BETTER. For so many reasons. This is so much more like a home than an apartment. I love only having one neighbor. I love that we have a yard and across the way two old ladies always sit out on their porch and they like to coo at Isaac when we go on walks and give me fans because it is too hot. I'm reminded of a quote by President Eyring, "If you are on the right path, it will always be uphill." Though that applies to choosing the right in your life, I also feel like it applies to where you're going. This home was a blessing for us, in so many more ways than saving money! But it was hard to get here. It almost broke me during the process. But now I get to reap the rewards, and they are wonderful.

Brent and I deemed this spot "Doneva's spot" because it is always in the sun. His mother loves the sunshine.