Oh wow! I'm feeling overwhelmed. There is so much happening, it is hard to stay in control of everything.
Things that have happened in the month of March:
Happy Things. . .
- Maren has started taking multiple steps on her own.
- My sister-in-law had a birthday on March 10th. We had a little celebration at her favorite Mexican restaurant Casa Orasco. It was a significant birthday, but we're not allowed to state the number. So, we needed to make sure it was extra special. She is headed for Holland for a big trip in a few weeks; and we're super excited for her.
- My dad turned 57 on March 11th. Happy birthday to you dad.
- Move in date to the house March 15th.
- Derek will have a birthday in a few weeks. I'm planning a little birthday celebration for him.
- My mom decided she's moving to the bay area and will be staying with us until she gets settled in here. We can't wait to have her here with us.
- This is bonus check month.
Stressful Things. . .
- Maren thinks she is a mountain climber and can scale anything. She received her first little injury a few weeks ago. Her entire little nose was a big scab. Her second adventure was to scale her stroller and stand up and then tip it over face first. Maybe I should have a more watchful eye on my child. :)
- I had to go through the legal process of evicting a tenant. (Total pain in the rear! And the legal fees were ridiculous.)
- Get my taxes ready and then learn I owe the government more money!
- The House!!!!! Oh my gosh!!! I knew a remodel was going to be stressful. The emotional roller coaster is crazy. Derek spends every weekend there, pretty much for 12 hrs a day. We talk house all night long. I am the accountant for the project trying the juggle the obscene amounts of money flowing to the project.
- We were scheduled to move in on the 15th. At 3:30 on Sunday, as the house was still covered in construction debree and I stood outside my house with a truck load of our stuff from the apartment, I looked at Derek and said, "We can't pull this off. What are we going to do? We have to be out of the hotel by 10:00 pm tonight." Thankfully the hotel let us extend a week, but a few tears were shed as I felt our family may be homeless for a short period. Our new move-in date is this Saturday. (Keep in mind construction will still be going on, we're just moving into a section of the house.)
- There are two hectic periods of the year for my job. This happens to be one of them. And I'm new to the role, so there has been a bit of a learning curve on many fronts, including learning specific personalities. Unfortunately, I had to learn about one of the the hard way through a terrible meeting. Oh well. . .no time to worry about that now.
- Friends. . .Do I still have any? I've totally neglected your for the past two months. And I am sorry. I do think of you often. Please bare with me.
March. . .I'm going to make it through you. And I look forward to an easier April.
Shana
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
February
February. . .You have come and gone so quickly. How can I sum you up? Remodeling. . .Remodeling. . .Remodeling.
Yes. . . we are new home owners. No. . .we do not live in our new home. We are still hotel living. The home was ours on January 28th. Construction began February 2nd and it's still going. It will be going for quite a while. But we are going to be brave soles and move in once the upstairs is complete. Target date for this is the weekend of March 13th. Keep your fingers crossed it will happen.
Everything people say about a remodel is true. I'm experiencing every last little detail of it. And I've learned I have expensive taste and need to tone it down. I blew my budget on the master bathroom by about 500%, oops. :) But I love it! And that's what counts. Who cares if it would be one full year of Maren's college tuition at a private institution. We'll make it up. We've got a few years. But from here on out, I must put on my frugalista hat; otherwise, we may be in trouble.
I'm not going to bore you with all the crazy details, but know they are crazy. Derek is fully consumed by it; and I have officially turned into an accountant.
Outside of the remodel, February was also full of birthdays.
- Derek's mother Kathy, February 10th
- a belated birthday Party for Serena, President's weekend.
- Carley's, my friend Ann's daughter, second birthday on the 19th
- Hanna, our niece, 13th birthday, on the 18th
Needless to say, there have been a few birthday celebrations. And Maren was able to experience a birthday party prior to her birthday. So, she was able to have some people show her the ropes. Of course, I forgot the camera for Serena's birthday party. Laura and Tom had a big bash for her. And the weather was amazing. Maren had to be outside crawling all over the ground, digging in the dirt, eating rocks, getting filthy. Meanwhile, Serena was like a little princess in her beautiful little Korean ceremony dress and being passed around from one welcoming arm to the next. Everyone had a great time. A few days later, Maren and I headed to Stockton for Carley's birthday party. Carley's party was at a place full of bounce houses for kids. And there was even a little section for toddlers. Maren had a ton of fun and swallowed a lot of germs. :)
And the final thing for February is another job change for me. I am now running Performance Management for Google globally. What does this mean? I don't know. :) That's what I'm trying to figure out. So, work has gotten a lot crazier. That's good though. I'm happier at work when it's crazy. And I feel more accomplished, which makes me feel alive again.
Good bye February. . .hello March.
Shana
Yes. . . we are new home owners. No. . .we do not live in our new home. We are still hotel living. The home was ours on January 28th. Construction began February 2nd and it's still going. It will be going for quite a while. But we are going to be brave soles and move in once the upstairs is complete. Target date for this is the weekend of March 13th. Keep your fingers crossed it will happen.
Everything people say about a remodel is true. I'm experiencing every last little detail of it. And I've learned I have expensive taste and need to tone it down. I blew my budget on the master bathroom by about 500%, oops. :) But I love it! And that's what counts. Who cares if it would be one full year of Maren's college tuition at a private institution. We'll make it up. We've got a few years. But from here on out, I must put on my frugalista hat; otherwise, we may be in trouble.
I'm not going to bore you with all the crazy details, but know they are crazy. Derek is fully consumed by it; and I have officially turned into an accountant.
Outside of the remodel, February was also full of birthdays.
- Derek's mother Kathy, February 10th
- a belated birthday Party for Serena, President's weekend.
- Carley's, my friend Ann's daughter, second birthday on the 19th
- Hanna, our niece, 13th birthday, on the 18th
Needless to say, there have been a few birthday celebrations. And Maren was able to experience a birthday party prior to her birthday. So, she was able to have some people show her the ropes. Of course, I forgot the camera for Serena's birthday party. Laura and Tom had a big bash for her. And the weather was amazing. Maren had to be outside crawling all over the ground, digging in the dirt, eating rocks, getting filthy. Meanwhile, Serena was like a little princess in her beautiful little Korean ceremony dress and being passed around from one welcoming arm to the next. Everyone had a great time. A few days later, Maren and I headed to Stockton for Carley's birthday party. Carley's party was at a place full of bounce houses for kids. And there was even a little section for toddlers. Maren had a ton of fun and swallowed a lot of germs. :)
And the final thing for February is another job change for me. I am now running Performance Management for Google globally. What does this mean? I don't know. :) That's what I'm trying to figure out. So, work has gotten a lot crazier. That's good though. I'm happier at work when it's crazy. And I feel more accomplished, which makes me feel alive again.
Good bye February. . .hello March.
Shana
Maren is 1
I am very behind with getting this post up. On February 16th, Maren turned 1 year old. We had a bit of a week long birthday celebration for her.
On her birthday, I took the day off and we spent the day together. We went to visit Jen Molander for a little photo shoot. She does a great job in front of a camera. I'm super happy with the shots. If you would like to take a peek, go to:
www.collages.net
Guest Login: Lindgren 2010
Password: 5109
That night we had a little birthday celebration with Derek's family: Kathy, Kerri, Hanna and Sara. We went to our favorite little mexican restaurant and had a little birthday cake. It was a plan white cake with whipped cream for frosting. Maren loved the whipped cream.
From there, we continued the celebration in Tahoe the following weekend. This was technically Maren's second visit to the snow, but this is the first visit where she actually touched it. My mom, dad, brother, mom's boyfriend Ron, Jason, Sara, Jon, Leyna and Hanna joined us for the trip.
We arrived on Friday after a five hour journey from the Bay Area to Tahoe with a few pit stops along the way. Maren experienced In N Out, although I think she was there once before with the nanny. She loved my dad's vanilla milk shake.
Saturday, Maren spent the day with her nanna; and the rest of us hit the slopes. It has been a while since I'd been on skis and man I missed it. We had a great day skiing, but there were quite a few of us out there and it was hard to keep track of all of us. My friend Cindy, her husband Rick and her parents drove from Sacramento to join us and I think we ended up only skiing one run together.
That evening we had a little birthday party for Maren.
And I will have to get the rest of the pictures from my mom or brother because from there Derek had the video camera and I was helping her with gifts and cake.
Later that evening she decided to be brave and walk from the coffee table to an end table on her own. It took about two steps. She was after a cell phone. Unfortunately, her mama didn't see it. :(
Here are some fun things about Maren at 1 years old.
- She took steps that her mama saw on Tuesday the 22nd. Serena, her nanny share partner, was walking to the nanny; and Maren decided she had better do it too.
- She is still on her path of being a bit picky with food. But she has discovered oranges and she loves them!
- She is still in love with Griffin. For some reason she calls him Coco, which is my friend Christine's dog.
- Her vocabulary is really expanding. She is saying words in both english and spanish.
- She is 30" long and 23 lbs.
- She loves music and dances when she hears it.
- She also loves any toy that allows her to make her own music.
- I think she is trying to transition from one nap to two, although she is still taking two naps quite well for the nanny.
- She has 6 teeth.
- She needs a hair cut. :)
On her birthday, I took the day off and we spent the day together. We went to visit Jen Molander for a little photo shoot. She does a great job in front of a camera. I'm super happy with the shots. If you would like to take a peek, go to:
www.collages.net
Guest Login: Lindgren 2010
Password: 5109
That night we had a little birthday celebration with Derek's family: Kathy, Kerri, Hanna and Sara. We went to our favorite little mexican restaurant and had a little birthday cake. It was a plan white cake with whipped cream for frosting. Maren loved the whipped cream.
From there, we continued the celebration in Tahoe the following weekend. This was technically Maren's second visit to the snow, but this is the first visit where she actually touched it. My mom, dad, brother, mom's boyfriend Ron, Jason, Sara, Jon, Leyna and Hanna joined us for the trip.
We arrived on Friday after a five hour journey from the Bay Area to Tahoe with a few pit stops along the way. Maren experienced In N Out, although I think she was there once before with the nanny. She loved my dad's vanilla milk shake.
Saturday, Maren spent the day with her nanna; and the rest of us hit the slopes. It has been a while since I'd been on skis and man I missed it. We had a great day skiing, but there were quite a few of us out there and it was hard to keep track of all of us. My friend Cindy, her husband Rick and her parents drove from Sacramento to join us and I think we ended up only skiing one run together.
That evening we had a little birthday party for Maren.
And I will have to get the rest of the pictures from my mom or brother because from there Derek had the video camera and I was helping her with gifts and cake.Later that evening she decided to be brave and walk from the coffee table to an end table on her own. It took about two steps. She was after a cell phone. Unfortunately, her mama didn't see it. :(
Here are some fun things about Maren at 1 years old.
- She took steps that her mama saw on Tuesday the 22nd. Serena, her nanny share partner, was walking to the nanny; and Maren decided she had better do it too.
- She is still on her path of being a bit picky with food. But she has discovered oranges and she loves them!
- She is still in love with Griffin. For some reason she calls him Coco, which is my friend Christine's dog.
- Her vocabulary is really expanding. She is saying words in both english and spanish.
- She is 30" long and 23 lbs.
- She loves music and dances when she hears it.
- She also loves any toy that allows her to make her own music.
- I think she is trying to transition from one nap to two, although she is still taking two naps quite well for the nanny.
- She has 6 teeth.
- She needs a hair cut. :)
Monday, January 18, 2010
There is a Light
Fingers crossed. . .we may have the keys to our new home on Friday.
http://www.daveandcarla.com/property/698-Walavista-Avenue-Oakland-California
Now I just need to survive six months of construction.
Shana
http://www.daveandcarla.com/property/698-Walavista-Avenue-Oakland-California
Now I just need to survive six months of construction.
Shana
Maren is 11 Months Old
I am two days late with this. . .on Saturday, Maren was 11 months old. As we approach the one year mark, I can hardly believe that my baby girl is almost a year old. And when I look at her, I don't understand how she went from this tiny little being to a little girl so quickly.My mom was here for the weekend and was able to help Maren celebrate her eleventh month of life.
At 11 months, this is what Maren is up to.
- She has expanded her vocabulary a bit. Her words include: mama, dada, nana, baby, coco, griffy, go and hi.
- She can high five.
- She waves good-bye.
- She loves Griffin's dog food and water bowl. If I can't find her, I know she's there playing in his bowls.
- She also loves Griffin's bones and I think she feels they are the best teething toys around. (Yuck!)
- She has moved from an open mouthed kiss to a pierced lip kiss.
- She loves to practice standing on her own and is very proud of herself when she does.
- She can walk all over the place as long as she has a hand on something.
- She is either transitioning from one nap to two or has an extreme desire to fight her mama when put down for her naps.
- She can not stay still and makes it quite a challenge to change her diaper. As soon as the diaper is off, she is off at lightening speed.
- She is beginning to like to cuddle, which makes her mama and daddy very happy.
- She loves books and she especially loves to turn the page.
- And I believe her favorite thing on earth is dogs. She gets so excited when she sees them and has to kiss them whenever she sees one in a book.
- She is a big girl with eating. She only wants food she can pick up herself and put in her mouth. If a spoon is used, she needs to be the one to put it in her mouth.
- She suddenly dislikes vegetables and she can't get enough carbs.
We love you Maren!
Saturday, January 2, 2010
The Holidays 2009
I can't believe the holidays have come and gone. It went by so fast. And I'm realizing I'm still a bad parent when it comes to photo taking. I really didn't take enough pictures to capture all of the excitement.
We kicked off the holiday season with my holiday party. It was great to have a night out together and Maren had her first overnight stay with Martiza. And from the photos Maritza sent out way, I think she had just as much fun as mom and dad did with their evening.
We had a great Christmas with both sides of our family surrounding us. My mom and dad both came into town to share in Maren's first Christmas. And boy was she ever spoiled. We sent out the warning early saying please don't buy her too much. The hotel is small and we don't have the space for it, so please wait for February for her first birthday. Grandparents being grandparents totally ignored this plea. My mother was the worst offender. She had to ship a box with her gifts because she had so many. And when it arrived it was the size of a washing machine. And when grandpa caught when of this, he couldn't let nana show him up, so he went out an bought a nice sampling of gifts as well.
On Christmas Eve, we went on a Santa hunt to try and have Maren's picture taken, but we failed in that attempt. So, we opted for pictures with a giant Christmas tree and Nana and Grandpa.
That night we celebrated Christmas Eve at the hotel restaurant, which is actually quite nice. If you are in the Oakland area, I suggest stopping by. It has a great view of the lake. Traditionally we host Christmas Eve at our house and Derek prepares a fantastic dinner. But it was kind of nice to just walk down stairs have dinner served with no preparation and no dishes to clean up afterwards. We also opened gifts with my side of the family that night. Maren loved the what was inside the package, but really wasn't into ripping open the fits yet. Most of the gift opening was caught on video by a very sick daddy. (Unfortunately Derek had a terrible cold on Christmas.)
The following day we did our traditionally stocking opening with my mom at her hotel and then headed over to Derek's parents to spend Christmas day. My mom and dad joined us for dinner later in the afternoon.
The next day Jody, dad, Maren and I loaded up in the car and headed down to Corcoran for a Roark family Christmas. I think the last time this crew was together was probably my wedding. So, it was nice to bring everyone together. And I know my grandma loved being there with all of us. The crew included my grandmothers brothers and sister, her children, her grandchildren and great grandchildren.
The following day, we drove back to the bay area and had a little holiday dinner with Derek's closest friends and parents at one of our favorite restaurants Bellanico in Oakland. Unfortunately, this is one of those moments where I didn't use the camera. But we had fun nevertheless. You'll have to imagine it in your head.
From there we moved into a week of visits from friends and relaxation. Derek and I both took the week off of work. And I am so glad we did. It was really nice to just spend time together as a family being lazy and just enjoying one another. This is the first time we have ever taken vacation days for any extended period of time and not actually gone anywhere. Two great things stick out in the week though.
First, I got Derek a cook book from Chez Panisse for Christmas and with it came dinner reservations. We've been wanting to go to this restaurant for a while and I was finally able to get a reservation. (You have to book a month in advance and pretty much take what you can get.) It is a pre-set menu and we were hoping it would not be a pork night because Derek can't eat pork. When they called to confirm the reservation two days before, I asked what would be served and was informed veal would be the main course. We were very bummed about this because neither one of us eat veal due to ethical issues with it. So, we were a bit troubled, but thrilled when we arrived and actually found out we would be having lamb instead. The dinner was lovely. Once again, it was great to have a little date night. And thank you to Cindy for watching Maren for us. (once again. . .no photos of this evening . . .and I forgot the dang menu at the restaurant. Oh well. . .)
That same night, very late in the night, my dear friend Jamie and one of her little girls, Peyton came to visit with us. It was a short visit, but a great visit. We pretty much sat around talking, sharing memories and receiving much needed parenting pep talks. Lately, Maren and I have struggled with nap time. Jamie was able to witness this and talk me through it as tears streamed down my face. Maren loved Peyton and they had a ton of fun playing together. Thank you! And we look forward to our next visit together.
And we rang in the new year at our friend's Trevor and Cindy's. There were four couples and their kids there. The kids played really well together. There were three boys around 18 months and Maren. She loved it. And they were all troopers. They played their hearts out until around 10:00. And when we finally made it in the car, she crashed out immediately. There wasn't a peep out of her as we pulled her out of the car, through the party in the hotel and up into our room, where you could still hear the band from downstairs playing. She didn't mind one bit. She was already in sweet dream land. Pictures exist of this evening, but not in my camera. So, as soon as I receive them, I'll post them.
2009 has been an amazing year. It was filled with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. I think it will go down as one of my most rewarding and challenging years I have faced to date. In 2010, I look forward to settling and nesting in a new home with my baby girl, Derek and Griffin. And who knows, maybe another little one too. (I mean, we need to keep a little bit of crazy going.) Happy New Year to all!
We kicked off the holiday season with my holiday party. It was great to have a night out together and Maren had her first overnight stay with Martiza. And from the photos Maritza sent out way, I think she had just as much fun as mom and dad did with their evening.
We had a great Christmas with both sides of our family surrounding us. My mom and dad both came into town to share in Maren's first Christmas. And boy was she ever spoiled. We sent out the warning early saying please don't buy her too much. The hotel is small and we don't have the space for it, so please wait for February for her first birthday. Grandparents being grandparents totally ignored this plea. My mother was the worst offender. She had to ship a box with her gifts because she had so many. And when it arrived it was the size of a washing machine. And when grandpa caught when of this, he couldn't let nana show him up, so he went out an bought a nice sampling of gifts as well.
On Christmas Eve, we went on a Santa hunt to try and have Maren's picture taken, but we failed in that attempt. So, we opted for pictures with a giant Christmas tree and Nana and Grandpa.
That night we celebrated Christmas Eve at the hotel restaurant, which is actually quite nice. If you are in the Oakland area, I suggest stopping by. It has a great view of the lake. Traditionally we host Christmas Eve at our house and Derek prepares a fantastic dinner. But it was kind of nice to just walk down stairs have dinner served with no preparation and no dishes to clean up afterwards. We also opened gifts with my side of the family that night. Maren loved the what was inside the package, but really wasn't into ripping open the fits yet. Most of the gift opening was caught on video by a very sick daddy. (Unfortunately Derek had a terrible cold on Christmas.)
The following day we did our traditionally stocking opening with my mom at her hotel and then headed over to Derek's parents to spend Christmas day. My mom and dad joined us for dinner later in the afternoon.
The next day Jody, dad, Maren and I loaded up in the car and headed down to Corcoran for a Roark family Christmas. I think the last time this crew was together was probably my wedding. So, it was nice to bring everyone together. And I know my grandma loved being there with all of us. The crew included my grandmothers brothers and sister, her children, her grandchildren and great grandchildren.
The following day, we drove back to the bay area and had a little holiday dinner with Derek's closest friends and parents at one of our favorite restaurants Bellanico in Oakland. Unfortunately, this is one of those moments where I didn't use the camera. But we had fun nevertheless. You'll have to imagine it in your head.
From there we moved into a week of visits from friends and relaxation. Derek and I both took the week off of work. And I am so glad we did. It was really nice to just spend time together as a family being lazy and just enjoying one another. This is the first time we have ever taken vacation days for any extended period of time and not actually gone anywhere. Two great things stick out in the week though.
First, I got Derek a cook book from Chez Panisse for Christmas and with it came dinner reservations. We've been wanting to go to this restaurant for a while and I was finally able to get a reservation. (You have to book a month in advance and pretty much take what you can get.) It is a pre-set menu and we were hoping it would not be a pork night because Derek can't eat pork. When they called to confirm the reservation two days before, I asked what would be served and was informed veal would be the main course. We were very bummed about this because neither one of us eat veal due to ethical issues with it. So, we were a bit troubled, but thrilled when we arrived and actually found out we would be having lamb instead. The dinner was lovely. Once again, it was great to have a little date night. And thank you to Cindy for watching Maren for us. (once again. . .no photos of this evening . . .and I forgot the dang menu at the restaurant. Oh well. . .)
That same night, very late in the night, my dear friend Jamie and one of her little girls, Peyton came to visit with us. It was a short visit, but a great visit. We pretty much sat around talking, sharing memories and receiving much needed parenting pep talks. Lately, Maren and I have struggled with nap time. Jamie was able to witness this and talk me through it as tears streamed down my face. Maren loved Peyton and they had a ton of fun playing together. Thank you! And we look forward to our next visit together.
And we rang in the new year at our friend's Trevor and Cindy's. There were four couples and their kids there. The kids played really well together. There were three boys around 18 months and Maren. She loved it. And they were all troopers. They played their hearts out until around 10:00. And when we finally made it in the car, she crashed out immediately. There wasn't a peep out of her as we pulled her out of the car, through the party in the hotel and up into our room, where you could still hear the band from downstairs playing. She didn't mind one bit. She was already in sweet dream land. Pictures exist of this evening, but not in my camera. So, as soon as I receive them, I'll post them.
2009 has been an amazing year. It was filled with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. I think it will go down as one of my most rewarding and challenging years I have faced to date. In 2010, I look forward to settling and nesting in a new home with my baby girl, Derek and Griffin. And who knows, maybe another little one too. (I mean, we need to keep a little bit of crazy going.) Happy New Year to all!
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