home away from home

Donner lake was a place we visited every summer for a 7 days growing up... then left and dreamed about returning again the next summer. Durning those 7 days we'd ride our bikes, swim in the lake, play with our blow up boat in the swim area, then play with our real boat, sun tan on the beach, play horse shoes, drink Capri-suns, play cards & relax. 

In 2005, my parents bought a cabin in our favorite place... Donner Lake. For the last 7 years, that cabin has become my second home. So many memories are made inside those 4 walls. So many laughs, so many stories and most of all so much love. Our family is so lucky to have a place like that to go to where from the second you get there, you feel at home. Daddy,Connor, Radar & I took our third trip of the summer to Donner last week. 

Looking back, I feel like I have grown so much inside those 4 walls. When my parents first bought it I was in high school & can remember the first night spent at our cabin. Derek, Brett & I shared a room with 4 huge beds in it and we laughed the whole night. The next day we began throwing junk outside & woke up the next morning to all the junk covered in snow... & we didn't even own the junk yet! I celebrated my 18th birthday with my 6 best friends there. In college, I can picture laying on the beach with Shannon, Connie, Joe, Aaron, Derek & my brother. I remember scrap-booking my engagement party in Donner Lake and going to Donner Lake on our way home from our honeymoon in Tahoe. I remember telling my brother I was pregnant with Connor, in Donner Lake. I remember the first time I walked through the door with Connor in hand. 

Few people have a place like that... so mom & dad... Thank you. You have given us a place where memories are made and laugher occurs... Connor is one lucky boy to get to spend his summers.. and winters.. In such an amazing place! 

Any post wouldn't be complete without some photos! 

Pop playing with Connor

Photoshoot with the girls

Smores... yummy!

My little buddy

5 month old photoshoot.. more pics to come

friends

Unfortunately the losing volleyball team :(

Beach volleyball

Connor J at the beach... Thanks Nonni for watching him while we lost in volleyball :(

Card game

Relaxing on the deck

Moving on out...

Last night, I crawled into bed exhausted after an hour and 1/2 of putting Connor to sleep... yes in his OWN room. Derek was almost asleep but whispered to me "you're a great mama, you're doing a great job. Connor is lucky to have you". My heart filled up with relief. Its as if Derek knew I needed to hear that. Just minutes before I was rocking Connor to sleep, about to lay him in his crib, asking myself "Am I doing the right thing? Is this the right time to move him into his own room?" As I rocked him, I knew he was sound asleep but I held him for a few minutes longer. In that moment, I knew a change was happening. The little raspberry that grew inside of me for 9+ months was now a 5 month old full of smiles, laughs and personality. The 7 pound newborn that slept right next to me and woke up every 3 hours now weighted 16 pounds and slept longer through durning the night! At that moment I knew this was the first of many changes ahead of us. Every mother prays that their child grows healthy however, along with growth comes change. Connor couldn't sleep in our room forever and in fact, he will probably sleep even better in his own room without his daddy snoring, Radar dreaming and waking up due to his pack n play bowing in the middle :/ 

I know I will ask myself if Im doing the right thing many more times in the future. I know that as long as Connor is smiling and growing, then Im doing a great job. I also know that if I don't feel 100% comfortable with it, then it's not the right thing. Last night I felt comfortable. I felt positive that my baby boy was ready to sleep good in his own room & I needed to stop being selfish wanting him to sleep next to me in a bowing pack n play forever. 

Connor woke up once last night at 1:30am and I rocked him to back to sleep in 5 minutes. I was then greeted by a smiling baby boy at 8:30am. 

I think Connor enjoyed his new bed.

Plus it was kinda nice to cuddle with my hubby and not worry about waking up a sleepy baby right next to us! 

sweet summertime

there is something i just love about summertime. maybe its the warm breeze felt on a hot summer night. maybe its sleeping in when you have no where to go. maybe its spending time with family and friends around a refreshing lake or swimming pool. maybe its the fun bbq's and late nights sitting outside. maybe its the vacations taken and the memories that are made. 

sound asleep holding hands

afternoon walks 

 first family trip to discovery kingdom

 beach bums

wannabe models

 could be a real model he's so cute

 sunsets & campfires

 santa cruz boardwalk

4 month doctors appointment

margaritas in donner lake 

my little firecracker

4th of july fun 

 love

family

helping mama with laundry... lots of laundry

rolling over, and over and over 

 swimming with daddy

smiles

laughing around the fire when its still 85 degrees out at 10pm

new toys

whatever it is... i heart summertime. Im always a bit bummed to see it go, but am so grateful for it. 

enjoy picture overload? ... its all my favorite iphone pics from the summer! 

4 months old

On June 28, 2012, my baby boy turned 4 months old… yes almost a whole month ago! I have been trying to find the time to type this up but with vacations & nice weather out, I've been slacking.

At your 4 month appointment you weighed 15.9lbs & 26inches long! For weight you are in the 65th percentile & for height you are in the 85th! You are a tall boy! You have the bluest eyes and brightest smile and I just know you'll be a heart-throb when your older!

On your 4 month birthday we moved you into size 2 diapers. You are wearing mainly 6 month clothing, especially sleepers however you still fit into some of your 3 and 3-6 month clothes. 

Your personality has come to life even more this month. You are such a happy boy! You like playing peek-a-boo and you are becoming ticklish in your things and feet. You are also very inquisitive and have started noticing your world around you. When I brought you outside for your pictures you were so entertained by the birdies and maple tree, it was hard for mama to get you to smile or even look at the camera.

You are a mover! You're rolling onto your side and trying your hardest to roll over. You love standing up and looking around. Your hands are quick to grab everything, including my hair, eyes, month & skin! You love kicking and splashing in the bath tub and it's so cute when water gets in your eyes from splashing you always look at me like "mom, why did you do that?" 

Your favorite toys are still your bouncy seat (although you're getting close to growing out of it), your play mat, swing, elephant chew toy, bumble bee senses toy, and your glow worm. You love the ergo carrier, stroller and car rides however Mama holding you trumps all the other options. 

Tummy time is finally successful! You actually are enjoying playing on your tummy and grabbing for your toys. 

You spent half of your 4th month away from home! With a week in Donner Lake and a week in Santa Cruz, you have been spoiled with kisses from your Noni, pop, grandma, grandpa, GiGi & Auntie. You are such a good traveler. You slept great (even better than you do at home) and rolled with the flow everyday on vacation. You loved going to the beach in Donner & walks on the boardwalk and pier in Santa Cruz.

TEETHING... has officially began. It began at 3 1/2 months with you tugging at your eyes, rubbing your eyes and chowing down on my fingers. Now you're drooling up a storm and wearing bibs most days. Even though you're teething and sometimes in pain, you are such a trooper. 

I say it every month, so I'll say it again... Baby boy how are you 4 months old? Time has flown by and I am loving every second with you... even those 4am feedings! You are so full of love and giggles that I cannot stand being apart from you… which is why I never am! hehe 

You are my whole world & I am cherishing every second we spend together watching you grow, learn and develop into an amazing little man!

Video Blog

I tried something new today! If you have nothing else better to do for 5 min... Enjoy me rambling about... at least theres a cute baby boy in the video!

Donner Lake

This past week we celebrated 4th of July in Donner Lake. We were there for almost a week & spent time relaxing on the beach, catching up with family, playing cards & bbq'ing! On 4th of July, Connor decided to roll over from his front to his back twice! We were all so excited when it happened, however since then he has had no desire to try again. I love that my parents have a cabin in Donner. Its such a fun place & I know Connor will love it up there in a few years. I can just picture him building sand castles, fishing with daddy & riding his bike around the cabin :) 


Of course I have lots of picture to share, who didn't know that! I also have a few from my phone that I will share later! I also still need to type up Connor's 4 month post, before he is 5 months old... at least I took the pictures last week before we left so at least those are done! 


& p.s. Im typing in bed... yes it's only 9:20 but hubby returns to work tomorrow after 2 months off! Can you believe he was off for 2 months? Boy does time fly when your having fun. Im going to miss him durning the day... I've gotten so used to him being home, us running errands together, going on trips & just having the company of someone who actually speaks... no offense Radar & Connor :) Of course all good things must end, but I sure did love the time we spent as a family of 3 not having to worry about daddy working! 


Now time for pictures... the best part!