A Look Back

Funnily enough, the last time I blogged was one year ago today. It was on being pregnant and feeling ugly (read about it here). I was 6 months pregnant with Genevieve and we were nearing the end of our 12-week-long internship in Florida. (You may remember that time in my life). Fast forward to today, Tuesday, August 19th, 2014. I am neither pregnant, nor do I feel ugly. (Yay!) What in the world as happened this past year? How did I let time slip by me like that? Here's a quick recap:

August 2013: we wrapped up our internship, hopped in the minivan (me - very pregnant, Julian 27 months old, Jordan - our trusty husband, father and driver) and drove a bajillion miles back home to Escondido. Jordan began his third and final year of seminary at Westminster Seminary California and I resumed my roll as exhausted, pregnant mother and grateful wife.

September 2013: Julian (28 months) and I (nearly 7 months pregnant) hopped aboard the Amtrack in Oceabside and rode the train for 8 hours to San Luis Obispo. We hadn't seen our family in almost 4 months and were itching for a reunion! We had a wonderful time, of course, although I vowed never to make that trip via train ever again. ;) (Ok, at least I'll never do it alone with a toddler and while super pregnant.)

October 2013: Another busy month for us. Traveled alone with the 2 year old, yet again, up to SLO. This time I drove. I was honored to help throw my sister-in-law's bridal shower! It was a gorgeous day.

November 2013: This was the month we had been impatiently waiting for! I had a couple due dates and we were quite unsure of when Genevieve would actually make her appearance. I did a photoshoot to capture the glory of being pregnant. My mom came to stay with us the week before she was born and left just a couple days after. My mother-in-law drove 5 hours and made it before the actual birth with plenty of time to spare! Baby girl took her dear sweet time arriving on her birthdate. That's a whole different blog post, however, that I have yet to have written! Long story short, labor was over 24 hours long and by the time I hit transition she flew out fast and furious after ONE minute of pushing. I had her at a free standing birth center in San Diego on Tuesday, November 19th at 5:25 pm. (In a hot tub, "like a fish" as my big brother, Brandon, likes to say).

December 2013: Talk about not getting a rest! When Genevieve was just 2 weeks old we hopped in the minivan and made the 5 hour trek to back to SLO for my wonderful SIL wedding! We were delighted, although extremely tired, to a part of the beautiful day! I was a bridesmaid and Julian was the ring bearer. Sadly though, he got too freaked out on the big day and his position had to be taken over by another little cutie. Oh well, when you're 2, things like that just happen. We only stayed for a few days, drove back to Escondido so Jordan could take his school finals and then drove BACK to SLO for Christmas break. We stayed a whole month and it was really, really nice.

January 2014: We rang in the new year in SLO, no doubt we were sleeping at midnight. Such is life for tired parents. We drove back to Escondido and Jordan resumed classes.

February 2014: Jordan's 25th birthday was this month. So naturally, we hopped in the minivan and made the 5 hour drive, yet again, to SLO. (Are we gluttons for punishment, or what?! Nah. We just LOVE our families and the SLOlife!). We celebrated JD's birthday by going out on a much needed date. This was also the month that Jordan began his final semester of seminary!!!

March 2014: What even happened this month?! I have no idea. I probably went to lots of parks days and struggled to keep up on my daily chores. As usual. No trips to SLO for us this month!

April 2014: Easter month means Easter break! Easter break means...you guessed it! A trip to SLO. We happily drove up to visit our families and celebrate our risen Lord.

May 2014: Life started getting a little crazier in May. (Not like it really ever settles down for us). Julian turned 3!! This was was also the month that we had to pack up our cozy one bedroom apartment, Jordan graduated from seminary and we moved in to my in-law's home in SLO for a couple of weeks. Graduation and moving was a whirlwind! So incredibly proud of my hard-working husband. 2 years old Cuesta college then transferred to Fresno Pacific University where he graduated Summa Cum Laude in Biblical Sudies. Then 3 years of Seminary where he graduated with over a 3.2 with his Master's of Divinity. He's handsome AND smart. I'm a lucky girl.

June 2014: Apparently we don't like to sit around because just 1 week after moving to SLO we packed up and took a 13 hour drive to Oregon. We had a wonderful time there with my in-laws. Julian was absolutely enthralled by the river house and everything to do with fishing. He asks to go back to Oregon frequently. I sincerely hope that some day we can! Oh ya, and my baby sister GRADATED from high school?!?! Seriously. Time flies.

July 2014: This is the month that we moved into our attic apartment in Paso Robles. We spent a month cleaning it out and making it livable and I couldn't wait to have my own space again. We are always very blessed to have such loving family to live with, however, and we couldn't do life without them. Our apartment is cozy yet roomy at the same time. For the first time in a long time the kid's have their own room! At night they still sleep with us, but during the day Genevieve can nap in her own bed in her own room and all of their toys are in there! No more toys taking over the living room! Our house has many quirks, but we are extremely blessed to be have this place. (Quirks: no oven, no dishwasher, no washing machine, rickety old steps, ugly short, blue carpet, short slanted ceilings, occasionally smells like sewage, black mold (and issue we are are working on resolving), not enough power outlets, a shower built for miniature people, lack of proper AC) And yet, despite all these things that some people may not want to ever deal with, we say thank you Jesus for this roof over our heads. (Okay, so I may complain about it...audibly and in my head, but for the most part...I feel thankful. Hehe.) We also got a puppy this month! Oh ya, and I turned 30. Ahem...

August 2014:

Well this brings us to our current month! We'll save that for a new blog post. Thanks for reading!

Updates and Ramblings

Weeks along: 26, give or take.

How I'm feeling: aside from tired and uber emotional, pretty good. Seriously, my hormones this time around are so whack. I have no idea who I am. 

What the baby is doing: baby girl is kicking and moving and being your typical tiny baby in utero! She's been head down for at least a week now and is still like that. I'm sure she'll continue to flip flop about, though. According to all the websites she's about a foot long and a pound and half. 

Weight gain to date: 18lbs. Basically, I'm right on track with where I was at this time with Julian. I feel large, to be honest. But hey, I'm pretty sure all pregnant women feel large at some point in their pregnancy. I mean, I packed on nearly 20lbs in a matter of months. Scary. 

Next appointment: Tuesday, August 20th to do the glucose testing. Everyone hos and hums and huffs and puffs about this one. I have it pretty easy, I think. I don't even have to drink the goo. All I do is eat a hearty bfast of 2 eggs, 2 pieces of toast, 8oz of OJ, 8oz of milk (in my case, almond milk) and 8oz of water. After I shove it all in there as quickly as possibly and attempt to not pee my pants, then I go to my appointment (an hour after eating) and they draw my blood.

What's happening in G-ville: I'm really enjoying our twice-a-week romps to the library. Julian's little personality shines when we are at storytime. Some days he's your typical cranky, ornery, shy 2 year old and some days he's full of energy, loving every second of it! Last week he was so cute. They passed out scarves to play with during music time. Julian had to go around the room to every single adult, put his face right in their face, smile his huge, adorable smile and wave his scarf at them. He also tried getting a little 18 month old girl to dance with him. 

We always look forward to Sundays. I haven't been hanging out with people too much during the week, but on Sundays we get to have some good teaching and fellowship. Julian has even learned to sit through an entire hour and a half church service without talking or running around. Pretty amazing. I didn't think it was possible for a 2 year old to do that, but after a few Sundays of trying it out, he just got used to it. Of course, I bring a coloring book, crayons, a bag of small toys, stickers, juice and snacks...but hey, you do what you gotta do! Haha. He learns things very quickly and it amazes me all the time! He really is such a good, sweet little guy.

So when do we go back to Cali: Soon! The time has gone by quickly and the end date is near! We leave on Thursday, August 29th after being here for 12 weeks. While I am definitely looking forward to being back home, I will miss the amazing people I have met at Redemption OPC. What a loving, caring, kind, and open church family! I tend to get very attached to people, so I'm not excited at all about our last day and saying our "goodbyes". I will cry, just a fair warning. I was an emotional person before getting pregnant and those emotions have now been magnified x100.

What happens when we get home: Literally, the next day, Jordan starts school! I know, crazy. We will just be diving right in and being busy. The following week Julian and I will head to SLO to have a LONG OVERDUE visit with our family!!! Julian talks about his grandparents almost daily. Jordan will be able to join us there later, but just for a couple of days due to school.

I've had the pleasure of coordinating and helping plan my wonderful sister-in-law's bridal shower coming up in October, so in that month I will once again travel to SLO to help with that. I'm excited! I love weddings. :) And family weddings are the best. Although I wouldn't really know because this is the first one I've officially been part of!

Then comes November! Due date month! I really don't know when this baby is going to come, but I have 3 EDD's: Nov 15th, 18th and 22nd. Julian came 4 days "early" and I'm feeling the 18th might be our closest bet for baby girl! Either way, she'll come when she's ready. Just not too late because I have a wedding to attend on December 7th! Oh ya, Thanksgiving is around this time, too. Well, I have a feeling Turkey Day will be spent with some nice family in Escondido who has pity on us. :)

Which brings us to the December month! WEDDING TIME! Sis-in-law is marrying Marky Mark the first weekend of December and it will be just a lovely, beautiful event! Jordan and I will be "honorary bridesmaid and groomsman", accompanying Julian down the aisle, and oh, baby sister will be in tow as well! How cute is that? Truly a family event and we are so happy to celebrate with our loved ones! :) Right after the wedding, Jordan will be taking his finals and then a couple weeks later it's Christmas!

FOR REALS, PEOPLE! This year is going to fly by so fast for my family! Jordan graduates from Seminary in May and then it is on to a whole new place and a whole new life! I'm really looking forward to whatever surprises God has in store for us. Just please, let them be in California. ;)

And some pics:

Me in all my pregnant glory: yoga pants, comfy Nike flip flops tank, pony tail. Oh yes people. Glamorous, indeed. 

A cute, cute little boy crawled into my bed and said he was daddy, then proceeded to grabbing Jordan's Bible and "reading" it. Melts.my.heart. 

Just a quick snapshot of us. :) Boy, do we look tired!

My sweet little monkey climbed into these baskets and did what he does best: looked cute. 

The Latest Nitty Gritty

It's been a while since I've given a Rossi Family Update...aka "here's what's up with Julian these days!"

He's a handful; we'll start with that! An adorable, lovable, hilarious, precious, crazy handful. He's always been kind of a "high needs" baby, to use the phrase by Dr. William Sears. Defined by another blogger as: "a special brand of little ones that must constantly be held, constantly be "bounced" or walked around, eat around the clock, refuse to self-soothe, reject pacifiers and bottles, hate to be cuddled -- and the list goes on." Sounds like Julian!

I wanted to write this next part to just lay it all out; to answer any questions there may be on my choices and "just how long are we going to co-sleep and breastfeed". (Because, DUH, that's everyone else's business, right?)

How have I handled this "high needs" baby and now toddler of mine? I still co-sleep and I will continue to do so until we all (Jordan, Julian and I) feel comfortable with stopping. We currently live in a one bedroom apartment, so he's going to be in our room for the next two years of seminary regardless. We all sleep better in our respective beds. Our full-sized bed is on the box spring on the ground - that's where Julian and I sleep. The twin-sized mat (it's actually two mats on top of each other that end up being the exact size of a twin) is literally right next to our bed, touching it, and that's where Jordan sleeps. I can reach out and touch him, no worries there. Jordan works nights and also gets up a lot earlier than Julian and I during the school year. (5:30/6am compared to 8isham). We LIKE this sleeping arrangement. Even if Julian had his own room, he would still be sleeping in my bed. I like it, he likes it, Jordan likes it. Really, that's all that matters. It works for us and it's not harming anyone. In fact, it helps. It helps Julian and I bond. If we've had a rough day (ie: if Juilan was a pill and mommy had to pray for patience) all of that tension disappears when I am lying in bed nursing him to sleep and cuddling whenever he wakes up. It calms him down. It helps us both sleep better at night. It encourages breastfeeding. 

On to my next point. Julian is now 15 months old and I don't see any sign of weaning. And I LIKE this! Jordan likes it. Julian likes it. Again, that's all that matters. He's refused the paci. Never liked a bottle until recently, and let's be honest, I don't really need to be pumping and giving him breastmilk via a bottle at this day and age. Those who say "why don't you just pump and feed your toddler with a bottle?" Um, do you realize how much *work* that is? How *impersonal* that sounds? I've been happily and successfully breastfeeding my son for 15 months. Why would I suddenly stop a good and easy thing in favor of: using an expensive pump, attempting to get more than an ounce in 20 minutes, washing a bottle, etc when I could just: pull down my shirt, nurse my son and be done in about 1-5 minutes flat? Nursing toddlers aren't the same as nursing newborns. He used to nurse for about 20 minutes every 90 minutes, give or take. Now he nurses, well, there really isn't much of a schedule! He nurses a few times at night, before his nap, after his nap, before bed time and any other time he's feeling a little need for the milky. To him, it's not just nutrition. It's comfort. I tried to get him attached to a lovely, a paci, a teddy, or what have you. I'm "secretly" happy he didn't care for any of those things. He just wants his mama and the yummy, comforting milky I provide. Nursing Julian allows for us to have a calm, cool and collected moment together (except for when he's doing nursing acrobats). 

Why don't I wean? You may ask. Why would I? Is my question to those pondering this. The World Health Organization (WHO) states this: "Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended up to 6 months of age, with continued breastfeeding along with appropriate complementary foods up to two years of age or beyond" And then there's this: "the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) reaffirms its recommendation of exclusive breastfeeding for about the first six months of a baby's life, followed by breastfeeding in combination with the introduction of complementary foods until at least 12 months of age, and continuation of breastfeeding for as long as mutually desired by mother and baby." You can also read this article from La Leche League. Anyhow, these are just a few snippets highlighting why it's "okay" and even "beneficial" to continue to breastfeed well past 12 months of age. In fact, I'm not going to take the time to look up and post all the websites/links, but here's one quote from www.kellymom.com: "Child-led weaning occurs when a child no longer has a need to nurse – nutritionally or emotionally. A baby who self-weans is usually well over a year old, is getting most of his nutrition from solids, is drinking well from a cup, and cuts down on nursing gradually. If children are truly allowed to self-wean in their own time, most will do so somewhere between the 2nd and 4th year. Obviously, some will wean before this time and some will wean after this time, too."

I truly believe that the co-sleeping and (extended) breastfeeding have helped me to meet Julian's physical, emotional, and physiological needs. It has helped me, as well. It puts less pressure on me, for sure. I don't need to "get him to sleep in his crib", "learn to fall asleep without nursing/rocking/bouncing/whatever", have some sort of "feeding schedule that fits MY needs". I'm a stay at home mom. It's not like being this kind of parent has caused me to lose who I am. This IS who I am. I am a child of God. I am a wife. I am a mother. I am homemaker. I am SO many things.

What else has been going on in the SoCal Rossi household? (Because there's the SLO-Cal Rossi household as well, so I must differentiate. :) ) Well, on July 6th we signed a lease for a new apartment complex in Escondido. We moved out of our comfortable 2 bedroom condo in Scripps Ranch, San Diego to an equally comfortable 1 bedroom apartment in north Escondido. Our desire was for me to be able to fully focus on Julian and being a better wife and for Jordan to be closer to seminary. So far it has been awesome! I am frightfully busy...although I most certainly can be making better use of what little free time I have. Our little apartment is coming together nicely! Our neighbors are great and the area feels safe. It's still summer, so things aren't truly in full-swing just yet. Jordan starts school full-time in 2 1/2 weeks. He'll be entering his 2nd year of the Masters of Divinity (M.Div) program here at Westminster Seminary California. There is the option to get through it in 4 years, but I'm quite confident that he can do it in 3. He's studly like that. On top of his full time grad school he's also working 18-30 hours a week as a security guard. I'm not gonna lie, I think he's awesome. Sure, we're still flat broke and in the red due to student loans, but we're getting through, trusting God and working hard!

When September rolls around I plan on doing weekly play-dates with fellow church and seminary mommies. I used to be a social butterfly back in my single and pre-Julian days. Since having a baby I've become somewhat of a recluse! Eek! Not wise I tell you, not wise at all! I end up doing things like spending too much time on Facebook or watching Netflix! I need to get out and make friends! I also looked up the kid's library schedule here in Escondido. Definitely going there a couple times a week! Storytime and music for toddlers? Yes, please! Julian loves to be out and about, be around other children, and see new sights. This will be good for us. 

Of course, last but not least, I MISS MY FAMILY!!! My parents and siblings are in Templeton doing their thing and my wonderful in-laws and in San Luis Obispo doing their thing. *Le Sigh*. Oh if only there weren't 300 miles between us. I last saw them in June/July. Not too long ago, but when you're tight-knit family, every week seems like so long! Thankfully I get to see my lovely sister-in-law, Courtney, and her boyfriend, Uncle Marky, in just 4 days! We can't wait! In September I hope to take Julian and head to SLO/Templeton for a much needed visit with the fam. It can't come soon enough!

Oh, and did I mention that my 10 year high school reunion is coming up this weekend?!?! Sadly, I won't be able to attend, but I just wanted to point out that I am now 28 years old and have been out of high school for 10 years. Time flies! 

Whew! This was a LONG blog post! I had a lot to catch up on. Thanks for reading!