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. 

Beginning Week 4 of Our Summer in Florida

As I just mentioned in my last post, we officially made it through week 3 of Gainesville, Florida. On to week 4! Lots of fun things are happening this week, it seems. One of them is happening on Wednesday. Bright and early in the morning we are having our "20 week scan" (I will technically be about 18 1/2 weeks) to check on the baby and find out if it is a boy or a girl! I've posted a lot about baby already on my FB page, but just to recap on my pregnancy:

* My EDD is somewhere between November 15th-22nd and any time 2 weeks before or 2 weeks after.
* I am about 18/19 weeks along right now.
* Baby seems to be quite active, almost moreso than Julian was?! I can feel him/her moving regularly, even from the outside.
* Weight gain to date is approximately 10ish or more pounds. I don't really keep track. All I know is I look the same at this time as I did with Julian.
* I feel good! Tired, but good. My cravings are starting to hit a little harder these days, mostly chocolate. thankfully I also continue to crave fruits and veggies. And Caesar salad! Mmm. I may have to go have some more salad, even though it is already after 10pm.
* So far this pregnancy has been "uneventful". The best kind! Although continued prayers are always good.

How are we adjusting to North East Florida? How do we like it here? We hear those questions frequently. Here is how I would answer:  Adjusting to the weather has been a challenge. The humidity isn't unbearable, but the heat is not pleasant. I am not used to it staying warm all night long, either. I miss being able to open the windows to get some fresh air. It does 'cool down' to about 70 at night, but the humidity makes it nearly impossible to keep windows open. Everything in the house begins to feel damp if windows are open. Since we are subletting a nice, furnished home, we strive to do our best to keep it mold-free. Thus, not opening windows and allowing it to get damp inside. We are blessed with a good AC unit and ceiling fans throughout, however. :) I find that due to the heat, I must drink an obscene amount of water. I've taken to keeping a tally of my water intake so I don't forget, otherwise I end up feeling nauseous and with frequent Braxton Hicks. Needless to say, I go to the bathroom about every half hour. Oh the joys of pregnancy.

We really enjoy our location here. I feel like we are smack dab in the middle, which makes if very convenient for going to church, visiting friends, grocery shopping, etc. We are a 4 minute drive from downtown and the library, which sure is handy! I am also a 2 minute drive from the Birth Center which is where I am receiving my prenatal care for the duration of our stay. I've only met our next door neighbor who's name is Tim. He is a very friendly, 63 year old hippie stoner. :) He'd probably fit in perfectly in Morro Bay or Los Osos. When I met him he was carrying an empty thing of beers out to the recycle and sporting long, grey greasy hair, a tie-dyed shirt and the aroma of weed. Thankfully, he didn't even bat an eye at Julian, who was running around nearly butt naked, save his amber teething necklace and a pair of sandals. To him, toddlers running around naked in the summertime in Florida is totally normally. :)

This Sunday night Jordan will be exhorting his first sermon here at Redemption Orthodox Presbyterian church. Pretty exciting and definitely scary (for ME!) This is what we are here for. This paves the way for our future! What a great adventure! Prayers for Jordan for this Sunday and the following Sundays are greatly appreciated. This internship is a major blessing and we couldn't be more thrilled to have Jordan being mentored by and learning from Pastor Joel Fick and the elders of this church.

Our week without daddy

It is Monday night. That means we have officially been in Gainesville for 3 weeks! I still can't tell if it is going by slowly or quickly. Both, I suppose? Here is a look at what went down last week:

On Monday afternoon I dropped Jordan off at our pastor's house and he embarked on a two-hour drive south to Brooksville, Florida to be a Jr. High camp counselor. The camp is called "Reformed Youth Conference" and from what I can tell, Jordan had a good time and was welcomed and liked by his fellow staffers and the campers! He's pretty lovable and fun, so I don't blame them.

Julian and I had a total of 4 nights (which honestly felt like an eternity) by ourselves, in a strange new home, in a strange new neighborhood, in a strange new town, in a strange new state a whopping 2500 miles away from all we know and love. We had only been here for 2 two weeks so I wasn't fond of this, but obviously, we survived.

As you probably read on my facebook page, I'm a major scaredy-cat when it comes to sleeping in a strange new place without my husband. I proceeded to hanging sheets over any window or door that was glass and did not have a curtain or blinds. (Because it is seriously creepy at night when you can't see out, but "they" can see in!). I also barricaded the doors with chairs, brooms, bicycles and toy cars. (Because even though the bad guys could still get in, I would surely hear the commotion before they got to me!). I armed my night stand with a can of Raid, a large frying pan and an iron firewood poker. And on top of all that, I left the living room lights on. The bedroom door does not have a lock on it, so the first night I left it wide open and also left the TV and hall light on. Well, that night I didn't sleep a wink. So, the following nights I wizened up and instead closed the bedroom door and blocked it with the large dresser. Every.Single.Night.

***As you can see, no crazed axe-murders, zombies or rapists entered my home. Phew!*** And now Jordan is home! Never allowed to leave me again! :)  So what did Julian and I do last week whilst the beloved husband and daddy was gone away, entertaining hordes of 12 year olds?

Monday - we took it easy. I think we were both a little depressed that daddy was gone so we watched TV all day.

Tuesday - I knew I needed to get us out of the house so we drove 20 minutes across town to this great zoo. It is a teaching zoo at one of the colleges here. It cost only $5.00 for me to get in and Julian was free. The staff was all very friendly, too. Julian kept expecting to see gorillas and elephants, but in the end I think he was more than satisfied with the alligator, snakes, Galapagos tortoises, various monkeys, tree kangaroos, and peacocks. We'll definitely be visiting that zoo again!

Wednesday - I finally got up the nerve to invite myself over to a friend's house! We spent the morning with a my sweet new friend, Megan Hill and her two sons, Sammy (2) and Jed (6 months). Julian really enjoyed playing with all of Sammy's fun dinosaurs, books, trains, puzzles and outside play structure. He also got to eat bacon for lunch. I mean, seriously, what can get better than that? Plus, I got to indulge in some grown-up conversation! Woo hoo!

Thursday - this day was library storytime day. We plan on doing this every week. It's just a quick 20 minutes, but so worth it. Stories, songs, toys and friends at the library. :) Good times. We also managed to make a stop in a Starbucks and Trader Joe's! My beloved TJs...oh how I missed thee.

Friday - Today we were supposed to go to the Splash Park with some lovely church friends. BUT, Julian and I slept very poorly, had quite the cranky morning and tiny baby was making me feel extra tired and extra nauseous. So instead we had a slow morning and then eventually made it to Julian's new favorite place in the whole wide world, The Florida Museum of Natural History! Spent nearly 2 hours there and only had to pay for parking. I have a feeling this will be a regular hang out for Julian and I.

Saturday - We picked up daddy today!! YAHOO!!

So that was our week without the most important man in our lives! We had a good time. Kept ourselves busy. But I have to say, having Jordan home all the time trumps having solo mommy-son time any day. Hehehe. At the end of every night I was more exhausted and more stressed than usual and by Saturday I was ready to sleep for a month straight.

On to Week 17 or 18

Official 17 week mark today! (Or 18 weeks depending on if you go by the U/S tech's measurements). All those pregnancy websites say that baby is about 5oz and 5 inches. So far this pregnancy has been "easy". A had a lot of nausea in the first trimester and I still get nausea in the morning if I don't get enough sleep or don't eat protein right away. i feel the baby moving often! Multiple times a day and especially at night. (The usual). Gained about 9lbs so far. (With Julian as this time I had gained 11lbs). Don't have as huge as an appetite as i did in the first trimester, but still trying to eat as healthy as possible. (Aside from those ice cream drumsticks I bought yesterday...ahem)

I'm still in awe every time baby moves. Nothing really seems much different than when I was pregnant with Julian. So, no guesses on gender. I mean, I think I'm leaning toward boy simply because I already have one and that's what I'm used to. Either way, we find out on Wednesday, June 26th! I've never one to be patient enough to keep it a surprise until the baby is born. Wish I could, but like the typical American that I am, I want it now! It will be nice to be able to narrow down a name, too! (And let's be honest, I really want to be able to buy a few baby items ASAP.)

And I leave you with my 17/18 week tiny baby bump:

Monday, May 27th, 2013

Haven't blogged in about forever, but I figure since we're about to embark on a fantastic summer journey across the southern most part of the U.S. that blogging would be far less annoying than updated my FB status every 5 minutes. Because let's face it, you know I would.

So just a few things today:

1) We still need to get the AC fixed on our van. Not sure what's wrong with it just yet, but praying it's in the lower cost range and that we'll find a place that's open today.

2) I made my coffee STRONG this morning because I have a kajillion things to do and didn't get enough sleep thanks to my inability to fall asleep before midnight, my middle of the night romps to the potty room and my sweet son waking up at 6:30 am no matter what time he falls asleep.

3) We leave on Wednesday evening around 4 pm. That gives us approximately 55 hours to accomplish things that in reality, we could use about 10 times that many hours.

4) I've been cleaning my butt off for the sweet renters who will be helping us out this summer. Sadly, one of them is very allergic to CATS! Eeek! The cats are at my beloved mother-in-law's house for the summer, but I know how bad kitty dander is.  That stuff sticks to everything. I've been scrubbing walls and cabinets. Washing every article of fabric possible. Jordan's been vacuuming under all the furniture. I don't think it will be enough as cat dander is known to stay in place up to 9 months after the pet leaves and the place gets cleaned. PRAY all goes well and our renter can breathe!

4) I have a prenatal appointment in Hillcrest (about 35 min south) tomorrow afternoon. I'm about 14 1/2 weeks along and finally have a little bump to prove it. I'm feeling good these day, albeit the normal pregnancy fatigue.

5) I felt Tiny move last night and this morning! It felt different than those initial flutters of Julian around 15 weeks. I actually recognized some distinct movement and although I was skeptical at first, I really can't deny that it happened!

6) And I leave you with my 14 1/2 week bump, 8ish pounds gained and one pant size larger:

It's Fall, why are we still sweating?!

The past few nights Julian has slept HORRIBLY due to teething (molars). But, I'm not too bothered by it because for the past couple WEEKS he's been sleeping great!! When a family chooses to breastfeed and co-sleep, they're basically choosing to have a baby/toddler who nurses frequently at night. I know that's not always the case, but it is the norm. I don't regret that decision one bit.

Julian is now 17 1/2 months old. It may have taken 17 months, but I'm happy to say he is now almost sleeping through the night, going to down easily, napping for 1-2 1/2 hours straight in the pack n play and also starting the night out in his own bed. He's letting me pat his back to get him to sleep and he's cuddling instead of nursing right before he drifts off into sleepy land. It has taken a lot of patience, yes, but it was definitely worth it. Bed time still takes 30 min to an hour and I'm still the only one who can successfully do the bed time routine with him, but I feel good about the progress we have made. We're still nursing because I enjoy it and he still needs it. So, it's a win-win situation.

Having a toddler in the home is...interesting/trying/delightful/exhausting/exciting. :) It's so fun watching him learn and grow. His vocabulary is booming, although his words are only intelligible to the trained ear, aka, his mommy and daddy. For example, "shish=fish" "wawa=flower" "chi=cheetah" "gahr-garh=tiger" "raf=giraffe" "baah=bear" "ba=ball" "hawa=hello" "ba-ba" is a sippy cup of cow milk (because "milkeys" are for nursing") and he also says "mama" and "dada".

Alongside being a wife and mother, I've also doing my own business called "Jewel Kade". I became an Independent Stylist a few weeks ago because I wanted to earn a little income, try to be more social and I REALLY love their jewelry! It's really hard to not buy everything in the catalog. ;) So far things are moving slowly, but I know the first year is always the toughest. I just need to stick with it and not get discouraged. Check out my catalog here.

I hope you all are able to enjoy this loooong summer! 90's in October?!?! Oh, California, you clearly did not get the "Hey, it's Fall!" memo. Take a hint...we all want to wear our sweaters, boots and drink hot Pumpkin Spice Lattes without sweating.

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday, folks! I made it through my first week of "getting dressed". And by "week" I mean Monday-Friday. ;) I also survived Jordan going back to school on Thursday. Going back to school means he's on campus (whether that be for actual class or studying) Monday - Friday, from about 8-5 and then work Friday - Sunday from 6pm - midnight. I was definitely spoiled over the summer having him home to help me with Julian ALL.DAY.LONG. This week began my first week of truly being a full-time homemaker and stay at home mom. A little daunting, but extremely exciting.

I began my week by reading from FlyLady.net Super inspiring, as I told you on my last blog post. The past four days I really got on top of the laundry, went to bed with and emptied and shined sink, laid my clothes out the night before, woke up, got fully ready for the day and "swished and swiped" the bathroom every morning. (The means I wiped down the sink, mirrors and toilet). Notice how I said "past four days"...This morning I didn't exactly "swish and swipe" and I didn't really do ANY house cleaning. We did, however, go to the San Diego zoo with a good friend (Abby Sostre) and her little boy, Desmond. It was a hot and humid adventure, but lots of fun!

Today began with Julian and I being (rudely) woken up by my alarm at 6:30 and being out the door by 8am. Ummm, if you know me at all, you know that I am SO not a morning person. :| Julian loved seeing all the different animals with the elephant and the orangutan being his favorite. (P.s. "Orangutan" is a very tricky word to spell.) He took a little 20 minutes cat nap in the car on the way home and that was it for the day! Apparently that's all a 16 month old needs to be rip roaring ready to go all afternoon! When we got home I was exhausted from being in the sun all morning so I turned on a video and plopped onto the couch until dada got home to take over for a short bit. Yay for dada!!! The only good thing about Julian not taking a good nap is having him go down early for bed. (Can we say 6:45pm?! Holla!)

Okay, next bit, the last 2 days of my "Getting Dressed" for the week:

Thursday

Paisley top - Target

Jade necklace - a gift!

White denim shorts - Express (I really do own some more "fancier" items, see???)

Friday (okay, so not the most stylish outfit, but I was going to the zoo...)

White ribbed tank - Old Navy

Black cami - Kohls

Dark wash denim - Target (in "long" so I cuffed them)

Black uber comfy sandal - Nike brand from Famous Footwear

Cool pewter pendant necklace - from my beloved Grandma Shirley's costume jewelry box

p.s. my hair definitely ended up in a pony tail right away, I rolled up my jeans even more and lost the white tank. It was SO hot at the zoo!

Tomorrow is SATURDAY! 

I'm going to focus on chores and grocery shopping! I might even "get dressed". ;)

Getting Dressed

I'm not big on fashion. Sure, I like to look cute and presentable, but what I really like is to be comfortable and functional. As a SAHM of a 16 month old I don't really feel like it is practical to be dressed to the nines every day. I don't wear a lot of jewelry. I don't cake on the make-up and I don't spend hours on my hair. I don't have the time or patience for all that stuff. Throughout the day I'm cleaning the house (which involves scrubbing the toilet, doing laundry, wiping down the litter box, mopping the floor on my hands-and-knees, vacuuming, etc), walking around outside or playing on the floor with Julian, nursing, and laying in bed attempting to get aforementioned toddler down for a nap.

Being a SAHM, oftentimes I don't feel like getting dressed or even brushing my hair and putting on a hint of make-up. That's bad. That's very bad. I should still take pride in my appearance and instill the value of "routine, put-togetherness, hygiene and self-care" to my son and future children. I also really should want to look good for my awesome husband. I started reading from the website www.flylady.net. She's really encouraged me to get myself together in the morning for the sake of my home and my family and of course, myself. I'm on day 3 of "getting dressed, fixing my hair and putting on make up". True, yesterday this didn't happen until after noon, but those days will happen. Julian was being extra clingy and needed me to take care of him more than I needed to get out of my pjs.

Now, I'm a really big believer in being natural. Letting your skin breath and bring comfortable going make-up free. Typically, in the past, I would only put on make up on Sunday for church. But, I'm making a change for myself. I DO feel comfortable in my own skin sans make-up, however when I put on a little tinted moisturizer, some bronzer and mascara, I feel better. I feel like I'm ready to really face the day. If you really feel ready to face the day without a stitch of make up, that's awesome! More power to you! Like I said, I'm a firm believer in letting your skin be bare. But for me, I have to make this change.

My make up routine is simple. I put on a tinted moisturizer with SPF 15. Right now I'm using Physician's Formula. It's light and feel like I'm just putting on a little screen. Then I I use a little bronzer to help my pale face look "alive". (Can we say "vampire-esque w/o it?!). Next I run a small amount of eye-liner over my top eyelids. Then I curl my eye lashes and apply a generous amount of waterproof black mascara. And finally, I dab on some lip gloss. It takes me about 5-10 minutes. I think because I have dark features (i.e. thick, dark (unruly) eyebrows, hazel eyes and dark eyelashes) I never really look like I'm wearing a ton of make up...even when I put a lot on. I guess that's a good thing?

Along with putting make up on every day I've also started "getting dressed". For me, getting dressed means throwing on something that I didn't sleep in. Whether that be a clean pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt or some shorts and a tank. The FlyLady suggested laying out my clothes before I go to bed. So I've been doing that. I think it's really helped. I've even picked out a necklace or bracelet to spruce up my outfits. My daily wardrobe is simple, comfortable, cute enough to be seen in public, and most importantly functional! I can chase Julian around, nurse, clean the house and run errands in it. Most of my clothes are from "cheap" places such as Target, Ross, Old Navy and Kohl's. I don't have the money or the patience or the fashion-sense to go to some fancier type place, pick out something cute and attempt to make a great outfit. I can pin stuff all I want, but when it comes right down to it, I'm not going to wear that puffy vest with the cool necklace and the awesome knee-high boots. Oh, and let's not forget the spiffy sunglasses and over-sized bag. Maybe in my dreams, but this is reality and reality says it's a no-go until I have a)enough money and b)a personal shopper.

So this is what I wore this week, so far (please keep in mind that I am NOT a fancy person. I am simple. My style is simple):

Monday

Burgandy yoga pants - Target

White boyfriend T - Old Navy

Beaded multi-color bracelet - Target

Pink/Black/White "converse" - SUPER OLD from Payless

Tuesday

Dark washed denim shorts - Target

Black comfy T - Target

Black/grey beaded bracelet - Target

Pewter heart necklace - The Parable

Silver flip flops - Old Navy

Wednesday

Pink cami - Kohls

Tan tank - Forever21

Light wash denim shorts - Target

Pink beaded bracelet - handmade by my sister, Tessa

Charm necklace - Forever21

Gold sandals - BellaB (SLO)

All this "getting dressed" stuff may not seem like a big deal to some, but for me, it is. I'm lazy by nature. I want to be comfortable. I want to lounge. I want to sit at the computer and watch movies. I want to lay in bed and play on my phone. I NEED TO STOP BEING LAZY. Getting dressed and putting on make-up is what is inspiring me to DO WORK. 

A Shamelessly Proud Mama of a Toddler Growing Up Far Too Fast

Today I nearly cried. Now, that's not that unusual of an experience for me. I'm quite naturally an emotional person to begin with. Add to that naturalness the hormones related to breastfeeding and you occasionally have a blubbering fool on your hands. But I digress.

Without a doubt, every mother has this "sudden" realization occur once in a while - my baby is growing up! Yes, yes, that was the epiphany I had this afternoon as I watched my sweet little toddler romping about, darting back-and-forth between the deck and the living room. He's running. He's walking backwards. He's walking backwards IN CIRCLES. He's learning what "jumping" is and how to "walk slooooow" and "walk FAST!". He can point out countless animals and objects in our (multiple) daily reading sessions. 

Today when we were looking at a picture of me on Facebook I said, "Julian, who's that?" (While pointing to said photo). "Mama!" He sweetly said! OH.MY.GOSH. Melt my heart, child! That was the first time he's actually verbally acknowledged who I am. I'm his mama. I love being his mama...his very shamelessly proud mama. 

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!