Wednesday, December 8, 2010

2nd Christmas Card

Modern Cranberry Noir Christmas
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Tuesday, August 31, 2010

I still think about you Blog!!

Hello blogger and readers.....Here's a short summery of whats been going on, I have not forgotten you!

I have been meaning to sit and blog about life in the past month? maybe longer have to check...
OK so between having family in town and teething baby and  blah blah blah I have not had time to sit and blog.... BIG things are happening in this household... John and I are looking at getting our 2nd car finally!!! uhmmm my baby boy has 6 teeth! His big 1ST Birthday is just around the corner (tear)!  We had beautiful family pictures taken by the one and only Ashley Abney!! We celebrated my first baby girls 2nd birthday in heaven with GREAT friends!! ...........AND I got braces.... Yes I got Braces!! Was this too much Info!?

OK, so let me start with car.....We have been on one car for a long time.  After I decided to be at stay at home mom I quickly realized looking at the same 4 walls and being car-less was extremely difficult.  I must admit it gets to me some days. There is just so much you can do at home with an 11 month old.  So after much prayer and waiting....We got a phone call from my Dad!! Here is how it went.... Hey Dad whats up? well....you know I have two cars now and I can't afford both just me by myself (going through divorce)  and I wanted to know if you guys would like to take over my 2009 Jeep Liberty and I will pay the insurance, and HALF the payment and you guys take it!? Uhm......OK well I will talk to John about it (with HUGE grin) and I will get back to ya!
   We are soo excited!!! I mean yes we will have to live a bit thrifty for a while but Its a pretty darn good deal if you ask me? $200 car payment for a Jeep Liberty and no insurance payment! I think I can not resist!! John and I have finally agreed today that we should take it.... I will hold a garage sale to get the car transported from NJ to FL......But I am SUPER DUPER excited!

Next,
    My little Gavin, not so little.....He's a strong boy with LOTS of energy a wiggle worm does not like to be held too long or held down to change or get dressed, but he's a bundle of joy.  We went through some tough teething but I think I see the light at the end of the tunnel....Hes got a head full of curls and looked like a vampire for quite some time. His canines came in before his top front teeth.  We are planning his Yo Gabba Gabba birthday party since it is his favorite show although Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is coming up pretty close! His Grandpa sent him his birthday gift pretty early, It is a Moon bounce house with a ball pit and slide....Yes it is HUGE!!! Takes about half of my living room and is very very loud but he LOVE it! Who wants to come over for play dates? LOL




OK off to the next topic.... Braces

Well, I have had this complaint about my protruding top teeth and my two crooked canines on the bottom.  I had braces before, Long story short I decided myself at 16 I was done with my orthodontic treatment so I MYSELF took them off, never got a retainer to keep teeth from shifting or moving and here is the result.....Me now at 22 getting them back on!  I went to a consult with a great orthodontist in town and he told me the consequences of what I had done years back....And I did not like what I heard...So yes I chose to get them back on (ceramic on top, metal with pretty pink ties on bottom) =) and finish a 2 year treatment and not to mention the 4 teeth I MUST get extracted by October. I am not looking forward to this, something is just freaky to me about pulling four healthy teeth out bc I have too MUCH of teeth and Big teeth in general. I told the Ortho on Fri, "Dr. but what if I need those teeth when I'm like 80 or 90?'' He laughed and said "Nope, You have ENOUGH! Trust me"
 I am still pretty sore. I got them put on on Friday and all my teeth feel loose and squashed. I give lots of credit to all those kids and teens out there who do this all the time. I am such a whiner! But the end result I will love.  No pain no gain.  On the bright side I might loose a few pounds because I can hardly eat anything that's not mushed.... =) 

 Me on X-ray before treatment
if you could see closely on the top
X-ray your could see how far out
my overite is, & it gets worse with
age and no treatment.

This is Day 5
 At the end of this two year journey I will not have a huge overbite and such protruding teeth..I will try to post monthly pics so I can see the results over the two years. Say a prayer to the end of my four healthy teeth going bye bye....

Monday, July 26, 2010

Pictures to Celebrate


On July 18th 2010, John and I celebrated our one year anniversary.  It was a very quiet night.  We did'nt get a sitter so we decided to pick up Outback to go,  put Gavin to bed, watch a movies and eat YES our wedding cake!! (we froze the top tier)


It was pretty ugly when we unfroze it and looked at it! HAA
John was so scared to eat it! He thought he would get some kind of food poisioning!! LOL
This was our midnight snack!
Posing with our last piece of food from the wedding!
I must say, IT WAS NOT GOOD!!
We watched the movies Shutter Island. It wassss sooooo goood! Unlike the cake.
So tired after all that cake.......Happy Aniv. Hunny!

Then this past weekend we decided to go out on a nice date night, since we did not for our 1 year.
We got a sitter and prepared Gavin for bed before we left.


I'm not going to bedddd.......AHHH
His new thing is shrieking!! Really LOUD!
He was yelling ''Dada"
How cute our his Superman Undies?? It was so hot this day and we decided to give him a bath and let him lounge in his undies. <3
Backside.


Top teeth coming in

Then after he went to bed and we were off....
These are the only pics I took before we left, forgot my camara home =(

We went to an excellent grill reasturant called SELVA on Main St. Sarasota....
IT was soooooo yummmmy!! I can't wait to go back!!

Friday, July 16, 2010

Walking Together.

     I've put off blogging for a bit until my family left.  So here I am.  I am pleased to say Gavin has taken his first steps this past week!!! One week short of 10 months.  I'm guessing he will be an early walker as I was.  He's also dancing to some tunes on his toys or TV, or so he thinks it's a dance.  Its more like a rock back and forth and a BIG smile.  He took his first steps as we took our step to raise him in the presence of God.



     This past Sunday was Gavin's Baby Dedication.  We have committed to Christ to teach Gavin all we know about God.  That he grows and acts with biblical principles.  It was a great ceremony and John and I felt so proud to give to our child something we did not have.  We shared this moments with our closets friends from church.  Which John and I call family along with my Mom and Dad.  Pastor Abney conducted the ceremony and Pastor Sallee a great friend of John and I held him as he got anointed. ( It was only fair because he was present at his birth!!)  It was one of those key moments I will remember forever.

Proverbs 22: 6    Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. (NIV)
One of my FAVES!!!







     

Friday, June 18, 2010

Gavin Had a Case of the Giggles as He Went To Bed! Watch!



This is new favorite thing to do before he goes to bed
He's such a sweetheart








Good Night Mommy!

Dinner Tonight was YUM!

Tonight I made our favorite! Enjoy the recipe.

Grilled Chicken Fajitas


Ingredients

.Cilantro.Onions.Tomatoes.Grilled Chicken.Whole Wheat Fajitas.Goya Olive Oil

I chopped up my condiments nice and small.



I pour a small amount of Goya Extra Virgin Olive oil on a pan.  I like Goya just because it's what my mother always used for every meal that needed oil.  Must be a spanish thing :)

I lay thin sliced chicken breast on the pan and sprinkle a bit of pepper, garlic and basil just because I like my chicken to have taste to it.  Of course you don't have to.


Sizzle. Sizzle until its done!
Just kind of flip it over and back a few times until it browns.  I choose the thin sliced for tacos because it cooks way faster and the portion is perfect for us.


Chop it up!
AND....

HMM.... A nice simple and yummy dinner! For an inexpensive price.
Add your favorite hot sauce.
I reccomend Brava Taco Hot Sauce!
It's really good!
 
Our dinner :)
 

Thursday, June 17, 2010

8 PM, I Did Nothing. My Husband on the Other Hand......

     Trying to sleep last night was not fun.  My son Gavin whom is nine months old, must have had a terrible ear ache.  He refused to sleep in any kind of laying position.  In result of me not sleeping at all through the night.  My husband also had bad ear aches as a child that resulted in tubes in his ears.  We think our boy is heading in the same direction.  This would be #4 or maybe even #5. 
    
    I have no clue how my husband even got to work this morning because Gavin's shriek was quite disturbing.  Never the less he left to work when I dosed off at some point.  Gavin slept a bit of the early morn in his playpen right next to my bed because along with an ear ache he has started "mamitis" Mamitis is the Spanish word in Cuban lingo for " I can't survive without mommy"  Yes my son is a Mamma's boy right now.  His separation anxiety is slowly growing but only if he completely alone.  Or if I'm not in his sight.  When he's playing with others or my husband's in the room he's completely fine.  It's only if he feels "alone."  Anyways we placed the play pen in our bedroom to make it easier on me while I dress or get ready.  Even for naps at times. 

     My sweet husband comes home for a long lunch break Tues & Thurs.  So he got home at about 11:30 AM today and walked in on dozed off mom and rowdy Gavin filled with toys in his playpen.  I was real desperate for some sweet sleep.  So my strategy was give him his oatmeal and bottle and load his playpen with tons of toys and clunk out in bed while I left Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on repeat! HA!! I feel kind of guilty reading this now.  But I knew I would not be able to function If my plan didn't carry out. 

   John came in and quietly picked up Gavin  and let me sleep ZzzzzZzzz!! Oh BLISS!  Thanks to my wonderful husband.  I awoke the the VACUUM!!!  YES the vacuum.  I hear the loud vroom vroom........But I was too tired to ask, not to mention my horrible migraine that had arrived.  So off I went back to the land of dreams.  At some point John gave Gavin a bath, fed him, and rocked him to bed, vacuumed the house, and ate lunch!!! All for me!  He came in while Gav and I slept and said I'm leaving "babe" I love you.  I think it was like 3???  After he left I got up and looked around at everything he had done. I was so grateful.  God has blessed me in so many ways.  Now I know this might not happen every time or by all means am I stating that It's always like that around here, but it was just so nice to take a breather and not worry about anything for a bit to get some much needed shut eye.  I reminded myself of how fortunate I am.  I may not have all the finer things in life but I have a good solid marriage and for this I give all the glory to God who has placed this person in my life.
     So what started to be a horrible day was brighten by the simple actions of my husband that found the time and energy around his busy day to help mom out.  I always say " O the joys of motherhood" but this time its " The joys of marriage!"

This is the first picture John and I took as a couple when we first met. 
Out to dinner in NYC ( October 2005) 


  Now lets keep our fingers crossed for a harmonized night :) Goodnight All.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

I'm new at this mixed with a little about me :)




OK, let me start my saying this is my second shot of starting a successful blog. Hopefully I am on the right track here. This is my first time blogging so don't quite judge it just yet. I plan to get some lessons from my friends. Blogging has been on my mind since I became a stay at home mom. I always tend to silently read friends blogs and a few strangers that I follow here and there and I guess I have not gotten the courage to start my own until now. Nine months into being a mommy. Yea I know.....it's not too late so here it goes! "Did I say I too many times!?" HA
      My name is Jessica but everyone call me Jess. I'm of Cuban descent and I can speak both languages. I have a wonderful husband whom I'll be married to for a year in July! Nope he's not Cuban but Italian. The man of my dreams, a great father, wonderful friend, and my shoulder to cry on. He's my "babe." A precious package God has sent my way. Together we have a baby girl in the heavens stillborn in 2008 but soon after God blessed us with a beautiful healthy baby boy named Gavin. He is full of life and the has the biggest smile ever! I must say, Mommy's pride and joy. We thrive to raise him under the principles of God, and give him the special gift of knowing Jesus at an early age. Although I was raised a happy child, this gift was not given to me and I wished it would have. Jesus would have impacted my life so much at an earlier age.

As a family we are privileged.  I am able to stay at home and raise Gavin and not ship him off to daycare. We give all the thanks to God who has allowed for us to live on one salary. I am convinced this is a present from him alone. We attend The First Church of God in sunny Bradenton, FL. How two young kids from New Jersey ended up in this side of the states beats me! God alone knows our purpose and why he chose us to come to this great town where we have friends we can call our family. All of ours is up north. Although we miss them dearly and at times and at some points I even wish I could go back running to them, I know this is were we belong right now. We just LOVE it here.

My plan is to fill this blog up with lots of fun stories and occurrences that happen to us as a family. I want to include the many joys of being a SAHM and the not so fun ones. Through this journey I want to read about other moms out there and hear their inputs. All comments are welcomed!! I hope you all enjoy my future entries.