San Diego gems

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Mdfrisco

Grandma was in town for a few days last week and we didn’t waste a single minute while she was here. Aside from our usual stroller walks, errands and park playdates, we spent time enjoying some of the perks of living in San Diego. First up, the beach!

It was a little bit cooler than the last few times we were at the beach, but there was still sand to play with, waves to chase, rocks to pick up and lots of ground to cover and burn energy before nap time!

Another San Diego gem we took advantage of is the Zoo!

We were entertained by rolling & swinging monkeys, swimming hippos, sleeping bears

and sleeping Koala bears

Jacob’s favorite exhibit is the zebra and donkey, every time he is mesmerized by them!

We saw lots of birds and ducks and we learned that male flamingos walk around with their neck stretched out to attract the females attention.

It is fun to do these things with Jacob now that he is a little older and he takes an interest in what he is seeing. Before going anywhere was just an excuse for me to get out of the house and rejoin society, but now it is such a fun learning experience for Jacob and I love watching him take in the new sights and sounds.

More coming soon!

Christmas (part one)

Posted on January 25, 2014 by Mdfrisco

We started off the Christmas festivities at my parents cabin. When we arrived they had in the middle of the living room, the rocking tractor that my brother and his family got for Jacob last year at Christmastime. Happy to be out of his carseat and able to move around, Jacob immediately started inspecting this new toy and decided to go for a ride.

They even had our last name engraved on the back.

The next day for Christmas Eve, we had the cabin full of family (including 5 dogs!) for dinner, presents and a good time together. One thing I have noticed is, as good as I am about taking pictures of Jacob…I am really bad at taking pictures of everyone else! So I didn’t get a single picture of that time. But of course I did get a few cute ones of Jacob in his Christmas outfit. First up, back on the tractor.

Even the big boys took the tractor for a spin 🙂

Jacob was fascinated with the horses and loved watching those large animals. So we spent some time on the fence of the arena watching the horses have their dinner.

We did get a picture of the 4 generations. Oma, Grandma, Mom and Jacob.

On Christmas morning, Jacob spent all morning opening presents and playing with his new toys.

However, if there are dogs around, they trump any package, box, toy or bow in Jacob’s book. And my parents dog Jane was happy to provide some entertainment for Jacob, he couldn’t contain his excitement!

After some coffee (for us) and breakfast, Jacob kept on opening and playing with his toys. He got a musical ball, clothes, books, a cell phone

Thanks mom, but you know this is not going to keep me from going after your phone, right?

Then Jacob tackled the present that was possibly his favorite one yet.

Hmmmm, can’t do much with it while it is in this box….

Daddy to the rescue!

And I have my very own truck!! Lets check out the horn here.

I simply couldn’t narrow these next photos down to one…or even two.

Besides it shows what a ham he is when he has an audience. Every time he would raise his arm, he would get a collective cheer from everyone.

and that makes him more and more excited!

Yeah!!!

Before we left, Jacob made sure to snuggle with his Oma for a few minutes.

He’s a pretty lucky little dude!

I’ll be back soon with the second half of our Christmas.

Thankful

Posted on December 12, 2013 by Mdfrisco

We have a lot to be thankful for, our family, friends, health, home, job and so much more… Of course this year, I kept thinking about how thankful we are to have this happy, healthy and pretty stinkin’ cute little guy.

Every year we spend Thanksgiving at Justin’s parents house. The day before Thanksgiving we had a quiet evening entertaining Jacob (or rather he was entertaining us!)

He loved having new territory to cover and different things to get into

And of course his GiGi is always game to play with him

And sing him songs

After a good nights sleep, Jacob was ready to celebrate Thanksgiving

He was busy getting everyone’s drinks ready for them

We attempted to get a family photo for a Christmas card, but clearly Jacob was not into it, he was ready for his nap!

Apollo can always be found in the kitchen while you are cooking, looking for things that are accidentally (or purposely) dropped on the floor. It is like a game to him, to see how quickly he can snatch up the food, sometimes he gets it before it even hits the ground. So on these holiday occasions, it is like the Superbowl in Apollo’s book, especially when it comes to Papa J’s cooking! Turkey anyone??

And it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without an attempt to get a picture of all the dogs

Compared to years in the past, we had a small gathering this year. I enjoy the more intimate gatherings since it gives you a chance to really talk with everyone. However, there were so many people that we missed getting to see. Regardless, we had a good time and Jacob enjoyed his first Thanksgiving!

My babies!

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Change

Posted on December 9, 2013 by Mdfrisco

I remember a conversation with some friends over dinner a few years back where we were talking about some of the biggest stresses on a marriage. Big changes in your life that can affect your relationship, such as finances, jobs, moving and kids. We talked about how those things are a part of everyone’s life, but it is how you handle those changes and the importance of working together as a team with your spouse to transition through these changes that makes all the difference in the world.

This has been a big year of changes for us. We started the year with a bang with the arrival of Jacob in our family. Once we got settled into that new normal, I went back to work, working from home and going into the office one day a week. We then got adjusted to that new routine. A couple of months ago we made the decision that I was not going to work at all and be a full time stay at home mom. It is something that we ultimately knew was going to happen sometime anyway, but a part of me didn’t want to let go of that part of my identity (and the extra income was a bonus too). I always said when we had kids I wanted to be at home with them, but it was hard for me to let go of my job. I was a little surprised at how difficult it was to make this decision and how emotional it was.

I left my office the same month I was hired 10 years ago…As I look back on those 10 years there are so.many.memories. I learned so much about the research industry and business in general. I grew as a person in my personal and professional life. My doctors do wonders in the field of Allergy and Asthma and in our community as well. They work so hard to teach other physicians, patients and the staff working for them. My co-workers are wonderful people and have become like an extended family. Granted it was not always easy and there were some bumps and frustrations along the way, but that is a part of life and you will encounter those things anywhere you go. The good memories far outweigh the frustrating ones. I love the silliness that comes with dressing up for Halloween, themed parties or simply just to dress up period (my office LOVES costumes!), I love how a requirement for all our holiday parties (or any office party for that matter) is a dance floor and good music. I love how everyone is there to celebrate the good times in life like birthdays, weddings, babies, and that they are always there with a hug and words of encouragement during the hard times.

When I was hired I never thought I would be there for 10 years, but when I look back at the memories I know exactly why I was, and man those years flew by! As hard as it was to leave both my office and my identity in the working world, I am so thankful that I am able to be at home with our little man and I am excited to for this journey in life as a full time momma! We worked SO hard for this family and I am going to soak it all up. I am also thankful that I have a husband who is supportive and that we can work together as a team through these changes.

And because I can’t do a post without a photo…Here’s Jake taking a bath in grandma’s big bathtub at the cabin. He still LOVES his bath time 🙂

Time

Posted on December 4, 2013 by Mdfrisco

There are a lot of things that I’ve learned or noticed in a different way during this parenting gig. One thing that really gets me is how f.a.s.t. time flies by! It has been a month since I’ve posted anything here, and on one hand I completely understand why, we’ve been out of town so much this month and pretty busy. My life has been a constant cycle of packing, unpacking, laundry and repacking. But it has all been fun and it is all good stuff. On the other hand, I can’t believe it has really been a whole month! And to think that Jacob turns 11 months old in two days is downright crazy!

We went to a birthday party last weekend for the daughter of some friends who turned one. Her mom and I were talking and she said everyone keeps referring to her little girl now as a toddler, and yes, she is walking/toddling around, but mom is having a hard time emotionally getting through the transition of her little girl being anything other than a baby. She is in denial. And honestly, I feel like I am too. In another month Jacob is going to be 1 year old. And I know this month is going to go by just as fast, if not faster, than last month.

While I am excited for Jacob to grow up and I am looking forward to other milestones and fun things we can do as he gets older, I find myself thinking back and missing those baby moments that we’ve been through. When he slept all the time and I could stare at him for hours. I miss him snuggling with me, now he just wants to be put down so he can get moving. All the hours I spent on the floor with him during tummy time encouraging him to lift his head, roll over, sit up on his own. And so many other things that seems like we were just doing them yesterday, but they were several months ago now. And at the rate time is going I feel like tomorrow I will be saying it was years ago when we were doing those things. So before Jacob turns 11 months old, lets reflect back on his 10th month 🙂

43 weeks

44 weeks

45 weeks

46 weeks

47 weeks

We started the month off at a wedding in Bakersfield and then spent a few days in Paso Robles wine tasting, I have pictures and stories to tell on that trip and will save them for another post. Then we went to my parents cabin and Justin helped my dad with their remodeling project while my mom, Jacob and I drove in to visit my grandma. Then two days later we went to Justin’s parents house for Thanksgiving then the day after we got back we drove to Orange County for the birthday party I mentioned earlier. Oh and Justin got sick the day before we left for Thanksgiving and I got sick the day after we got back, and Jacob has been battling a strange case of hives for a week now. Two days before Thanksgiving he started randomly getting red splotches/hives on different places on his body and they didn’t last long, just a few minutes even, and they move to other areas of the body. And it is not at any specific time, they come and go all day long…We haven’t tried any new foods recently, lotions, soaps, laundry detergent, etc…and it is making me crazy trying to figure out what it is. It doesn’t seem to bother him, he’s not itching, fussy, he doesn’t have a fever, there is no swelling, he is sleeping great and is breathing fine. The day between getting home from Thanksgiving and going to the birthday party we spent at the doctors office and the Nurse Practitioner on call checked him out and said other than the hives everything looks good and he is healthy. She said that it could be some sort of virus that his body is reacting differently to and she basically said that hives are so common in young children and sometimes it is a phase and it will go away, just give it some time. I am a little skeptical, especially since he has a family history of allergies on both sides…but I am giving it a couple more days before I get a second opinion.

Other than that…Jacob is doing wonderful! He was a champ during all our travels and we’ve had a really fun month. It is amazing to see his personality change as he grows. My mellow, easy going little boy has developed a strong opinion about things and is not afraid to let me know his opinion. If this child takes after me I know I’m in trouble 🙂 He is Mr Busybody, crawling all over the place getting into everything. He makes complete strangers hearts melt with his smile in public. He has decided that he no longer wants me to feed him, so all of his meals have to be things that he can pick up and feed himself, sometimes I can squeeze a spoonful of something in between handfuls of food. As much as I miss those sweet tender baby moments, I also love this fun time and seeing him learn and change as he grows.

I have lots more to share so I’ll be back soon! XO

2nd Anniversary

Posted on September 13, 2013 by Mdfrisco

I know, I know, I am on a blogging roll! Lots to share!

Last Sunday our church celebrated our 2nd anniversary with another chili cook off! We had a wonderful guest speaker during the service and celebrated afterwards in the park. We invited our local fire department to come participate and the kids loved getting to explore the fire truck. Julia and I wanted to recreate the picture we took last year on the back of the truck with our pregnant bellies, unfortunately, they had the truck backed up into the edge of the parking lot and there was a tree obstructing the back. But we made it work anyway and got some cute shots with the kiddos.

One of the firemen we were talking to even noticed that Jacob had a big fire truck on his shirt 🙂

We thanked the firemen for serving our community and let them dive into the chili

After lunch we spread out a blanket and let the kiddos play

KJ and Jacob were passing a toy back and forth “taking turns” playing/chewing on it

Our blanket quickly filled up with friends and even our buddy Micah joined us

And here is our 35 week old

How San Diegan Are You?

Posted on September 12, 2013 by Mdfrisco

A few years ago San Diego Magazine published an article (more like a checklist) that was called “How San Diegan Are You?” It had a list of a hundred different things to do in San Diego and you were to go through the list and check off all the things you have done and count them up, then according to your tally you could determine how “San Diegan” you were. I made a copy of the list and Justin and I sat down one night and checked off all the things we’ve done, since then whenever we have a free day (which is rare and why we have not completed the list in the last few years) we will go do something on the list that we have not done.

One thing on the list is the Mt Soledad Veterans Memorial. This memorial has been the center of much heated debate and controversy over the years and has been all over the news and its cross way up on a hill can be seen while driving on the 5 freeway and from many places in San Diego. So the fact that we “see” the cross all the time, it didn’t really seem like it would be anything special to actually visit the memorial to “see” the cross up close. However, last weekend, we were wanting to get out of our house and in search of some cooler weather we decided to drive up to the memorial and check it out.

We spent some time looking at the memorial plaques surrounding the cross

We we walked the perimeter of the park and took in all the gorgeous views of San Diego (and enjoyed the cooler breeze!)

It didn’t take very long to do but we both agreed that it is a nice memorial and a a fun little adventure if you have some spare time.

We are so thankful for all our veterans who have served our country and those who currently are serving our country. We couldn’t live our life like we do without you.

Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. – Ephesians 6:11

Full

Posted on September 2, 2013 by Mdfrisco

Lately I feel like I’ve become a marathon runner. Life has been kind of crazy busy these last couple of months. I keep saying it’s partly because it’s summer, partly because we are not the type to just sit around, and partly because we now have a 3rd little guy (and sometimes a dog) that tags along with us wherever we go.

But when I stop and think about it, I know it is not going to change. Summer will turn into fall and then winter where we will be busy with the holidays, then it will be a new year and we will be celebrating birthdays and then spring will turn into summer again and the cycle keeps going. We will always be planning something. And Jacob (and Apollo) are not going anywhere anytime soon (not that I want them to).

But then I really stop and think about it and if I had a choice…I wouldn’t change a thing. It is all good stuff. Sure it is a lot of work, but it is fun. Our lives have been filled to the brim with mini vacations, long vacations, having people over, going to friends houses, birthdays, pool dates with neighbors, photography sessions, BBQ’s, catching up with old friends who are in town, being with family, zoo dates, church, work, girls night, beach days, parties, baby play dates, golf tournaments, and on and on and on……

I find myself often saying I just want a day to relax and not have to worry about going somewhere or getting ready for anything, or packing and unpacking and doing laundry after a trip, but at the same time, I find myself filling up the empty days in my calendar with things to do. I remember a time when I was feeling a hole in my life, I was feeling like I was stuck in a rut and didn’t see any way out of it. We were just as busy then as we are now, but a (big) part of me was just not happy, I knew I wanted more. Now that I have our precious little boy, I find that I often remind myself of that time whenever I am feeling overwhelmed or stressed out or feeling like I want to lock myself up in my house and turn off my cell phone and computer for a few days.

It is all good stuff. I am full. Sure, I am tired, I am sick of doing laundry, and I would love a massage or just an afternoon of sipping a girly drink with an umbrella while floating on a raft in the pool (which I actually got to do for about 5 minutes two weekends ago before Jacob woke up from his nap, it was a glorious 5 minutes!) But again, I wouldn’t change a thing. Life is good, it’s crazy, sometimes I have to remind myself to breathe when looking at my calendar, but it is filled with life. I am full. And I wouldn’t change a thing.

Because of all our fullness, I am behind on posting Jacob’s weekly photos, so here they are.

32 weeks

33 weeks

and this week he is 8 months old!

A few things about Jacob over this past month…

When Justin comes home from work, he has started “jumping” out of my arms and reaching for Justin. The first time he did that, both our hearts just melted!
He is giving kisses now, granted, they are wet, slobbery, open mouthed, but they are kisses 🙂
He is finally getting a tooth in! I can feel the sharpness of it in his gums, but it hasn’t actually popped up yet, I’m sure it will soon.
Last week we brought him to my office and weighed him and he is now a little over 18 lbs. We are convinced he grew an inch in the last few weeks too, since we noticed his legs are definitely longer.

Daddy Daycare

Posted on June 6, 2013 by Mdfrisco

Every woman is different when it comes to being a stay at home mom vs staying in the workplace. I know that most women are not able to work from home with the type of career they have, or for financial reasons they cannot stop working, or some women need that connection and identity outside of being a stay at home mom. Many people have strong opinions why it should be one way or another, I am not here to say that one way is better than the other or even the way it should be. Every woman is different, I am just sharing my personal experience.

My parents had their own business and my mom worked out of our home. Growing up, my mom was always there if I needed her. If I forgot something she could bring it to me, if I was not feeling well she was able to stay home with me, on days when we had pep rallies and other school activities, my mom was able to come and cheer me on. Justin was raised the same way. And I want to do the same for my kids. When I got pregnant we knew that I would not be able to quit working altogether, but, it was also not worth putting Jacob in daycare since it is ridiculously expensive and my paycheck would just be thrown into the cost of daycare. Besides, I didn’t want to do that anyway, I wanted to be home with my child.

Fortunately, I work for some amazing people and have the kind of job that allows me to work from home and go into the office one day a week. It is a challenge to get work done at home with a baby. Especially one that only takes 30 minute naps! But somehow, I’ve been able to get it done. The things that require more than 15 minutes of my time get done at night after he goes to bed.

So what does Jacob do on the one day a week I go into the office? He hangs out with Daddy! We are also fortunate that Justin has the kind of job that he is able to be home with Jacob one day a week. I love this set up because I get the best of both worlds. I can be at home with my son, but also keep my own identity in the workplace AND Justin gets some quality time with Jacob. What’s even better is because Justin has this time with him, he knows what it is like to be home with him all day. He knows I don’t sit around the couch watching soap operas and eating bon bons, he knows that Jacob needs to be entertained, he knows how to do the routine and knows that he only naps for 30 minutes and that 30 minutes is not really enough time to do much else than go to the bathroom, eat something and maybe answer an email here and there. He knows how exhausting it is, he knows how you always have to stay one step ahead of him, and he knows how much stuff you have to take anytime you go anywhere with him. Because he knows how much work it is, he tells me all the time that he appreciates me and everything I do. I feel so blessed to have a husband who loves me and understands.

The first day Justin watched Jacob, this is what I saw when I walked into our bedroom after putting Jacob to bed.

Pure exhaustion. Even the dog was tired!

Now that we’re in more of a “routine” and we are used functioning in our new lifestyle, it is easier. While it is still exhausting, Jacob is getting more and more fun every day with being able to interact with him more and see him squeal in delight at something or get a serious look on his face when he is trying to figure something out. Justin is enjoying this time even more. I even convinced him to try wearing Jacob in a carrier. The two carriers I have are wonderful, but he can only be worn facing in towards me, sometimes he doesn’t like that because he wants to see what is going on. So a friend of mine gave me her Baby Bjorn, Justin put it on and Jacob LOVED it! We took the dog for a walk and Jacob was giggling and squealing at everything he saw (mostly the dog, he loves to watch the dog). I think Daddy Daycare has approached a new level since the Bjorn has been discovered!

And no, Justin does not drink beer all day while watching Jacob, this photo was taken in the evening after I got home 🙂

A visit with Uncle Terry

Posted on May 31, 2013 by Mdfrisco

It has been a busy busy week! We left on Sunday to go to Justin’s parents house for a couple of days to visit with Justin’s uncle Terry who was in town from Kentucky. Before we left we took his 20 week old pictures. These pictures were so fun to take and I couldn’t decide which one I liked the best so I give you two.
He was a wiggle worm and kept grabbing the giraffe’s arm and pulling him over. I know there is going to come a day when I will be begging and bribing him to sit still for this picture.
When we arrived to Justin’s parents house, everyone was outside in the pool. Which is a good place to be when it is 90 degrees outside! After getting settled in we got Jacob in his bathing suit and Justin took him for a little swim.
IMG_9209ed

He wasn’t particularly a fan…he didn’t scream or cry, but he didn’t necessarily love it either, as you can tell from the look on his face in the picture. He loves his bath, so I don’t think it was the water, I think it had to do with the temperature since the water was pretty cool. We will keep at it especially since it is starting to warm up for summer!

The next day the boys went golfing and Jacob and I went to visit my best friend Stacey and her family. Both her boys love Jacob and her oldest wanted to hold him the entire time. It was pretty cute!
Justin, his dad, Uncle Terry & Cousin Tim had a great time golfing (or at least Justin did, he shot a 78!). They came across a herd (or a flock?) of big horn sheep on the golf course.
Our family is also a dog loving family, we always end up with several dogs running around whenever we get together. Apollo will always be my first baby 🙂 although he doesn’t get as much attention from me as he used to, I know he is enjoying the break from being the primary subject for my camera. We had 4 dogs altogether and they all got along great!
Willie and Bogey (the two black and white dogs), have a more laid back personality and lounge around and watch the world go by. Where Apollo and Otto (the brown dog) are busy bodies, they are always hunting for lizards, walking the perimeter of the yard and chasing all the blackbirds out of the trees. Jacob loved watching them walk by and run around, it was pure entertainment for him.