| Happy Birthday Big Boy! | Last Updated: Aug 26, 2008 |
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Christian Daniel Flores August 23, 2007 6:51pm 6lbs 2 oz. |
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Stories **August 26, 2008 - It's a Wrap!** I'm officially transferring from this blog to my new one... http://joleneflores.blogspot.com. Please update your bookmarks / favorite places and check my new blog often! I will have much more freedom in posting pictures and videos (I am very limited on this site), so I hope to bring even more fun and craziness from our home to yours! **August 23, 2008 - Happy Birthday to You!**
Happy Birthday my dear son. What a year this has been! You have certainly taught your mommy a thing or two about patience, hope, perseverence and grace. You went from being completely helpless to now feeding yourself, drinking your own bottle and sippy cups, and walking. You have such a great personality. I love your love for people, and your empathy that has already begun to show. I pray for you daily, and savor each evening when I get to put you to bed. You are my little prince, and I am honored to be your momma.
Your first birthday was fun, and you certainly did not want to miss a moment. Even when your eyes were red and tired, you did not want to nap, especially once people began arriving for your party! I made you a special sugar-free apple spice cake, and you sure did like it! You ate a good chunk of it! (I was just happy that you didn't throw it anywhere). Your Great Grandma & Grandpa Lucas sent you a special gift, as did Cousin Sarah Meyer, Tana Nana and Tana Papa, Great Aunt Jan and your Great Grandpa Nels. Grandma Deb, Uncle Scott, Aunt Monica and Cousin Mike, Uncle Russ and Aunt Dee, Loi Loi, "Uncle" Matt, "Aunt" Jess, "Cousin" Ethan, and Kelly and her twin girls came to help celebrate your birthday too. You got LOTS of wonderful gifts; everyone was soo generous! Cousin Ethan enjoyed helping with the gift opening too. :-) You received toys that make sound, and sometimes come alive at strange times. You received great books, which you were happy about since you love books. You were given a red Radio Flyer tricycle (though I'm hoping you don't start riding it too soon!). You got a push behind tractor, and also a remote control car, though right now you enjoy eating the remote control more than anything. You certainly were showered with gifts!
Your mommy and daddy are very proud of you, and love you more than you will ever know.
**August 21, 2008 - First Haircut!** Yes indeed, I finally gave in and had Christian get his first haircut. Danny's sister Dee was kind enough to come over to our house to skillfully trim my baby's hair. He did a great job, I think he was mesmorized by the sound of the clippers. As Dee finished up, I cried. He looks like a big boy now...not so much a baby.
He does look handsome though, and we got him a new birthday boy outfit for Saturday. Goodness me, my little baby is growing up so fast! **August 18, 2008 - Good Food, Good Friends, Good Times!** Over the weekend we were blessed to go over to the always BEAUTIFUL Hekman home for a little get together with friends from our old youth group at SBCC. The McManaway's, McLaughlin's, Hekman's, Flores' and Mr. Bargas all came. What fun! We ate until we couldn't eat anymore, and just laughed and reminisced about old times peppered with stories of our more recent happenings. It was such a delight to see everyone, and wonderful to see how well everyone is doing. Good friends are hard to find, and once you find them they will always remain in your heart.
**August 18, 2008 - Be Still My Heart** It really is the little things that stop my heart. It is that "I love you" look I get from Danny from across a room. It is that giggle Christian gets while he walks towards me. It is the voice mail message or email of encouragement in a down time. Those little things mean more to me than anyone will ever know. Last week I had a few of those "moments". At one point I was working at my desk and heard Christian's little feet pitter-pattering in the hall. I turned around to see him walk/run (hands in the air, grinning from ear to ear) from the hall into his room. I'm still not used to seeing him walk, so it was quite a sight. Oh, my darling child. Christian gets so excited about walking that he hardly sits still to drink a bottle, eat, have his diaper changed, etc. However, last week I put him in his room on a blanket, handed him his moo-cow and his bottle, and walked away (fully expecting him to throw the bottle and come after me). After a few QUIET minutes I got worried and peeked in to see my darling little boy drinking his bottle and holding moo-cow close, still laying on his blanket. I know that these don't seem like huge things to most people, but they really are precious. As this is last week before Christian is officially ONE YEAR OLD, I recognize how fleeting these moments are, and appreciate them all the more. In my attempts to teach him how to do things on his own, I am seeing that he needs me less, and I know that this is only the beginning. Man, am I going to be a MESS on his first day of Kindergarten!!!!! **August 14, 2008 - Appreciate your Mom!** Last night I was finishing was cleaning and realized it was after 11pm (where did the time go?). I got to bed around midnight and had a difficult time falling asleep. Once I did, I slept HARD, until 3 when Christian woke up screaming a panic cry. I went in to find him sitting up with his blanket on his head...poor little guy, he was scared b/c he couldn't pull it off! After I got him calmed down I fell asleep and was awoken by Danny's darn alarm clock at 4am. I unplugged it. And then I awoke at 6am with the baby. SIGH. Mom, I want you to know that I appreciate you. You did all this day in and day out without complaint and without rest. I now know what you meant when you said "It feels like I'm ALWAYS cleaning." YOU WERE!!! How you took care of a house, two kids, a husband who sometimes was a third kid, went to school full time and cleaned houses for extra money is BEYOND ME. I am in awe of you. And as much as I would like to be the mom that you are, there is no way I have the strength! Make sure you appreciate your moms today. No it isn't Mother's Day, but Mother's Day only comes once a year, and your Mom is your Mom every waking moment! **August 14, 2008 - STEAM** FYI, when steaming be careful. I burnt my thumb and later steam got my hand for a split second. It is blistered. Funny thing is that when I was making Christian's baby food a couple months ago, I burned myself on steam and told Danny not to let me near steam again. Look at what happens when he isn't around! **August 13, 2008 - Rest? What's that?** Danny is out of town for the next few days for a ministry conference. That means no break at all when it comes to mommyhood from sun up to sun down (and in between). After the little toddling child went to bed, I got to working on my floors for the second night in a row. I got out my steamer, and steamed the grout on my entryway tile floors...as they are UNSEALED. After two days I am only half done. I'll work more tonight. I need to get into the backyard and backfill the wall too. Yeah, Danny is out of town, but who has time to rest?! **August 12, 2008 - The Great Wall of Flores** Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm happy to announce that Danny has just about completed our retaining wall!!! It has been a labor of love for sure, as he invested a lot of blood, sweat, tears and time into it. Though there are a few little things that need fine-tuning, it is pretty much complete, and I could not be more proud of my hubby. GREAT JOB DANNY! Check out the before and after shots:
BEFORE - a 4' high, 75' long slope of dirt, weeds, bugs and unusable space
And now, a beautiful wall stands in the place of a few tons of dirt...
Night view.... Now all we have to do is get that cement in, and we'll be able to sit outside and appreciate the evenings with our beloved wall. :-) **August 11, 2008 - Proof!** Here is proof that Christian is walking. Our digital camera is on the fritz, so pictures are not turning out (which explains the lack of pictures lately), but at least the video portion works! Enjoy! **August 11, 2008 - Treasured Moments** After my adventure at Walmart, I rushed home, put the baby to bed, and immediately got to cleaning. I cleaned out the refrigerator prior to putting the food away. I organized the pantry. I dusted with my new favorite Pledge product. I spot cleaned the carpets (by the way, don't EVER get light carpet if you expect to have a child play on them). I vacuumed, dusted, swept and mopped. I think I got to bed around 12:30am...30 minutes before Danny got home from work. Saturday I woke up (albeit early...thanks Christian) to a clean house, coffee brewing (thanks automatic coffee maker), and baked muffins. YUM. After breakfast I put Christian down for nap and I washed and detailed my car. After getting cleaned up we headed to our neighbors' house who were celebrating their son's first birthday. They had a bouncer for him, so Christian and I went out to play in it. He did not like it much...he couldn't walk in it! Instead we both laid in the middle of it, he put his arm behind my neck, and we both looked at the ceiling and "talked" for five minutes. It was one of the most precious moments EVER. Sunday I cleaned a bit more, and then put Christian in his pack n play outside while I gardened a bit. At dinner time Sunday night, I gave Christian a wide array of finger foods. As he often does, he decided to share with me. This time though, it was a cheerio he already had in his mouth. He took the slimy thing out of his mouth and put his hand to my mouth, with a big proud grin. How could I not eat it? At that precious (and GROSS) moment, I realized that I am definately a mom. Motherhood has changed me (I cry at commercials and while watching the news now too). Knowing that Christian's first birthday is coming up all too quickly, I recognize how fast he is growing. I appreciate and hold dear these precious moments that we share. **August 9, 2008 - WWJD** After my very busy work day, in fact right at 5:00pm, I grabbed Christian, along with snacks and distractions and headed to Super Walmart, half an hour away. I had a list of things to get done...including purchasing a birthday gift for a neighbor turning 1, making a little something special for Danny, and grocery shopping (among other things). I knew it was going to be an adventure, but I had a plan...30 minutes for miscellaneous things, 30 minutes for grocery shopping, no dilly-dallying, go-go-go, to keep my little boy happy. As he usually eats dinner at 6pm and goes to bed at 7:30, I was racing against the clock. My time schedule was shot about 15 minutes into the trip. Gift for neighbor? Check. Gift for Danny...here we go. I was going to print out a 5x7 print and frame it for him, just because. There was only one Kodak kiosk, and three teenage girls playing on it. So, I stood patiently behind them, thinking that they wouldn't take long...after all, how long could you take?! 35 minutes to be exact. I was sure they were printing the bible of pictures, and it was partially my fault for waiting so long. I was just certain that they would be done any minute, and after waiting 20 minutes I felt I had invested too much time to just walk away. So, after consoling a toddler growing more and more restless by the minute, I finally got my chance. It took me less than 5 minutes. While I working one of the girls walked up to me and asked if I had change, to help pay for their bible of pictures. Well, I did have change in my purse, but after they made me wait so long (oh, by the way, they kept looking at me as they were working, and giggled and whispered) I figured that they didn't deserve it. They knew I was waiting. They knew I had a child that wanted to get out of the cart and walk around Walmart, whom I had to coax to keep happy. And so, when she asked for money I lied. Well, sort of. I didn't have change....FOR HER. I know it was wrong, but I was so over them. So, what would Jesus do in this situation? I'm sure He would have just turned the girls into pilars of salt, ordered a wind to pass through the store, and get on with making his prints. ;-) By the way, I got home after 8pm. **August 8, 2008 - Sleeping with the Enemy** My poor, poor Danny. When we were first married, sleeping was delightful. Resting next to the one you love is a joy. However, once Christian came, things changed... Let me preface this by saying that when I am exhausted, I've been known to talk and walk in my sleep. For the first months after Christian was born, I would wake Danny up asking him where Christian was, sometimes even getting physical by pulling on his arm (while saying, "Danny, he is under you! Get up! You are on Christian!"). And though Christian has been sleeping through the night for the past couple of months, I've had a couple of nights of sleeplessness...which lead again to craziness once I do sleep. Last night I woke up and yelled "Danny, someone is in the garage!" Danny flew out of the bed, turned on the light, and asked me what I wanted him to do. I came to a wakeful state when he turned on the light. I told him "nevermind" and apologized before going to dreamtown once again. My poor, poor husband. He's sleeping with the enemy (at least his sleep's enemy!). LOVE YOU DANNY! **August 6, 2008 - It's Official** Danny came home for lunch, and the boys were in my office while I was working. Christian pulled up on something and then walked a couple of steps...the way he did this morning for me. Danny coaxed him, trying to get Christian to walk to him, and much to all of our surprise HE DID! He walked 3-4 steps, toddling just a bit but pretty well balanced! To prove that it wasn't a fluke, Danny and I got on the floor and had him walk back and forth between us, as we cheered him on (I know I shouldn't encourage it, but he was going to walk at some point, and it is an exciting milestone!). Christian walked between Danny and I for a good 5 minutes! Now he is so excited he is squealing and singing, and trying to walk everywhere! (I did take a little video clip, but the camera died after I took it. I am going to have to get another, better clip of him walking once it charges....and of course the video camera is out of video tapes! Time to go digital.) **August 6, 2008 - Stepping it Up**
Christian is now 11 months old. His personality is showing itself more and more, which we are just absolutely thrilled with (most of the time). He likes to share...when he is eating he will feed us if we ask him to "share" (he's also shared his pacifier with Danny). He loves making us laugh, and will join in the laughter if he sees someone else laughing (even if he doesn't know the person). He LOVES books...throughout the day he will disappear into his room and things grow quiet....obviously that is a bad sign most of the time so I peek in, and often will find him sitting with books spread out around him while he looks through the pages of some of his favorites. (At story time every night he will also get very excited about his favorite books...among them "Knuffle Bunny" and "Put Me in the Zoo".) Christian loves to get into things that the is not supposed to (i.e. the pantry, various chords, and off-limit rooms). If he hears music in any fashion, including rhythm claps, he'll dance with a big grin on his face. He sleeps through the night and takes naps during the day (HALLELUJAH!!!) He says "ilk" for "milk", actually said "bye" to Danny the other day, can say "dada" discriminately, and occasionally I'll get a "momma" out of him (though more often than not it is a growlish "momma"...oh and he'll call me "ilk" from time to time too...go figure). He likes to sing, and has sung "momma dada" much to our delight. :-) He enjoys his mobility, fighting anything that slows him down (i.e. diaper changes and feedings). He has learned to climb a bit...but can't figure out how to get down. Our little boy is quite a ham too. Let's see...have I left anything out? Oh yeah...HE HAS BEEN TAKING STEPS ON HIS OWN. I've noticed that he has balanced himself successfully without help for some time. He has even taken a step towards me and is quite proud of his accomplishment. However, I never knew if that could be considered "walking". This morning, though, it was real. He was moving from a stool in our kitchen to the trash can (I know...gross...icky...but I disinfect it daily because it is shiny and he likes it so)...and took TWO STEPS without thinking, faltering, or even falling. I tried not to say anything, as he didn't realize he did it, but my life flashed before my eyes at that point. Oh boy....I thought crawling / creeping along the walls has changed things...I know that walking / running will end life as I know it!
My boy is now chattering away, and just about to grab something I affectionately call "no" several times a day. You know something? I wouldn't trade this for the world! :-) **August 6, 2008 - Let's Play Catch-Up** Ok, so I apologize for not blogging for the past week. Life got the best of me. I'm trying to continue to workout regularly (with the help of my Wii Fit, of course!), and the combination of less time due to workouts and LIFE in general, I just needed to shift things around to make time for the blog. (I blog now instead of cleaning the floors daily...that way Christian always has something to chew on...just kidding) Disneyland on Danny's birthday ended up being a blast. Christian loved the carousal...I think it reminded him of his horsey at home that he likes to ride. We went on Pirates of the Carribean too...and I think that after the two drops he was thinking "Mom, Dad, what are you trying to do to me?!" We had so much fun though. At one point, as I pushed him in his stroller in the center of Main Street he laughed and waved at the people that were sitting waiting for the parade. I think he felt like HE was the parade! Too funny...methinks he is a bit like his momma! (Sidenote: the digital camera was forgotten at home, so we got a disposible to take pictures with....once they are developed they will definately be posted!) This past Monday Christian and Danny went to Hemet to visit Christian's GG Nels. After Nels offered him a Coke (to which Danny thankfully refused), Christian and his Great Grandpa danced to Polka (Nels is Norwegian). The image makes me smile. Danny's work on the Great Wall of Flores has been stalled for a couple of weeks as he has been super busy at work, and the last time he was cutting the blocks he broke (yet another) diamond saw blade. I will post pics once the lights are all installed though...I promise! We've received two quotes on the concrete in our backyard, and though I'm sure they are fair quotes, they cost what a car would, and so we are not sure where to go from here. I need to plant a money tree...I think that would solve all our financial worries. **July 28, 2008 - Tooth...Fever...Tooth** A couple of weeks ago Christian woke up and had a tooth. We were shocked! There was no hint of it coming, and I was hoping that the subsequent pearly whites would make their entrance the same way...think again.
Since Friday Christian has been a little more clingy than normal, and ran a fever off and on. I could see a second tooth trying to break through, right next to the first, but it just was being stubborn. Yesterday, however, I saw that it is poking through. Hallelujah! It looks like he'll have at least two teeth to dig into his first birthday cake with! **July 28, 2008 - Happy Birthday Danny!** Today is Danny, Dee and their Dad's birthday. Danny and Dee are celebrating their "golden birthday"...turning 28 on the 28th. This past weekend was one of celebration. Friday night Matt, Jessica, Ethan and their doggie Cookie came over and we had dinner at our favorite Temecula Restaurant: The Vineyard Room at South Coast Winery. There was a wedding going on, and we sat outside (it was just BEAUTIFUL with grapevines filled with leaves and grapes). After we got home we put the babies down to bed and played a little Wii Fit. On Saturday we spent the majority of the day challenging each other on Wii Fit...as we all have a hint of a competitive side to us. We had a FANTASTIC time with the Hekmans...thanks guys for coming out!
On Sunday, after church and a ministry meeting that Danny had at our house, we headed over to his parents' house where we celebrated the birthdays. I made a cake with a yummy boiled frosting and we had BBQ'd deliciousness for lunch. It is always fun hanging out over there. Today Danny and Christian are going to stop by my office in Orange County on their way to Disneyland to meet up with Dee and her husband Russ, and Monica and her son (Danny's nephew) Mike. I can't wait to show off my boys! I heard that Christian is being good for his daddy so far today, so I am hoping he keeps it up. Celebrate good times, come on! **July 25, 2008 - Wii Gettin' Fit!**
Yesterday I was excited to see my birthday from my parents arrived...a Wii Fit. WOO HOO! As in my spare time I was busy doing laundry while balancing a 25+ pound child on one hip and cleaning the bathrooms with the other hand, and then taking an always fun and exciting outing to Costco, I just didn't get a chance to open it until around 9pm last night. Danny set it up for me and all I have to say is WOOOO HOOOOO! Yes, Danny used it first. But we did have a running race at one point, which he BARELY won. This contraption is really neat though...it takes down your information, and then will weigh you and calculate your BMI, then helps you make goals for weight loss. I was just glad that when we got to the BMI section I was not in the "obese" category. Now I have my goals to get good and healthy, and this wonderful tool is going to help in that! I got to play it around 10pm, since Danny was hogging it and I was finishing up cleaning. I did yoga....SO STINKING COOL! It is like having a personal trainer right in the house. This morning when Danny was supposed to be watching Christian while I vaccuumed Christian's room, I came out and found him playing on my Fit again. Hmm...was this a birthday gift for us both? I think so! THANKS MOM AND DAD for such a great gift!!!!! **July 21, 2008 - 3 Baths and 3 Blisters** This weekend was one spent at home...which was so nice. Danny worked most of the weekend on the Great Wall of Flores, which I will post pictures of soon. He is cutting the blocks to the size of the lights, which has caused a headache or two (and a cut on his eyeball). I got to spend time with Christian, playing without interuption, and catching up on some reading. Yesterday (Sunday) after church Christian took a nap and I went out to help Danny on the wall. No, I didn't eat spinach and get Popeye muscles to move the 85 pound blocks...instead I picked up a shovel and did some backfilling...huffing, puffing, and blistering my softy hands. As the wall is getting rather high, this was no easy task, but I did get all 75 feet of backfill done eventually. When I came in from working, I had to shower as I was dirty from head to toe (a dust devil appeared in our backyard and sandblasted me at one point). The shower was practially muddy when I was done in there! That was my second shower of the day...my first occuring before church while Christian protested from his crib. And then came Christian's bathtime.... Christian has gone through phases with bathtime. At the beginning he HATED baths, but then grew to love them...then dislike them, then love them, and then hate them again. He had been on the hating side of things since he had his first fever. He tries to climb out and escape every chance he gets (and he is getting STRONG). Last night, however, things were quite different. He slapped the top of the water and splashed his face, and my face. I screamed and he squealed and giggled. And so, he did it again. Again I screamed, again he laughed, and so forth and so on. He loved his bath last night, and I loved it too (after all, that was my third shower of the day after he was done with me!). It was such a gift to watch him experience cause and effect this way, and it delighted me to no end to have him soak me (and the towels, floor, walls, toilet, etc.). So after a very satisfying day of work in the yard (I can't wait to work more!), I had 3 blisters, and after Christian went to bed I was soaked from my third bath, standing in the hall and grinning ear to ear, glowing from in the inside out with joy. :-)
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