Low Key Weekend

Seriously the laziest, most low key weekend ever. Part of it was still feeling lethargic from stomach flu (felt bad all day Saturday), part I'm 9 months pregnant and life is about to get really hectic (enjoy it while I can) and part, I just don't feel like doing much. I've got my next Dr's appt on Tuesday, so anxious to see what the news is on my progress. Kyle was a pretty good boy this weekend, and I've tried implementing some new disciplinary methods and less "emotionally charged" when he acts up - so hopefully we're on a better track.
Also, after a few times of putting him on the potty, he actually did go potty. He loved it when Chad and I made a big deal of it - we're hoping it happens more often.
Tonight it's raining and it smells so great. Football has been on all weekend (shocker), so I can tell it's starting to feel like Fall.
Weird pregnancy symptom tonight - my belly button (now a complete "outty") is hurting/sensitive to the touch...very strange. You can tell I had a slow weekend if I'm "reporting" on my belly button. I did have a great and very social Friday (I might add) - 3 hrs at Oakmeadow with Annie & Luke (playdate) - so fun! and then a nice visit from my friend Galina and then spent the evening over at Shawna's house (with a glass of wine I might add). Nice kickoff to the weekend. Oh, also spent 3 hrs reading 3rd book in Twilight Series today - love that.
Enough from me, you are caught up. Talk to you soon.
Pics: I put Kyle to work cleaning his highchair; the cat made his way into Kyle's bed (they are best buds); "regressing" - Kyle tries out all the baby stuff; "on the big boy potty" - and my huge stomach.

Baby #2 Update

Had another Dr's apt today and I'm making progress. 2 cm dilated and fully effaced. Dr's said "I'll see you for an apt next week, but may be seeing you in the hospital before then." I guess we still have no idea when he'll arrive. By the way, you don't know the name yet because Chad swore me to secrecy...but you'll know soon. We'll get word out through our "network" once he decides to make his big debut. Talk to you soon!

Oregon & Maternity Leave

Once we left Tahoe we (my mom, mother-in-law, Kyle and I) headed to Scottsburg, Oregon for a week to visit my in-laws and "get away." We really enjoyed it - great for my mom, Kyle and I to get away, disconnect (literally) and relax. We really appreciate Ron & Lynn hosting us. Kyle had a blast riding on the jet ski, going up and down all the stairs (a million times), going down to the dock, riding the ATV (his absolute favorite), playing in the box truck, dump truck and crane and being with his grandparents. Kyle wore me out and had one melt down day but all in all - he returned home alive and well.
My mom stayed another week with me and then she returned to Nipomo (dog & cat in tow). She'll be back when the baby arrives. I'm adjusting to maternity leave, which is nice but also getting used to how active Kyle is - having a hard time keeping up with him (I'm now 37 - almost 38 weeks pregnant). He's also very verbal since I've been home with him - linking 3 words together now, repeating us and using words to ask for what he wants. Unfortunately this also means sentences like "no, momma, go!" - when he's mad. He's figured out all the locks on the doors, unbuckles his car seat, and his talent for mechanics continues to develop (it's scary!). He still loves his big boy bed but did come visit us last night at 1AM - praying it's a "one off."
He is very intrigued by every baby he sees, and talks about the baby and baby stuff constantly. We are hoping his enthusiasm continues.
Pregnancy is going well but I'm running out of steam and very tired/uncomfortable. So curious as to when he'll arrive - early or on time but enjoying the time to get organized and mentally prepare for what many have described as "very difficult times." Signing off to go to bed - 10 PM on a holiday weekend night - oh how life has changed! The pictures are of my mom and I enjoying time on the dock; the ladies reading the "Twilight Series" - no TV in Oregon, we enjoyed reading & eating; Kyle and Chad on the ATV (early morning - Kyle still in PJ's); Kyle mowing the lawn with Grandma.

Michelle's Wedding

We're in Tahoe, arrived on Friday and leaving tomorrow. We married off Michelle (my best friend!) It was such a beautiful wedding and ceremony in Incline Village, Tahoe. Although practically 9 months pregnant (4 more weeks to go) I was able to squeeze into a bridesmaid dress and be there for Michelle. I also did a reading, and Chad & Kyle came and stood up by me at the front of the church while I went through my piece (was a great symbol of love/family/marriage). It was all so amazing, and Kyle was such a good boy. We are here with my brother, Shannon and baby Lily; my sister-n-law Jennifer, Brian and the girls, and the 2 moms (Lynn and Pat). Kyle has loved being with his cousins, and created a special bond with Baby Lilly this weekend - loves to kiss her. I'm hoping his fondness for babies continues, since he'll be getting his own for his birthday this year. Oh yeah, did I mention Kyle's birthday is 9/21 and baby is due 9/24 - we'll see how all that works out.
Tomorrow Grandma Lynn, Grandma Pat, myself and Kyle are off to Oregon for the week. Mostly to get away and relax, but will miss Chad - he's not going with us. I pray I don't go into labor early but they do have hospitals in Oregon - although 45 mins from the house.....
Attached are a few pics from the weekend. Oh - and I'm officially on maternity leave now, which feels so weird but hoping I'll ease into it. There are many aspects of work that I'll miss - definitely my fantastic team/friends. Gotta run, will write more later.
Congratulations Michelle - we love you! You had the most fantastic wedding ever........

Big Boy Bed

Big day for Kyle. In preparation for new baby ? (we'll have a name for him soon), we set up Kyle's new big boy bed. We had purchased a set of bunk beds, and Chad came up with the brilliant idea of only setting up the top bunk, so as to not build a jungle gym in Kyle's room that he'd inevitably damage himself on. Kyle was so cute watching Chad put it together, he was really patient and watched intently as he put all the screws in their place and pounded it together.
I ran out an bought some bedding for him, and so far he took a nap in it (first pic) and is now on his new sheets for bed time. We'll see how it goes, I expect an early morning visitor in our room now that he can get out of bed. I'm sure we're going to live to regret this, but it's fun - he's growing up so fast. He's a bit territorial though, when I lay on it he says "momma go" and when Chad lays on it, he taps him on his arm and says "no dadda!" We went to the drive in tonight to see "Funny People" - very cute, and since Kyle was asleep when we got home, we just put him in the bed. Keep your fingers crossed.

My Little Man

Kyle is my little man. He's growing up so fast and full of surprises each and every day. Lately I think about how special our time (right now) is together, knowing that a little brother will share the spotlight in 7 weeks. We've had a lot of fun together lately. You remember how great summer is when you share it with a child - long evenings, warm weather, lots of water activities...it brings you back. Oh, and ice cream (lots of it)!
I'm now down to 3 weeks of work until maternity leave. It's been a really busy few months and wrapping up work with mixed emotions, but excited to make the transition to full time motherhood for a few months. Little nervous to, no one hesitates to tell you how hard the transition from 1 to 2 children is, once they've lived through it. Life is about to change - again. I've posted misc pics from our fun 4th of July in Oregon, Gilroy Garden and just summer misc. Hope everyone is having a spectacular summer.

Obsessed with Cars - "Real Cars"

So Kyle has decided that he wants to spend every waking minute going out to our garage and playing in my car. He literally wakes up and runs out there - throws the car door open and slams it behind him. Pretends to put keys in the ignition and plays with the steering wheel and every button possible. I get in, and my seat is all the way back, stereo blasting and windshield wipers on. Not to mention my car clock is always off.
There was one evening that he ran into the house, and without hesitation grabbed my keys off the kitchen desk, and tried to put the car key in the ignition - that's when it gets a bit concerning. Other crazy thing is, now when we go on our evening walks, he tries to open the door to our neighbors parked cars along the street. It's truly an obsession. Here's a video to give the the gist.

Dinner Time!

Need a good laugh....check this out!

We're Back!

It's been a while. I hadn't intended to stop blogging, but life seemed to keep on happening and with less and less time in the day for the "extras." All I can say is, we're back and committed to keeping this up.
To catch you up, Kyle is now 21 months, baby boy ? is 27 weeks and life has been busy. We're enjoying summer and looking forward to the new arrival. My mom now has her house on the market and is looking forward to moving back into the Bay Area. We miss Dad, and think about him every day but know he's smiling down on us (with the proud dad smile he always wore). Work has been busy, but we're still finding time to have fun. Most recently we did a weekend trip to Yosemite, Big Sur Camping and some quickie day trips to the beach. We're looking forward to the 4th of July visiting Chad's parents in Oregon.
Kyle is picking up new words by the day. His new "regulars" are: Bob Bob (aka sponge bob), bapple (apple), awe du (I do), bubbles, ball, ....now that I think of it, he seems to be into B words. He's quite a character, and still coming home from daycare with "ouch reports" on a regular basis. No fear of anything and always getting hurt. He is very loving, and his new thing is to take a bath, get into his PJ's, brush his teeth and then settle into the couch with me (in the same spot every evening) with his blankie and some milk. He even was stroking my hair the other night, he's a momma's boy and I totally soak it up.
They say it's hard to put into words how much you love your kids, and it's so true. It's such a unique love, one that brings tears (that's the pregnancy hormones talking again). I am though, oozing with love for him and wondering at times, what life will be like with two - but I know Chad & I have enough love for as many Nelson kids that we end up being blessed with (if you ask Chad, that's 2, if you ask Traci, that's 3)....The Great Debate.
I'll write more later, just breaking you in! Enjoy the pics and funny video.

Saying Goodbye to Grandpa Howard

I've neglected to keep up the blog these past few weeks, and don't have the energy to provide too much, but do want to pay tribute to my wonderful "dad" Howard. Kyle knows him as Grandpa Howard. We love him so much and will miss him more than words can express. Kyle enjoyed climbing up into Grandpa's lap and loved walking around with his cane. My dad passed away peacefully in his sleep Monday morning 3/2/09 - which is how he would have wanted it for him, but also for us. I'll write more later (I promise) but want all of my faithful readers out there to know the sad news. We will celebrate his life on his birthday 5/3 and scatter his ashes over his favor central coast spot. He is such a good person and did so much for his friends and family - there is no doubt in my mind that he's got a special spot in Heaven. Luv Ya!

One final thought about Santa

It quickly became evident that Kyle wants nothing to do with Santa or any man or woman that resembles the white bearded character. We had 3 attempts during the holiday season to befriend the gentle giant, but no progress. As we leave the holidays, I thought I'd post at least one of these memorable photos. We'll try again next year.

Kyle Gets A Toothbrush

Holidays

Kyle really loved Christmas. Although oblivious to all that was really going on around him, Kyle seemed to get a lot of joy out of unwrapping gifts. Christmas morning he squealed as he tore open presents. What Kyle didn't enjoy was the 3 attempts for Christmas pictures with Santa during the 2 weeks prior (Kyle does not like scary bearded men dressed in red suits).

Christmas started with a trip down to Nipomo to see Grandma and Grandpa Rathbun, the weekend before. We enjoyed lots of food, cider, playing on the putting green and visiting with everyone. Christmas day was enjoyed back in San Jose with Grandma and Grandpa Nelson and the Chiala's. Kyle loves the Nelson 40 foot motor home out front, each morning he runs out the front door to the door of the RV so that his grandparents can let him in. It's been such a nice relaxing holiday - more eating, drinking and relaxing and more eating! I've been trying to get some extra workouts in too.

Kyle is really exerting his independence now. He is saying more words such as "NO", "Hi", "Bye", "EYE," "MAMA," "DADA," "Nye Nye" (night), "Ba Ba" (bottle), "ho ho ho" (practiced that for xmas).

Most challenging right now is getting Kyle to eat. He will not eat jarred baby food anymore and seems to only enjoy bean and cheese burritos ( of all things). He eats one a day right now. Other current favorites are tator tots, dried blueberries, grapes, cliff bars and anything sweet. He also does not want to eat confined to a highchair, but rather at his little table.

Kyle's Christmas gifts were a CD player (boom box) for his room because he loves dancing, a star wars light saver (I'm pretty sure his dad got that for him because his dad wanted it), new clothes, a play cell phone, a sock monkey, a basketball hoop for the bathtub and semi truck/tractor set (from Grandpa) and other misc.....so spoiled!

We're enjoying time off of work/daycare - so wonderful being home together. Happy Holidays to everyone - "Life is Good!"

So Much To Be Thankful For

Turkey day isn't complete without real live Turkeys. That's what I thought as I got out of the car at my sister Vicki's house and was greeted by 3 gobbling birds (see pics). We started off the week with a quick trip to Grandma and Grandpa Nelson's up in Oregon. We had so much fun relaxing, eating, riding the ATV, playing on the beach and driving up the Mt's to see the beautiful scenery around the Scottsburgh area.
We also got a visit from my family, including Grandpa and Grandma Rathbun. Vicki hosted Thanksgiving, and we all chipped in "potluck style." My contribution - "steam and mash potatoes" - I bought them and hit the button on the microwave ( still not a cook!). It was great. Kyle just loved all the animals, and was a big ham - lots of smiles, "bye byes", blowing kisses and his usual lovable self. He wasn't much into Turkey but seemed to like the stuffing, sweet potatoes and Pumpkin Pie. We are so Thankful to have time with both families.
Kyle is really full of personality now, and seems to understand so much. His latest achievements include - sweeping the back patio (he tries), he knows what it means when I say "bath time" and "read books?." He understands what it means to get ready and go "bye bye's" - he runs to the back door, into the garage and pounds on the car door to go on his adventures. So much fun!

Kyle's 2nd Halloween - We Went Big

Well, it was a memorable Halloween '08. As some of you may recall, Chad got a big kick last year out of wearing his 5 dollar "tattoo sleeves" and biker gear. He decided this year the entire family needed to go that route. You'll get the idea once you see the pictures posted to the blog (more pictures posted via the link - to the right).
During Halloween day, Kyle wore his skeleton outfit to school which was perfect (thanks to my parents for that). He had a fun Halloween parade and party.
Last night, we all put on our biker gear, made Chili, handed out candy (with the Fales Family) and then headed to Johnson St in Los Gatos to hang out with the Burg's and friends. We got a lot of looks in our outfits. We had given Kyle and empty beer can to hold as a prop for a few photos, but it ended up he wouldn't let it go and cried if we tried to peel it from his hands - so I had to look like a horrible mother and let him hold it all night.
It was so fun - Witches Brew and all. We even got to catch up with the Chiala gang later that night and celebrate Sara's birthday. Another fun and memorable holiday gone by. Kyle really seemed to enjoy himself and will be ready to roll next year.