Homesick

I'm not sure if it is because I now have a daughter or if it is just that enough time has passed to make me homesick, but man... I just want to go home. I want Liara to experience all that the US has to offer. I want her to be close to family on holidays so we can all get together and celebrate as a huge family. I want it to be easier for me to go back to work, simply because I can find something there that I can do with her (it's really difficult to take care of other children here... there's a lot of hoops you have to jump through). I want to have the convenience of the US back.

I've been irritated lately by all sorts of things here that wouldn't happen at home. For example- we moved into another house in February and filled up the kerosene tank (for heating the radiators since the houses here don't have central heating). Since the middle of February, we've now gone through 1,000 liters of fuel. 1,000 liters. Now, our house is little. This shouldn't be happening. The last time we filled up, it only lasted 37 days (so it's using a liter and a half of fuel PER HOUR, as we only kept it on 8 hours a day and put in 500 liters). This is absurd, especially considering the cost of kerosene lately (this fill up of 500 liters cost us 250 pounds!). Yes, I know that air conditioning/heating is high in Houston too... but even in the dead of summer we never spent 250 a month and our house was about 3 times the size of this one. Ugh.

I also want Liara to be able to be around the family... my sister and Nic's sister (and their families) have yet to meet our little girl and it's killing me. While the parents have all made it over now, our siblings still don't know how absolutely wonderful she is. Well, they hear me talk about her all the time, but it's not the same. I miss our friends in the US too... it sucks that we never get to see them.

I think the trip home in August (WE GET TO GO HOME!!!) has me even more homesick, simply because it isn't time yet. We're going to get to spend like 6 days in Houston and 7 days in Olympia. I can't wait! I've been dreaming and planning for like the last 2 months for this trip. I'm ready for it to be August already. I'm not looking forward to the trip home though, I'm sure that'll be loads of fun with Li (she'll be 6 1/2 months and I doubt she'll want to sit in my lap for 14 hours).

Anyway... enough of me moping about. We'll move back eventually, just not soon enough.

I'm off to do the dishes, put the laundry away and then hit the sack. Liara went to bed early tonight so she'll probably wake up a little early too. Just a guess ;) G'night!

Story Time

Okay, one more video for today... here's Liara telling a little story :) She was 11 weeks in these videos.

The Lovely Li Li

So I thought I'd share a little video of the little girl that lights up our lives. Enjoy!

I was going to actually sit down to do a proper blog entry since it's been ages, but Little Miss decided to wake up from her nap early and since she's not a huge fan of Mommy being on the computer instead of dancing/singing/reading/playing with her... it looks like that is a no go, so you'll just have to deal with the video. We had to crop it quite a bit so we could actually load it on here. Even then, we don't have the internet speed we used to since we now live out in the country so it is taking like half an hour to load it anyway.

I will take a second to say that Motherhood is by far the absolute best thing in the world and it is a trillion times better than I had expected (and I had high hopes!). It's seriously hard to contain all the love that I feel for my daughter, and sometimes I really worry about myself because I just want to squeeze her! (I don't... I just squeal, wiggle my arms and perhaps hug one of her teddy bears... they're well loved!).

She's getting so big so fast. She's already rolled over from her tummy to her back and is working really hard on crawling... lol. She scoots around at the moment by pulling her legs up under her chest basically and then pushing herself forward. She hasn't quite figured out that she needs to use her arms too. Sometimes she'll pull on the blanket under her but she hasn't fully put her weight on them.

Liara loves music of any kind... even my horrible singing. She also loves her little backpack (it's actually on the front of you though, not your back) and if you put her in it she's a happy camper.

Ok... she's ready for me to stop so that's all you get!

Introducing Liara Nicole :)

We are the proud new parents of a beautiful little girl! Liara Nicole Alvarado was born on January 23rd, 2010 at 1:23 am. She weighed 6 pounds and 8 ounces and was 18.5 inches long. She is the perfect little baby with the best little personality! She hardly ever cries and is so calm! She likes to be in the middle of everyone and sleeps through all the noise that you can make... we definitely aren't quiet for her when she's sleeping (we've even had company over for dinner and she slept next to the table with everyone laughing/telling stories etc) and she sleeps through it all. She's done great at getting onto a good schedule for sleeping already. Last night, she only woke up twice (once at 1:30, then again at 4:30) and I had her back to bed by 5:30. She then didn't wake up until 10:15 and only took one 15 minute nap during the day. We had her to sleep at 7:30 pm and she hasn't woke up since then (it's nearly 12:30!). She eats like she's an 18 year old boy or something and has put on some weight since she's been home. Her cheeks are now chunkier and she's got a little belly on her now, which I love. I love everything about her (we all do!). She's everything we've ever wanted plus some! I absolutely love being her mother, and I can't help but stare at her for hours at a time. My heart feels like it's overflowing all the time, between her and Nicolas being so sweet with her it's amazing it doesn't burst. Nic loves her so much too, and is good with her. He has really taken to parenting (except when she has a poopy pants... in which case he's quick to hand her off. He hasn't quite mastered that yet). I can't tell you how much more I love him now than I did before, just because he helped me to have her and that he loves her so much too.

I couldn't be happier than I am right now, I'm on cloud nine. She's the most amazing little thing and I am so blessed to have her!

We also found a new place to move to, it's only 4 miles away which is wonderful! We're getting ready to move in on the 13th of February, which will be great since Mom is here to help us and we'll have settled in way before she has to go back home. I am so glad she got to be here, she's been such a massive help and to be honest, I just love having my Momma around. I'm dreading the day she leaves already and we've got over a month still. Nic's parents left on Saturday, it was nice that they got to be here for her birth and so that she could get to know them a little bit before they had to go back home. It was quite busy around the house and it's strange to have it quiet again (although with all the packing that is about to happen, I'm sure it'll liven back up again!).

Nic was supposed to have a week off for paternity leave, but had to go back into work for a couple of the days because he had so much to get done. I guess that could be a good thing because now he gets to take those days later and that will come in handy with the move. We miss having him home during the day though.

Let's see... Oh, Liara has been holding her head up like a champ since we got home (day two!). I'm not just talking about her picking her head up every now and then, I mean holding her head up, looking around and having perfect control of her neck. It's amazing. She's trying to be such a big girl already, it almost makes me sad! I want her to stay little like this for as long as possible, I am enjoying it too much for it to go by so quickly! I can't believe she's 9 days old already!

I'll post the birth story next time, I think I'm going to head off to bed while she's still sleeping so that I'll be ready when she wakes up. I just wanted to put a quick post up to fill you in on why I'm not blogging as much! We've got a lot of new stuff happening, and I'll try to be better about updating... I need to get some new pictures and then I'll put them up too. She's adorable and getting more and more beautiful every day! I'm so in love!!!

Waiting on Baby Bug...

We're still waiting on the baby to decide that it's a good day to be born. Our due date was on Sunday (yesterday) but we still don't have a baby yet. We have a midwife appointment tomorrow morning and we'll see what she says about it I guess. I really don't want to be induced, I want the baby to come on its own terms and I don't want to force it to come if it isn't ready. Oh, how it pains me to write that! I'm so excited and knowing that we are past the "any day now" point and that labor is creeping up on us (though slowly creeping...) is making me anxious. I am so looking forward to meeting our baby and seeing who it is I've been cooking for the past 9 months (10 really...). I can't wait to see if the baby is a boy or a girl and see what name Nic picks out (we've got two names if it is a girl that he's going to chose between, and one for a boy... so I know that one!). I can't wait to see who he/she looks like and give it loads of hugs and kisses. I can't wait to have five little fingers wrapped around one of mine and look into the eyes of my own child. While I am so super excited and am having one hell of a time being patient about it, I don't want to rush anything.

I have been taking long walks with Mom once a day to help my body progress some and prepare for labor. Yesterday, we walked around the fields behind my house all the way to the standing stone, then around the farm and through the quarry. Today, we crossed the road and walked around the abandoned farmhouse and around the small field and then the large one, then back through the farmhouses and back. The baby has been pretty mellow today, I'm hoping that it is resting up for the main event. The baby is sweet enough to move when I get worried about it to let me know that everything is fine in there, and the poor thing has had the hiccups 3 times today (it normally gets them at least twice, but the day isn't done yet and it is ahead of schedule).

I'm going to look online again today for other houses, I haven't looked yet today which is odd, since normally I'm checking twice a day or so. I haven't been on the computer as much as I normally am lately, we've been doing puzzles, and just chatting. It's been nice visiting and just relaxing while waiting for the baby. I washed my sheets today and I'm really looking forward to going to bed tonight. There's something so wonderful about clean sheets that just make everything feel right. Knowing my luck, now that the sheets are clean and on the bed my water will break or something and mess them up. Lol.. I'd take that! It's only been like 2 weeks since I washed them last (if that), but still... I'm looking forward to sleeping in a clean, yummy smelling bed.

Ok... I'm going to get going on looking for another house so I can go enjoy my bed soon! Hopefully my next post will be announcing our little one... wish us luck! :)

In Case You Didn't Think Having A Newborn Was Enough...

We're still waiting on the baby... I personally think that our little bug is waiting on the anniversary of my Dad's passing to join us, so we'd be happy on that day (the 20th) and help us remember how wonderful life is. I guess we'll see if I'm right in a couple of days. My due date is on Sunday (it's Friday night), it will be here before we know it. Nic's parents (Cris and Tony) get here tomorrow morning, we're looking forward to that. They're going to be staying with us for about two and a half weeks, so hopefully bug will decide to come sooner rather than later so that everyone gets to see the baby while they are here, instead of just me and my big ol' belly.

We've had a bit of news recently, as the owners of the house that we are living in have decided that they want to sell it in March, so we've got to move by then. We're trying to be positive about it, even though we really aren't looking forward to welcoming our first child and then immediately trying to pack/get settled in a new home right afterward. It isn't exactly what we had planned, but I guess that's what we get for planning! We've been looking online and driving by some homes already, but every time we find one we are interested in and call to make an appointment it's already been rented to someone else (and I mean the same day!!!) or someone else is interested in it and they are no longer showing it until the other couple decides whether or not they are going to rent it. Hopefully we'll find something soon and be able to get moved in without too much trouble. I sure am glad my mom is here! She's a pro at moving (and I mean PRO!) and always is a HUGE help. We're hoping to stay in the same area this time (Bridge of Don) but know that our options are pretty limited here so we've been looking in the surrounding areas as well. The positive side of it all is that maybe we'll be able to find something cheaper and save some money... it seems like there's always something else popping up that needs to be paid for and we haven't been able to save like we used to. With the baby around I'm sure we could use some extra cash.

It's been so nice having my mom here! She's a really great helper and my house is clean! Even Nic's table is cleared off and his stuff is stored away! We've had some good food, great company and have really enjoyed just seeing her face every day :) Today she made us this really great German soup (with sausage, sauerkraut, potatoes, bell peppers etc). Man, it was yummy.

Nic's been doing great at work, he got his simulator in right around Christmas time and has been working like crazy getting it to where he wants it to be. He's got a ton still to do until he's 100% happy with it, but it's getting there. He's grown a beard in the last couple weeks and looks totally different, but adorable none the less.

I've got to say, I just love my husband. He's so sweet to me and my Momma... I love that he loves her too. We had a little teary eyed moment today and I just keep thinking about how amazing of a man he is. I know that I love him now but I can tell that when this baby comes I'm going to love him even more, just for being our child's father. Watching him support my family and care about them because he wants to, not just because I do, means the world to me... and I know that I'll have many more teary moments watching him with our baby.

Ok, I'm going to go before I get all weepy... Apparently when you're due to have a baby any day now you get emotional really easy. Who'd a thunk it?

Woo, I'm Excited

My Momma leaves today to come see us!!!

She should just be waking up right about now to get ready to go to the airport. She'll fly from Amarillo to Dallas, then from Dallas to Houston. There, one of Nic's best friends (and mine too... he's great) Viktor will pick her up and drive her from Houston Hobby to Houston Intercontinental (across town). She'll then fly from Houston to Amsterdam, and then FINALLY from Amsterdam to Aberdeen!!! I'm so excited. While I feel bad for her for having to do all that plane hopping... I am so thankful that we were able to get the tickets for her to be here! It's such a wonderful Christmas gift to go get your Mom at the airport!!! We'll pick her up on Christmas day at around 3:45 if all goes to plan and the snow doesn't delay the planes any (fingers crossed!)... so I have roughly 28 1/2 hours to wait. I don't know how I'm going to contain my excitement for that long, and I really do pity poor Nicolas when he has to drive me to the airport tomorrow to pick her up... lol. That should be an interesting car ride. Who knew I could be so bouncy at 9 months pregnant!?

I'm off to make lunch for Nic... hopefully that'll distract me until she calls to say she's at the airport getting ready to board her first flight!!! Hooray!

Almost There...

I think my body may be tired of me being so stinking excited all the time. There have been so many things that I've been looking forward to for so long (like the Santa Cruise, which I will tell you all about in a little bit, my Mom coming, the BABY of course, and Christmas). Now that they are all here (or about to be), I'm exhausted!

The Santa Cruise was wonderful, as usual. Nic and I got up and ready and then headed out to go to our friend Ari's work (where we store the presents until it's time to give them out). We stopped by the Shell station to fill up on our way, and ran into Simmie, another of our friends who was participating in the Cruise. :) We decided we were hungry and stopped by a burger van (I didn't get anything... everything they had was beefy. Boo), but Nic and Simmie had these massive breakfast rolls filled with sausage and bacon and eggs. Then we headed to Ari's where the re-packing of the toys and games was underway. Once we were all loaded up again, we headed over to Duthie Park, where we all meet up and decorate our cars for the actual Cruise. It's always fun, as everyone helps each other out and visits a bit before we go.

After the cars were decorated and ready to roll, we all headed off on our way to the hospital. Normally, this is one of the fun parts, as it's awesome to see a convoy of 20+ decorated Subaru's lining the street, but this year our fun was spoiled a little by a cop who was SERIOUSLY lacking in Christmas spirit. He pulled over Duncan and Donald (who by the way was dressed as Santa), tore the tinsel off of Donald's car, and kept Dunc for half an hour (giving him a fine and making up 3 violations to ticket him for... all of which he didn't do!). His poor partner felt bad, and we could tell but there was nothing stopping this guy. We were not happy with Grampian's finest that day! But, we tried to not let it spoil the purpose of the trip or dampen our spirits... we were doing a good thing for some really sick children, and there's nothing that can take that away.

Anyway, we got to the hospital and had a little photo op for the newspaper (I'll post pictures/scan the article when it comes out) and got to visit with some of the kids. There was one little boy (I think his name was Nathan) who was so excited and was picking out what he wanted to play with first the next day... it was too cute. Then there was another little boy who went out to look at the cars and was SO excited when Ari let him sit in and rev his car (although, I think the kid's dad was JUST as excited... he kept going on about all the "rally cars". Lol). This is what it is all about. All of our hard work throughout the year paid off and we were able to give those kids that had to stay in the hospital a brighter Christmastime and cheer them up a bit.

We also were able to present Clic Sargent (http://www.clicsargent.org.uk/Home) a check for 750 pounds, which was awesome. I'm hoping that next year we'll be able to raise a little more and donate it, as it's such a good cause. They really do take care of kids and families that are affected by Cancer and that really touches me. Having both of my parents go through Cancer was tough, but I can't imagine having my child go through it... and our baby isn't even born yet. The volunteers and workers there really are amazing people and I'm so thankful that we were able to help them to help others this year.

After the presentation of gifts/check at the hospital, we made our way over to the Mill of Mundurno to grab some food, and it was really nice to enjoy a meal with all of our Scoobie friends who mean so much to us. They really are a fun and caring bunch of people and we are so glad we've gotten to know them over the last two years!

I was quick to head home after lunch to nap... and ended up sleeping until 5! Whoops. I needed it though, I was so tired! So, now I'm preparing for Mom to come in 2 days!!! WOO HOO!!! I can't wait! I've given up on my cleaning list for the most part. I've been doing the laundry and dishes but that's about it. I have no energy for the other stuff and she's just going to have to see me for the slob I am! Lol... I'm sure she won't mind too much. I can't wait for Christmas to get here, it's my favorite holiday because everyone is so happy and cheerful around this time of year. PLUS it's been snowing like crazy here! We've easily got 6 inches of snow outside which has made it so beautiful and serene. I really hope it doesn't delay my Mom getting here, but it looks like it's done and the sun is out, so hopefully it won't affect anything. I hope some of it is still here when she gets here so she can see it though, it is so pretty.

Oh, I had a midwife appointment on Tuesday (yesterday) and everything is still looking good. I'm no longer measuring ahead (I was a week ahead for a long time), now I'm right at the size I should be. That's all fine and dandy, I guess maybe we won't be having the baby early. The baby has moved down quite a bit and its head is WAY down, which has been so fun for me and my hips. I'm glad the baby is in the right position though, and am thankful that I'm in the final stages. I can't wait to meet the baby and am excited to see who it is we are having! I'm really glad that it looks like I'll hold out until at least my Mom gets here, that makes me happy. PLUS, I'm considered full term on Sunday, so that is a big worry off my shoulders. I really didn't want the baby to come prematurely, so I'm glad it's sticking in there!

I was going to post pictures, but Nic took the camera to work yesterday morning, and has yet to bring it back home. When he does get home, I'll try to pop back on here and post some of the cruise, the baby belly, and the snow. :)

If I don't though, Merry Christmas! I hope everyone has a fabulous day celebrating Jesus' Birthday!

Early Morning Craziness...

So I couldn't sleep last night for some reason. I don't know if it was because the room was too warm (we have left the heater on ALL day since it is snowing and if we turn it off it instantly freezes everything in the house...) or if it was my unsatisfied craving for something chocolate or what... but I couldn't sleep. So what did I decide to do at 1:30 in the morning? Finish cleaning the bathroom. Lol. I had to laugh at myself as I sat there with my little broom and antibacterial cleaning agents sweeping and then scrubbing down the floor so late at night... while the whole time I can hear my husband snoring away in the bedroom. It's not that I didn't WANT to go to sleep, I just couldn't force myself to do it. Ah well, at least we have two clean bathrooms now and I can fully check that off my list. Now I'm almost back on target as my list is concerned but I've decided some changes were in order (of course). I decided that I don't need to be cleaning out the fireplace, that's a good job for Nic or someone else to do. I haven't done any of the floors yet (except the bathrooms) but I have a reason for that (or excuse... whatever you want to call it). The living room floor has been put on hold since I want to get underneath the furniture (a LOT of lint gets stuck under there) and since I can't do that by myself, I'm waiting on Nic to help. Since he's been busy at work (read: REALLY BUSY since his new simulator just came in) he hasn't been home really to do that and when he does get home he's exhausted and I haven't had the heart to ask him to do anything else. Anyway, I don't really have an excuse for the kitchen floor... I'm sure I could come up with something if I really wanted to. As for vacuuming... I have NO idea where my vacuum went off to! It might have mysteriously ended up in the garage, that'd be my best guess, but it's not in the house and it's been snowing here so I haven't marched my happy butt out there to look for it. Meh. Everything else on the list up until today's activities are done though :) Score.

On a side note... has anyone else noticed that there are only 29 days left until our baby is due!? WOO HOO!! I cannot wait! Well... I can wait another week or so, I'm ok with that. Then my Mom will be here (she gets here in 6 days!!!!) and the baby will be full term. So, one more week kiddo, then you can feel free to come at any time! I got excited yesterday and went and bought two little coming home outfits for the baby (one a cute little dress and one a little blue jumpsuit) to come home from the midwife center in :) I've pulled them out like a dozen times to look at them again, they are so stinking cute (and little!). I can't wait to see which one we'll use! I've also written another letter to the baby for its baby book. I think it is really starting to get squished in my tummy, it keeps moving from the left side to the right side today, like it cant decide which side is more comfortable. Each time he/she does it, my organs get pushed around a little bit which isn't overly pleasant, but that's ok.

Anyway- I'm off to figure out what is for lunch... I'm STARVING today. I actually woke up at 7 (mind you... after going to bed at 3:45) because I HAD to have a bowl of cereal. My stomach has been growling again for like the last hour or so which actually woke up the baby once... so I guess I should eat again.

The Gene Pool

I've been trying to get motivated to finish my cleaning from yesterday (yeah I know... I'm already behind and haven't even had my list of instructions for more than 24 hours!) which led me to wonder about our baby.... which genes/traits it will inherit and which ones it will do without. See... my Mom and my sister both got the "clean gene" from my Grandmother. They keep their houses spotless (even Raime's house is always clean with three kids!) and actually enjoy cleaning. When Raime is stressed, she often pulls out the Kirby and goes to town, vacuuming her worries away. Mom has a habit of cleaning when she's stressed too... I guess it's a common thing. My Grandmother LOVES to clean. She's one of those women who will climb on a chair to clean the tops of the ceiling fans (or take it down completely to wash all the parts in warm water/cleaning solvent) on a weekly basis. She moves the furniture to vacuum underneath it. She's such a neat freak (in a good way) that when she had her carpet replaced recently, after having it for 35 years, the carpet guy actually said that was the first house he'd ever replaced the carpet for that the mat underneath was still clean. The only reason it needed replacing was to update the house... not because it was worn out or stained.

Anyway- I apparently have missed out on this "clean gene", unfortunately. I have also missed out on the green thumb (which again... my mom and sister both have). I did pick up my Mom's organizational skills, and list making abilities. I also am obsessed with balancing my checkbook (or at least looking at my online banking for all of our accounts) and when I am stressed I tend to make lists of where our money will be going for the next 6 months to a year (there's something about knowing how you are going to have to move money around to pay bills that makes me feel better... even when it's a challenge and you don't know exactly how you are going to pay for something, figuring out how much you are going to have to come up with and being prepared for it helps me de-stress). I got my love of media (movies/tv/video games) from my Dad. I also got his talkativeness and genuine interest in other people's lives/stories. I am also a bit of a packrat, I owe that one to dear old Dad too... It's easy to see that Nic got his ingenuity and knack for Engineering from his Dad and maternal Grandfather. I think he picked up his love of cars from his Uncle Paul, and his packrat side comes from his father too.

I'm really interested to see what traits our little bug will have. I wonder if he/she will stand with their hands on their hips a lot like I do (and my Dad did), or whether they'll unconsciously lick their lips when they are thinking really hard like Nic does. I wonder if they'll be a daredevil like their Dad or whether they'll have to think everything through like I do. I wonder if they'll be talkative or quiet (I'm kind of hoping for a mix there). I wonder if they'll be right or left brain dominant. I wonder if they'll be super smart and have the mind of an Engineer like Nic or whether they'll be more creative/emotional like me.

On top of all that... I wonder what baby bug is going to look like! Will he/she have Nic's pretty olive skin, or my pale complexion? Will they have hair when they are born- and if they do will it be really blonde like mine was or black like Nic's? Will they have his eye shape or mine? Will it be tall or inherit my short genes? Will it be a rolly polly baby like I was and have chubby cheeks or will it be thin like Nic was?

There are so many unknowns and the closer it gets to being time for us to meet our little one, the more excited/anxious I get! Today is the 17th of December and my due date is the 17th of January... only one more calendar month to go! Then the waiting will be over and we'll be able to meet our new family member that I love so much already!

Nic and I are so excited about it (as is most of our family...) and have conversations about it every day. It's pretty cute, whenever the baby REALLY moves around in there, Nic says that Bug is "trying to find a way out". Lol. Sometimes I think he's right, but I sure hope the baby figures out that it is not coming out through my ribcage or my bladder... that'd be nice.

I think the question about genes really boils down to one big one for us... Will it have the XX or XY gene?! I asked Nic if he still is glad that we didn't find out and I got a resounding NO! Lol. I still am enjoying the suspense and am looking forward to the moment Nic gets to tell me what our baby's sex is, but I think Nic is just tired of waiting. Ah well... we'll find out soon enough!

I really need to clean. The living room is ALMOST done, all I need to do is dust (I hate dusting) and pick up a few things that were brought back out last night. I'm crossing off cleaning out the fireplace though, I've decided that I don't need to do that and that it can wait for Mom. Lol. Then I need to start on the kitchen, although to be fair, I started on that a little yesterday (instead of dusting... I'm bad). Wish me luck... I sure hope the baby has some cleaning genes, we could use them in this house!