Pregnant with Pea...

Now that Mama’s pregnant again, it brings me back a lot of memories of when I was pregnant with both my little boys.  Here’s a little tid-bit of what it was like being pregnant with my Paul Evan…

Month We Found Out:

January 7^th…It was Dada’s first day as a Pricing Analyst. Mama was in school full time.

Common Symptoms:

Morning sickness – from 6 weeks through the WHOLE PREGNANCY!

Heartburn – even with just a drink of water

Pure Joy – I was the happiest when pregnant with my baby.  I was nice and not once had a mood-swing.

Appetite – non-existent…I could only eat cold folds and desserts.  I had tons of cereal and salads.  Guess what baby boy loves to eat now…YEP! Salads and cereal and plenty of desserts!

Unfortunately, because I was scared of not getting enough nutrients with my diet of cereal and salads, I would eat tons of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  Before I was pregnant with baby, I took a nutrition class in college that said peanut butter was a substitute for meat so I took that information and ran with it!  Well…little did we know our baby boy was going to be sooooo sick of peanut butter, literally.  Paul Evan is so allergic to peanut butter even a brush on the cheek will inflame the area.

I remember Dada would have to get sooo mad at me for me to eat.  He would monitor the bank account to make sure I bought food before going to school.  I remember I would buy it, and then hand it out to someone at school.  The smell of food was enough for me.

Movement: 

I carried my Paul Evan for 42 weeks!  I knew when he was falling asleep because his leg would twitch twice right when he dozed off…just like Dada!  I also know he likes his space!  When I would lean in – like if I was eating – he would go bonkers!  He didn’t like Mama crushing his little space.  Paul Evan would also rock my whole body with as much as he moved.  I remember staring at my belly and my manager (who sat across the room from me) even noticed him having a tantrum in my belly!  But…he was cozy in there.  We had to go in there and get him out!

Special Characteristics of Baby: 

I remember wishing you were a boy.  I wanted a boy soooo bad that I remember praying for a boy.  I wasn’t really much of a prayer type person but I remember sitting in my car after a doctor appointment.  As I was walking back to our apartment, I saw a cardinal.  And ever since then, I spot them whenever I’m praying outside.  God’s definitely with us my baby boy!

Picking out your name was the easiest/hardest decision we had to make.  I know I did not want a Paul junior but yet I wanted Dada to feel like you and him had a special bond.  So after Dada’s “No”s to Giani, Sebastian, Paolo and so on and so on, I wanted Paul.  But not just Paul.  I wanted you to have a unique name like me.  So when Dada and I were going to sleep we were brainstorming what names would go good with Paul.  So we started with the letter A – Paul Aaron?  No.  Move on to B – Paul Brian?  No.  Moved on to C, then D and finally E…Paul Evan!  Yes!  It was official.

We watched you grow!  We took weekly pictures of Mama’s growing belly.  We also had a baby shower and pregnancy portraits taken. 

Events During Pregnancy:

Mama’s grandma passed away 5 days before you were born.  We went to go visit grandma on labor day (September 1) and grandma was doing great!  I remember asking her if she’s ready for your arrival.  She nodded.  Well everyone else in the room knew grandma was very sick except for Mama.  I really thought she would meet you and I would be able to see that smile and look she gave every other grandchild. 

Mama/Dada were building/purchasing their first house!  AND you had everything to do with it!  I remember being in our apartment and thinking to myself, “I do not want to give our baby boy a bath in this bathtub.  We don’t even know what kinds of people have been in here and what kind of germs there are and even with a good scrub, I still wouldn’t feel like it’s clean!”  So house-shopping we went.  

Brace Yourself...

My Dearest Baby Boy,

Son, there comes a day in every boy's life that something that was once believed to be undoubtedly true....ends up being a BIG FAT lie.

Dada once believed the scar on Popo's chest was a battle wound. Someone made this BIG FAT lie that he was defending himself in combat and got stabbed by a knife on his chest. In war, no one fights with knives. Unless it was against an Indian tribe in the 1800s.

Dada was around 25 years old when he finally found out Popo had a mole removed which left a scar on his chest.

Well, baby...brace yourself.

Dada is not allergic to cats.

He said the BIG FAT lie just to prevent you from wanting a "pet cat". It worked. Instead you asked for a "pet fish". So we ended up getting you pet shrimp.

But the story of Mama and Dada fighting and killing all the dinosaurs and now they're extinct is still true.

Soccer Star

So it’s been a while…and Paul Evan has grown up a lot! Sometimes I just stare at him and try to find the baby-like qualities or mannerisms in him.  There are none.  And it’s even sad to say, we’re trying to stop most.  Here’s why:

Paul Evan joined soccer.  His first sport.  And it wasn’t easy.  The first day of practice, he tripped over the ball, cried and didn’t want to play anymore.  He kept crying, “Owie owie owie!” and complaining about his “boo-boo” hurting and him needing a band aid. 

The second day, even before soccer started, he was playing with the kids and got knocked down.  That was the end of that. 

The third practice (which was supposed to be his first game so Grandma Montez was there), he hurt himself again, cried, sat on bleachers refusing to go back out there.  Grandma Montez was telling him, “I’m going to leave.  I came here to see you play.”  So she “left”.  Now Pea is stomping on the ground and crying, “I want grandma!”  That was the end of that.  I got that on video.

Paul volunteered to coach his team so now, we’re both frustrated and questioning whether Paul should’ve volunteered to coach in the first place.  After each FAIL! practice, we kept telling him, “What happens when you fall down?? Shake it off!  What happens if you don’t get to the ball first?  Keep going!  It doesn’t matter if you make a goal, we just want to see you play and Mama and Dada will be proud of you anyway!”

So his first game rolls around and Paul Evan did WONDERFUL!  He fell, he got hurt, he got up and kept playing!  I was super excited to see my boy out there!  I could hardly keep quiet.  Got that on video, too.  It was definitely a Proud Mama Moment.  Second, third, fourth game….he was getting better and better and better!  He was making us laugh and when he wasn’t doing that he was out there - right by the ball!

In these pictures...yes you see baby brother!  He was given the opportunity to play right by big brother too!  It was a GREAT saturday game!  Although his team didn't win...PAUL EVAN SCORED THE ONLY GOAL!!!!  That's my boy!  Soccer stars!

When I Grow Up

"When I grow up...after I'm a policeman, I'm gonna be an ice cream man."

2013 Scare #1

So it was January 1, 2013…first day of the new year and Paul Evan gave us a scare.  Mama and Dada went out on a movie date with Tita Sarah and came home to a very puffy faced baby boy.  At first I didn’t see the swollen ness.  Grandma was rocking him and said he had been complaining of itchiness.  I immediately thought of his eczema.  But it was on his neck…hadn’t seen that one before.  Butthen as we put him towards the light, we noticed bumps.  Great…it’s hives.  Dada came to the rescue with some Allegra.  (yea…he’s fast!)  and then my baby boy starting talking to me about the itchiness and how Preston put a cracker to his lips.

One thing about my baby boys is that they looooove cheese crackers.  We’ve kinda made it a routine to always have a snack for them when we pick them up from daycare.  They have a snack at 3 and by the time we get them, they are thirsty and very hungry.  Sometimes when we forget to bring a snack, we have to stop at a gas station to pick up something.  Dada was the first to introduce them to cheese crackers.  Ever since, they look forward to Mama and Dada coming to pick them up from daycare.  I love that feeling.  Paul Evan is super excited to see us but more so because we have cheese crackers. 

So we bought a monster size box and left it in the pantry.  The box we bought is actually a combo of all types of crackers and cookies – lemon o’s, chocolate crème, cheese crackers…and…peanut butter.  Yup.  The cracker he was telling us Preston offered him (by putting it up to his lip) was a peanut butter cheese cracker.  My baby had a swollen face and hives and itchiness because of peanut butter cheese crackers.  It’s scary to think that just by contact- not necessary ingesting; the peanut butter affected him that badly. 

Paul later came to me with an opened package of peanut butter cheese crackers.  The package had the smallest hole on one end.  This is how I picture the scenario:

Preston goes into the pantry, grabs a package of whatever he could first grab his hands on.  Tries to bite open the package but couldn’t.  Then, goes to big brother and asks him to open it by poking him in his face.

I’m convinced.  There is no better explanation than that.

So in 2012 we had 1 allergy scare with eggs.  Paul Evan was helping Grandma make pancakes and it was not the "complete pancake mix".  Interestinly enough, Paul Evan did not even break the eggs...so it's still a mystery as to how he came into contact with a raw egg.

Paul Evan knows what he's allergic to and watches out for himself.  He knows eggs and peanut butter are no no's and even says, "I'm allergic to that.", or "I can't eat that right Mama?  It has egg."  Now that I think about it, earlier that day I offered him potato salad, which contains egg!  Bad Mama!  Paul Evan (smart boy) says, "That has egg.  I can't eat that."  Good one!  I said, "Whooops...I'm sorry baby" and went on to serving myself.

Mama and Dada just need to be more careful this year.  Hopefully this will be the one and only 2013 scare.

My Little Encourager

My baby boy is getting so much older.  Like I mentioned in the other blog, he has a mind of his own.  He says what he feels.  He understands emotions and can express how he’s feeling.  And of course a downside is he doesn’t know what isn’t nice to say so you really know when he is telling you the truth.

Some of the things he says I feel is a great reflection on how we’re raising him. 

I test him sometimes by throwing words out there no one really says just to see if he’s picking up on my character.  I’ve used Superb, Stupendous, Awesome, Fantastic…and so far…he’s picked up on two.  I think that’s pretty good.  That means I have been congratulating him on a job well done often.

Most of his comments are, “Good Job Mama!”  And that could be one of the best things to hear sometimes.  We try our best to do what’s best for him and getting a smile with a “Wow Mama/Dada” is so rewarding.

After reading a devotional about the decisions we make, I was reminded by the uplifting, encouraging comments Paul Evan makes.  When he was about 2 and a half, just about old enough to make sentences, every morning he would wake and say, “It’s purdy outside.  Mama, Dada, look!  It’s purdy outside!”  That was his wake up call.  Never do I remember a grumpy Paul Evan (when he woke up on his own of course).

Only if we all had his optimism.  It  reminds me of Jesus.  If I ever spent a day with Jesus, I would imagine words to be spoken like this in all situations.  Never angered, never frustrated, always patient.

Paul Evan is my little encourager.  Jesus’ character and love is shown right there in my son.  He is precious and something I want to always cherish.

Paul Evan-isms

Paul Evan is a mother’s dream.  He is very affectionate and helpful.  I remember when it was just the two of us at home and I would wash clothes and he would want to help me.  I would take the clothes out of the washer and put them on the dryer door and he would push them in.  He was about a year old then.  Now, he’s a big boy!  He left the pushing in the clothes to little brother and his job is to take out the lint catcher, clean it, then put it back in.  He gets mad at me when I forget to ask him to clean it out or when he sees me doing it myself.  He asks, “Mama, why didn’t you ask me to do it?”  He’s so good!

No one really told Pea girls like flowers.  And to be honest, I didn’t care for them until Paul Evan started picking every flower he sees and presenting them to me.  This past spring, we went to an outdoor mall with beautiful landscaping and by the end of the trip, I collected a bouquet full of beautiful flowers.  He was looking for them the whole time!  And even when Dada would say, “Let’s go Paul Evan” he would say, “No. I have to get a flower for Mama.”  So heartwarming!

I remember a time when Dada was away for dinner and I had to pick up the dinner chore.  I’m not good at and Paul Evan rarely eats, but this one day he ate and ate a lot!  He told me, “Mama you’re a good maker.”  Maker meaning cook.  He inspired me to do more cooking around the house just so I could hear him compliment my cooking.

Paul Evan has really grown up this past year.  It’s sometimes hard to believe he’s only 3.  He longer talks like a baby.  His sentences are no longer a repeat of what we say.  They are his own thoughts and his own curiosity.  We can’t say, “Paul Evan say this…” because he’ll respond, “Why do you want me to say that?”  Like, “Let’s think about this for a second…”  My little man.

One night Paul Evan asked for his “Gummies”.  Paul and I looked at each other soooo heartbroken.  For about a year and a half Paul Evan has been taking gummy vitamins at night.  He knows better than we do, so he reminds us.  But he would call them his “yummies”.  So when he said, “Gummies” for the first time, we made sure it was his last. I turned to him and said, “Noooo…baby.  Call them yummies.”  Obviously more for us than for his own good.

One phrase he’s repeating, which I have no clue where he got from is, “LECHE!”  Before then was “Zynga”.  I’ve asked him what they mean and he really doesn’t give me a direct answer.  Leche is more of a random outburst.  Zynga was used to describe something.  “That’s Zynga mama”, he would say.  What is even more special to me is his random, “I love you Mama”s.  He’s been really letting us know it lately.  I’m not questioning or stopping that!