the boys

This park is on the road in between paul's school and our house. So when we had been bringing him lunch and doing picnics, we tried this one out. The playground itself isn't very impressive. The structure was really tall and hard for our little guys to do. It was fun for 1 day, but I don't think we will be going back again.

Connected to the playground is a park with baseball diamonds, a football field and this HUGE statue of a football player.

After walking around it for a little bit, Matix pointed up and said, "poo poo!" Then of course Hawken said it too. They were both just giggly about saying the words poo poo over and over again. Lovely. :) Matix kept tapping on the statue's bum and laughing and laughing. They are already such BOYS!

new poll

Okay, there is a new poll up on the left side of the screen. Do you think this baby will be baby boy #3, or our first girl? So far, Matix and I think it's a girl. Hawken says it's a boy. And I think Paul wants a girl, but doesn't know what it will be. :) We shall see. I am more nauseous than I was with the boys, BUT the cyst is still bleeding and being reabsorbed, and that apparently makes people pretty nauseous by itself... So I don't really know what is causing my nausea. I think though, that this baby will be a girl... I was right so far with both the boys. Hmmmm....

Miami Zoo

There are a few playgroups here that we have gone with (not after the cyst thing, but before that). One day we went to the zoo. I am not a huge fan of big animals in small cages, or unfamiliar environments when compared to the natural habitat. Like the Racine Wisconsin zoo, where I grew up, seeing giraffes in the snow just isn't right. BUT, the boys have never been to a real zoo, and I wanted to check it out. Well, the Miami zoo is AMAZING. It is huge, and the weather here is nice for the animals. It meets my zoo standards, I guess. :)

We went with about 20 other moms and their kiddos. I wish I got a group shot. Plus, since so many of them had annual passes (with a free buddy pass), we all got in for free, BONUS! :) The boys had fun playing on all the playgrounds and fake animals.

They also have 4 splash pads there, which are open year round. Yay Miami weather! The boys got back to their Dominican roots, and played in their diapers. Since this picture was taken, Matix has been potty trained, so it looks silly to me seeing him in diapers again. Cute babies.

All was good until Hawken got sprayed in his face. He was startled and NOT excited about the water anymore. So we cuddled while Matix ran around like a mad man.

A few of the exhibits had glass in between the animals/fish and the viewers, so you could get right up close to the animals and watch what they were doing. It was very entertaining for the boys.

This little cuckoo bird was especially curious about Hawken and flew up to the ledge where he was watching. The bird watched Hawken as much as Hawken was watching the bird. Very funny in person.

Here is Matix being a bug. :) Of course he is. Whenever he says bug, it is followed with yuck. "bug, YUCK!" He always says it, although he will usually then proceed to pick it up, or play with it. Obviously my warning didn't really stick, even though the words did. :)

Before we left, we fed the giraffes. I have never done this before, and it was pretty cool. Hawken, was terrified and after getting one glimpse of those massive animals, he ran back down the ramp and waited with some friends. Matix ran right up to them, grabbed some lettuce and went to town. He is such an animal lover.

All in all, I give the zoo 5 stars. It was very fun, and we will certainly be going again.

Miami History Museum

Miami has TONS of free kid events and activities to do all year long. Since we have been here, we have tried out some of the free stuff. Every 2nd Saturday of the month the Miami history museum is open (and free) for family fun days. I was thinking a history museum might be too old for the boys to really enjoy, but it was free, so I thought there would be no harm in trying it out.

The museum had a cowboy, farmer, and agriculture theme. I thought it was so funny because that sort of represents all the boys' grandpas.

First we found the Audubon birds, which is what my dad named the land he is subdividing after. He is also an artist and admires the drawing of birds done in this specific collection. Matix was all for posing with the birds in the background. I love that he is at the age of posing when I ask him to, and sometimes even when I don't.

Next grandpa is Paul's dad, Lee. He loves cowboys and westerns and even wears cowboys boots. :) There were pictures of cowboys, and this cutout of one that Matix tried to pose like. Actually, he did this all by himself after thoroughly inspecting where the man's hands were. So funny. He walked over by the cutout, attempted to put his hands in his belt loops, and said, "picher me mommy! hands pants, cowboy matix!" Then later he made me do the same thing, but I am not sharing that lovely picture. :)

Then we got to the area that had farming things. My stepdad, Louie, is a farmer. He has tons of land, grows crops, raises some animals and chickens.

So you see, all the grandpas were accounted for. Funny huh. :)

The boys had fun exploring and trying everything out. It was very family and kid centered and they were allowed to do pretty much anything they wanted to do. There were coloring centers, puzzles, activities, dress-up... FUN!

The boys were very well behaved and had tons of fun. This was last month, and hopefully they can go again this Saturday with Stacy. I love for them to have fun days like this.

testimony

Today at my church was a day called "Fast and Testimony" meeting, rather than the regular sacrament meeting in which there are usually only 2 or 3 speakers. On fast and testimony days, anyone who wants to, can get up and talk, give their testimony, or relate a story to the congregation. I'm not a horrible public speaker, but I'm not very good at it either. I always just assume that the other people who do get up, must have something far better to say than I do anyway. Plus, I never really get a strong urge to go up there... Well, today, toward the end of the meeting, I did have an urge to go and say something, but I also felt like crap and didn't think I should walk all the way up there, just to puke and turn around. :) SO... This is what I felt like I should say:

As I sat in the pew with my husband on my right, my mother in law on my left, I watched my little boys snuggling and giggling to each other as they lay on the floor, trying hard not to fall asleep. I kept thinking about how grateful I am that I was given the chance to be a mom. To help raise such wonderful little people. To see them grow. To teach them. To learn from them. Families are so important, and I am happy to be a part of so many great ones. I learned lots of things growing up, about who I wanted to be, and who I didn't want to be, how I wanted to raise my kids and how I didn't want to raise them. Having the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life has been an amazing addition to my thoughts and feelings on raising children. Teaching them through my example, and by the example Jesus has set for us, is an integral part of our daily life. I am forever grateful to my parents for raising me to think for myself, to be open to new things, teachings, and ways of life. I am grateful to the LDS missionaries who taught me the gospel. I am grateful to my Heavenly Father for this life, trials and all. I know I will do whatever I can do to be the best parent I know how to be, and I hope that my kids will do the same. I know that teaching my children the gospel of Jesus Christ is one of the most important things I can do as a parent, because I know that the gospel is true.

That's it. :) Just felt like I should share.

Blue

The boys have a new friend here named Blue. He is huge puppy. He is younger than Hawken but bigger than him. :) The boys woke up one day to excited barks from outside their window. They both jumped up saying "dog dog!!" I put the suitcase up on the bed so they could climb up there and watch him jump and run do tricks. Later we went out to play catch with him. Matix LOVES Blue and says thank you for him in his nightly prayers. Hawken is okay with Blue. He prefers to watch him from the window, but is getting pretty comfortable with him in person too... which is great for Hawken considering he is still afraid of cats, birds and hamsters. :)

update

Past: A little over 2 weeks ago, I went to the Emergency Room after trying to stand up and I couldn't. I was hurled over in pain in my abdomen. It was so bad I couldn't even walk. It was the last day of my mom's visit here, so Paul called her to come over and watch the boys while Paul brought me to the ER. He had to carry me to the car and then into the hospital, it was so embarrassing. I hate not being in control of my body. After a few tests they told us we were pregnant. YAY! We got super excited, but then remembered where we were, and why we were there, and got scared. We had been trying for a baby with no luck for a little while, but then we didn't know what to think. After a few more very invasive tests, ultrasounds and lots of blood work, they told us that I had a large cyst on my left ovary that had burst. It was bleeding everywhere on my insides and that was what the pain was. The initial blood clot from the cyst was 9cm large. I stayed there at the hospital until the next day, when they released me because the blood was being reabsorbed by my body at a quick enough rate for them not to be too worried.

ER visit:

The good: We are pregnant!! The pregnancy saved the uterus from being filled with blood from the cyst and causing more problems like losing my uterus all together. My mom took off from work to extend her stay here in Miami for another week and a half to help with the boys.

The bad: I couldn't pick up the boys, or do much of anything. The pregnancy is still very early, and all the trauma from the cyst bursting and the extra blood could easily make me lose the pregnancy, and if that happens, I may also lose my uterus.

Present: I went to a follow-up appointment yesterday and again today. At these appointments they did many more ultrasounds and blood work too. The doctor checked on the baby and on the cyst. During the appointment today we listened to the baby's heartbeat. It was oh so good to hear.

Dr. appointment:

The good: The baby is strong, healthy, and growing at the rate it should be. We are 7 weeks along today. The cyst is beginning to resolve, and although it is still bleeding, my body is reabsorbing the blood at a quick rate. Paul's mom, Stacy, arrived here the day my mom had to leave to go back to work. She has been taking care of the boys, and us too.

The bad: From all the trauma of the cyst, there is some bleeding in the uterus from the baby detaching from the uterine wall. This means I now have a high risk pregnancy and I am on official bed rest until the bleeding stops.

Future: We are feeling hopeful, optimistic, and prayerful that everything will happen the way it is supposed too. Although we really want this pregnancy to progress and to be able to have another happy healthy baby, we will be okay if our Heavenly Father has other plans for us. The baby is due September 22. So please pray for him or her to hang in there, and grow and develop exactly how he or she is supposed to.

Thanks for all the prayers, the blessings, the Catholic mass dedicated to us, the Unitarian Universalist candles lit for us, all the flowers, emails, and calls from friends and family during this time. It is so much easier for us, because we have been shown so much love and support. We love you all.

for the birds

More chasing the birds, feeding the ducks, and picnic lunches with Paul. It's one of our favorites. :) Hooray for Miami and all the parks, really, I can't say it enough.

Fuchs Park

This is Fuchs park. We don't know how to pronounce it. We think it's like this: Few-cks. We played there one day with the boys' new friends Hudson and Cash. Hudson is the same age as Matix and Cash is 2 years older. They are good playmates for Matix and Hawken.

Fun with daddy, as always. :)

"Time to go Matix." "Noooooooooooo!"

Then before we left, I saw this lovely sign across the street.... Yikes! :) And did you notice the "sited" versus "sighted"? Silly.

playground #37

This is the playground that is really close to Paul's school. It was okay, but not our favorite. Matix can spot a playground from a single pole or the top of a slide peeking up over a fence. He is in love with playgrounds. Well, both boys are. I think it's so fun living in Florida and playing at playgrounds and parks in shorts in February.

picnics

Picnic lunches with Paul at the park near our house. I really am loving this new semester. The extra time we have with Paul is fabulous. We are so happy.

Matix is amazing

Matix. My 2 year, 4 month old, is amazing. He is completely potty trained now, and LOVING it. :) He is so proud of himself and gladly announces to strangers "I go pee pee!" He really could have been potty trained far before this point, but I was procrastinating. Honestly, I would have to run around the house chasing him in order to get him to wear a diaper back in Dominica, he wanted to ONLY wear his big boy underpants. I thought with the big move, the flights, the new house, and everything it would be best to wait until we were here in Miami. THEN, my excuse was the holidays. With family from both Paul's and my side, it would be easier to wait for them to be gone. THEN, I thought that I would have to wait to potty train him when I felt better and the doctor okayed me to do some lifting. It would be hard to lift Matix to the potty each time he needed to go... BUT then my mom stayed and did it for me. No more excuses, he was ready! Plus, Matix has this cool potty seat/step stool/little handle thing that he can use all by himself.

In other amazing Matix news: he can sing the ABC's (slurring l m n o p of course), count to 20, knows all his colors, and shapes... Pretty much anything I try to teach him, he learns within a day or so. He is so impressive. Physically, he can do lots too. Balance on his skateboard and do a manual without help, he can also push pretty well without falling. Running, jumping, dancing... He is a very active little guy.