This is that one blog post where Matt took the kids camping while Miles and I stayed home :) It was the Fathers/Sons campout for our ward and I guess you can say Reagan crashed it. Last year there was another girl her age that came, but since they moved it was just Reagan. She didn't seem to mind, in fact the pictures show she really seemed to like it, lol!
These little critters love to hang out on Mt. Diablo at the campgrounds. I remember them last summer. The raccoons pilfer through the trash cans before it is even dark!
Hanging out in the tent and playing on the nooks.
The next day, they went and climbed around Rock City. I kind of melted when I saw these photos, doesn't it look like Reagan and Nolan are bff's??? ;)
There is only one band in the entire world that I would leave my 2 week old at home to go listen to and it is Mumford & Sons. When Matt and I heard that they were coming to concert here, we vowed to go. We even tried to win tickets off the radio (not a joke). Then we heard the dates and pause....its 2 days after my due date. Kind of sucky timing, but hey I am still really excited to have this baby, lol! Tickets went on sale early April and the night before, we decided to just chance it and get tickets. Maybe I would be overdue and go pregnant!! Maybe he would come early and we could slip out with or without the baby (unlikely at the time).
So Matt logged onto get tickets and snap, those bad boys sold out in less than a minute. 3 nights, 3 shows and they sold out before he had a chance to even hit a single key! Oh well, all for the better, right? After all, we had a baby to welcome!!
A group of friends of mine had tickets and I told them that while I was insanely jealous, I was glad they were going and please give me a nice report afterwards :) A few days before the shows, my friend Rachel texted me that she and her husband couldn't go and would we like their tickets? UMMMM....YES!!! I thought I had died and gone to heaven right there.
I think this was supposed to work out for us. I know that sounds crazy, but everything fell into place. My friend sold us their tickets, my mom just happened to be in town to watch the kids and Miles, while only 2 weeks old, had taken a bottle already of pumped milk. And I had plenty of extra milk frozen. I have never pumped regularly with any my kids or really given them a bottle. But shortly after delivery, I had horrible bleeding and pain associated with nursing and I was forced to pump for 2 days and use a bottle. I thought it was the end of the world at the time, but it turned out to be a blessing. I would never have left Miles with anyone but my mom or Matt's mom and I would never have left him without knowing he would take a bottle. It was fate--we were meant to go!!
We took BART and the bus into Berkeley to the Greek Theater. We had lawn seats and if you have ever been to this venue, you already know that the lawn is very steep and you pretty much have to hold yourself from sliding down the hill the entire time. Not comfy, but hey I will take it!!
The band was amazing!! They put on an amazing live show and the energy was astounding. I wish that my mind was a video recorder and that I could rewatch it over and over, because I totally would. I have found tons of uploaded videos from the concert on youtube and I attached a couple below. The first is The Cave, which is the song that got me hooked on these guys in the first place. The next is Dust Bowl Dance, which was the best song of the night. They go crazy at the end!
If you haven't listened to their music, you are missing out friends!! And if you have the chance to see them live, DO IT!!!!
You know how when you have some sort of life change (new baby, moving, etc.) everyone on the planet asks you how you are doing? I am usually the type to say, "just fine" even when it may not be. I don't know, I guess I just assume most people don't want to hear my baggage or complaints. A few days ago, I started being honest. The truth? This is HARD!! I don't know if I forgot what it was like to raise a baby or being sleep deprived or if I am just getting older. Adding Reagan was pretty easy, Nolan was a bit tougher, but 3 kids has made me feel a bit like I am treading water. We are pretty tired. We have had SO MUCH help, from dozens of meals brought in, friends taking our kids out, my mom was here for 12 days, but I still am just shell-shocked. Many things are different this time around. I have a home to take care of, instead of my little teeny apartment and that is a huge change, folks! We have a schedule of school and swim. We eat more food, do more laundry and my kids have so many more needs!! Yikes!
But at the same time, I do feel this peace in my life because I know this doesn't last forever. I will eventually sleep more. I will catch up on cleaning and laundry (maybe...) and I am sure I will eventually exercise again. My little Miles will only be a baby so long and I won't be able to take this time back!! A year ago, I would have given just about anything to have a baby and here I am. I had one and by golly, I am gonna enjoy it, sleep deprivation and fat booty, too! Just like my dad is quick to remind me when I start complaining, "You asked for this! You wanted it!" Yes, sir I did :)
And since this is why you really check my blog (lol!), here are some pics of my brood, including sweet Miles. Enjoy!
We had a few fun events before Miles arrived. We hit up our favorite spot in Brentwood, Chans Fruit Stand, for some strawberry picking. We went home with 3 flats and made over a dozen containers of strawberry jam and a couple bags for freezing for smoothies. Delicious! The jam is so good that often the kids ask for a spoonful before bed. "Please, mom, can we have a spoon of strawberry jam before bed?" Yeah, you read that right!
The strawberry picking was done during a horrendous heat wave a week or two before the baby was born. I was a swollen balloon and sweating bullets. I am glad it didn't last too long.
Nolan bubs graduated from preschool! Just like his sister, he attended the Clayton Valley Charter High School Spring Preschool. His ceremony was held 5 days before Miles arrived and dad made a special trip out from work to also attend. He was so dang cute in his tablecloth gown and construction paper cap. To receive their diplomas, they got to take a trip down the slide!
Congrats Nolan!! We love you so much!
Reagan started swim back in April and gosh, this whole swimming thing deserves a blog post of its own, but I will give a short blurp. She is a newbie to swimming in general (learned to stay afloat at the end of last summer!) She joined the swim team this year swimming as a 6&Under age group. Her first practice left me doubting. She held onto the edge of the pool most of the time. But after a couple of weeks, with practice every single day, she was improving so much!! She is an amazing swimmer now and has swam in a few meets already, doing freestyle and backstroke. Her breaststroke is really coming along. She loves to swim and put her suit on first thing after school, even though we have almost 2 hours till practice.
Here she is, listening intently to her coach.
Nolan spends this time pretending he is spiderman or ninjago.
Also 5 days before Miles arrived, my wonderful friends threw me a "girls night out!" at The Cheesecake Factory in honor of the baby!! We celebrated my hugeness by stuffing our faces with delicious food and amazing cheesecake. It was such a fun, and very late, night and I was afraid the staff would have to roll me out at the end of the night. Thank you friends!
