Monday, April 30, 2012

Bye Bye Standard Process

We wave "bye bye" to everything now...strangers, friends, peepee and poopy down the toilet, toys at night before bed, dog poo we are leaving alone, big trucks, papa...and today, we wave "bye bye" officially to Standard Process.  At least for now... Today is the last day of my employment with Standard Process and it is definitely bittersweet. 

Bitter because I really will miss the wonderful people I got to know there and through my duties elsewhere.  Sweet because I will have time to focus completely on my family and prepare for #2. 

Bitter because we won't see Gramma Momma, Grampa Phil, and Taz as often as we got to before. Sweet because I won't miss those long plane rides with a busy toddler, the colds we dealt with on most trips, and saying good bye to home and Papa.  (Don't worry though!!! We'll still come as often as we can...Promise! and we'll have more time to play, swim, go to the zoo, see the horsies etc etc)


Especially sad for me is to say good bye to the angels at VitaKids who loved Xavi while I was across the street.  Armandina, Anna, Cherry, Jenny, and others will always have a special place in our memory.  Jack and Noah?  I think we will remember you both for a long time as well :)

Whatever will we do with our time together? 
Friday swim class (we are learning to go underwater with mom's help)
Play with diggers and trucks (preferably in bed where I can have all my favorite things and be naked)

Visit the (fat!) animals at the petting zoo

Spend time at the park and when we are lucky, score with a BIG truck to play with

Go for long walks on the beach and hunt for sea glass.
Bye Bye Standard Process...thanks for the memories and the wonderful five years. See you soon Gramma and Grampa! Happy 65th Poppa Phi!
Beautiful spring tulips at Gramma and Grampa's

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Who Loves you?

I made Xavi a digital scrapbook so that we can "see" our loved ones as often as we want to.  "Who Loves You?"  Mama, Papa, Grammas and Grampas, Aunts, Uncles, cousins, even dogs, and special friends...it turned out perfect.  I love it and so does Xavi.  Most days he wants to see "papa" but he can say some names now and I think it will help him recognize family even if it's been a long time since we've been together.  I did it through Heritage Makers...getyourstorydown.com.  My plan is to keep going and do something with all these photos I have, starting with Xavi's birth story and our wedding celebration(s) ...all before #2 comes along.  Wish me luck :) Until I get them done, I also plan to keep up with this blog and try to get at least a photo on every day.  Since Mario is leaving within two weeks and will be mostly gone for at least a year, we need to keep him up to date with the family happenings whenever he can check in with us.  I love when they play together...totally melts my heart.  I know Xavi will miss him terribly but we will be here whenever he comes home.  Here's to my boys....



Thursday, April 26, 2012

Here we go...again?

Again, I know it's been a long while since my last post and I'm sorry.  I'll have to catch us up in the next few days...that is IF Xavi's sleep schedule allows.  He's been a busy boy...busy not sleeping that is!  So the more running I do, the less energy and time I have to post cute stories/pictures about him.  In the last month, we took one last trip to WI for work, had a few days beach vacation with family in Florida, got another cold upon our return, and settled in for another big change.  My job with Standard Process is coming to an end (as of Monday, April 30).  This was a difficult decision to make and it is sad to let go of a job that I loved...but we are moving into the next chapter and adjusting priorities.  Mario's deployment got moved UP in the schedule so we now have two fewer weeks than we had planned and there is so much to do...let alone spend some quality family time together while we can.  Baby Two is coming sometime around the end of September and I can feel him moving around in there...so soon there will be two mini Melendez boys running around and running me ragged.  Plenty to keep me busy, right?


I continue to be grateful for all the blessings we have been given and when I look at this beautiful boy, I know what love is.  It seems like I can almost SEE his brain growing everyday as he uses new words, new expressions, and we have new experiences...like riding a real pony!!  It is so much fun and as tired as I am at the end of the day, and as much as I feel like I don't have any patience left...I love these days: watching him grow, laughing, trying to decipher his new language. 
What more could a girl wish for?