The DiMillo's

Lately.... (Long, Catch Up Post)

2012-02-07T17:16:00.000-08:00

I have been completely neglecting my blog. Not because I want to or because I don't have the time, it is strictly because I really haven't had anything to talk about. Every day has become so routine and kinda boring. My day is broken up into two parts: Before and after naps. When I wake up, I get dressed and then I get Trent dressed. By then, Taelyn is awake. I get her dressed and we have breakfast. Taelyn's favorite thing to eat right now is oatmeal. She eats A LOT for breakfast. (Sometimes, this is her ONLY solid meal of the day). After breakfast, depending on the day, I either go to the park, run errands, visit friends, go to my mom's, Bible Study on Wednesday and TMOM's every other Friday, anything to keep myself busy.

Taelyn is trying to be helpful by feeding her baby brother

We go to the park, while Taelyn plays

I wear Trent and hang out with friends

I go to my mom's house and visit with them and have lunch and then go home for naps.

During their nap, I try to clean up the house and get things in order. I read the bible, I watch TV, I try to enjoy the hour or so of silence before I want to pull my hair out again. This particular day, I tackled the play room. This room seriously gives me anxiety. It is SOOO CLUTTERED, I can't stand it!

This is Taelyn's play room.... Before

After.... I cleaned, organized and disinfected every single toy she has. It took the entire nap time and then some.

Usually Taelyn wakes up first and we go downstairs and hang out for a while

Trent is beginning to be more sturdy and is sitting up most of the time

I normally prop him up, but from the looks of it, I won't need to soon

Taelyn is exploring and getting herself into trouble more often. Its trying, but when you see something like this, you can't help but to laugh.

She is more independent, but when she sees her brother in the swing, (although when she was his age, she hated the swing) she wants to be in the swing right next to him.

I made the yard sale signs to hang around the neighborhood

Trent was hanging out while I worked and his sister played

When it begins to cool down, I take the kids for a walk. I put Trent in the Baby Bjorn and Taelyn in her stroller and I walk around the block. This is my only form of exercise. I enjoy the walk and the kids get some fresh air and enjoy it too. By the time I get back from my walk, Taelyn plays outside on her Quad or on her bike. Then we come in, I put on some sort of show, usually Yo Gabba Gabba and I start dinner.

Dinner is the worst part of my day, I never know if Taelyn is going to eat and that stresses me out. I have come to the conclusion that if she doesn't eat what I give her in a certain amount of time, then it becomes breakfast. I have tried it for a week now and it seems to be working.

After dinner, it is bath time and then bed time.... this is my favorite time of the day. I love bath time, maybe because it is "CLEAN FUN" I love how my kids look when they are wet. Especially Taelyn. Her hair is just so curly and cute. Is that weird? Oh well, I love it. I read to Taelyn and then I put her to bed. Then I pick up the house and do anything I have left to be done.

I have discovered I am a gift bag and tissue hoarder. While looking for things to sell for a yard sale, I have decided to part with most of my bags

This past weekend, we had a block yard sale to make some space in our house and garage of things we no longer need. I made the joke, "Let our trash be your treasure" That is so true because somethings that we don't like or are tired of, so many people were more than happy to take it off of our hands.

Taelyn at the Yard Sale, it was COLD!

This was our set up

We got a rid of a lot of stuff and I am proud to say that I am able to park in my garage again! By the time the kids went to bed, Todd and I hung out on the couch and caught up on TiVo'ed shows. The perfect way to end the night! We were pooped.

This has been how I have ended every night for the past few weeks, I don't know why, but it relaxes me and makes me sleepy. I have just one glass and I am ready for bed

I am still waiting for my camera to be returned, so I have these ugly cell phone pictures. I really miss my camera! So that has been my life lately in a large nut shell.

NINERS!

2012-01-25T13:42:00.000-08:00

Todd is a HARD CORE Chiefs fan. By default we are Chiefs fans. Sunday, we went to a friend's house to watch a play off game between the 49ers and the Giants. All of the people there were 49ers fans. They were teaching Taelyn how to say "NINERS!!!!" She thought it was so funny, she was saying it over and over again. It sounded more like, "NUNU'S." I recorded her saying it and sent it to Todd. His response was, "Stop teaching my baby bad words!"

Anthony was wearing an Angels hat and put it on Taelyn. I took a picture of that and Todd's response was, "You're killing me!"

ANGELS! Sorry for the blurry cell phone pictures

The Niner's lost and it was heartbreaking for those who care, but we had a great time hanging with our friends. I got a great laugh out of teasing Todd. All in all it was a fun day.

Me Time

2012-01-24T09:14:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I woke up in a really ugly mood. I don't even know why. Taelyn has been sleeping in until 8am, sometimes 9am. She woke up at 6:30am. (UGH!) That was rough for me since I went to bed at nearly midnight the night before and Trent was unusually fussy throughout the night. Todd has been no help to me since he had a "procedure" on Friday, that I'm not supposed to talk about. (Lets just say, we are no longer having any kids) He was sleeping soundly when I woke up with the kids.

I went downstairs and fed Trent, the whole time, I was praying. I was in such a bad mood and I didn't want to react towards my babies, so I just had to give it to God. I have been with my kids with no help for nearly over a week. I have not had any kind of break, or relief from them. I think that when you have no time for yourself, you become resentful and moody, and I had gotten to that point. I made breakfast for Taelyn. While I was feeding her, I began to feel peace about my attitude then suddenly I got an alert on my phone.... I had a dentist appointment at 9am. I don't know why, because I HATE going to the dentist, but that made me so happy! I rushed upstairs and woke Todd up and told him he HAD to watch the kids because I forgot I had an appointment. The kids were already dressed and fed, so he didn't have much to do. I got dressed in like 10 minutes, kissed my babies and ran out the door.

I was so happy to be away. I needed to be alone! I LOVE my babies, but goodness it felt so good to be away from them for a while. Do I sound like a bad mommy? I feel awful for saying that, but man, I feel like I need some time to miss them. I was only at the dentist for a half hour. I wasn't ready to go home, so I called my friend Lea, who is pregnant and on bed rest. I had a nice, uninterrupted visit with her for a while. Then went home to my THREE babies. I really needed that. I came and was so happy to see everyone. Taelyn ran to me with open arms and screamed "MOMMY!" Is that what it feels like to be missed? That is the greeting Todd gets everyday. It felt great. I was so happy to be with them again. It is so true when people say that you need some "Me Time" I am going to make it a point to take at least an hour a week for time to myself, ALONE!

Taelyn feeding her brother, while mommy was away. Such a good big sister!

What's New

2012-01-13T12:17:00.001-08:00

Things in the DiMillo House are becoming a whole lot easier. I have settled into the role of "Mommy of TWO." I am a champ at getting them in and out of the car and into a cart or the Baby Bjorn for shopping purposes. I have meal times and nap/bed times down. I am rested and beginning to feel better and better about myself everyday.

Taelyn has been challenging me on a daily basis. She is nearing 2 and losing her mind by telling me "NO" often. Everything I ask her, the answer is "No." She knows many, many words, but her favorite word right now is "no" and I HATE it! I get anxiety every meal time because I never know if it will be a good meal time or bad. Sometimes she eats very well and other times she is awful. In the past few days, she has gotten better. Thank God for Yo Gabba Gabba and the "Try It, You'll Like It" song. IT has really helped in her food selection. By singing that song, I can at least get her to taste some of the food.

Taelyn has been copying everything I do. She got a Cabbage Patch Kid for Christmas and she treats the doll the way I treat Trent. The other day, she lifted her shirt and tried to breast feed the doll, it was too cute! She loves to help me around the house. When I am cleaning, she follows behind me wiping what ever I wipe. She is able to follow direction and does what I tell her to do. I love it because I have her get me diapers and wipes and throw them away. She puts away her toys. She loves her baby brother and is very attentive when it comes to him. That makes for a very happy mama!

Trent is such a pleasant baby. He is truly a joy. He is a TANK! Todd jinxed me from the beginning by saying he wanted to name him tank. He is 3 months now and nearly 16 pounds! Taelyn wasn't 16 pounds until she was nearly 6 months! He is heavy.

Although he is a brute, he is so loving. When I nurse him, he hugs me. It is the sweetest thing. When I hold him, he nestles his head into my neck and pulls me in closer. He is already so affectionate and always wants to be held close and tight. I love it because I never got that with Taelyn. When I kiss him he grabs my face with both hands and pulls me in. It just melts my heart.

Trent is nearly as big as Taelyn. I'm sure he is going to pass her up at the rate he is going.

I am just so in love with my kids. Trent was truly the missing puzzle piece and now the DiMillo's are complete!

A New Look for a New Year

2012-01-13T11:34:00.000-08:00

Everyone who knows me knows that I spent an extended amount of time on my family room couch that I named "My Island"

Looking at this picture

Because I was exiled to My Island for so long, I grew to despise it. Everyone who visited My Island would complement it and say how comfortable and cozy it was. No matter how many complements I got, I still hated this Island. (Not so) Silently I had been looking for a replacement Island and I finally found one on New Years Eve! It was meant to be. It is similar to my Island, but quite different. I thought there couldn't be a better way to start the new year than with a new couch! I sent Todd a picture of the couch with the price and he said to get it! I was so happy!
This is my NEW couch and I LOVE the way it has opened up the room.

With a new couch, I needed something new to look at. I LOATHED that picture that was on the wall and every time I looked at it, I kinda got mad inside. I have been wanting to get rid of it forever! Todd bought me this LAST Valentine's Day, so now I finally put pictures in it and he hung it up. I am VERY happy with the final product. The Feng Shui is so much better now.

I LOVE looking at my wall decorations while I am sitting on my new couch. I am at peace now that I have no more reminders of my time spent on bed rest, you know, other than Taelyn who makes me more happy than I ever thought I could be.

Everything is BREAKING!

2012-01-13T09:31:00.001-08:00

I have taken a month and a half break from blogging. Not on purpose, it just happened and time got away from me, the next thing I knew a month and a half went by! So since I last posted, I had my 31st birthday, Christmas and New Years. There has been so much going on and I have so much, to say, but I will start one blog at a time.

At the end of November, our internet went out in our house. That was the MAIN reason I stopped blogging. My husband figured out the problem and got our internet working, but it was ONLY working in our office. I HATE to be in our office/playroom. Taelyn is slowly taking over Todd's already cluttered office so for me to be in there for longer than 10-15 minutes is WORK, I can't do it. So when we finally got a new router, in the middle of December, we were right smack in the middle of the holidays. I don't know where the time went.

My birthday was spent with Todd and Todd only. He took me to a nice dinner in LA and then we went to see Wicked. It was a great night for the most part. When I found out how much Todd spent on the tickets, I was SICK, and when I say SICK, I mean, (not that I am not grateful, but I could think of a whole lotta other things we could have used that money towards.) That sorta put a damper on the night, but we enjoyed it and each other. I find it strange, (but completely normal, I guess) that when we are away from our kids, that is all we talk about. I had a pumping ordeal in the bathroom at Kabuki, but what I wouldn't do for my babies? I had to pump in front of the bathroom sinks because there was no other outlet. AWKWARD! What a way to spend my 31st!

Todd went on an all guys trip to Kansas City to watch his Chiefs play against the Packers.... The Chiefs actually BEAT the undefeated Packers!!! Todd was in Heaven.

Christmas was awesome. We spent Christmas Eve at my mom's house and did presents with all the cousins and then Christmas at Russell and Gigi's house. We spent the whole day dancing to Black Eyed Peas Experience on the Wii and singing our hearts out to Karaoke. I sang so much, I lost my voice! It was a great time!

New Years Eve, I went to Costco to pick up new glasses (again) and I found a couch and bought it! Talk about an impulse buy, but I have been wanting a new couch and this one was perfect! After we brought the couch home, we went to Russell and Gigi's house again to spend New Year's with the family. We didn't make it to the count down. At about 10:30pm, we decided to call it a night. As soon as we got home, I fell right asleep. Todd woke me up at midnight, we exchanged a kiss and then I went right back to sleep.

So I titled this blog post "Everything is BREAKING!" The reason why, is because EVERYTHING seems to be breaking! It started with our internet/wireless router, my cell phone, our washing machine and finally my camera! I am so upset about it all. With the internet/wireless router, it prevented me from everything. I felt so disconnected. It completely sucked. That is back working again. Thank God!

For the past week or so, I have been dealing with issues with my cell phone. It just randomly shuts off, everything needs to be reset and rebooted every time it shuts off, the vibrate doesn't work, my texts don't get sent, and received. I think I'm being ignored and others think I'm ignoring and hanging up on them. Completely awful ordeal for me to have since my phone is usually connected to my hand.

Next is my washing machine. This is more annoying than anything. It is not broken yet, but it is showing some sort of error and I have to stop and start the cycle at least 5 times before it decides to work properly and wash my clothes. Too much to do, if you ask me. I miss the times where I would set the cycle and press start. Now I have to watch the washing machine to make sure it starts.... so annoying!

Lastly, my camera! Oh, the horror! On New Years Eve, while we were at my brother's house, I went to take a picture of my nieces singing Karaoke and it just didn't work. The pictures we blank and it said there was a shutter error. I thought this would be a simple fix, but when I Googled it, it said I needed to send it in. ARRGGGG!!! I use my camera nearly everyday! I am highly upset about it and I can't do anything about it until Monday. Yup, I think it is safe to say, everything around me is breaking! And worst of all, I have no pictures to show for it. I'm back to blogging and will do it more frequently since I have my wireless back. It's a new year and I want to start it off right, but it's hard when everything around me is broken.

30 Days of Gratitude

2011-11-13T15:58:00.000-08:00

For the Whole month of November, I have been posting what I am grateful for every day. I thought it was a great idea, so here is what I am grateful for:

Day 1: I am grateful for a husband who is hard working and an amazing provider. Who, after all of these years, I am still madly in love with =)

Day 2: I am grateful for my babies. I never thought I could even have any kids due to my uterine cancer, but by the Grace of God I have 2. They are both amazing and bring a joy and LOVE I never knew existed. I thank God everyday, several times a day for this special blessing he has chosen to give me. ♥

Day 3: I'm grateful for insurance. Pregnancy really messed up my teeth. I need 3 crowns and a filling at a whopping $5,998.90 with insurance we are only paying a little over $500. I am so thankful we have insurance!

Day 4: I'm grateful for TMOMs. I am always in such a better mood after. I love the fellowship with women who have like interests as me. Today's topic was introducing the word to children, great lessons indeed! Certainly grateful for TMOMs!

Day 5: I am grateful for my Mother-In-Love Joyce Hogue. Today is her birthday! I'm am so thankful to have a mother-in-law I can talk to about any and everything and loves me like I am her own. She raised an son, who is a great husband and father, so without her, my life wouldn't be complete. Love you!

Day 6: I'm beyond grateful for my MOM. She is the most amazing person I know on Earth! Everything I am, is because of her influence and guidance, she actually gave me Todd's phone #. She is so generous, I hope to be just like her as a mom. She has been the BEST mom to us. I love her more than words could ever express and I am so grateful for her!

Day 7: Today I am grateful for the "Snap Back" The "Snap Back" is where after a baby your body can snap back quickly. My baby is 4 weeks old today and this morning I was able to put on and button some pre pregnancy jeans! Whooo Hoooo! Thank God for the "Snap Back!!!" I still have about 15 more lbs to lose, but I'm happy thus far.

Day 8: I am so grateful that my daughter has friends her age, where she can spend the entire day with and not 1 tear was shed or hit exchanged. They are growing and learning together and becoming smart, polite and sweet girls. What a wonderful day for kids, mommy, daddys and Tia Tanka.

Day 9: I'm grateful for my nieces and nephew. They were my 1st babies before I had my own and I love them dearly. They do and say the funniest things and always put a smile on my face. Allan, Maya and Leah, Auntie loves you! "Auntie, is the baby drinking 'chocolate' milk?" ~Leah @3yrs old.

Day 10: I'm grateful for great sleeping babies, I had a ROUGH night last night. Honestly, Trent hasn't slept less than 4hrs every night since he was born, so really I shouldn't complain about 1 rough night. In every situation, find the good. 1 bad night isn't gonna kill me, so I'm so thankful for my great sleeping babes!

Day 11: I am grateful for my home. In this economy, I am so blessed to have a home that we can afford! I LOVE my house AND my neighborhood. I came home here after my wedding, I brought my babies home here, we have built our life in love in this home. Also, I have the BEST neighbors! J&K, A&A, K&L, S&S, J&N, D&A, C&S, T&J, J&M, J&A. I LOVE them all. I am SO Grateful for my HOME!

Day 12: I'm grateful for a day where I am so busy I don't have time to update my status and check FB a 100xs a day. I love cooking/baking to entertain my family n friends and yesterday I did just that! I cooked and baked all day and entertained all night while watching an awesome fight. Life is certainly great when you're surrounded by awesome ppl, you forget to keep up with the cyber world.

Day 13: I'm grateful for being able to stop n "be in the moment" yesterday with all the loudness of laughing, cheering,talking, etc, I was able to stop, look around, n truly take in n enjoy my company. I realize how blessed I am to have a beautiful home that is so full of loving friends, that's what makes my home great, not the things I have, but the love that fills it. That makes my heart smile

Day 14: I am so grateful for my friends Tianka Pharaoh and CeMonn Kessee. Every time I look at my wrist, I am reminded of their thoughtfulness and generosity. I LOVE my bracelet (from Jared's) but most of all, I love what it stands for and what it means to me.

Day 15: I am grateful for Yoga! I went this morning with Brigette Tillman for the 1st time and I LOVED it! I actually felt like I got a good workout of my mind body and soul. I have been feeling zen all day and in a great mood. Everyone should get a little yoga in their lives!

Day 16: I am grateful for Andrea Warasky Milbourne, she just found out she has cancer in her uterus and she text me to tell me that I was her inspiration with what I have been through with my uterine cancer. She made me realize the struggles I went through were not in vain and that I am helping her through this time in her life. Sometimes that is just a great thing to hear and I am thankful for her and I know she will get through this.

Day 17: I am grateful for my car! I love the freedom it gives me. If I have something to do or somewhere to go, I just hop in the Equinox and I'm off! It has lots of room for my babies and everything that comes with them, which is a lot!

Day 18: I am grateful for a night out with my girls!!! I've had an awesome day, with TMOM's, my Maine Man, Fran and Mila and now I'm gonna have 3 D's: Dinner, Drinks and Dancing :)

Day 19: I grateful for a clean house. I've said it before and I'll say it again, nothing makes me more happy than a clean house. I just feel so much better when my house is clean.

Day 20: I'm grateful for Lazy days. All we did today was watch movies and chill on the couch. Its rare for me to slow down and just chill, so it is really nice when I finally do.

Day 21: I'm grateful for medicine!!! It has helped my whole family feel better. We were all sick yesterday and today, with the help of medicine we are better.

Day 22: I'm grateful for a date night! We had such a great time with Chae and Olly. Breaking Dawn was everything I hoped it would be. Great friends, great food and awesome movie! Yay for date night!!!

Day 23: I'm grateful to have been able to spend the day with both my Mom's. It is such a blessing that my mom and mother in law get along so well and enjoy each other's company.

Day 24: I am beyond grateful for my family! They truly are the most amazing people, all unique in their own way. I thank God for placing me with such amazing people we are all such a perfect fit. Today has been an amazing Thanksgiving.

Day 25: I'm grateful for Yo Gabba Gabba. It brings so much joy to my little girl. She really enjoys watching it. I LOVE the valuable lessons it teaches and it is tolerable for me, I actually like it too :)

Day 26: I'm grateful for friends who love my kids like their own. Its rare to have that and I'm so thankful I do. I know I can count on them to be good to them and take care of them and discipline them when needed. Oh how I love my friends, who are more like family.

Day 27: I'm grateful for laughter. I love to laugh until I cry. I married such a funny man. He keeps me laughing all of the time. He makes my daughter laugh like no one else can and she has the sweetest little laugh. I think laughter gets taken fore granted, so I wanted to highlight that in my 30 Days of Gratitude.

Day 28: I'm grateful for the internet. I didn't realize how much I depended on it until we somehow lost ours. Its been almost 6 days without it and we are struggling! Verizon better send someone ASAP! I miss it and am so grateful for it.

Day 29: I'm grateful that Taelyn ate TWO full bowls of Sinigung and rice (Filipino dish consisting of chicken broccoli and tomatoes) Operation "Starve Taelyn until she eats healthy" is in full effect. She is gonna eat what I give her and that's that! It seemed to work today, and for that I am grateful.

Day 30: For my last day, I am grateful for everything the Lord has blessed me with. I have an amazing family, loving husband, perfect little babies, a home, the best friends anyone could ever ask for. I love my life and if I were any happier, I think I would just explode. I recognize how blessed I truly am and for that I am infinitely grateful.

I am beyond grateful that I have so many things to be grateful for :)

Discovery Museum of the Desert

2011-11-13T14:50:00.000-08:00

Last week Taelyn had a play date field trip with a few of her friends. Tylia, her best, best friend and Alana and Sidney (twins). Tia Tanka set it up. We met up at Rob's house (father of the twins) and Tee, (Tylia's daddy) went with Rob. We fit 3 car seats in the back of my car. I put Trent in the middle of Taelyn and Tylia, and Tia Tanka rode shot gun with me.

We headed out to Rancho Mirage to go to the Children's Discovery Museum of the Desert. I really didn't know what to expect, but we were getting out of the house with friends and that was good enough for me. When we got there, I found out that Taelyn and Trent were free and I just had to pay $8 for myself, so that was a double score!

The museum was AWESOME!!! There were so many things that the kids could do. Taelyn automatically gravitated towards the blocks. There were many different stations where the kids could play. Taelyn tried pretty much everything. It was nice to be able to let the kids run wild without worrying about how they could hurt themselves. The room was pretty much child proof.

Tubes and balls

Rope Maze

Dress up room

Speed Wheelchair

Taelyn driving, looking back at her friend Tylia

Giving Tylia a ride

Grocery Shopping

Yummy Eggplant looks good

Waiting in line to check out

Random places Taelyn felt the need to wedge herself into

Silly girls having fun

Rob just had to get on the Police Motorcycle (diaper bags and all)

We played at the museum for nearly 2 1/2 hours. The only reason we decided to leave was because me and Tia Tanka were hungry and wanted to eat at Ruby's. While at dinner, Tanka made a great observation; We left at noon and we were having dinner at about 4:30pm and we had gone ALL day with not ONE tear shed by ANY of the girls. That is BIG considering Taelyn is a bit of a cry baby. Also that all of the girls got along so well, they didn't exchange any hits and they shared well with each other. What an awesome day! We ended our night at Ruby's and got home at nearly 6pm. We had a full and fun day. I did bath time a little early and by the time I was done, Taelyn was so ready for bed. She went to sleep nearly an hour early because she was so worn out by the day. The kids had a great time and so did the parents. I think that was a very successful field trip and we must do it again soon!

Visit From the Blacksher's

2011-11-12T11:41:00.002-08:00

Trent finally got to meet his friend Mila Blacksher who was born just 7 days before him. She arrived on October 3, 2011 at 7:48 am weighing in at 7 pounds 1 ounce, 20.5 inches. Trent arrived on October 10, 2011 at 5:50 pm weighing in at 7 pounds 10 ounces, 19 inches long.

Mila is the baby of one of my oldest, dearest, bestest friends in the whole wide world, Anthony. We have been friends since we were in elementary school and have kept in touch all of these years and it amazes me how our lives continue to mirror each others. We had our babies a week apart. What a blessing it was to be pregnant the same time as Francine, his wife. She has become a close friend as well. I LOVE HER!

Taelyn trying to love on Mila too

They look like they could be twins!

Nursing together

They were already having a dinner date :)

Taelyn in Mila's car seat

Fran and I showing off each other's babies.

I couldn't wait to get these two littles together. They are going to be great friends just like me and her daddy were. What a sweet little girl she is. I can't wait to see how these two will grow in friendship.

Jenny and Jasmin Visit!

2011-11-10T18:09:00.000-08:00

My friend Jenny and her daughter, Jasmin came over for a play date with Taelyn and to meet Trent. They brought them the cutest gifts. Jenny gave Trent the cutest little knitted football beenie and a pink and green bow for Taelyn;s hair. Does she know me or what? Such perfect gifts for my little ones. Jasmin and Taelyn played so well together. Here are a few pictures from their visit:

Jenny and Trent

Showing off his cute new beenie

Sleeping boy

Taelyn giving her brother kisses (as usual)

Taelyn sharing her couch

They played with her toys

And they played in the kitchen

Happy Halloween 2011

2011-11-03T17:04:00.001-07:00

Halloween was just a normal day for us. We didn't do anything during the day. At about 4:30pm, I got the kids dressed in their costumes and we went over to Adam and Alisia's house to have dinner and then take the kids Trick or Treating around the neighborhood. The Chiefs, Todd's FAVORITE football team played against the Chargers for Monday night football, so I thought it was just too perfect for Taelyn to be a Chiefs Cheerleader for Halloween. Trent was a football, since everything even before his existence has been football related (Football Baby Shower). Todd, of course was wearing a Chiefs Jersey, so I decided to wear mine as well, (Thank God it fit!)

Chiefs Family Halloween

Taelyn walking to Uncle Adam and Auntie Alisia's house

My Football Baby

Taelyn kissing her Football Baby Brother

We were hanging out, just talking and laughing and I realized it was getting dark, so we decided to head out just as the sun was setting. Since our kids are still little, we decided to just walk around out cul de sac. We have the BEST neighbors, I love my "Chaparrel Lane Crew."

Walking to our 1st house

The Delizo's and their little Duckie

The Cooper's as the Flinstones

Taelyn knocked on our door and was so excited to see Daddy

Kisses for Daddy for giving her candy

Alisia with my Little Football

Our Trick or Treating Crew

This Halloween was much more fun, Taelyn was so excited to go door to door and knock and get candy. She said, "Thank you" to everyone and was in such a great mood. Trent slept the whole time. We were done and home by 7pm. It was really dark by then. The Chiefs ended up beating the Chargers!!! Overall, Halloween was a great success in the DiMillo home. Hopefully, next year will be just as fun!

Pumpkin Patch 2011

2011-11-01T16:04:00.001-07:00

Last week we went to the Live Oak Pumpkin Patch. I thought Taelyn would enjoy it, but when we got there, it was so warm and it was clear she really didn't like walking in the dirt and the hay. She wanted to stay in her stroller. We tried to get her to walk and engage in some of the things there. She was not interested in the animals at the petting zoo, since we went earlier in the day, a lot of the bounce houses were closed, I think if they were open, she wouldn't have gone in them anyway. We walked around the whole pumpkin patch and took a few pictures and then we all were over it. I was hot and highly perturbed that my shoes got so dirty. Note to self: Next year, don't wear fancy flats! Trent slept the whole time, I don't think he even opened his eyes once while we were there. Hopefully next year Taelyn will be more interactive.

We got to use our double stroller for the 1st time =)

I was trying to get Taelyn to walk, but she was not interested at all

These are the cutest set of cats I've ever seen and I hate cats

Taelyn and Todd being silly in the gift shop

A Life Less Perfect

2011-10-28T07:58:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to blog for days now, but really nothing too interesting has been going on. I have been having the best newborn experience with Trent. He truly is an "Angel Baby" I don't believe in reincarnation, but I do believe that Trent Mason is very present in Trent Michael. He is such a mild mannered baby. He is so pleasant. I am so happy and fulfilled with my family. I think if I got any happier I would burst!

With that being said, I really didn't know what to blog, but after reading one of Jessica's blogs, it got me thinking, sometimes I do compare my life to the perfect picture that is painted on blogs and on Facebook. I have friends that are constantly writing and posting pictures about what amazing lives they have and it does leave me feeling inadequate at times. Then I have other friends who ONLY post things that are going wrong in their lives and it leaves me thinking, "Get over yourself, life is NOT that BAD!"

I try and find a balance in what I write on my blog and what I post on Facebook. I don't want people to look into what I write and feel any of those ways about me. I keep it as real as I possibly can without being too negative. Everyone has struggles and drama in their lives, but not everyone wants to read about it. (If they do, they are haters!) If I am happy, which I currently am, I write about how happy I am, if I am sad or in a bad mood, I have posted about that too. Talking to a friend yesterday, she stated that she thought that my life was perfect and so I found inspiration to write this blog. It seemed to have all come together. My life is far from perfect, but I try to do the best I can in making it that way.

Jessica is GREAT at making my life look "Picture Perfect" so here is her craft at its best:

Symbol of marriage and life

My happiness

The reason I live and breathe

Right now, I am happy, but let me tell you, yesterday, I WAS NOT!!! I will blog about that sometime later....

Trent's 1st Week Of Life

2011-10-18T13:52:00.000-07:00

This week has gone by so fast! I can't even believe my boy is already a week old!!! We have been doing a whole lot of nothing. We found out he had jaundice. I was so MAD!!! I KNEW he had it before we even left the hospital. So we had to go back to the hospital to check what his biliruben levels were. Thank God his levels weren't as high as we thought and he didn't need to be admitted back into the hospital. We were actually lucky that he didn't even need to get the bilirubin blanket like Taelyn did. All we had to do was keep him in indirect sunlight for at least 6 hours a day for 3 days and give him vitamin D. Other than that, we have had a lot of visitors. I have tried to get pictures of everyone, but I did miss a few, but here are the people I remembered to capture with Trent:

Trent with Apo

Grandpa playing with Taelyn

Shae came for a visit

Auntie Alisia

Sierrah representing for the sickly Sanders family

Tita Jess

Uncle Chaz

Tia Qualia

Taelyn and her baby brother

Going to the doctor

Auntie Krystal

Taelyn likes to hold his hands

The 1st time she held him without any help

Keith Retro, Lisa and Trent

Life is just so hard when you are a newborn

He is such a pleasant baby. He melts my heart!

What's In A Name?

2011-10-14T21:23:00.000-07:00

Trent Michael DiMillo

Todd and I had the HARDEST time coming up with a name. We went back and forth for months with a bunch of different names. We liked Tanner for a long time, and then it just didn't seem right. Todd liked Taj, I hated it, I liked Tristan, Todd didn't, this was the story of our lives for a while. We just couldn't agree. Every time I had a name, he shot it down and vice versa. It became extremely annoying. We were fighting, like really getting into "heated discussions" on what we should name our baby.

When we were pregnant the 1st time, we KNEW what we were going to name our baby, if we had a boy. We LOVED the name Trent. We had the name picked out years before we were even married. I loved the name Mason, so when we found out we were having a baby boy, it was a no brainer. We knew it would be Trent Mason. Unfortunately God saw fit to call that baby to heaven early and took him from us when I was 24 weeks pregnant. We had his remains cremated and we named him the name that was rightfully his, Trent Mason DiMillo.

When we were pregnant with Taelyn, we knew she was going to be Taelyn Mylanah. That also was like an no brainer, we knew that was her name, there was really no argument, no discussion, that is just what it was. With this baby, we just couldn't figure out what we wanted. I think we went through every name in the world and nothing fit. After many, many arguments Todd and I decided that we would just wait until we saw him before we gave him a name. This way, we wouldn't have to worry about it and we could save ourselves some unwanted stress and arguing.

I had LOTS of people suggest names and quite a few people said we should name him Trent, those who didn't know our history, I politely told them that we lost a son and that was HIS name. Those who knew our history, I was not so polite, I actually was offended and hurt. I gave the analogy, "If you lost a son and had another, would you give them the name of the son you lost???" After I put it that way, it was like a brush of understanding passed over them and they didn't continue any further.

Todd and I stuck to what we said, we didn't talk about it and when asked (Which was like 20 times a day) "Have you decided on a name?" We would just answer with, "No, not yet, we are waiting until we see him to name him." People really didn't believe us, they thought we had a name and we just didn't want to reveal it. I am so not that person, really, if we had a name, I would have no problem telling people what it is. WE REALLY DIDN'T HAVE A NAME!!!

I was secretly stressing about giving him a name. I prayed about it daily and asked God to send me a sign of some sort of what I should name the baby. As my induction date got closer, I felt like the pressure was on even more. I had a dream the night before we went in and I was in the hospital and I was hold the baby and he looked just like Trent did and it was almost as if Trent was telling me to use his name. Was this the sign I was looking for? Was this God's way of telling me that I should use Trent? I couldn't. I didn't tell Todd about my dream because we pinky sore we wouldn't talk about it until he was born, so I didn't.

During the whole long process called labor and delivery, my dream was in the back of my mind and I was really worried about it. While I was pushing, I was told that the umbilical cord was wrapped around the baby's neck and I needed to stop pushing. I was freaking out because that is exactly the way Trent died. He got wrapped around his umbilical cord in the womb and he lost his life line. THIS was the sign I was looking for. I still didn't talk to Todd about it. After the baby was out and cleaned up, he was brought to me and he looked exactly like Trent. I looked at Todd and he looked at me with tears in his eyes and it was decided. There really was no discussion. We just knew that his name should be Trent, after his brother who we lost before him. Todd decided to give him his middle name, Michael so Trent Mason would have his own middle name and Trent Michael would have his own middle name as well. It was really an emotional moment, but it really just felt right to name him Trent. He came into the world in the same way Trent was taken out, so I'm introducing to the world Trent Michael DiMillo.

Trent's Birth Story

2011-10-14T15:01:00.001-07:00

Finally, he is here!!! Just as I wanted and prayed for I delivered my baby boy on October 10, 2011. It was a long and grueling process. I was scheduled for induction Sunday the 9th at 10 pm, but I went into labor all on my own. Todd and I were making a cast of my belly when I began to feel the contractions. So when we got to the hospital, they said that instead of starting the pitocin drip, we would just see how far my body will go on its own. I was dilated to 4 and my contractions were about 8 mins apart. It was a long night. Gerri joined us at about midnight and we did absolutely NOTHING!! We slept pretty much all night and in the morning I haven't changed so we started the pitocin drip. It seemed like things were moving along well, I was dilating and so we didn't think it would be much longer. WRONG!

I got the epidural when I was dilated to 7. That is when we hit a wall. My blood pressure dropped significantly and there was nothing that could be done when that happened. We had to wait for it to go up before we proceed any further. When my blood pressure finally stabilized, it was 3 hours later. The nurse came into check me and my water broke! Fast forwarding, after my water broke, it took about 2 hours, and I started pushing at about 5:30ish and by 5:50 he was here! It was traumatic because in the middle of pushing, I was told not to push because his umbilical cord was tied around his neck. After the doctor cut it off, then I did one more push and he was out. He was perfect!

Getting ready for my boy

Our information

Trent Michael DiMillo 7 pounds 10 ounces 19 inches born at 5:50 pm

Proud Daddy with his boy

Sweet Gerri was a GREAT coach!

My mom was not such a great coach... but she is a wonderful grandma!

Daddy, Mommy and Trent moments after he was born

Trent's nails were so long that he scratched his face :(

Trent and Daddy

Taelyn waiting to meet her baby brother

She seemed to really like him

She was fascinated by him

Taelyn is a big sister!

She wanted to hold him all by herself

She was watching closely while her baby brother was getting checked out.

Such a proud big sister

Kisses for baby brother

Handsome Trent

Beautiful Taelyn

Our 1st pictures as a family of FOUR!

Grampy and Grammy with their grand babies

Grandpa and Apo with thier new grandson

Alina came to visit

Uncle Marco came for a visit

Alina and me

Sweet boy

This is where Todd slept

Burping my little one after he ate

His going home outfit

Football booty

Tired boy

My blue toes

Heading home finally

Waiting for Todd to pull up

Grampy and Taelyn's Keyboard Fun!

2011-10-07T20:15:00.000-07:00

We are getting close to my induction date and Todd's dad and step mom drove out today so they can stay with Taelyn while we are at the hospital. They brought Taelyn a special gift and boy did she LOVE it! They brought her an electric keyboard. This keyboard kept her attention for nearly 45 minutes! Nothing holds her attention for more than 5 minutes, so this is BIG! She loved banging on the keys and making beats and dancing to the different beats she made/found.

Taelyn was REALLY enjoying playing the keybaord

Dancing to the beat

Taelyn dancing with Grampy

My Crazy Numbers Logic

2011-10-06T17:33:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to write a post about why I am so passionate (possibly stubborn) about when I wanted my babies to be born. I have the strangest logic about certain things and numbers are one of them. Call it superstitious, call it crazy, I call it both. I was born on December 10, 1980, all even numbers. I have always been a fan of even numbers. I don't even like to leave the volume on the TV or radio on an odd number (have I mentioned I am a bit nutty?) Anytime I do something it is in even numbers. If I eat eggs, I have to have an even number amount. I count my chips and candy that are separate and eat them in even numbers. If there is an odd number left, I throw it out. (Weird, I know!) I've posted before that I struggled with OCD, I am much better REALLY, but some habits are just too hard to kick and I don't think they are too severe to be worried.

Ok, back to numbers. Todd was born on June 20, 1977. When choosing our wedding date, I thought it would be perfect to get married right smack in the middle of both of our birthdays. So our wedding date is March 15, 2008. Yes, I know that 15 is not an even number, BUT it is a multiple of 5 and that is ok with me. I like 5, 15 and 25, those are really the only acceptable odd numbers in my book.

When it came to Taelyn's birth, I was so excited that she was gonna be born in 2010. My mom was born in 1950, me in 1980 and Taelyn 2010, all 30 years apart. Her due date was in April, but we knew she would be early. I had dates in my mind of when I wanted her to come and I didn't make it any secret. I felt that since she was gonna come in March, the only acceptable days would be either the 10th or the 20th since those are the days Todd and I were born. She came on March 20. Couldn't have been more perfect. That is also 5 days after our anniversary.

With Baby Boy, I thought that it would only be fair for him to be born on the 10th since I was born on the 10th and Todd and Taelyn already share the 20th. So somehow, God seems to be working with my crazy because I am scheduled for induction this Sunday night at 10 pm. Sunday is the 9th, but by the time we get admitted and they start the induction process, he will be here on the 10th :D

I was a bit sad knowing that he was going to be born in an odd year, but because Todd was born in an odd year as well, somehow in my crazy logic, that makes it ok. Todd was born in 77, so since the baby is coming in 11 also a double odd, is a good thing and lucky to me since Taelyn and I were born in and even year and her and her daddy share the 20th, I feel it is only fitting that me and Baby Boy share the 10th and he and his daddy share a double odd birth year.

Ok, so with all of that, Taelyn's birthday is 3 months after mine, then Todd's birthday is 3 months after her's and Baby Boy will be 4 months after Todd's and 2 months before mine. We have a birthday in every season. How awesome is that? I'm so excited and can't wait to meet my Baby Boy! There you have it, "My Crazy Numbers Logic."

Stupid Molars and A Popsicle With Mama

2011-10-04T21:32:00.000-07:00

Taelyn has been having a rough few days. She has a few teeth coming in at the same time. Her top molars are pretty much in and her bottom molars are coming now too. She has had a runny nose, a fever and has been really fussy. Considering all that is going on with her, she has been not been eating and has been sleeping a lot. I have been so worried about her, but my mom says that on top of her teeth hurting her, she somehow KNOWS that there is a new baby coming in the next few days, which is causing the unusual behavior and crying fits.

Despite all of her teeth issues, her hair is just growing like a weed and she is looking super cute with her little pig tails. I can't get enough of her sweet face.

Taelyn spent the day with Apo, so I could get my hair done. Tia Tanka met up with us and we went to dinner at Panera Bread. When we got home, Todd was doing homework, so Taelyn and I sat outside of his office and shared a Popsicle. She loved it! I think it felt good on her aching teeth. Tia Tanka took a few shots of us in the hall way.

Yummy Popsicle feels good on my teeth

Signing: "More Mama?"

Signing: "Please Mama?"

YUMMY!!!

Taelyn's Little Piggies

2011-10-02T09:12:00.001-07:00

Taelyn was born with a whole lotta straight hair. Throughout the year, somehow all of that hair thinned out. She didn't lose it, but it just wasn't as thick as the hair she was born with.

When we went to Alabama, all that humidity we discovered that Taelyn's hair is curly.

In the last month or two, her hair has really taken off! It is getting so long and curly, I LOVE IT! My little baby is no longer looking like a baby and it kinda makes me sad, but she seems to get more and more beautiful to me as she gets older. I can't even handle it! Of course I think this, I am her mommy and I am VERY proud and completely in love with her.

Very 1st attempt at pig tails:

The other day, I attempted to put her hair in pig tails again and boy was she a cutie! Looks like my baby has a new hair style. I can't say it enough, but I just love it!

If she couldn't be any cuter, I put bows in the pig tails... Gorgeous!

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-10-01T08:18:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I usually don't put recipes on my blog, I'm in no means a great cook or baker. I like to do both, but I am a novice at best. I try new recipes, and test them out on the family. I have my regular dishes that I keep in rotation that I know my family will like, most of them are made with white steamed rice. (I'm Filipino, we eat rice with EVERYTHING!)

I found this Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe on a friend's blog and I had to try it! We had dinner at our friend's, the Felberg's, house on Thursday. Since they were providing dinner, I said I would make the dessert and this was the perfect opportunity to try this out. Boy was it YUMMY!!!! It is VERY RICH, but it really hit the spot after the yummy pot roast with veggies Rafaelle made. It was so good, I had to share!

This is my finished product.... I will be making these again, very soon!

Just For Divas: Fantasy Football League

2011-09-30T16:56:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday I had a few of the ladies from my Fantasy Football League over for Sunday football. Were we a sight! I have never seen so many woman who have ZERO interest in football be so interested and actually have some idea of what is going on. I guess when you throw money into the mix, women will learn quickly. We were all watching the games, had our laptops on had watching what our teams were doing, updating our player's statuses on our phones and still having conversations with each other.

I am the reigning champion from last year and after my 1st win this week, I am in 6th place. It is so frustrating, but it was frustrating last year too, but being that I am 9 months pregnant, I am TRYING my best to stay calm and take my loses and keep it pushing, but I am a SORE LOSER!!!! All of the girls had a great time and it was a great day for football.

Hopefully I come out on top at the end of the season, but in the meantime, I LOVE MY DIVAS and I really enjoy spending football Sunday with them instead of being ignored by my Honey Do all day. I just might be a fan after all.

Close Call

2011-09-20T15:57:00.000-07:00

Last night, I gave Taelyn a bath, and by bath, I mean shower.... I put her in the shower with me since we have a HUGE bath tub and there is no way I could climb in and out of it to bathe with her and there is no way my back could handle me leaning over to bathe her properly. Todd was watching football since it was Monday Night Football. Showering kills 2 birds with 1 stone. I have been on modified bed rest since my Wake Up Call. I am able to do lots, but I think I took the word "modified" too literally. I think, I may have possibly been over doing it.

After Taelyn and I were done in the shower, I dressed her read to her and put her to bed. I laid down in bed and started watching TV. I am VERY excited about my Fall shows starting this week. Not even 10 minutes into How I Met Your Mother, I felt a contraction. It was pretty intense. I felt a sharp pain in my back as well. That was new. I just did my heavy breathing and waited. I didn't have to wait long. 5 minutes later, I had another one. I quickly drank a 24 ounce bottle of water and laid on my left side and waited. The contractions were coming faster and faster. When they were about 2 minutes apart, we asked Eddie, my step dad to stay with Taelyn while we went to Labor and Delivery. When we got there, the contractions were right on top of each other. I just KNEW that this baby was coming. They set us up and we waited, they gave me some meds to stop the contractions and 3 hours later, we were sent home again.

I was a bit relieved that we were sent home because I just don't think that we are ready for little man. We STILL don't have a name and he doesn't even have a car seat. Being that Taelyn is so little, she is still in her infant car seat, so we bought a car seat cover that is blue for the baby, so we could use her car seat for him and put her in her big girl car seat. I really need to get on the ball because I am 35 weeks pregnant now, and Taelyn came at 36 weeks. I just can't get over the fact that with Taelyn we were ready for and this time, we may have the experience, but we are no where near ready. I need to make a check list and start checking. I am very disappointed in myself. I will be better. After this close call, I need to get ready for my little boy because he is coming whether I am ready or not. So here we go....

Football Sunday

2011-09-18T20:57:00.000-07:00

Last year: Taelyn's 1st Football Season
The bib Says: "I watch the Chiefs With My Daddy"

In the DiMillo House during football season we are in our Chiefs gear! This is Taelyn's 2nd season and Todd seems to be the most excited. Last year he went to Kansas City to watch the Chiefs take on the Chargers in the 1st Monday Night Football game. They actually won and he takes all the credit for that. While he was out there, he bought Taelyn and me a bunch of Chiefs gear.

Todd bought Taelyn this Chiefs Cheerleading uniform in hopes she could wear it by this season and she can! When I woke up this morning, they were both up and fed and in the Chiefs gear!

This picture of Taelyn is just the cutest thing, I can't even handle it. (Not biased at all)

Sadly, the Chiefs lost today, but boy my family is gorgeous

Taelyn is getting to be such a big girl, seeing her at her picnic table just proves how big she is getting

Unfortunately, there are no pictures of me on our Family Football Sunday, I am 35 weeks pregnant and don't fit any of my Chiefs gear. No worries, by next year's football season, I will be dressed with my family, and I will not only have a cheerleader, but I will also have a little football player and the thought of that makes my heart smile.

My Baby Shower

2011-09-13T20:26:00.001-07:00

9/10/11 What a great day to have a baby shower. As some of you may notice, I am crazy when it comes to certain dates. I picked this day because it seemed lucky to me to have numbers that are consecutive. I planned and planned so when the date finally came, I honestly didn't have much to do. When I woke up in the morning I made breakfast for my sweet girl and me. We played and when Todd woke up, I went to get a pedicure. When I got back, we dropped Taelyn off at my mom's so she could nap while we ran errands. If Taelyn doesn't get a nap, she is quite unpleasant, and I didn't want her to be fussy because there was going to be a whole lot of people who would want to engage with her and she needed to be ready for all of the attention.

Todd and I went to Costco to pick up the cake.
Then I went home and got ready while he picked up the rest of the food. I went to pick up Taelyn and then we met up at the Redlands Senior Center that was so beautifully decorated the day before by me, my mom, Eddie, Maila and Richard.

The football helmet, cupcakes and football shaped cake was made by my sweet sweet Sorority sister, Tekura

All we had to do was set up the food tables and wait for the guest. It was perfect. Once 2pm hit, people started flooding in. It was such a great turn out. I was so happy to see so many people who I haven't seen in so long. I even had my Auntie Ludy (mom's sister) visiting from Alabama!
Sanders Family

Mom and Taelyn

Me and Lea

Sorority sisters

Taelyn stuck to Lea like glue

Me and my Sweet Tanka

Me and Alisia

We had Rosa Maria's Burritos, they have been my obsession my entire pregnancy

The games were super fun. I had a match the baby picture to the recent picture game and Match the mommy to the baby boy. We also hung clothes on a line and who ever did it the fastest was the winner. It was a super fun game. All of the games had great prizes so it was fun to see who won.

After the games we opened up the presents

We were completely showered with gifts and lots and lots of diapers and wipes! We couldn't have been happier. We had a lot of fun and I think everyone who was there had a great time too. Thank you to all who attended and helped make our shower a success and a time to remember. Everything is put away and ready for our baby boy, now all we have to do is come with a name and we will really be ready for his arrival.

Maternity Pictures

2011-09-12T21:07:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday I met up with Jessica Hekman so she could take my maternity pictures. I got my hair done the day before and wore curlers to maintain a loose curl and Alisia came over just before Jessica got here and did my makeup to make beautiful. The last time I had this trio together was last January for LaQualia's Moulin Rouge 30th birthday party, the morning of the party, I had a photo shoot with Jessica to surprised Todd with boudior pictures for Valentine's day.I am 99.99% sure that that was the night that we conceived out little baby boy.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE PICTURES!!! Jess really outdid herself once again. Here are some of my favorites, there are a lot because I like just so many!

Thank you so much Jess, I am so, so happy with the way these turned out!

Football Theme Baby Shower Prep

2011-09-07T10:37:00.001-07:00

I didn't throw my shower for Taelyn, generally showers are given by friends, I felt like with this baby I shouldn't even have a shower, since I had a huge one for Taelyn. I thought it would be asking too much of people. My mom told me not to be crazy! We had to have a shower for him, he is a blessing and NEEDS to be celebrated. So, with that being said, I decided to to it all by myself. Throwing a party alone is nearly impossible, and stupid, especially if you have people who love you and are more than willing to help. I am just the type of person who feels like I can do it all. Well, I can't...

So for the past couple of weeks, I have been preparing for my baby shower. Since it is the official 1st weekend of the start of the football season, Todd wanted to do a whole "Football" themed shower. Since this is his boy, I decided to be accommodating. I asked for suggestions and ideas via Facebook and boy were my friends helpful. They helped me get the ball rolling on what to do for favors and centerpieces and games, etc.

I started out with the favors since I knew with all the friends we have, that would more than likely be the most time consuming. I wanted something cute, but cost effective. I decided to make baby booties but give them a football twist and make them look like athletic shoes. I went out and bought my supplies from Smart and Final, Joann's, and the 99 Cent Store. I bought styrofoam cups, blue ribbon for laces, football ribbon for trim, tulle, and clear small rubber bands. Total cost of supplies for the booties $19.76. Not bad at all. The candy to fill the booties were over $20 but I didn't count for that since if I would have bought favors from a party place it would be in the hundreds for sure, PLUS the candy to fill them.

I cut the cups in half, made 2 slits punched holes in the slits and brought them together and tied them with ribbon to give the effect of the booties. Then I wrapped the football ribbon along the top to cover my jagged cutting skills and put a sticker on the back that says "Team DiMillo 9/10/11" I filled the tulle with M&M's and stuck them in the booties, then Viola! Since I had to make 100, I called on some friends, Alisia of course helped, A LOT, she is always my life saver! Raylea and my cousin Melanie came and helped too. After 2 days, all 100 were done!

Next were the centerpieces. I knew I wanted footballs, so we got those at the 99 Cent Store, Alisia tied baby blue ribbon around it and we left those alone for a few days. I didn't know how I wanted to display it on the tables. My brother Richard suggested that I mount them on a tee. I asked Todd and he said that tees were expensive, so he suggested that we put them on a plate and use a cup to mount them. I decided to put Easter grass I had left over from Taelyn's birthday party and it all worked out! They look great!

There is still lots to do, but I am glad I got those things out of the way early, so that is one less thing I have to worry about and I am soooo thankful for my family and friends for helping me do the tedious act of getting the favors and centerpieces done. More to come on this baby shower business....

Sunday Brunch and I Saved a Lizard!!!

2011-08-30T11:20:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, I went to brunch at Castaways with some old coworkers of mine. They work in Todd's department, so I haven't worked with these ladies for over 8 years. We have kept in touch because of Todd but, you just don't lose touch with friends like these. Of course, Alisia and I are connected forever because we are more than friends, we are FAMILY! Plus her son is my Godson AND it doesn't hurt that she lives 4 houses away :) Stephanie and Rachel are a bit harder for me since we don't live near each other, we have different schedules and like with everything else, life just gets in the way. We got there at 9am and didn't leave until 1:30pm. Time just flew by. We talked about everything and laughed and just enjoyed each other. It was a really great time.

When we got home, Todd left to go to lunch with one of his friends. My sorority sister Tekura stopped by to bring me some cupcakes (like I really needed them.) They were sooooo GOOD!!! We were sitting on my Island just talking and Tekura saw a lizard zoom by the recliner. I didn't want to kill it and I especially didn't want it in the house, so I grabbed a cup and we cornered it and he ran right into it. I put the little thing outside. I felt mighty accomplished because we saved the little bugger's life. I am NOT the kind of person that usually can/would do something like that. I usually squeal like a scared child, so this was big for me! I even took the time to take some pictures!

1st Days Back On the Island

2011-08-25T17:10:00.000-07:00

Monday: My first full day back on bed rest. It was actually not that bad. Todd was home and so he pretty much took care of me and Taelyn. Then the Morris' and the Hekman's came over for game night. Boy was that FUN!!! We all laughed and had a great time! It is really fun to hang out with other married couples. I really enjoyed having them over and I am looking forward to doing that again.

Tuesday: Richard, my brother, came over to spend the week with me. My mom stopped by and brought lunch and in the afternoon my Sorority Sister Gerri came over to help and keep me and Taelyn company. Shaelyn, my neighbor brought over dinner for us and the day just seemed to fly by.

Wednesday: This was a HARD day. After breakfast, Todd left for work and Taelyn was really sad about it. This was their conversation:
Todd: "Give Dada kiss, I have to go bye, bye."
Taelyn: "No, no, no Dada. No bye, bye!"
Todd: "Baby, I have to go to work"
Taelyn: *crying* "No bye, bye Dada, no!"

It literally broke my heart, and Todd's. He ended up playing with her for about 10 minutes longer and then when she wasn't looking he snuck out. It was a rough day after that. Taelyn was NOT being bad, she just kept trying to get away, was getting into things she usually never even notices and was just plain losing her mind!

It started with her trying to put her shoes on and saying "Bye, bye" every 5 minutes, that got annoying fast.

Then she decided to pull out ALL of her shoes and was playing with them and bringing them to me one at a time. That was just sad.

Here is where she started to lose her mind. She has NEVER even noticed that there was a handle on the recliner. She started climbing it from the side where the handle was and jumping off the front of the recliner. Talk about a heart attack. She thought it was the funniest thing in the world.

Then she finally gave up and was trying to call reinforcements to come get her. I gotta get this girl out of the house.

I don't feel bad that I am on bed rest, I am willing to do what I have to do to get this baby boy out safely, but my poor Taelyn doesn't understand what is going on and she has cabin fever, and she has it BAD. She hasn't left the house since Monday. I don't know if there has ever been a time since she was born that we stayed home this many consecutive days.

Thursday: Today has not been bad, Rich is still here helping me, my mom and Eddie came over for a bit. It helps when Taelyn has other people to play with. These pictures are from today. She has an obsession with her shoes and I thought that it was funny that she wedged herself in the entertainment nook between the entertainment center and the wall where we keep her shoes. Her facial expressions are the cutest thing.

I'm really looking forward to tomorrow. I have a doctor appointment and stress test in the morning. My sorority sister Tiffani and her baby Tylia are coming over. Taelyn LOVES playing with Tylia and they play so well together.... "They are the best, best friends that anyone can ever have!" Also my "Boo Boo's" are gonna come over and have lunch with me! I can't wait to see them. We all cheered together in college and we were the best of friends, then life got in the way. Stevi is still local and we try and see each other when we can, but Andrea joined the military and moved to Japan and got married and this is the 1st time in like 7 years we will all be together! I'm sure I will dedicate an entire blog to just them!

This week has had its ups and downs, but I'm making it though.

Wake Up Call

2011-08-22T10:44:00.000-07:00

Sunday was my all girl Fantasy Football draft. I hosted and so I started with the preparing of food early! I made chicken enchiladas, 7 layer dip, an Oero/Reese's triffle, peach cobbler, and ambrosia. I also ordered a 3 foot burrito. We were set on food! It took almost 4 hours to make everything, I had everything done by draft time. I LOVE entertaining! I enjoy everything about it, a house full of people, the noise, the conversation, everything! This was no exception. When Todd has a draft, they order pizza and bring beer, that's it! Girls just do everything better!

Todd, "The Guru of Fantasy" was losing his mind with our picks, he was getting annoyed with my picks, He gave me list of people to get and I diverted from the list. Needless to say his head nearly exploded. I didn't know all if this until everyone left and we were cleaning up. He said we kept picking horrible players, saying their names wrong, didn't know what teams they played for OR their positions. He said we were horrible.... Well S-O-R-R-Y MR. Fantasy Know It All!

Our Beautiful Draft Board

When everyone left, there wasn't much clean up, which is surprising considering all the food we had. Like I mentioned before, when Todd has his draft(s) the clean up is ridiculous, considering all they have is pizza and beer. I did the dishes, swept, mopped and cleaned the counter tops while Todd vacuumed. We showered and went to bed to watch True Blood, this was the 1st time ALL day where I actually sat down and relaxed. The whole show I was feeling for the baby and he was just not moving. Completely unlike him, so I was WORRIED! I couldn't remember the last time I felt him move since I was so busy all day. So The entire show he didn't move and when it was over, I expressed my concern to Todd, before I even knew what was going on, he was dressed and ready to go. He called Adam and asked him to come over and chill with Taelyn while she slept and we went to Labor and Delivery.

When we got there, they hooked me up to the monitors right away and we heard the baby's heart beat. *Instant Relief* We also discovered that I was having contractions.... about 4 minutes apart! I didn't even notice them. I felt a tightness, but I thought that was just nerves from the draft. They didn't really hurt, but once I was aware of them, somehow, they started to hurt. I don't know how that happens, but it did. (All in my head? Probably!) They checked me and I was not dilated, and my cervix was still in tact, all good signs. They gave me medicine to stop the contractions and after monitoring me for a while I was sent home with the order of bed rest.... again.

Talk about a wake up call, I need to take it easy and not do too many things. I have been carrying on like normal, taking advantage of the fact that I feel well. With Taelyn I felt sick and tired and fragile, so I acted accordingly. With this baby, I feel amazing, so I over extend myself. I guess I need to listen to everyone and slow down!

75th Birthday Luau

2011-08-22T10:34:00.000-07:00

Saturday was my uncle's 75th birthday Luau. We all got dressed in our fancy Hawaiian attire and went to spend the evening with our family. There were so many people there to celebrate his life. We had a blast. I wish I would have brought my nice camera instead of my lame cell pictures. There were Hawaiian dancers and I even volunteered to dance with them. We enjoyed our family time to the fullest and went home at a late 10pm!

Grampy Fun

2011-08-22T09:40:00.000-07:00

Todd's dad and step mom live in Arizona and visit us often, since its a short 6 hour drive. We LOVE when Grampy and Grammy come and visit. Taelyn LOVES her "Bampy." He is silly with her and they play and enjoy each other. Sometimes she goes a few months without seeing him, but when she does, she always remembers him and is so happy to see him. It really melts my heart to see them play together. Here are a few shots from their visit.

There were being bad, so I had to put them in jail

Grampy's shoes are too BIG!

Grampy chasing Taelyn

Eating ice and getting Grampy all wet

Huggies Commercial

2011-08-18T08:59:00.000-07:00

Taelyn, my little Superstar made the cut for the Huggies commercial she shot about a month ago. There were 8 babies and they picked 3 to highlight and Taelyn was one of them. She is known on the commercial as "The Wild Card" and "Flailin' Taelyn" She was the Cloth Diaper wearer. Todd and I are even featured in the commercial. I am just beyond excited about this. You can see it on
http://see.walmart.com/Huggies/

I'm such a proud Mama.

1st Time Eating With Utensils

2011-08-08T20:33:00.001-07:00

I am totally lame and I have never really let Taelyn eat with utensils. I really don't have a reason why, I just never thought of it. I always feed her. She eats some things that are dry with her hands, but never with an actual spoon or fork. I never thought to do so. I saw Taelyn's close friend Tylia who is a month younger than her eating with a spoon and it hit me, "TAELYN SHOULD BE EATING BY HERSELF!"

I don't know why it never dawned on me. I feel like I have missed a step in her growth. She is 16 months, how did I let this slip past me? Well, tonight for dinner, she had ravioli, peas, carrots and a Hawaiian dinner roll and she ate it all by herself (with a little help from me) with a spoon. She really did great! Most of the food made it to her mouth. She finished all of her food and seemed thrilled to be eating by herself. Every time she made a full spoon full into her mouth, I clapped and danced and cheered her on, she loved it. From now on, this little one is going to be eating on her own.

I have a slight issue with the mess, but she has to learn. I will just give her more baths, I guess. My baby is getting so big right in front of my eyes. She did amazing for her 1st time eating with utensils.

Yucaipa Regional Park

2011-08-08T19:42:00.000-07:00

Friday morning started off like any other day. Taelyn and I woke up and had breakfast together. This morning we had eggs, hash browns and turkey sausage, (our favorite). After breakfast, I was washing the dishes and she came into the kitchen with a pair of shoes and said "Bye, bye." I guess she has become accustom to leaving the house soon after breakfast, only this morning, we had nowhere to go....

I sat on the couch on Facebook while Taelyn played, Jess Hekman said she was going to go to Yucaipa Regional Park if anyone wanted to join her. I thought, "Not necessarily my cup of tea, but why not?" So I went straight to the kitchen and packed a lunch for us, got Taelyn dressed in her swimsuit, got myself ready and we were off. After a short 10 minute drive, we were there.

We got there the same time Jess and her kiddos did. We picked a not so nice sunny spot where the kids could play in the sand and were close to the water. I brought a blanket that we could sit on and sunblock, that is about it.... I forgot to bring towels for us, I didn't think to bring a chair for me, and most importantly I didn't bring an umbrella. All things that I have handy in my garage. I don't usually do outings like this, so I honestly was so unprepared. I didn't even have sand toys for Taelyn to play with. We were pretty pathetic. Thank God Jess does things like this often. She had toys that they kids shared and I was fine sitting on the blanket. I was worried about Taelyn and the sand, since the last time we went to the beach, she didn't even want to walk on it. She was hesitant, but she did it!

I went in the water 1st and Taelyn followed. She seemed to like it. She played and splashed happily. The water was cold to me, but we got used to it. She didn't want to go in past her knees, but that was fine by me. She had a shovel and bucket that she played with.

She was happy, I was happy. After about 45 minutes, I decided it was time to eat. We sat on the blanket and ate our lunch. She didn't seem too interested in playing in the sand, (didn't bother me one bit). I really was trying to enjoy the nice sunny day, especially since I was in good company and Taelyn really seemed like she was having a good time. I ended up sitting in my favorite spot, her stroller, to avoid the direct sunlight. Jess was so kind to take a picture for me to send to Todd at work.

When we were done eating, Taelyn and I went back in the water and played for a little while longer. When were were about to hit the 2 hour mark of being there, I had about all I could take and decided that it was time to go. It was nearly 12:30pm and time for Taelyn's nap. Luckily it was so hot that being out of the water for about 10 minutes dried us up and we didn't need a towel anyway.

It was a great time, I actually enjoyed watching Taelyn play in the water and interact with Jessica's kids. She loved it and because of that, we will most definitely do this again. Next time though, I WILL bring an umbrella so that it will be more enjoyable for me too. I am stepping out of my comfort zone for Taelyn and finding things that I thought were utterly awful, not so bad. My baby had so much fun that we didn't even make it out of the park grounds before she was knocked out in her car seat. I am glad we did this and will for sure do it again.

Am I a "Stage Mom?" NEVER!!!

2011-08-07T11:26:00.000-07:00

Taelyn had an audition for Disney yesterday... Yes, Disney, as in Mickey Mouse and Goofy. I was so excited and nervous. This is BIG. The doors that would open up for Taelyn if she got something like this. It is for a print ad, but still, it is DISNEY for crying out loud! This company made people like, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguiliera, Selena Gomez and the list goes on and on. Not all of them may have the best reputation, but hey, they sure did make a name for themselves.

I approached it like any other audition and planned on heading out to LA, grab some lunch, then head home. Since it was Saturday, I asked if my mom wanted to come and she of course said sure. Even Maila, my niece tagged along. Maybe this was not such a great idea....

On the way there, Maila played with Taelyn the whole time, where if it were just me and her, she would have napped. When we got there, there were soooo many babies. I have never been to an audition where there were so many little ones. Taelyn was certainly engaged. When I signed her in, they asked me to audition with her, (weird) but I said ok. We waited in line for nearly an hour to be seen. The whole time my mom was sizing up the other babies and showing off all of the things Taelyn can do such as dance on command, give flying kisses and used her sign to give her treats. (please, more, thank you and all done).

Usually we are in and out in no longer than 30 mins. By the time it was Taelyn's turn, she wasn't in a bad mood, but she wasn't happy either. The moment I put her on her mark, she SCREAMED. I didn't even know how to react. She has NEVER acted like that. I tried my best to make her smile for the pictures, but the photographer just said to let her cry and he would take the shots anyway. Then he photographed me and we were sent on our way.

I had such a horrible feeling afterwards. The whole walk to the car I just felt yucky. My mom was bugging me about how it was nuts and how all the other babies were so ugly and Taelyn was the cutest there and how she was shocked at her behavior. I think it was an accumulation of everything combined, I broke down in tears. I was so disappointed and overwhelmed, I couldn't take it. Then maybe 1 minute into my tears, I thought, What the hell is wrong with me??? Why am I so upset? Was it because Taelyn was so uncooperative? Was I just irritated with my mom? Then it hit me, Why do I care so much? It is just an audition, how could I let it get me so upset? I quickly got out of my own head and wiped my tears and kissed my baby who was happy as ever now.

Lighten up T! Yes, it was the worst audition ever, but who cares! Taelyn is gorgeous and talented and if it was meant to be, then it will be. I could have done things differently, but that is just not the way it went, so there is nothing I can do but get over it. Anytime the stage mom in me comes out, I will remember this day and tell myself to get over it.

Guest Post: My Rising Star—Why I Introduced My Daughter to the Industry

2011-08-03T08:59:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago I was a guest blogger on my friend Sarah's blog. Salt & Nectar. Here is what I wrote:

Guest Post: My Rising Star—Why I Introduced My Daughter to the Industry
Posted on July 11, 2011 by saltandnectar| 2 Comments

After my daughter Taelyn was born, I thought she was the most beautiful baby in the world, but I am supposed to think that, right? I mean, I am her mommy. And, although superficial, I admittedly never tired of hearing family, friends, and strangers tell me how beautiful she looked. You see, it was reassuring that others thought she was pretty because I was secretly and irrationally worried that Taelyn as a mixed-race baby—I am black and Filipina and her dad is Italian—would look so different that others would judge or tease her. Of course I recognize that all babies are beautiful blessings, but I know from personal experience that childhood is easier for mixed-race girls who are attractive. Beyond vanity, I was truly relieved that it’s one less challenge she’ll have to contend with as she grows up.

Despite the fact that I was and still am mesmerized by Taelyn’s big eyes and sweet lips, I only ever considered her to be my little star. However, when she was about two months old, we went to a UFC fight party at my brother’s house and his friend suggested I try to put her on TV or have her do some print work. Up until that point, I honestly had never thought about doing anything like that. I wouldn’t have even known how to get her started in modeling or “acting.” The friend told me I couldn’t let all of Taelyn’s beauty go to waste (so flattering to a proud mama) and that her son worked with an agency. She then handed me the number to her agent. After talking with my husband, we thought “Hey, why not?” While we have no intentions of making her the next Mouseketeer or promoting her like the Olsen Twins, we felt this was something we would like to explore because we could add to her savings account, she could list it on future résumés, and it would make a great story to tell when she’s older. We really didn’t see any downside to pursuing this, so I called the next day and set up an appointment with an agent.

I had heard all kinds of stories about people getting scammed out of hundreds, even thousands, of dollars to get their baby into commercials, so when I met with the agent from Lang Talent and learned that I should NOT pay anything to get her started, I was surprised and relieved. He said any legit agency would pay you, not the other way around. Next, I was told what I needed to do to get her work in the industry.

As the first step, I had to get Taelyn a work permit. No minor can work on anything without a work permit. Next, I set up a profile on LA Castings. Because Taelyn is a baby, an agent cannot sign her. They contract babies and toddlers out instead. Kids usually don’t get signed to an agency until they are four or older, so the Web site is the best way to get her seen because it is used by anyone looking for talent. The next step was to wait… and, luckily, I really didn’t have to wait long. Three weeks after creating her profile up on the Web site, Taelyn was offered an audition for an independent film called The Warm Up Guy and she got it. Three months old and my baby was already a star! At least I thought so…the production incorrectly listed her name as “Jaclyn DiMillo” on the end credits. While some might consider this a bad break, I just joked that I now had two baby superstars. Beaming mother, can’t you tell? Plus, they got her name right where it counts—her paycheck, which went straight to her savings account (college here she comes!).

When we went for that film shoot, I got a quick dose of what I was to expect. There has to be a tutor on site anytime there is a minor being shot. Babies cannot work for longer than four hours a day. There is a “baby wrangler” on site and they deal with the baby, not the parent (very hard for me, since I am such a hands-on mommy). You must have the work permit with you at all times, and the tutor or baby wrangler must sign off on the permit.

The laws are very strict regarding how the child gets paid for her work and how the money is divided. Ten percent goes to the agency, fifteen percent goes into a Coogan Account, and the rest is for the parents. How parents choose to spend the rest of the money is totally their prerogative. We feel blessed by her opportunities and have decided to save all her earnings for her (certainly a perk of waiting until you are established to have kids).

{ Taelyn's LA Casting's Profile Pictures }

Through LA Castings, whenever there is a part or a role that fits the description of Taelyn’s profile, I get an e-mail and I can pick and choose if I want to submit to the client. If it’s something we’re interested in pursuing, I submit her profile and they can then see her pictures and her measurements. Most people don’t want headshots for a baby, they want to see them au natural. More often than not, I have been asked to send a cell phone picture of her so they can just see what she looks like in a raw environment. If they like what they see, they then offer an audition. Taelyn has had many auditions and I’ve learned that you really never know what the client wants. I go to the audition, where they generally ask me to make her smile, cry (I have actually seen a mom pinch her baby to make her cry! I would NEVER!), or just let her play and they videotape or take pictures of it. Within five to ten minutes, we are sent on our way.

Taelyn has booked three jobs since she has started working, the most recent being a Huggies commercial (the BIG fish). She really did an amazing job on set—she is so mild mannered, it helps. (Thank God for that because he certainly did not grant me the patience to deal with her otherwise.) There are lots of babies looking for work and so there are months that can go by without any auditions. It really just seems to be the luck of the draw. When you do get called for an audition, you get very little notice, sometimes just hours in advance, so this would not be something working parents can do easily. Since I am a stay-at-home mom now, I have the time to make the hour and a half drive (without traffic) to get her to auditions. I also have time to join in the fun. Huggies asked me and my husband to be at the set but we had no idea that they’d send us to hair and makeup too—the company wanted “real” parents to speak about the product, so we gladly obliged.

While we attempt to make this a fun family affair, it can be a brutal family profession as exemplified by the dreaded “stage moms” I have encountered. I’ve seen mom’s pinch their child’s cheeks before heading into an audition to give them rosy cheeks; I’ve seen bribery with candy and toys when the audition was over; I’ve witnessed one mom put fake teeth and hair on her BABY! before the audition; and I’ve seen a mom switch a call time so that another baby would miss her audition. All I do is shake my head because I see clearly that I am by no means a stage mom. I will not force my child to do anything she doesn’t want to do. She is only 15 months old right now, and as much as a baby cannot voice opinions or make certain decisions, she seems to be more than happy when we go to these auditions and shoots. But the moment she no longer shows interest, we will move on to the next endeavor. I want her to have any and every opportunity to do something special, whether it’s commercials, soccer, dance (fingers crossed), music, whatever. While I don’t want her to be a quitter and I do want her to gain the experience, I would never insist that she keep doing something that doesn’t bring her enjoyment. Plus, I am concerned about her future—I don’t want Taelyn to focus and rely on just her looks instead of using her brain! School and learning will always be the priority. I think this sets me aside from other stage moms and I hope that Taelyn will grow up to be well rounded and knowledgeable in many different things.

In the meantime, I am so excited that she booked a Huggies commercial. My baby is a superstar (unless her part is left on the cutting room floor)!

~ Teresa DiMillo

Portrait Images by Jess Hekman Photography.

Salt & Nectar thanks Teresa for guest blogging today. Teresa lives in Mentone, California with her husband Todd, daughter Taelyn, two dogs Tyson and Tony, and is expecting Baby Boy T in the fall. (As you can see, she is passionate about “T” names.) Teresa is a cancer survivor. She said goodbye to her busy and hectic life as a private investigator in the gaming industry to become a Domestic Goddess and raise her growing family. She enjoys playing with her daughter, amateur cooking and baking, entertaining friends, and anything that is neat, clean, and organized. You can catch a glimpse of her life on her blog thedimillos.blogspot.com.

My Week

2011-07-31T07:13:00.000-07:00

Warning: Long Blog post ahead.... I sure am wordy sometimes :)

Things have been kinda hectic around here lately. I feel like I have been so busy, but honestly I don't know what I have been busy doing. This past week, I have had something to do everyday. I try to fill my days with at least one trip where Taelyn and I get out of the house, so the whole "Stay At Home Mom" gig doesn't get old for me.

Last Saturday: I went to lunch with Marlene and her daughter Samantha at Red Robin. Marlene is my OB's nurse. When pregnant with Taelyn we were there so often, we were able to get really close with the staff and our doctor. I LOVE THEM! After lunch, I came home, got dressed and packed Taelyn up to spend the evening with Auntie Alisia and Kaleb. Todd went to a Dodger Game, while I went to the Selena Gomez concert with another one of our wonderful neighbor's Tracy and her daughter Mikayla. OMG was Mikayla surprised and HAPPY! She LOVES Selena Gomez and knew EVERY song. Great day indeed :) (BAD ME, again I didn't take any pictures)

Last Sunday: Alisia and I went on a date :) We left Taelyn and Kaleb with Todd and we went to see the last Harry Potter (*tear*). Then after the movie, we visited a friend who recently had a baby. Her little peanut was just so cute. The whole time I kept thinking, this is going to be me in about 2 months.... Ekkk, I still can't believe we are going to do this again. I'm excited, yet very nervous about having two little ones. Then we had lunch at Thia House. Yummy!

Monday: We had workers come to inspect our house for any damages or neglect from the builders, so since it was Todd's day off, he stayed home to manage them, while Taelyn and I went to check out some venues for a potential baby shower location.

Tuesday: Taelyn and I had lunch with my friend Raylea. We had Benjerong (Thai Food) Great company and great food always makes for a happy me.

Taelyn before we left for my appointment:

Wednesday: I had my monthly doctor appointment. I got to hear the baby's heart beat and visit with our doctor and Marlene. I actually missed them after Taelyn was born. Since things with this pregnancy are going so great, I don't get to see them as often. That is good, but bad. I am sooooo overjoyed to be having an amazing pregnancy, but I would like to see my friends more often, hence the lunch with Marlene on Saturday.

Thursday: I planned on taking my glucose test today, but Todd had an early meeting, so I had no problem pushing that test back. Besides, I planned on having Kaleb all day and pick up Alisia from work. I love having my Godson. He was so sweet and affectionate with me all morning. He truly is a joy to watch. I was hoping Taelyn would follow suit and be affectionate, not so much. She didn't even care that another little one was all over her mama. When I picked up Alisia, we went to JoAnne's and picked up some things for the baby shower. When Todd got off, we went to dinner at Thai House (again for me, I'm on a Thai food kick lately) with some of our neighbors Shaelyn and Scott. Scott's mom (who is Thai) was in town visiting from DC and treated us all to dinner. So sweet of her.

Taelyn being silly:

Friday: I woke up early and went to get my glucose test out of the way. That orange drink was not as bad as I remembered it with Taelyn. I was in and out in an hour. After that, I came home, picked up Taelyn, Todd went to work and we spent the entire day at my mom's with Allan, Maya and Leah. Taelyn LOVES her cousins!!! This is not an exaggeration. She is so happy whenever they are around. she didn't even notice when Mommy, Apo (grandma) and Bapa (Uncle Russell) left to get a foot massage for an hour. When we came back, she was playing with her cousins just as we left them.

Eddie, my step dad, has finally decided to retire, after years of working for the US Postal Service, he has decided to take a break. His coworkers and friends had a retirement party for him. It was nice seeing him with his peers. My mom wanted to have a huge retirement bash for him, but in true Eddie form, he declined and just said he wanted this simple pizza party, so that is what we did and we were all there for him.

Saturday: My mom doesn't drive on the freeway, so anytime there is anything that is farther than San Bernardino, Highland or Redlands, I am surely the one to take her. She wants to have Lasik surgery on her eyes, she is tired of wearing glasses, so I set up a consultation. I took Taelyn with me since it was just a consultation, how long could it possibly be? When we got there at 9am, they took my mom back right away. The 1st hour seemed to just fly by, the 2nd hour passed and Taelyn was beginning to get cranky, by the 3rd hour, going into the 4th, it was meltdown city! She was falling on the floor fussing and whining, I had run out of ideas to keep her entertained. What was frustrating was there were people who came in after my mom who left before her. I KNOW it took long because of the language barrier and them having to repeat things over and over for her, but sheesh! I was irritated! Thank God Taelyn finally got so worked up, she fell asleep

When we finally left at 12:30pm our plan to go to Victoria Gardens fell through because I had a 1 o'clock appointment with a venue for the baby shower. We made it there by the skin of our teeth. Good thing we did, because this place was it! I am so happy to finally have a venue and I can get things rolling with this baby shower. We had lunch, my favorite right now, Rosa Maria's and then Eddie dug up all of my old dance videos. We spent the rest of the afternoon watching me when I was a kid dancing. It was a nice trip down Memory Lane.

Today: I plan on having breakfast with my family, then going to church, then going to a friend's birthday party. I am most happy when I am busy. It was a great week and hopefully the next few weeks run smoothly with the preparation for the baby shower and most importantly the BABY!!!

Here I am at 28 weeks

This is the picture that will be on my baby shower invitation:

Play Date with Lucas

2011-07-24T08:28:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, Todd had a guest lecture at the Claremont colleges with his friend Allen, who happens to be the husband of my cousin Jhonda. They have a 2 year old son named Lucas. Lucas and Taelyn are 13 months apart. I have been trying to get them together for a play date, but with crazy schedules it has been hard. Since the guys went to the lecture and Jhonda had to work, I got to host the play date with Lucas and Taelyn. Boy were they sweet together. He was gentle with her, they shared everything. There was not one moment where either of them even whined.

They played with Glasses

They played with Legos

Lucas was such a good boy, he was mellow, mild mannered, polite, everything anyone watching a kid for the 1st time could want. They entertained each other for a few hours until Taelyn was so tired, she sat on her princess couch and stuck her thumb in her mouth, that's my cue to put her to bed. Soon after Todd and Allan came home and they Lucas was winding down as well. I have to say, that was a very successful play date. I will watch Lucas ANYTIME!!! I pray that this baby in my belly is anything like him, if so, Todd and I will have NO problems with 2 kids under the age of 2. It was great practice.

Playing With Brother

2011-07-19T13:23:00.000-07:00

Last night, I was sitting on the floor playing with Taelyn and she lifted my shirt and said "Baby." She then proceeded to rub, talk, kiss and bring my tummy toys. It really was the sweetest thing. Todd got a few shots of her "Playing with Brother" I love moments like this, especially because they don't happen as often as I would like. I think Taelyn sees that my stomach is getting bigger and bigger by the day and is beginning to actively take notice. I LOVE it, so I thought I would document it.

"There's a PARTY in my Tummy!"

2011-07-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

26 weeks

Baby "No Name" is seriously a mover and a shaker! He is going to be awake ALL the time when he finally makes it into the world. I don't think there is a moment in my day where he is NOT moving. I thought babies are supposed to be sleeping most of the time at this stage, him, not so much. He is always parting it up in there. Imagine someone nudging you all the time, it gets annoying. I used to be so excited when I felt him move. I WANTED him to move, now... I honestly want him to chill out. I know, it is a blessing and it is the most amazing feeling ever, blah, blah, blah. It was the ONLY thing I missed about being pregnant once Taelyn was born, but seriously, it is getting out of hand. He actually HURTS ME! He startles me. He will be moving slowly and rhythmically and then BOOM! He hits/kicks me so hard, my eyes water. Taelyn was NOTHING like this.

I think maybe he is feeling neglected. He STILL doesn't have a name for heaven's sake! Taelyn and I are the only people who talk to him, or even touch my stomach. Todd NEVER touches my stomach or talks to him. To be completely honest, this makes me MAD. He didn't do this with Taelyn either, but I chalked it up to him being worried to get too close until she was actually here because of what happened with Trent. Now, I just think he doesn't care. He won't touch my stomach unless I take his hand and physically put it where he is moving and when I do this, I feel like he can't wait to take his hand off.

Being that I am Filipino, none of my family ever touches my stomach. It is a superstition that you should never touch a pregnant woman's stomach because of transferred spirits and negative energy. So really no one around me will touch my stomach. I think I just want someone else to feel what I am feeling. I think my baby boy is begging for some attention and taking it out on me. I'm not saying I want some random person to touch me, but if I know you and your are a friend, feel free to rub Buddha's belly, it may be good luck ;)

UGH

2011-07-13T06:59:00.000-07:00

I apologize in advanced for my melancholy post. After a VERY rough night, I woke up feeling tired, irritable, uncomfortable, HOT and sick. I'm not a happy camper today. I honestly feel like I have been pregnant for the last 3 years. Technically I have been in a way. It started in May of 2008. Todd and I had only been married for 2 months and we were overjoyed when we found out we were pregnant! We knew getting pregnant would be a struggle since I previously had uterine cancer, but we knew it was not impossible since I had been pregnant before in 2003 (another story, another life). I miscarried that baby a week after I found out. When Todd and I found out we were pregnant, we shouted it out at the top of our lungs to any and everyone who would care to listen. Yup, we were excited.

Not long after that, we felt the heartache of a loss. While processing what happened, two weeks after, we found out we were pregnant again. How is that even possible??? We couldn't make sense of it, but the doctors didn't seem to be surprised. They said it happens all the time. Although they suggest to wait 6 months after a miscarriage to try again, sometimes it happens right away. In our case, we didn't even have time to think. We were going through such a roller coaster of emotions. This was the 3rd time I was pregnant and I was going to do any and everything in my power to keep this baby alive.

We found out we were pregnant in July and on Christmas Day, we lost our sweet baby boy Trent Mason. This is one of the last pictures I have with him in my tummy. Think about him ALL the time.

11 months later, I was pregnant again with my sweet Taelyn. I was on bed rest for what felt like FOREVER, but boy was this little girl worth it! She is my everything. 4th time was a charm for us.

I went nearly full term with her. I delivered her at 36 weeks and a few days

I had such a restless nights sleep and woke up emotional and unhappy, I didn't know where this post was going, but I actually feel much better than I did when I started writing. This is why I love my blog, even if no one reads it, or comments on what I write, it makes me happy when I do write. I am thankful for what I have had to overcome and what I have to show for it. I'm excited for my growing family and even though this baby boy, who is yet to be named growing inside me makes me emotional, I love him and can't wait for the new adventure he will bring our family.

I'm ME Again!

2011-07-07T10:48:00.000-07:00

For the past month, I have been having a super hair crisis. Like I have said in this blog, I am just NOT one to go out looking like, "Who Shot Jon?" Who is that? Exactly! I don't go out looking a mess, THAT is who shot Jon. For the past month, I have had the worst time with this southern weave I had. It was too BIG! I couldn't manage it, I wore it in a bun at all times. It was itchy and unmanageable. It was just a horrible experience. Maine always tells me not to get a full head weave because 1. My real hair is too long it won't look natural. 2. I won't like how itchy my scalp will get. 3. I just won't like it. I hate to say it, but he was RIGHT!! You hear me Maine? "YOU WERE RIGHT!" Lesson Learned, I won't do that again! No matter how desperate I get to try something different.

Yesterday was hair day. Hair day is once a month for me, I used to go every 2 weeks, but since having Taelyn, I have had to sacrifice a day and just settle for once a month. And boy do I look forward to that once a month hair appointment! How I missed my Maine Man. He took one look at me and LAUGHED!!! The nerve of him, I couldn't even blame him, I was laughable. Even on my worst day, I did not look that bad... right?

He started by taking out that HORRIBLE weave and washed my hair. OMG... HEAVEN! I love getting my hair washed. He massaged my head and gave me a deep conditioning. It was the best. Then he blow dried it and flat ironed it. When he was done, it was like I was a whole new person! I was ME again. It felt so good to have my hair back. Something so little can seriously make such a difference. For me it is my hair. I have always had nice hair. When I was going through Chemo, the worst part of it was losing my hair. I don't know why, I guess I am superficial in that way, but, in all honestly, I don't care and I won't apologize for it. I like my hair, I like my hair to look good, and I LOVE my hair dresser and hair day! I don't think that will ever change. Thank God (and Maine) I am ME AGAIN!

Chaparrel Lane's 4th Annual 4th of July Block Party

2011-07-06T08:55:00.000-07:00

Since we moved into our neighborhood, we have thrown a block party for the 4th of July. Every year it keeps getting bigger and bigger. The 1st year, there were only 10 houses on our street. Out of the 10 houses, only 8 were occupied and 5 of the 8 participated. Since then 8 more houses have been built and most of them participated. It was a great way to meet the neighbors we don't know.

I ALWAYS talk about what a great neighborhood we live in and I will say it again... I LOVE MY NEIGHBORS! Most of us moved into together and have maintained healthy friendships. Two of my neighbors were my friends even before we moved. JJ and Kellina moved in at the same time as us and we kinda bought our houses as a package deal. If they were out, we were out and vice versa. We got great deals on our homes just for that reason :) Adam and Alisia moved in last year when one of the newer houses were built. Their son Kaleb is our Godson, we LOVE them dearly!

Anyway needless to say our annual block party is always full of fun, food and fireworks! Living 3 miles from University of Redlands has its perks during the 4th of July. Every year they have a huge fireworks show and we have the PERFECT view from our street. The whole show without the crowds, the noise, and the smell of smoke. It was great. We buy the kids (the amount of kids seem to be growing every year) little poppers so they can have something to enjoy before the show starts and when it does, we all our lawn chairs in the middle of the street and enjoy the show. After, everyone collects their dishes and do a quick clean up and go home. It was a successful block party full of fun and friendship, can't wait til next year! I'll have 2 little ones to be chasing around.

Taelyn pushing London on the Quad

Mingling

Food

Grubbing

Scott starting the firecrackers and poppers

More mingling

My little 4th of July Baby getting cranky towards the end of the night

I'm like the worst photographer ever... Not only did I not get a family picture, I am not in ANY pictures from the whole day. Next year I will remember to make it a point to get a group shot of everyone AND a family picture of MY family!

VEGAS!!!

2011-07-03T20:40:00.000-07:00

Russell and his family were in Vegas for the weekend, and after talking to my mom, we decided on Thursday that we would go to Vegas on Saturday. We went online and booked a room and we were off. My mom worked Friday night, so at 4 am on Saturday, I picked her and Richard up. By the time we packed the car and were ready, it was 4:30 am and we were there by 7:30 am. I don't know if I have ever gotten to Vegas that fast, but I was happy about it because I HATE DRIVING!!!

We ate the moment we got there at Denny's. The server put a cup of coffee and the creamer right in front of Taelyn and she grabbed the creamer and spilled it all over her. I got so mad! I told the server, she is so lucky that she didn't grab the coffee. I don't understand why servers would put anything in front of a baby.

After we ate, we met up with Russell Gigi and the kids. We went straight to the pool. My mom even got in! (That NEVER happens) We had a great time. Here are a few shots from the pool. The only time I even took the camera out.

After the pool, we washed up and went to lunch. Taelyn and I went back to the room to take a nap while everyone else went to Red Rock Casino. There is a really cool facility for kids while the parents gambled. When Taelyn and I woke up we met up with them there. I took Taelyn to the Kid Quest while I went to play poker. My mom, Russell and Gigi were there playing. By the time I got in a game, I played for almost an hour when the people at Kid Quest called me and told me that Taelyn was crying and I needed to get her. It was about time for dinner so we all cashed out and went to Excalibur so the kids could play in the arcade. At about 10:30 pm, I about had it and the kids were beginning to melt down. We went back to the room and called it a night.

When we woke up, we met up with the rest of the family for breakfast and then we headed back home. I am so glad we left when we did. We made it home in under 4 hours. It was a great impromptu trip, especially on a holiday weekend.

Todd's Company Picnic At Universal Studios

2011-07-03T19:45:00.001-07:00

Todd had his annual Company Picnic at Universal Studios. Being that my mom works there also, she decided to make it a family affair. There were 12 people including me. That is just way too many people to coordinate anything and actually have a good time. It was Todd, Me, Taelyn, my mom, Richard, Russell, Gigi, Allan, Maya, Leah, Maila and Gigi's mom, Tina. (Whew!) It was a mess! I didn't even get a picture of everyone together.

Taelyn was happy pretty much ALL day, she was awake all day. She took maybe a 30 minute nap. Thank God for a pleasant baby.

Tram Ride, she was trying to get Allan's hat.

Taelyn loved it! She didn't even get scared during the King Kong section.

Maila and my mom

Here I am, taking a quick rest in Taelyn's car seat.

Funny story: Todd is taking the picture and Taelyn was trying to get to him, Russell tells Todd that she hit him and Todd said no she didn't, I didn't see it, then we look at the pictures, and sure enough, she got him good. LOL :D

It was a LONG day. We got there at about 10 am and we didn't leave until almost 8 pm. Taelyn slept the entire way home and when we got home, she didn't even wake up, she went straight to her bed and didn't wake up until 8 am. We all went straight to sleep. I LOVE my family, but boy are they exhausting!

Raylea and Ryan's Wedding

2011-07-01T08:27:00.001-07:00

My dear friend Raylea, that I have known since my middle school days at King got married last Saturday. (June 26, 2011)

We go way back to 7th grade science camp:

to High School:

Somehow we lost track of each other after college and through the wonders of Facebook, we regained contact and most importantly, our friendship :) I was able to celebrate her 30th birthday and go to the Fray concert together. We never seem to have a lack of fun when we are together. Even better, our guys get along, that always makes things great!

Enough of our history, back to the wedding. Boy was it beautiful. She crossed every T and dotted every I when it came to detail. Anyone who knows Raylea, knows if she is gonna do something, she is gonna do it right! Her colors were very summery with a burnt orange and brown mix. She got married at South Coast Winery and I was sad because I have been known to enjoy a glass of wine or two, and being that I am pregnant, I couldn't enjoy any of it :(

Raylea had her Mom and Step dad walk her down the aisle.

The ceremony was was short and sweet. They wrote their own vows and they had the sweetest things to say to each other. The thing that I liked the most is that they did the "Sand Ceremony." I love the story of this, in the olden days each family would bring sand from their "home land" and combine them. The story states that when you combine the sand you are combining not only yourselves, but your families and your history, and you can only separate when you can separate the sand. Since sand is nearly impossible to separate, you must stay together forever. Todd and I did this at our wedding as well and I LOVED it! Plus you can always have it on display and a reminder of your vows in your home. This is mine and Todd's sand:

Here I am at 23 weeks pregnant

Todd and I enjoying some wine, (apple cider for me) before the reception started

Jessica and her hubby Matt (Our partners in crime ("Blowies") inside joke)

Our place settings at our table

Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Morris!!!

They had an AWESOME candy bar!

Jessica, Raylea and me

We had LOTS of fun with the photo booth. I CAN'T wait to see the pictures we took, we were way too silly for our own good!

Jessica was my dance partner, I think there were a few times were we were out there all by ourselves! Our loving husbands got up and danced with us too, but not much. We had a GREAT time!!!!

Congratulations Raylea and Ryan Morris!!! Have fun in Jamaica, make a baby! (No pressure or anything)

Snuggle Time

2011-06-26T09:07:00.000-07:00

Taelyn has never been a cuddly baby. She never really let me rock her to sleep, she doesn't really like to hug and snuggle. This makes me so sad. All I want to do is hold her and never let her go and she just pushes me away. I nursed her until she was 13 months until one day she literally took my boob and pushed it away. Talk about rejection. I cried over this for quite a while. I was not ready to give it up yet. I blame the baby growing inside of me. I must have tasted differently to her and she didn't like it. Either way, it still makes me sad, but in a few months I get to do it all over with my baby boy :)

Every night I wake up a few times and go into Taelyn's room. We have a video monitor and I have it right next to my side of the bed so I can watch her at all times,(its silly) but I am always afraid that the video may fail me and someone may take her and set it to a feed where we see her and she really isn't there, so I have to go in and make completely sure she is really there.... I watch too many movies! Anyway, I go in there, I cover her and touch her legs and arms and caress her sweet little cheeks and I go back to bed.

This morning (about 1am) when I went into her room, like I do everyday, this time, she stood up in her crib and said "Mama." I couldn't resist picking up my sweet girl. The moment she was in my arms, she put her head on my shoulder and snuggled really close to my chest and went right back to sleep. This filled my heart and honestly, I cried a little. Me and my little girl had a moment in the wee hours of the morning. I sat in the rocking chair for nearly and hour because I just didn't want to let her go. I just know she is not going to always want me to hold her close like this, so I cherish any moment we get to do this with each other. Just writing this makes me tear up. I feel like she is getting so big so fast and there is nothing I can do to freeze time to make it last longer. In a few months everything is going to change and our lives will be rocked and nothing will ever be the same. I pray for more moments like this.

Here are a few rare moments that I have actually been able to capture on camera:

Taelyn is 15 Months!

2011-06-24T06:59:00.001-07:00

My Sweet Sweet Taelyn,

I have to to apologize, I have never done a post like this for you. I really don't even know why. I seriously can't believe you are 15 months. You, little girl bring so much light into my life. You are my miracle. I never knew a love like this until you came along. You are my happiness. My mom says that to me all the time, and I never really took her seriously, but having you has made that term have another meaning, you truly are my happiness.

Your daddy and I wanted you so badly and prayed for you, I have never prayed for anything as much I have for you. These 15 months have just flown by. Everyone tells you to enjoy it because it goes by so fast, and boy, they weren't kidding!

Taelyn, you are so active and just so independent. You are just fine playing by yourself. In fact, you prefer it. I try to get on the ground and be involved with what you are doing, but you just carry on happily. You LOVE music and you LOVE to dance! That just makes my heart smile. You get that strictly from me! You have so much rhythm and you are always on beat. I am totally gonna be a dancers mom, so I apologize in advance if I get crazy.

You are learning so quickly, the things you do and learn amazes me. You say a new word everyday. You can say "Dada, Mama, Daddy, Mommy, Apo, Doggie, Up, Down, Hi, Bye Bye, Ni-Ni (night-night), Tyson, Ball, Eat" There are many more things you can say, I'm sure, I just can't think of them at the moment. Your grandparents were here this past week and Grampy kept trying to get you to say "Grampy" and you smiled at him and as clear as day said "BAMPY" That certainly made his father's day. Then every time you saw him after that, you said "Bampy!" It was so cute!

Taelyn, you sign all day long, you show me when you want something by signing "please" and when you want more, you do the sign for "more" and when you are done you do the sign for "all done" It makes things so much easier. Everyone loves it when you give out "Flying Kisses." You are so generous with those. You know where you eye, nose, mouth, ears, feet, pretty much every body part. When I ask where are your eyes, you show me!

You are always so pleasant and smiling. You have 8 teeth and always so proud to show them off with your gorgeous smile. You are still sucking your thumb and it still drives me crazy, but you only do it when you are sleepy, so it isn't so bad. You are attached to this pink plush blanket, and that too, drives me crazy. It is a quick soother for you and you love it, so I deal with it, but I will soon start to slowly get rid of that blanket all together. The thing with the blanket is that when you have it, you suck your thumb, you don't suck unless you have that blanket, so it is a package deal, so my hopes are that when I get rid of the blanket, the thumb sucking will end too... I hope.

You look just like your daddy. You have his facial expressions and his charming personality. Everyone loves you the moment they meet you, just like your daddy. you have my nose, my hands, legs and feet.

You are a lot like me in many ways too. You DON'T like being dirty and you don't like when things around you are disorderly, just like me! You will pick up your toys and put them in order, I LOVE this about you! When you are eating and food misses your mouth, you can't have another bite until your face is clean. You even have started to help me clean. You take a cleaning cloth and wipe down the stairs or the fridge our when the pantry is open, you go in there and grab the broom and try to sweep. This makes me smile, I have started you young without even knowing it. You just learned that by watching me.

When it comes to being outside, you are not a fan. I think it is funny, yet sad. I don't want you to be like me and not try things because they are in an environment you are not comfortable with. You don't like grass, and at our recent beach trip with Grampy, we discovered you don't like sand either. I'm not a fan either. You are most comfortable indoors in air conditioning, just like me. When we were outside with all of your cousins during a photo shoot, you were uncharacteristically fussy. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with you. Then your daddy took you into the house and you were happy again. All I could do is shake my head, I completely understood what you were feeling because I didn't want to be outside either.

You like to explore everything. While Auntie Dana and Uncle Scot were staying with us, you found her bladder backpack and you figured out all by yourself how to get the water out. Everyone couldn't believe it. It was cute, you were so proud that you were able to get a quick drink out of a backpack.

You play well with others and you are always willing to share. This will come in handy when your baby brother comes onto the picture. I honestly am very scared about this. I feel like I am taking away from you and that makes me sad. I am scared because I just don't understand how I could possibly love another baby as much as I love you. Apo says that my heart will grow and it will be just fine, but I just can't help to feel guilty. I know it will be just fine and I will love you both equally. You are going to be the best big sister!

I just want you to ALWAYS know that I love you with everything in me. You are the best of me and you make me proud everyday.

I Love you so much,
Your Mama

Its a BOY!!!

2011-06-23T10:26:00.000-07:00

I am approaching my 23rd week of pregnancy, we had another ultrasound and it has been confirmed, there is a stem on the apple. I am just overjoyed at the fact that we are having a boy. I have always wanted a baby boy and now we are going to have him. Taelyn is going to be a big sister to a baby brother and I think she will be great at it. Todd and I are so excited and now all we have to do is come up with a name. There are many names that have come up. I have extended to discussion to Facebook and have gotten so many great suggestions, but really there is just so much pressure to come up with a great name. This is the name that he will have for the rest of his life. Todd and I both have to like it, my mom has to be able to pronounce it and it has to be something that is strong and noble.

We have the middle name picked. It will be Mason after his older brother. The first name will start with a T, like the rest of us, but what that T name will be, only time will tell....

This picture is him waving at us. Clear shot of his hand.

These 2 pics are of his face looking right at us.

This is his manhood! Great shots of his penis. In both pictures, you can clearly see both legs and his penis in the middle.

Todd's Birthday at Disneyland

2011-06-23T09:11:00.000-07:00

Todd turned 34 on June 20 and Taelyn turned 15 months. Since family was here visiting, all went to Disneyland. There were 9 of us total. Todd, me, Taelyn, our nephews Matthew and Brian. Todd's Dad and stepmom, Ernie and Pat, and Todd's sister and her husband, Dana and Scot. It was Taelyn's 1st time at Disneyland. We didn't want to take her too early because we weren't sure how she would receive it. She REALLY had a great time. We started on the Jungle Cruise and she loved looking at all of the animals. She was very engaged in everything around her.

After the Jungle Cruise, we went on Pirates of the Caribbean. I was worried that Taelyn would be scared, but she really loved it, she was so wide eyed the whole time.

Next we went to the Haunted Mansion. I just knew Taelyn would be scared in this one, but she wasn't she didn't cry or snuggle closer to me at all, she just watched in awe.

After the Haunted Mansion, Taelyn was spent, it was nearly and hour past her nap time, she fought it for as long as she could, she fell asleep leaning forward. As soon as she was out, we laid her down.

Taelyn's nap time was a great time for me to take a break as well. We found a nice bench under a shady tree, I got my pineapple whip, and everyone else went on Indiana Jones. While we waited. I needed that time out. By the time they were done, Taelyn was awake and ready to go on, and so was I. We went to Tomorrowland and got on Buzz Lightyear.

After Buzz, Todd and I went to watch Captain EO while everyone else went on Autotopia. I have to say, I was really excited to watch this. I have seriously fond memories of it when I was like 8 years old. Ummm, I was extremely disappointed. It was nothing at all like I remembered. I actually started to fall asleep. I guess I was just really tired. We met up with everyone and we took a train to the front of the park so we could watch a parade.

While everyone else sat on the curb, I decided to pop a squat in Taelyn's stroller. I have no idea how I fit, but I was quite comfortable.

Taelyn LOVED the loud music during the parade. She was dancing and clapping on her daddy's shoulders.

After the Parade, we went over to California Adventure Park. Everyone went on Soarin while Taelyn and I sat and waited. To my surprise, Matthew and Dana joined me. He got nervous and wanted off right after he was strapped in. When everyone got back together, we had dinner and then went on the new Little Mermaid Ride. My cousin Jon who lives close and has annual passes met up with us after he got off of work.

After that ride, I think everyone was about over it all. There were many meltdowns throughout the day and many fits, so as the sun was setting, we decided to call it a night. Taelyn was just so over stimulated, out of the whole day she only took about an hour nap. All the little ones crashed on the way home and once we got home, they all went straight to bed. It was an amazing day all around. Happy Birthday Honey and Happy 15 months to my Taelyn Whalyn!

Father's Day at Laguna Beach

2011-06-22T17:00:00.001-07:00

Father's Day we had the pleasure of having half of Todd's family staying with us. Todd's Brother David sent his 2 boys Matthew and Brian to Arizona to visit with Todd's dad and stepmom Pat and they drove from AZ to visit with us. Todd's sister and her husband Scot drove down from Chico, Ca to stay with us too. We had a FULL house, but it was really nice to have Todd's family here. We had a great time together. Sunday we had a great blueberry pancake breakfast thanks to Dana. After breakfast, we drove to Laguna beech to spend the day.

June Gloom was in full effect. It was extremely overcast and kind of cold. We still had fun playing in the water and looking for sea shells. This was Taelyn's 1st time at the beach and I just don't think my baby is the outdoorsy kind of girl. She did not like the way the sand felt under her feet. She cried every time we put her down, but as long as she was in someone's arms, she was as happy as can be.

Taelyn and "Bampy" She actually was calling him this. We kept trying to get her to say "Grampy" and what we got was "Bampy" It was so cute, she said it everytime she saw him. That is his new name :)

Scot, Matthew, Brian, Pat and Dana

Uncle Todd and the boys played in the COLD water while everyone else watched. Taelyn really enjoyed this!

Taelyn with Uncle Scot and Auntie Dana

Brian, Taelyn and Matthew

Taelyn with "Bampy" and Grammy

We found a really neat tree, perfect for climbing and we put the kids there to get a quick photo

We stopped to have a snack on a bench then we walked down a trail.

Before heading home, we had lunch and Johnny Rockets, it was sooo YUMMY!

The boys and Taelyn fell asleep on the way home. They are so cute when they are sleeping!

When we finally got home, we rested for a bit and then a few of Todd's friends came over to have chicken enchiladas and Tacos made by yours truly and some help form my souse chefs Dana and Pat. We also had some birthday cake for Todd and his dad. They both are lucky to have to father's day and their birthdays around the same time. Todd's birthday is on the 20th and his dad's is on the 22nd. We had a wonderful fun and family filled day to celebrate Father's Day and their Birthdays.

Inspirational Speech

2011-06-22T16:43:00.000-07:00

I was asked to give a motivational/inspirational speech for the graduate luncheon last week by one of my beautiful Sorority sisters. I, of course said yes, but then after, I immediately got nervous. I don't know why, its not like I never have spoken in front of people before, but I just didn't know what to say that was inspirational. I figured that there is nothing that I know more about than my life. So that is what I talked about. Here is the article that was written about the event:

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Annual Graduate Recognition Program
Inspires All!

Mrs. Teresa DiMillo, challenged at the age of 18 with uterine cancer while undergoing a routine physical to be a cheerleader at Howard University, now age 30 with a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice, career woman, married and mother, delivered an amazing inspirational message to high school and college graduates on Saturday, June 18, 2011 at Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Eta Nu Omega Chapter annual graduate recognition program. This event was held at Marie Calendars in Redlands, California. Following the diagnosis, Teresa returned home to San Bernardino, California and dealt with the challenges faced ahead. As she underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatments, Teresa transferred to California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) to continue her education. While at CSUSB, Teresa became a member of Rho Delta chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Academics, sisterhood and community service gave Teresa a purpose to live. Teresa is a cancer survivor, a member of Eta Nu Omega Chapter and continues to motivate others to focus on what they can do, not what they can’t do even when others think differently.

At this event, over $8,000.00 was awarded in scholarships to the following young ladies: Brittany Andrews, Margaret Audi, Makayla Whitney, Breanna Bailey, Raddae Chew, Diamond Jerry, Jacy White, Briana Harris, Mikayla Lammons, Shanyce Rodgers, Breauna Sencer, Reya Evans and Ngozi Udeh. Additional scholarships were awarded to members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. undergraduate chapter members with the highest grade point average. The following recipients were: Karen Huser, a member of Kappa Theta Chapter at University of California, Riverside. Karen was awarded the 2011 Sharon Thomas Scholarship. Ashley Harrison, a member of Rho Delta Chapter of California State University, San Bernardino. Ashley was awarded the 2011 Willie Mae Pierre Scholarship.

The scholarship chairman, Erika Bennett worked in collaboration with the committee members Shalimar Anderson-Horsley, Brenda Odell, Linda Gaines-Brooks, Elizabeth Macon, Kenyetta Suggars, Mariyon Thompson with the current president Yvonne Ashe in recognizing the immediate past president, Twillea Evans-Carthen, current Graduate Recognition Chairman with public recognition for her dedication, leadership and community service with a plaque in recognition of her tenure as the immediate past president of Eta Nu Omega Chapter. The surprise was well received at a time of all being recognized for a job well done!

This festive event ended with much laughter, motivation to help others and to keep in touch as graduates were encouraged to recognize when faced with adversity, “losers stay down, winners get up!”

Here are some pictures taken of the event. I apologize for the low quality, it was taken with my cell phone.

Miss My Daddy

2011-06-18T21:36:00.001-07:00

May 29th was the 9 year anniversary of my dad's death. I can't believe that it has been 9 years already. I miss him everyday. This time of year is usually especially hard. I have a hard time on father's day. I try and stay happy and optimistic but there is a piece of me that is very sad. This year Todd lost his Oma on May 28th and we were on a plane on the 29th. This was the 1st year that I honestly forgot what day it was, but I had an overwhelmingly icky feeling all that day, and when I realized why, it all made sense. I just wanted to take the time to recognize him and celebrate what he means to me always. I love you daddy, rest in peace.

Russell's 40th Birthday Party

2011-06-18T21:21:00.000-07:00

On June 11, 2001 my oldest brother celebrated his 40th birthday. Russell actually turned 40 on June 14th. His wife Gigi had planned a super birthday bash for him. She turned their backyard into a club like atmosphere. I am really sad to say that I only took 2 pictures with my camera, but we did have JessHekmanPhotography taking pictures and capturing all of the great shots. There were "Go Go Dancers" that were dancing and serving food to the quest. There was a bar with a bartender and an amazing DJ.

We had great fun. Todd and I danced pretty much all night. My mom and Eddie were there to take care of all of the grandkids in the house while the adults had a great time outside. I think it was nearly 1:30 in the morning when we finally decided to call it a night. If I was actually thinking, I would have packed bags and stayed the night, but we took that 30 minute drive home and I was in bed at about 2:30 am.... WAY past my usual bed time. It was so much fun and I sure did pay the price of dancing in 5 inch heels all night. I was so sore the next day, everything hurt. Being 5 months pregnant and completely out of shape really took its toll. Totally worth it though, my brother had a great time and I was so happy that we could share his birthday with him. Happy Birthday Russell, I love you!

Noel and Mirasol's Wedding

2011-06-16T07:53:00.000-07:00

Saturday, June 11, 2011 we went to a friend's wedding. I decided to wear a dress that was a bit revealing considering my boobs just don't quit, for someone normal, the dress would have not been that risque. When Todd saw the dress on me, he said, "You're NOT gonna wear that, are you?" I was a bit taken back because Todd NEVER comments on my choice of clothes... EVER! So I explained why I chose this because we were going to my brother's 40th birthday bash right after and I don't want to change into "club attire" so I tried to find something in between. Todd said the wedding was going to be "conservative." Point taken, so when we dropped off Taelyn at my brother's house, I asked Gigi, my sister in law if I could borrow a dress and we found one more appropriate.

Thank God we did! When we got to the wedding, we were separated from the men. The women sat on one side of the church and the women on the other... STRANGE! I didn't know what to make of it. We just went with the flow and the whole ceremony I was trying to figure out what religion they were. I was on Facebook (bad me *slaps hand*) I asked what people thought the religion might have been. I got Jewish Orthodox, Muslim, Roman Catholic, 7th Day Adventist, etc. We really couldn't figure it out. Later, speaking to Mirasol, she just said it wasn't the religion, it was just the way the church was.

The men on their side

It was a gorgeous wedding, I loved the colors. The bride looked amazing!

The reception didn't have any dancing or alcohol, so we were wondering what we were going to do. I like to dance, and Todd likes to drink, the only thing we both like is games, and that is what they had! I won a gift card to Starbucks for a Mirasol trivia question: How many sisters does she have and what are their names? I nailed it! We also came close to winning another gift card for How well do you know your spouse. We got 1 answer wrong out of 10. The winners were a super old couple who had been married for like 50 years, so I guess, I will take the "L" graciously, not something I do well. We had a great time, but we had to cut out early to get to my brother's party (Post to follow).

Congratulations Mirasol and Noel!!!

Super Sketchy Hair Salon

2011-06-09T07:50:00.000-07:00

Everyone who knows me, knows that I am LOYAL to my hair dresser (Maine) and I DON'T mess around when it comes to my hair. I don't wear makeup on a regular basis, I'm not really trendy when it comes to clothes, but really when it comes to my hair, I don't miss an appointment, and my hair is always on point. That is my only "thing" I love going to the salon, I love my talks with Maine and the people in the salon. I just enjoy the atmosphere and the feeling of being pampered. My favorite is the wash. I LOVE just being pampered. This is really one of the only things I do for myself.

SO, that all being said, after a few days in the Alabama humidity, my hair had, had it! Everyday that went by, my hair got worse and worse. The trip fell right in the time of my standing appointment with Maine. I thought that I could just hold off until I got home, but I did not anticipate the humidity. My awesome Mother-In-Love and Sister-In-Love, went to the "The Walmart" and started taking a survey on black people with good looking hair. They asked what salon they went to and who was their hair dresser. So after asking a few people, they kept getting the same name and salon, they wrote it down and brought it home to me to make an appointment. Divine Creations and Nicole... I was NERVOUS!!! I haven't had another person even touch my head in over 10 years.

After talking to Maine, we decided that I would get a full head curly weave so that my real hair would be protected in braids under fake hair. So there was no way, IF she was bad, she could ruin my real hair and years of Maine's hard work. I spoke to the hair dresser, Nicole and she told me what hair to buy and surprisingly it wasn't as expensive as I expected. The price I was quoted was not as expensive as I thought it would be either. This also made me nervous. So I just kept it pushing and went forth. When I got to the salon, this is what I saw.....

Ummmm.... this was not a salon at all, it was a house that appeared to be condemned. This can't be right, I seriously don't even know why I proceeded to go inside. I guess I was hoping the inside would be better, it wasn't. A woman was walking out as I walked in and her hair looked really good, so I thought that it must not be so bad.

I waited for about 45 minutes before I got to the wash bowl which really was nothing since I am used to waiting on Maine. The wash was great! She really massaged my head and it felt great. I was put under the dryer while she worked on other heads which is another good sign. She worked fast and good. She did like 4 people even before I got in the chair and they all looked really great, so I was feeling better about my decision of going into the house.

The ladies in the salon were really nice, the conversation was not bad, and she was quick with my hair. I was out of there in 4 hours total. The work was not bad, I am not saying that I don't like it, but because my real hair is so long, the hair looks big... lets just say I am not used to my hair being so big. Plus, that is a southern thing, big hair. Everyone really likes it, by the next day, it kind of grew on me. I am not happy with it, but it will do until the next time I can see my Maine Man. It is really not bad, it is just not what I am used to. This is what I get for cheating on Maine. He knows me better than I know myself. I'm not happy with the hair, but I don't hate it. So I guess the "Sketchy Hair Salon" was not that bad, you just can't judge a book by its cover.

Final Product

Auburn University Trip

2011-06-08T21:08:00.000-07:00

Todd is a HUGE Auburn fan. We went to visit the campus one day with Kathryn and Jim. Kathryn goes there and showed us around the campus. We walked around in the heat and humidity. We went to a few of the campus stores so that Todd could get some shirts and other random thing he can hang in the house. He bought a banner and some posters and a few other odds and ins. We visited the Auburn Trophy Room. Last year Auburn won the National Championship, so all of the trophy's were on display. Todd was in his version of heaven.

Cameron Newton won the Heisman Trophy

BCS National Championship Trophy

WAR EAGLE!!!!

Kat and I on the campus in front of the clock tower

Toomer's Corner is famous for these old trees that get toilet papered after every win. This past year, some idiot poisoned them and they are doing everything possible to salvage these trees that are over 100 years old.

Alabama Trip

2011-06-08T20:10:00.001-07:00

Todd, Taelyn and I made an impromptu trip out to Alabama due to the death of his Oma. We had a trip planned out there for July, so we had to cancel that trip and make an attempt to get our money back. I bought the insurance because I wasn't sure how my pregnancy would be, so I took all of the precautions, just in case. Now, I am so thankful that I did. Taelyn was AMAZING on the plane. I am always so worried to be "THAT MOM" you know, the mom that can't control her screaming child and said screaming child annoys everyone on the plane, but that was sooo not the case with my little perfect child. Taelyn slept for maybe 45 minutes and happily played with me and Todd the whole rest of the way. We even got compliments about how great she was.

Our 1st few days in Alabama were a complete blur. I just know that we got there, picked up our rental car and drove for what seemed like 10 years to get from Atlanta to Eufaula, Alabama. In reality it was like 2 hours and 15 minutes, still crazy long to drive from an airport. I don't remember what we did when we got to Todd's mom's house, I don't know what was said. I just know were were exhausted mentally, emotionally and physically.

Dana was the 1st sibling to get there, then Todd and I, and then David. The last time we were all together like that was last August for Dana's graduation.

It is very rare that they are all together, but when they are, it is always such a sweet time. Every time Todd and David are together I am amazed at how much they are alike. This time, Taelyn was old to be playful with them. She called David "Dada" a few times. It was cute. They really are, physically, so much alike.

The funeral was lovely, really a celebration of life. Oma lived an amazing life and many great pictures and stories were shared. She was loved by many and was able to see her children have children and her grandchildren have children. What a blessing that is in itself. I was just really sad she was never able to meet Taelyn. That was one of the reasons for our trip out in July :( Death is just something really hard to deal with, but knowing all of this and when she was able to speak, she helped settle everyone's hearts by telling them not to fuss over her, she was ready to go. and she wasn't afraid, so that really took most of the sad out of it and more a celebration of her home going. She was buried next to her husband and it was just as sweet as can be. I know in my heart she is in heaven having the time of her life.

The rest of our trip was just as relaxing as can be. We spent our days chilling in the pool and just hanging out with family. It was a nice break, there were a few adventures that I will give separate blog post for. Here are some random shots of our relaxing time.

Rest In Peace Oma Anita

2011-06-08T19:43:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, On May 28th, Todd's Oma (German for Grandma) passed away. The days leading up to her death was a roller coaster ride of emotions for Todd. She went into the hospital for a heart attack and was doing horrible, then she was in the clear and talking. Then the following day, she was incoherent. Then she was better. We all were thinking she was fine and gonna pull through, but the then the next call Todd got was at at 5:30 in the morning on May 28th, we received the news that she had passed away. Todd was very upset, but in great Todd form, he switched into "work mode." Instead of focusing on how he feels, something in his mind triggers into what he HAS to do and what needs to get done and what are the next steps that need to be taken.

He had me search for flights for the next day while he went to work to take care of evaluations that were due the following week. He made plans to be out of the office for the next few days and I packed, we make a great team that way. The tickets we got were not so bad considering it was for the next day and it was Memorial Day Weekend. Our Saturday went by in a flash and on Sunday, we were up at 4am getting ready to fly out to Alabama.

Anita Crosby
4/4/1934-5/28/2011

Day With Serena

2011-05-29T03:08:00.000-07:00

Serena and me on my wedding day

Just after Taelyn was born

Celebrating Serena's wedding

Our 10 year High School Reunion

While I was in Seattle, I just had to kill two birds with one stone. I was there for my conference, but also one of my oldest and dearest friends moved there about six years ago and I have been meaning for the past six years to go and visit her, so now was my chance. I chose not to attend my day of workshops and spend an entire day with my friend. You know that saying, "A true friend is someone you can go months without talking to, and when you do, its like a day hasn't past since you last talked." That is Serena and me for sure. We are always in each others thoughts even though we don't talk everyday, when we do, its rare to have a moment of silence, and if we do, it is comfortable.

I have technically know Serena since 7th grade, but we didn't really become great friends until high school and even after high school we were roomies. We have seen each other through sickness, bad relationships, bad decisions, great decisions, marriage and babies. She is certainly one friend I would go to the moon and back for and I know I can receive the same love back. WE GET EACH OTHER. We have grown up together whether it was in the same house or a million miles apart. So I was ecstatic to be able to spend the day with her!

When she picked me up from my hotel, the moment she saw me, we realized we were dressed alike. We were both in a sundress with a quarter length sweater and sandals. I guess even though we haven't seen each other in over a year, we still seem to think alike. We decided to go to the coast to sight see. It was a GORGEOUS day! We joked that I brought the California Sunshine. We just walked and talked, when we got hungry, we ate outside at Red Robin. When we finished lunch, she took me to her house so I could see Gage, Tyson (my dog) best friend who he grew up with. It is because of Gage that Tyson thinks he is a BIG dog! Gage is a chocolate lab and was Tyson's BFF before Tony came along. Gage has a new brother Hank, the biggest dog EVER! Then we went to get our toes did. Then we went shopping at the huge mall near my hotel before I had to be back to my conference. We had an amazing day and she wore me out! I realized how much I miss my friend, but I am glad that I was able to spend the day with her.

Alpha Kappa Alpha 82nd Annual Far Western Regional Conference

2011-05-23T17:47:00.001-07:00

My beloved sorority had their 82nd Annual Far Western Regional Conference in Seattle, WA. It was held from May 18-22nd. I LOVE going to the regional conferences. My Chapter, Eta Nu Omega hosted our 80th Regional Conference and that was the last one I attended. I was unable to attend last years because Taelyn was just 2 months old and there was no way I was gonna leave my new born, not even for my beautiful sorors. I was sad, but I just couldn't do it.

I was seriously feeling apprehensive about leaving Taelyn this time as well. I had to do it. I am a firm believer that mommies need breaks from their kids to be better mommies to them. I have never left Taelyn for longer than just a few hours at a time. This was the longest I have ever been away from my baby and the days leading up to it I was having serious anxiety. I knew Todd would be fine, but the way he does things are NOT the way I do things and like my Sorors (sisters) said over and over to me over the time we were gone, "Just because it is not your way, does not mean it is the wrong way!" That was my mantra for the weekend.

I was able to call, text, video text and Skype so that I didn't miss her so badly. I was very busy, so I really didn't have time to worry about what was going on at home. That was a good thing. I had workshops everyday and it filled up every day. I missed a few, but shhhh! I skipped a day of workshops to spend the day with one of my oldest and dearest friends, Serena. I will dedicate an entire post for that day later.

The days were all business (BORING) where the nights were fun! We had hospitality suites that were hosted by different organizations. Thursday Night Hospitality was hosted my Alpha Phi Alpha and Omega Psi Phi. They fed us and entertained us. Friday night was a Step Show. It was AMAZING! I really enjoyed the step how. I learned a few of the new dance crazes that are popular. I learned how to "Dougie" and the "Cat Daddy" These were such silly dances and nothing like the dances I grew up like the "Running Man" and the "Cabbage Patch"

Saturday night was the Formal Black and White Gala. we got all dolled up and ate a great dinner and danced the night away. This was our last night there, so Tiffani and I turned in early so we could pack and be ready to leave for the airport at 5am.

I seriously enjoyed my time away with my sorority sisters, but by the end of the conference, I was SOOO ready to go home. My only regret is that I forgot my camera a lot and only got a few pictures.

Tiffani at the airport waiting to leave.

Tanka sleeping on the plane, and yes, she wears that eye cover every time she sleeps.

Tiffani, Tanka and I went out of room in our pj's to use the computer lab and Tiffani was showing off her gorgeous outfit.

Tanka and I made a stop at See's Candy Shop

Natalie and Tanka at a workshop

Tanka and I posing at a workshop

Showing off our snazzy formal attire

Looks Like a BOY!!!!

2011-05-17T17:54:00.000-07:00

This morning we went for our 3rd ultrasound. This time was the 1st time we were actually able to see between the legs. The tech said that there was "something" in the middle of his legs... That was enough for me to see and hear. She said that it is still to soon to tell for sure, but it certainly looks like a boy!!!

I feel like this baby is a boy. When I was pregnant with Trent, no one could tell me that he was anything other than a boy. When I was pregnant with Taelyn I felt like she was a girl, I KNEW in my heart of hearts she was a girl, but I was seriously praying she was a boy. When I found out for sure she was girl, I was NOT surprised, but I was a bit disappointed. I had always envisioned the older brother taking care of his younger sister. Just like in my family with my brothers and Todd with his sister. That was just the natural order of things... in my mind. In a sense, I feel like Trent is watching and protecting Taelyn from above. That is what helps me sleep at night.

I LOVE my little girl, and I don't know why I was so worried about having a girl 1st because after taking a poll of my friends and family, I know lots of older sisters with younger brothers and it turned out just fine. I think Taelyn will be an amazing big sister and I am just so excited for what the future will hold for the DiMillo's.

Randoms Found In My BRA....

2011-05-15T16:55:00.000-07:00

Last night after a LONG busy day I took off my clothes and several things fell out of my bra... A cherry pit (gross), a cherry stem, a Nerd and an Everlasting Gobstopper. I have always been "blessed" in the boob area. I put blessed in quotes because for those who are lacking are envious and would love to have my "problem" The grass is always greener on the other side. Being that I am 4'10 on a good day, having a size double D is overwhelming. When I was pregnant and nursing, my maternity bras were a whopping "F" With big breast, I have everything that comes with it like back pains, strap lines that are permanently indented in my shoulders, issues in buying clothes my size, etc. I have always hated it and have done everything I can to hide them. It is like having a ledge attached to me that catches everything that misses my mouth.

This was the motivation for today's blog...

Random things I have found in my bra:
-Popcorn
-Candy of all sorts
-Nerds
-Mike & Ike's
-Skittles
-M&M's
-Chips
-French Fries
-Cherry pits (yesterday)
-Cherry stems
-Everlasting Gobstoppers
-Almonds
-Cashews
-Bobby Pins
-Paper Clips
-Grains of salt
-My Earrings
-Necklaces
-Leaves
-Grass
-Sand
-Crumbs from pretty much everything

I could probably go on and on, but that is all I can think of at the moment. I promise I am not a hoarder or unclean, messy person, I seriously don't understand how such items find their way into my bra, but they do and I myself am somewhat disgusted over it, but I try to find the humor in everything and laugh at myself. Hopefully you all can get a (quick) chuckle out of this as well :D

My History... Part 2

2011-05-11T09:18:00.001-07:00

After yesterday's blog post, I was feeling sad. We were so optimistic with that pregnancy because we made it so far. So after that letter was sent out, the results of the ultrasound was negative, the lumps were nothing to worry about and eventually went away on their own, the asthma is still an issue, but much better since I am no longer working in the casino. The low blood pressure is manageable. That letter was sent November 22, 2008 and this followup letter was sent on January 2, 2009, 7 days after I delivered Trent.

*********************

January 2, 2009

Hello Everyone,

So, as some of you know, Todd and I lost our baby boy on Christmas Day... Or at least that is when we think he died... I went in to urgent care on Christmas afternoon because I hurt my back and I hadn't felt the baby move in a few hours. They were unable to locate his fetal heart rate. They sent us home saying that it was probably nothing and if we didn't feel the baby through the night, to come back in the morning. So after a sleepless night, Todd and I went back 1st thing in the morning. Again, they did not find his heartbeat, so they sent us to Redlands Community and ordered and emergency ultrasound. That determined that he was no longer alive.

From there, the doctor told us that because I was so far along in my pregnancy (22 weeks, 5 months and 2 weeks) they had to induce labor and I had to deliver him. They admitted me and gave me the pills to induce and labor started. After about 10 hours of labor, at 4:20 am December 27th, Trent was delivered. Immediately after I was rushed into surgery to have a D&C. The placenta was attached to some scar tissue from a previous surgery. When I woke up from my surgery, they brought Trent to my hospital room, and I really couldn't believe what I saw. He was a baby... He was perfect... He had long fingers and toes. He looked just like Todd. I wasn't expecting him to look like us, he had our features. Saying that it was hard is an understatement.

Todd and I are trying to get through this tough time. We have wonderful family and friends and they have been our back bone through this whole thing. We have decided that we are going to have Trent's body cremated and keep him with us in our home. Today we went to the mortuary to have our final viewing. It is somewhat of closure for us. Writing this email has been extremely hard for me, so I hope you all understand the delay, it is still very fresh and still very new to me. I just thought that you all should know. Thanks again for your love and support.

Love,
~TERESA and TODD

************************

Now all of you know that the next year I was pregnant with Taelyn and God delivered our little miracle on March 20, 2010. Taelyn is my testament of faith and to never give up hope!

My History... Part 1 (LONG Post)

2011-05-10T16:18:00.000-07:00

This is a letter that I wrote on November 22, 2008. I sent it to everyone in my address book. I was pregnant with Trent (my 3rd failed pregnancy.) For some odd reason, I revisited this email and it made me VERY sad, and happy all at the same time. Sad because I was so optimistic about my pregnancy despite my horrible history and happy because I have come so far. I just wanted to add this to my blog so that when I do have a printed book of my year, Taelyn and whoever can go back and see the struggles I had to overcome to be a mother.

November 22, 2008
My True Test of Faith

Hi everyone,

As most of you all know, I am a pregnant. Being pregnant has caused me to be unable to sleep and laying in bed I was just thinking about my life and how things have seemed to have pan out. For you all to truly understand, I have to start from the beginning. Growing up I was a very healthy child. Rarely sick other than the chicken pox, which most children went through and the common cold and allergies.

When I was 18, just graduating, I was Howard bound. I was there only for a short period of time. I went to the Dr. for a regular check up, and while I was there, I got my 1st pap smear. It came back abnormal. After a few test were ran, I was informed that I had a malignant tumor growing in my uterus. Being that I was 18 and knew nothing about it, I naively said, "take it out!" Little did I know this experience was a life changing one. The Doctor gave me a few options, one was to remove my uterus completely, and to me, that was NOT an option. Even though I certainly didn't want kids at the time, I did NOT want that to never be an option to me. So we decided on "experimental laser surgery" They removed the tumor vaginally with a laser. No scars, the tumor was gone, I was cool.... So I thought. Soon after the surgery they realized cancer was still left behind. I needed to start Chemo Therapy ASAP. So reluctantly I left Howard on a visit home, never to return. I stayed home, made the decision to not tell my family and began therapy back in California, no longer interested in school. What was the point? I was going to die anyway. On October 15, 1999, I underwent my 1st chemo session... it was a series of 27 shots. It was AWFUL!!!!! And that seems to be an understatement. I was so sick, I went home and crashed. That same night, we had a big earthquake, the 1st big one I ever felt, and I remember lying in bed thinking "God, why are you doing this to me? I have ALWAYS been a good kid, I don't deserve this!!!" I was ANGRY, angry with my life, angry with God, like somehow I was being punished for something I did a previous life because up to this point, I thought I was great!

Well, after that night, I decided to continue on with my life as someone who has given up and didn't care. I was not is school, I wasn't working, and my body was rejecting the chemo. I was so sick all the time I began losing weight, and the worse part, MY HAIR. I think at my lowest weight, I was a mere 70 pounds. That was nearly 45 pounds lighter than my normal 115 pound frame. It was undeniable, I was SICK... I felt it, I looked it, I lived it. At this point, my loved ones didn't know what was going on with me, so one day my mom approached me and asked me if I had some sort of eating disorder because that was all the craze at that time. I finally fessed up to what was really going on with me, and she scolded me at 1st, was mad at me for not telling her what was going on with me. She was my mother and she should be the person who I should be able to tell everything to. That was the exact reason I didn't want her to know because I know she loves me and I didn't want her to try to take care of me and baby me the way she has always done. Worst... I didn't want her to WORRY!

To my surprise, she did just the opposite. She made me get off my ass, enrolled me in school and basically told me to get over myself and stop feeling sorry for myself. She got me a tryout with the cheer squad at Cal State (exactly where I did not want to go) and we started moving forward. Somehow, it seems, when I began to be productive, the chemo started working. In April of 2000, I stopped Chemo after 7 months and began radiation. I was on radiation for nearly 2 years when they told me my cancer was completely gone! In January 2002, I was completely cancer free! I could move on with my life as a "Cancer Survivor"

By this point, I was a Junior in college, a cheerleader, in the finest Sorority, and working at the casino. Things were looking up! Then lightening struck me again. I noticed that during my menstruation my blood was black... that not being normal, I went to the doctor and they said that my blood was contaminated and that every menstrual cycle, my blood was being collected in my uterus and that I needed to be on dialysis to decontaminate my blood. I did this every 2 weeks for 2 years. Trying to be positive, I continued on with my life... I graduated college. The same month I graduated, I was pregnant, and had a miscarriage at 10 weeks, 1 week after I found out. Though I was devastated, life went on... I went through a few careers until I settled into being a private investigator. October 4, 2003, Escrow closed on my 1st house with the help of my wonderful brother. This was the same day that the Del Rosa fires started. Why is it that when something good happens to me, there seems to be some sort of natural disaster to bring me back down? Is God trying to tell me something?

I was loving my life of independence, I had my career, my house, my family and friends, things were good. As in investigator, I was very successful, I was promoted 2 months in, I was making more money then I had ever seen in 23 years of age, things were good! Being an investigator, I was exposed to things that I normally wouldn't see. I was young going into it, the youngest in the company in fact. The things I was seeing, I didn't like. It was beginning to ware on me. I began to get tired of the job. I lost a faith in people after seeing pretty much, the scum of the Earth. There were cases that I had that still haunt me to this day. One in particular was life changing.

I was on the case for 5 days in Santa Barbara. I stayed in a hotel. Because I was so far from home, I brought my baby Tyson. The Claimant was truly a nut case. Paranoid Schizophrenic. They sent out 7 investigators before me and they couldn't even get 2 minutes of video out of him. After 3 days, I had nearly 14 hours. On the 3rd day of investigation, he approached me. According to our rules, if you are EVER approached my a Claimant, you are done, the case is over pack up and leave. So being the good soldier I was, I called my case manager, and informed her of the incident, and she instructed me to stay on the case. She said I was doing great work and with my cover story, the Claimant was non the wiser. So I did. On my 5th and last day, the Claimant attacked me with a bat. Hitting me several times. To say the least, I quit after that case. That was when the headaches started. I was unemployed for the 1st time in my adult life and scared. My mom being the ever encouraging one gave me the number of an old supervisor that I had when I was working in the casino, Todd DiMillo. I called him and soon after I was back in the casino business. Huge pay cut, but hey, I was working again and being productive.

Little did I know going back to good old San Manuel would have brought me the greatest love I have ever known. The number my mom gave me was the number to my future husband. Soon into our relationship, I realized that the minor headaches I was having were getting more and more intense with ever one. Todd suggested I go to the doctor and just see what could be done to prevent them.

Lightening struck a 3rd time... Seriously? During an MRI, they found a blood clot behind my frontal lobe. I could NOT believe this is happening to me again!!!! Luckily this time all I had to do was take a pill. I was on a blood thinner for a few months in order to dissolve the clot. It worked and I was good as new again. No more migraines I could move on. I started Dealer school and became a dealer and Todd had become a manager. Things with our relationship couldn't have been better.

Moving forward, on March 15, 2008, we got married. In June, Friday the 13th to be exact, we found out we were pregnant! Over joyed with excitement, we told all of our family and friends. Both knowing what happened the last time, we tried our best to be cautious. On a trip to Alabama to visit Todd's mom, I started spotting on the plane. It continued for most of the trip. When we came home I immediately went to the doctor and what we already thought was confirmed. We lost the baby. I was probably 7 to 8 weeks pregnant. Again, extremely devastated more so this time than the last, life must and will always go on.

In August, I was feeling ill, tired and just not myself, my friend Kellina suggested that I may be pregnant again. I thought, no way! I just had a miscarriage a month ago. Not possible! Well, she forced me to take an at home pregnancy test and to her delight, she was right. How could this be? Well, this time, Todd and I decided not to tell ANYONE until we were past our 1st trimester and we knew I was out of the woods. At 11 weeks, we had a sonogram and saw our little baby and heard his little heart beating and that is when I felt in my heart that things this time would be different. We began telling everyone! That that takes us to the present....

I went to the doctor on Thursday to find out that I am having complications. Really not much of a surprise with my history. He said that I have low blood pressure, severe asthma, enlarged thyroids and 4 lumps in the back of my throat. I have an ultrasound to confirm all of these diagnosis' on Monday, but I can't help but to think the worse. I was taken off of work, so now I am left with nothing to do but think about what is going on with me. I might be jumping the gun here, but I just want everyone who knows me to really pray for me and my baby. I know I wrote this long drawn out story of my life, but I just wanted everyone to understand how severe and how scared and stressed out I am and any words of encouragement or well wishes are greatly appreciated and accepted.

Love to All,

~TERESA DIMILLO

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The Followup to this email was another email telling everyone about the loss of our baby boy, Trent. I will blog about that another day, I feel quite emotionally drained right now.

My Little Helper

2011-05-09T16:03:00.000-07:00

Taelyn is at the age where she is copying everything I do. I think it is so cute, but when I am cleaning, I kinda get into a groove and don't want to be bothered. I was sweeping the floor and everywhere I turned Taelyn was right there. To be honest, it was getting annoying. I moved on to cleaning my appliances and when I turned around, I saw that Taelyn had gotten the broom and was trying to simulate what I was just doing. I told Todd to grab the camera and take some pictures of her in the act. What a sweet girl I have, she just wanted to help mommy. I will take all the help I can get.

Here is my helpful, sweeping girl...

Next thing I am going to do is teach her how to vacuum. That is the ONE thing I HATE to do.