I'm A Grandma!!

I always told my girls I do not want to be a grandmother before I'm 40. For some reason 40 just felt safe..a good age to be a grandmother. When my daughter told me she was pregnant...and I was only 37...I wasn't thrilled.

It took some time, I can't lie. I thought this automatically made me "old". Little did my small minded, selfish, naïve self know... but being a young grandma only means I get more time with my little baby boy and I have the energy that is REQUIRED to keep up with him!

We had a very small shower/lunch for CC at Zio's. 

CC loves all things panda, so we had a Tres Leches panda cake special made for her.

I have to say...it was one of THE BEST cakes I've ever had!

This girl hardly gained any weight... got no stretch marks..and exercised and hiked like nothing!

From behind you'd never know she was pregnant! I had to tell her more than once...she is NOT normal!!

The night before the big day we did some last minute shopping. I remember when I was pregnant with CC, a local crafts store, Michael's, was having a six a.m. sale and Mom and I went and I purchased a night light.

I had to get one pic of us before our roles as mother and daughter forever changed...

I packed my little bag and headed over to the hospital.

CC had a nice, big room. Dan was asleep on the couch and CC was being so strong and working her way through contractions.

Let me tell you, as mothers, we kiss boo boos away, hold their head and hands as they cry over their first break up, feel like poop when the grease splashes on her legs while yall are making donuts....

but nothing is as painful as watching contractions sweep through your baby's tiny body, see her face wince in pain...and know you can do nothing about it.

It was awful.

But she had her daddy, Dan, me and her little sister to support her through it!

And it was then he was here!!!

My first grandson, my baby's first baby was born Sept 13 at 2:33 p.m.

and I was in love

I mean, everything about him was just absolutely perfect.

As soon as he was laid down on the scale he opened his eyes and started looking around.

He was so quiet and observant.

I was so afraid I wouldn't remember how to change diapers and support the baby's head and calm a crying baby. It had been 15 years since I had a baby!

I just resolved in myself that I would be calm and act confident and never let the little boy know how scared I was.

And what developed between him and I is something so special...

so sweet and precious.

And his grandpa has declared Daniel his hands down my favorite person that has ALL of his love. He tells us all the time, "Sorry guys, you're not my favorite anymore."

I never knew you could love like this.

Of course you love your children more than anything in the world....

But there is absolutely NOTHING like the love you have for your grandchild.

It's so overwhelming. So intoxicating. It just takes over all of your senses and your emotions.

You heart, your mind, your time, your worries, your laughter, your tears...

everything...

Now belongs to this little person who needs you and depends on you for his every need.

This pretty much sums up Daniel and I for the first two years of his life... in his Ah-ma's arms, being spoiled and being told how perfect he is...

And how beautiful he is...and special...and how in grandma's eyes he can do no wrong.

Ever.

And yes, we have our own little song that I sing to him to get him to sleep.

It started when I would rock him to sleep and we still sing it now as we lay in bed and I rub his head and eyes and back to help him fall asleep.

There have been times where I have even had to make a video of myself singing it and had to text it to my daughter so he'd calm down and go to sleep.

I am so in love with my little baby boy.

I tell my daughter he's the best gift she could have ever given me.

When he's here, he tires me out so fast...but when he's gone I'm missing his sweet face and sweet little hands pulling me to the living room to play soccer

or

dragging me to the front door so we can water our plants.

He makes life so fun.

and

I'm so completely in love.

Copalli's Cafe, Cappuccinos & Cats

I used to HATE coffee. 

Hated the smell.

Hated the idea.

Hated the taste, even though I had never tasted it. 

All I knew, was that I would hear Mom every morning moving around in the kitchen making her morning pot of coffee.

I hated that she thought she needed it to get her day started.

...Now...

this is basically me.... 

So, after my injection last Thursday, CC found the cutest cafe for us to have lunch at....Copalli Cafe.

The cafe has the coziest, most relaxing atmosphere.

I love the warm colors throughout, the reclaimed hard wood floors...

And the food...oh my, the food....

is out of this world, knock your socks off, mouth watering good!!!

Everything is made from scratch, nothing store bought.

The cafe is run by a local professor, her son and his girlfriend.

After our lunch, I had to try a pumpkin cappuccino (which only made me yearn for fall)...

I watched him make my drink. He did so with skill and ease and it definitely was reflected in the taste.

I was/am hooked.... 

While we were eating this cute little squirrel came by and was peeping on us.

The staff gave him a mini muffin to munch it. 

It was the sweetest thing!

The staff at Copalli Cafe couldn't be sweeter. They make you feel at home. If I could see my dream job through, it would to own a cafe like Copalli Cafe. It is just THAT good!! 

And it was soooo good, that on Saturday, I woke Lena up and told her she had to go with me to have lunch at Copalli. I could have easily just picked lunch up, but I wanted her to have the whole experience.

Lena and I sat on the opposite size in a cozy little nook.

Everything about Copalli Cafe is just so perfect...right down to the jazzy art they have on the wall.

You can come it, sit down, relax and forget about what is weighing on your mind...have a great conversation with Khalehla and Chris..

and enjoy another pumpkin cappuccino.... 

and pair it with a homemade from scratch S'more Coffee Cake. 

Oh yes. It's THAT good!!

When it's my next turn to bring breakfast for work I know EXACTLY what I will be bringing.

Our Papa Bear was out of town this past weekend, so I snapped him this selfie (gosh, I HATE using that word) to send to him.

CC ordered the Caprese sanchwhich when she and I went.

I just had to buy some fresh basil and mozarella and make my own sandwich. I'll just say this...the girls LOVED it! 

With all this eating out, we've been trying to counteract it by hitting the gym. The gym is my stress release. I love to go at night when there are fewer people. It's just uncomfortable to work out next to these huge bulked up body builders. I feel like I'm being critiqued for doing something wrong. 

After working out I usually rest my muscles in the hot tub, hit the sauna, then shower and head home. I feel so fresh and rejuvenated the next day. There is NOTHING that feels as good as working out.

It not only does your body good, it does wonders for your mind as well! 

I'm not sure what is going on, but my boys have been so clingy lately. Some days they want nothing to do with me, aside from feeding them.... 

and other days I can't get them away from me. It's seriously reminds me of having a baby sometimes. I can't go to the restroom with out seeing little paws under the door and hear one or two of them crying and crying.... 

Even Toby decided to be nice to CC. 

On a weight loss note... my hair has been falling out like crazy. It worries me but I keep reading that it will grow back. It sure better or I need to start looking for wigs!!!

The weather is warming up and we've had no rain for a while...which is really kinda nice!

Meanwhile, I'm on the search for some high protein, low carb recipes that will be good for my Gastric Sleeve.

Pinterest has been most helpful so far!

Closing Out 2014, Welcoming 2015

It's hard to believe it's 2015. Time seems to be flying by. I've made resolutions in the past...return voice mails, be a better friend, be more organized...it works great and well for a few weeks, maybe a couple of months, then I'm back to my old self. 

This year I'm forgoing any resolutions and will just make adjustments along the way. I need to be a better listener. I listen all the time at work and I think when I come home I kinda turn it off. I need to listen more at home than anything else. What can be more important than listening to your family, for issues big and small. 

That could be an entire post on it's own!

On Christmas Eve the girls and I went to Santa's Ranch. We had gone a few years earlier with a friend but hadn't been back, mostly due to time restrictions. We didn't think we would be getting out of the car so we wore pajamas and CC only had on fuzzy socks. Well, half way there Lena and I needed a potty break and we all wanted coffee or hot cocoa. 

So into Buc-ee's we went...pj's and all. I am so super opposed to people walking about in pajama's, and now I was among them! 

Then my eyes felt really dry and I rubbed them and Lena asked me, with a serious look on her face, "Mom, what's wrong with your eye?" I rubbed a contact out and it was folded, coming out the corner of my eye. Thankfully I found a bottle of solution and put it back in and we were on our way!

Santa's Ranch definitely expanded since we were last there. Here are a few of my favorites!

Stagecoach 

This lighted tunnel has been there since the first time we went. It's so pretty and magical to drive through. 

These photo's don't capture the whimsy and beauty of flickering lights. 

There was a new scene called "In the Beginning". 

It started with the sun, the planets, dinosaurs, Adam and Eve, Noah's Ark and so on. 

I loved Moses parting the waters of the Red Sea. 

I also loved the Ten Commandments.   

David and Goliath 

Jonah and the whale 

Another blue, twinkling light tunnel with trees on each side. 

It was so magical and pretty.

More light wrapped trees, a windmill and even a Go, Spurs, Go sign. 

On New Year's Eve we stayed in. CC worked late and it was cold. Emil and I stopped by the Russian store to pick up some bacon, drinks, cheese and wine. There is one Georgian wine I love but they were all out, as usual. It's a sweet red wine and there is nothing quite like it. 

We substituted this Armenia pomegranate wine. It was really good but really, really strong. One glass was MORE than enough for all of us!

Emil and I drove around talking about the plans and wishes we have. We made it home just in time to watch the local countdown to 2015 on TV. 

When the midnight hour strikes, they usually play oldies and do a major firework display. 

This year they played all new music and no close up of the fireworks. Lena was mad and wanted to drive around and look at fireworks. I had been up since 530 the previous morning and was in no way awake enough to take her. 

We have had some pretty cold weather lately. I've stocked up on different coffees to keep me warm. 

I even woke up to ice on my car a few times. 

Papa Bear bought me a Criminal Minds calendar. I was too excited to put it up at work. I get to look at my guys all day, then come home and watch at least two dvr'd shows in the evening. I can't get enough of Criminal Minds. Some nights I even dream of them...it's usually me and Rossi catching someone. Once I dreamed I was at a garage sale trying to find Hotchner a heart...because he never smiles. 

And I found this cutie on Instagram. I couldn't resist it! 

Two weeks ago Papa Bear and I were going to take a day trip but had to come home so I could pick up my pain medicine. Even trips in the car, other than running errands, causes my back and neck to hurt. 

Thankfully we back because as we were leaving we noticed the back fence was broken and both dogs escaped through our neighbors back yard, who hasn't put up his back fence yet.

They must have just gotten out because they weren't far down the street, but it's a very busy street. Emil and I pulled into the middle lane because we saw Luigi walking across the two north-bound lanes and get inches....inches...from getting hit by a car. It was like everything went in slow motion.

But where was Coco? 

At the same time I white suv pulled to the side of the road to our right and a truck behind that one. The two people in the white suv jumped out and looked down in the ditch. Emil ran over to the right of the road with them while I was getting Luigi from the left. 

I saw Emil look down the ditch and then rub the top of his head. 

I was so scared to see.

Coco was hit by the white suv but the driver said she just tapped her. We wrapped her up, got her out and went straight to the Animal ER. Her breathing was labored.

She had a bruised lung and bleeding around it and she fractured her left back paw in two places.

She had to stay in the hospital until the net day in an oxygen tank.

She had to have a cast put on, take pain pills, anti-inflammatory pills and an antibiotic.

But she was alive!

And two weeks later she chewed off her cast and decided it was time to start tormenting our cats again. I said either the vet showed me another dog's x-rays or this is a bionic girl! 

Lena and I wanted a warm-me-up, so we stopped by Local Coffee one evening. I had forgotten how delicious it is. It has the charm and ambiance of a quaint, cozy coffeehouse where patrons aren't just paying customers, they're friends. 

On this evening Lena opted for a Mexican Chocolate Cappuccino.

It was delicious! 

And last night, after meeting my friend Deana for coffee and cake, I took Lena back to Local Coffee to try their Affogato. It's two shots of espresso poured over vanilla ice cream.

I never tried anything like it. 

And CC picked me up from work last week with the sweetest surprise!

A teddy bear with a note and a penguin pen. I love, love my sweet girl!