It all began on the evening of Nov 29th 2003, at former Chat Noir French Restaurant in Costa Mesa, CA. Brad approached me [Jana] and we instantly connected; it was love at first sight. The next 4 years that followed were a whirlwind of romance, growing pains, and adventures. We circled the globe, traveling to South America, Europe, and Asia. Then one night, Brad surprised me with a romantic beachside proposal. We made it official on August 23rd 2008 with an intimate wedding at a hip art gallery in Laguna Beach. A year later we finished redesigning our home in the beach village of Corona del Mar.
On May 18th, 2010, we were blessed with a sweet little miracle of our own, our baby boy Taj Leon. He stole our hearts and took our breath away! Then, 19 months later, his incredible little brother, Jax Franz, arrived on Christmas morning (December 25th) 2011. What an amazing gift we received! In an effort to slow down the clock and enjoy our beautiful family, in Spring of 2012, we sold our CA seaside home and moved across the country to our dream lake house in Brad's hometown of Bemus Point, a resort village on Chautauqua Lake in Western New York! Even though we are living a more slow paced life, we are living a life far from ordinary!
From the West Coast to the East Coast, our Grover family adventures continue! So won't you come along and join us on this journey of love, family, and travel we like to call our La Vida Grover!
Our Awesome August has come to a close and we look back on some fond memories. It was the month of sunshine, heatwaves, lots of date nites for mommy and daddy (and the celebration of our anniversary!), and family trips to San Juan Capistrano and Catalina Island. Some of Taj's firsts this month were riding the train, the carousel, and a very big boat, going down the big kid slide, and tasting his first funnel cake and homemade buffalo burger (and loving it too!). And let's not forget the beautiful growing belly we call Baby Jax- who by the way manages to get attention as well. Besides our weekly and sometimes daily Storytimes at our local library, playground playtime, shopping extravangas, and family restaurant dining.....
we had lots of beach playtime:
Taj now worships the sun and loves the ocean:
LA visit with auntie Dina, who we said Ciao to as she headed off to Italia for the year:
Beach playdate with new buddy Casey (mama Nana and I became friends through work!)
Newport Coast Concert in the Park with auntie Laura and princess Brooklyn:
Orange County Fair with the girls again (Taj had his first taste of funnel cake!):
Sunday Boating out on the Bay (and Balboa Fun Zone):
Just being lazy at home:
Classical Rock jam sessions with daddy:
Playtime for mommy and daddy (here we are on one of our LA trips doing the TMZ hollywood tour!):
and we even got our boogie on at a friend's disco party:
Uh Oh! Here comes trouble, em, I mean, here comes Taji! Allow me to share a little glimpse into just another day's adventure with a toddler and his 6 month preggo mommy! This one is for the books! Yesterday started out as any other day, we ate breakfast as a family, read books, did our Your Baby Can Read flashcards and watched the little DVD, played with dada before he took off for work, and before we knew it, it was that time in the late morning, Taji's usual 10am nap. Except he wasn't having it, and he threw the biggest fight. He made his first statement by throwing his lamb, puppy, and pacifier out of his crib, which made him even more upset. He then proceeded to battle it out with his crib by kicking the bars and chewing on the side (i have the teeth marks on the wood to prove it!). After about 30 minutes of non-stop crying I popped my head in to calm him down. I gave him his baba, changed his diaper, read a few more books, and when he said "all done", I asked him if he wanted his puppy and paci back, and sure enough he did and was so ready and eager for that nap. Lesson learned= he wants to be in control of naptime, meaning you have to make him believe he's calling the shots and deciding to nap! After a glorious 3 hour nap (he's down to 1 a day now, and he likes to snooze around lunch time,) he scarfed down his lunch, and then I spent the next 20 minutes chasing him around the house with the sunscreen, socks, and shoes, while he giggled and yelled "I get you!" (his version of "i'm gonna get you.") After capturing the little rascal we are finally out the door headed to Laguna Beach for some PM playground, beach play, and Whole Foods shopping trip. At Whole Foods, the little troublemaker strikes again, yelling, knocking things off the shelves, and when I was checking out he hit the cancel button twice on the credit card machine. All this he thought was very hilarious. Then once at home again, he beat me to the groceries and wanted to help unpack. However, his way of unpacking was throwing everything out of the bags, taking little bites out of each of the avocados, and taking off with the bread while I once again chased after him! Poor baby Jax is already getting a workout in his mommy's tummy as I race after his big bro. Hope he get's back at him for this! Ha! Lesson learned after this long day? Every bitty thing is a power struggle for this headstrong toddler, and the trick is to get him to think he is winning! That's where reverse psychology comes into play.....oh and to Taji "no" means "yes", so I'm trying to take a different approach like redirecting and distracting instead! Ah, never a dull moment with our little rascal, and even after his yelling, his power struggles, and throwing things at me, I am still putty in his hand! We are fortunate he doesn't tantrum, and is really good about using his words and saying "all done" or "help." No matter how much he makes me chase after him or how loud his voice can be in public, my tired and sometimes impatient heart melts with every one of his mischievious giggles! And when he is tucked into bed and asleep peacefully for the night, and I am finally able to take a breath, relax, and focus on baby Jax, I can't help but look forward to what kind of trouble he will get into the next day and funny stories like this i will cherish and share with him when he is older!
Yey for TGIF on Catalina Island! Yesterday we spent a gorgeous day just chillaxing with the family on the island, soaking in the sunshine and playing at the beach! Even Baby Jax joined in on the fun! (can you see my growing belly in the above picture? He wants everyone to notice him now!)
All Aboard the Catalina Flyer!! Dada and Taji get ready to sail the sea.....
The ride over was very rocky for some reason, we had to down a few ginger chews. Taji didn't mind the rocking, it actually made him very sleepy......
We made it! Hello Avalon, my how beautiful our greeting was with the signt of the island! I remember the days I used to spend here as a high schooler 3 Spring Breaks in row with just my friends, we had so much fun!
The famous Casino.....
We grabbed lunch at the Descanso Beach Club, indulging in some Buffalo Milk (Catalina's signature alcoholic drink) and a mango/ pina colada virgin Daquiri (for me of course). Taji loved sharing the guacamole and chips. We grooved to the reggea music and played frisbee in the grass.
Then we headed back to town for some beach and water play......
They are not kidding when they talk about "Island Time." Our's seemed to slip through our fingertips, before we knew it, it was time to board the boat again and head back home for the evening. We could have easily stayed the weekend and extended our leisure time, Catalina is such a special little place (especially when its warm and sunny!) Guess we will just have to come back for a longer stay next time (and with 2 little boys in tow)!
Happy 3 years of wedded bliss to my husband Brad! It feels like every year just get's better and more exciting with every step we take into our future. Our love has surely expanded our family and is continuing to bring us so much unsurpassed joy and laughter. We have some fun adventures up ahead and awesome goals we will achieve hand in hand, as we continue to create the dream family life we've both aspired and commited to. I love you!
Last week, Brad planned a romantic early anniversary celebration....... dinner in Laguna Beach and awesome up close seats at the Pageant Of the Masters Show, this year's theme being "Only Make Believe." Oh, it was quite a magical show, sitting under the starlit sky and sipping on hot cocoa. We even took a stroll down wedding memory lane when we walked by our venue Seven-Degrees! So today, on our actual anniversary date, we began our morning with some homemade cinnamon rolls I baked and later tonite after Taji goes to bed we will eat another special homecooked dinner and relive our wedding emotions by watching our awesome wedding video (which we do on every Valentine's Day and Anniversary!) Our anniversary celebration also wouldn't be complete without some yummy chocolate tuxedo cheesecake, similar to the one we served at our wedding!
Airplane. Bowling Ball. Touchdown. Remote. Yogurt. Cracker. Ceiling. Toothbrush. Lawnmower. Ocean. Birdie. Believe it or not, these are some of the many words that have entered into Taj's vocabulary! The more challenging, the more syllables the word has, the more Taj wants to say it! Meet our 15 month old Chatterbox!! I was looking up "language development of toddlers" the other day on the internet only because in the last month (since NY) we have had so many people comment how verbal Taj is, and parents at the playground with similar age children are amazed at all the things Taj is able to say. Well, according to what I have been reading, Taji's language development is within the 18-24 month age group!!!! He has bionic hearing and vision too (he can hear a plane or truck the second it goes by from inside the house, and can spot a ball or plane from a mile away!) He is eager to speak in sentences, saying "hi Mama" and "hi Dada" when we say hi to him, says "All Done" and does the hand sign when he is done eating or playing with something. He repeats phrases such as "Awe Man!", "Hey Baby!", "I dunno?", and says "Aye Baba, Aye Wawa, or Aye Ball" (his rendition of "I want____"). Its so fun, basically you can get him to say anything! He knows and says 2 simple prepositions ("up" and "down"), He also counts to 3, when I begin with 1! He can point to 6 of his body parts when you ask where they are (head, ears, nose, belly, toes, and "wee wee"- that one he learned by accident when he was in the bathtub LOL ) And get this..... he now repeats "thank you" and "please"!!
Here is a video montage of some clips I took over the last week, i was trying to get our little Taji to perform and do some of his verbal magic on camera! Pay close attention to the playground scene, he now prefers the big kid jungle gym ..... quite the dare-devil!
Brad and I have been wondering where he's getting all his genius attributes...... i mean we are both smart but i wouldn't consider us above average intelligence by any means (i know because I tested both of our IQs during my school psychology graduate studies! ha ha) I really think its a combo of heredity and environment. From the picky minimal diet he does consume, he eats lots of Omega-3 foods: blueberries, strawberries, spinach, broccoli, salmon, eggs, flaxseed and whole wheat products on a regular basis, and still drinks his toddler formula which is packed with nutrients and vitamins (i am gonna keep up with the formula until he is 2, because I don't believe kids at this age can get all the vital nutrients from just milk and the little solids they eat and are choosey about..... especially since their brains continue to grow at a rapid pace!) Did you know that "between ages 1 and 2 the cerebral cortex adds more than 2 million new synapses — the connections between brain cells — every second," [according to Zero to Three, a nonprofit educational group.] "By age 2, a toddler will have more than 100 trillion synapses — the most he'll ever have in his life, and part of the reason why he has such an incredible capacity to learn."
I continue to give Taj the DHA and fish oil daily supplements (he loves the Dr. Sears fruit chews brand for toddlers). Both Brad and I also do a diligent job labeling things for him, and asking him to repeat us. We are also addicted to reading, and checking out variety of books from our library. What I try to do every couple of weeks is check out books based on the vocab he is saying (such as trains, trucks, ducks, counting, body parts, etc.) He totally digs this, and he understands what I am reading to him, and later I find him flipping through these books and labeling those familiar things. I really believe this speeds up his language acquisition. Music is also key, occasional Baby Einstein DVDS where he is labeling familiar things he sees, as well as listening to Czech storytellers on cd (ceske pohadky) when we are in the car, or listening to classical music.
Some of you may not know that becoming a mom the first time around and having a boy for that matter made me extremely nervous since I have dedicated the last 8+ years to working with young kids with Autism and disabilities. Although I am grateful to have learned so much, and have the ability to teach these children how to talk and play (using the ABA/DTT and other play methods) this has also made me very paranoid. Paranoid that my own children could potentially face these neurological challenges...... and boys are the high statistics (now double that when you have a 2nd boy on his way!) Call me neurotic or obsessive or what you may, but that is the reason this last year I have poured my heart and soul into researching organic foods, plastics, immunizations, household chemicals, food additives, formulas, language acquisition.... oh the list goes on and on. I made it my mission and dove right into preventive measures, always keeping myself updated on the newest breakthrough or healthiest food and supplement out there. I stick to what works and what has produced results, and maybe we are just truly fortunate that Taj is as bright as he is, but I have this feeling that all these components have assisted along the way. Brad and I couldn' t be more proud of Taj accomplishing these incredible milestones and his love for learning. He continues to blow us out of the water, and what an amazing role model he will be for his little brother! With everything that went on this year at my job, becoming a full-time mom was a blessing in disguise. It is something I was meant to do and am really good at! I have never been more passionate about something as important as raising, teaching, and nurturing my pride and joys. This is our time, to enjoy every waking moment as a family. :)
Since Taj loves learning, reading, and TALKING, we have ordered this cool reading program called My Baby Can Read! I can't wait to do this with him at home. The testimonial videos of real babies reading is truly amazing, just check out this video about baby Lauren (I especially love the 15 month progress of her talking), Brad and I were beside ourselves impressed so we just had to order this program for Taji! If Taj is reading like this in the new few months then I will definitely use it with Baby Jax as early on as I can!
Yey for Family Days! We went on a fun adventure this weekend, taking Taji on a real train for the first time, down to old town historic San Juan Capistrano. Here he is sitting in his own seat! We loved that the train ride was only 14 minutes down to SJC, perfect amount of time for Taji who now gets a bit anxious trying (or should I say riding) new things (i.e. an amusement park ride, the carousel, etc.). After less than a minute, still waiting for any of these rides to start, Taji persistently likes to say "all done."
Once we got to SJC, we walked over to Zoomar's Petting Zoo, a neat little farm! Taji fed the guinea pigs and bunnies.....
the zebra-horsies......
and even fed the goats and sheep!
We then visited the Mission San Juan.....
Taji loved watching the koi fish swim about.....
He loved exploring the grounds, and being chased by dada....
Can you spot our little "Taj" Waldo? He is on the left side of the picture, running in the grass:
playing peekaboo.....
climbing trees with the help of dada.....
sightseeing......
and cuddling with mama!
After a fun filled day of riding the train, eating lunch, feeding the animals, running around and sightseeing at the Old Mission San Juan, and even snoozing for a little bit in the stroller, it was time to hop on the train again and head home!
We are honored and thrilled to announce that another beautiful baby BOY is joining our family!!! Jax Franz Grover, to be exact! We wanted a strong masculine and cool first name to go along with Taj..... that's how the name Jax came to be (again compliments of the talented Brad!), and Franz is a dedication to my beloved late grandfather Frantisek. We excitedly found out a couple weeks ago, the 3 of us (Dada, me, and Taj) saw the littlest Grover boy on the big screen and he wasn't shy what so ever! Then earlier today, I had my "official" OB ultrasound through Kaiser, and scored some snapshots of our superstar, so I now I finally get to post the much anticipated announcement and photos!
Heeeeeeeeere's Jax everyone! The ultrasound technician commented on how photogenic and excited he was to be seen! Check out the pic of him doing a flip :)
definitely a boy, there's no doubt about it! (look where the arrow is pointing to, that is Jax laying on his side, open legs to the side :)
We couldn't have asked for a more precious blessing, only 19 months a part, Taj and Jax will always have a friend within each other, have each other's back, and as a friend of mine pointed out, "be each other's Best Man at their weddings!" LOL Of course, we can't forget that Boys will be Boys, and they will also probably pick on each other and beat each other up! We really do have this "boy" thing down, this last year has proved to be the most fun we've ever had, and like we always say: "it just keeps getting better, especially now with 2 peas in a pod!" We are good at making boys! I cannot wait to get my hands on this new little guy, spoil him and sweeten him up to be a mama's boy like his big brother Taj! Dada can't wait to initiate Jax into the Boy Club, wrestle, and teach the brothers everything he knows about sports, cars, etc. And last but not least, Taj is super stoked to have a little brother to share his room and toys with, play games and sports with, and have a little partner-in-crime to get in all sorts of trouble with! I love refering to my family as "my boys and I." I feel like the luckiest woman to be surrounded by so many handsome little and big boys, and hopefully they will always adore me the way I adore them. I have a feeling our future will be filled with lots of action and excitement.
Here are a few more pics of Jax in my 19th week growing belly:
Taj now worships the sun and loves the ocean:
LA visit with auntie Dina, who we said Ciao to as she headed off to Italia for the year:
Beach playdate with new buddy Casey (mama Nana and I became friends through work!)
Newport Coast Concert in the Park with auntie Laura and princess Brooklyn:
Orange County Fair with the girls again (Taj had his first taste of funnel cake!):
Sunday Boating out on the Bay (and Balboa Fun Zone):
Just being lazy at home:
Classical Rock jam sessions with daddy:
Playtime for mommy and daddy (here we are on one of our LA trips doing the TMZ hollywood tour!):
and we even got our boogie on at a friend's disco party:
We are honored and thrilled to announce that another beautiful baby BOY is joining our family!!! Jax Franz Grover, to be exact! We wanted a strong masculine and cool first name to go along with Taj..... that's how the name Jax came to be (again compliments of the talented Brad!), and Franz is a dedication to my beloved late grandfather Frantisek. We excitedly found out a couple weeks ago, the 3 of us (Dada, me, and Taj) saw the littlest Grover boy on the big screen and he wasn't shy what so ever! Then earlier today, I had my "official" OB ultrasound through Kaiser, and scored some snapshots of our superstar, so I now I finally get to post the much anticipated announcement and photos!
