39 Has Never Looked So FINE

From the NY sunshine to the CA sunshine, going from the lake to the ocean, since getting back from our Bemus trip the rest of our July has been non-stop. We have resorted to being beach bums, have been catching up with our CDM friends, and believe it or not, I even pulled off a surprise birthday happy hour for Brad!! On the 29th, Brad celebrated his 39th (last year of his 30's!) At the last minute I invited all of Brad's and mine close friends to our local mediterrean restaurant/ lounge Port. After a family day at the beach, what Brad thought was going to be a quaint family dinner turned into a surprise dinner party and a wild Boys Night Out! Taji turned into a party animal himself, he danced on the patio to the guitarist and got everyone clapping with him, he nibbled on all of our dinners, ate yummy chocolate ganache birthday cake, took a few sips of beer, and stayed up till 9pm!!! Even David Spade (comedian) was there to witness it!Meanwhile, dada continued on with the boys, who got him bottle service at another local hip spot Landmark! This is his last year of his 30's after all so you gotta get it all out because come 40 you really have to grow up! Ha Ha!! As if having a baby and another one on the way doesn't make you totally slow down! It was great for Brad to get out, and I was so proud to have caught him off gaurd because it really is hard to surprise him!

Taji loved playing in the water and jumping over the waves!

Right after the surprise birthday welcome:

Taj's (and Mama & Dada's) first Overnighter

Last weekend was my birthday and because Brad's bday and mine are so close together we have been doing joint celebrations. This birthday year was no exception. We headed out to LA to go on our first adult overnight trip sans baby!! It was terrifying at first to be away from Taji 24 hours, but because he was in the care of my sister, his teta, it was a piece of mind and we enjoyed ourselves. Our LA shopping, fancy dinner, swanky hotel with breakfast in bed made us realize we still know how to "party" and have a good time! We are actually going back to the city of Angels for a Part 2 of our bday celebration next weekend (but no overnighter this time). As a surprise I booked a TMZ hollywood tour for Brad and I (Brad is obsessed with the show, we think its pretty entertaining)! We scheduled it for when we were out there but because we got caught up in horrid traffic getting to LA, they moved us to a different weekend :) Gotta say, it is nice to spend solo time with my husband!! And while we were playing in LA, Taji was having slumber party with his cousin Chloe!!!

(my sister sent me this picture Sunday morning at breakfast)

Petra reported he spent the weekend in his diaper (he did not want to wear his clothes, and would say "Ow!" and tug at his clothes when he had them on!) LOL He also spent both days in the pool, like a little fishie.... taking after his cousin Chloe who is such a pro swimmer!

My sister is an expert swim teacher (she has years of lifegaurd experience and was on the swim team,) she taught Chloe how to swim at a young age and now she is teaching Tajinek! We are so lucky to have her!

She taught him how to kick his legs while on his back, blow bubbles, and how to hold on to the edge of the pool, all in one weekend! She said he picked it up so fast!

Upon returning from our LA overnighter, we couldn't wait to join up with the Fetters Trio and play in the pool with Taji.

My sister even surprised us with our own cupcakes and birthday presents! Thanks Peti, Bryan, and Chloe for taking such good care of our precious cargo! Taji had a blast and is excited to do it again!

The Before & After's

Almost forgot the remodeling Brad did on our cottage in Bemus. He is always working on a project, no matter how complex or how far away it is. First things first, the roof and railings were replaced, and the front porch roof cut back so a 6 foot + person could walk under without lowering their head:

BEFORE

AFTER

The bathroom remodel was the big surprise he had waiting for us, and wow! it is a big difference!
BEFORE: traditional 70's (check out the black tub and tiolet!)




AFTER: modern chic cottage




Great job dada Brad! Wait till you see what he has up his sleeve for next summer! :)

Come Away With Us to Bemus Point, NY

After 3 weeks, visit to 3 different states, and almost a 2-day travel back home (we had to do an overnighter in Chicago because our 2nd flight got cancelled), we are back in our concrete paradise as I like to refer to Southern California, and already missing the beeeeeeautiful nature and slow-pace of Bemus, New York. Every time we go back to Brad's hometown village on Chautauqua Lake we marvel at the peace, beauty, and relaxation we find. With Taji in tow, we were so happy to have 3 weeks of TV-less, minimal internet/phone-less, outdoor fun!!! Taj was in boy heaven as he explored the outdoors, played in the water (and in his super cool inflatable pool and intertubes), chased after the squirrels, chipmunks, cats, dogs, and balls, and made so many new friends! He grew before our eyes, saying so many new words (boat, fishies, bird, outside, ceiling, sky, apple, saying "more" during feeding time), and he also says "hi mama" and "hi dada"!!! He danced (he does his version of the "beyonce" booty shake!) and ran around like crazy. Taj's little sibling also had a kick-ass time (literally.... but not in the ***, just in my belly!! yup, little butterfly tickles and movements!! Can't believe how quickly the time flew by, we always wish we could stay longer..... We were also surprised that Taj was such an amazing traveler, we received many compliments on what a good happy boy he was on the plane, and on the trip back home he took all his naps on the flights! If this is any sign of what is to come, we have some exciting vacations ahead of us!

Getting back to our Bemus "escape", we had lots of wonderful family time, including fun on the lake, a trip to the zoo, bikerides, a trip to the Amish country where we bought Taj some cool wooden toys, a trip to the vineyards (next summer you will find me sipping away at the wine tastings!), Midway Park amusement park with the cousins, etc. We had sunset dinners lakeside while listening to the live music playing on the floating stage in the village, attended friend dinner parties. But the highlight of our beautiful trip was nevertheless, our emotional family reunion .... Taj's first time meeting his cousins, aunts, uncle, and grandmas :) Couldn't have asked for a more perfect and serene summer vacation.

I took sooooo many photos, and really captured some amazing scenery (that's the fun little slideshow way below), but before you come away with us on Taji's 1st summer vacation photo journey, here was some of Taji's favorites!:


drinking his baba on the hammock every day:
sunset dining on the water almost every evening:
skipping rocks on the lake:
playing in the lake:
picking up chicks while boat hopping :) :
relaxing with mama and dada and admiring the nature:
and fishing with dada!:

NY 2011 from jana grover on Vimeo.

12 month STUD photo shoot

Here's a sneak peek of our 12 month milestone Sears Portrait session,(even though it was more like 13 month portrait, but hey, better late than never right?!) Fast forward 20 years from now, can't you just imagine this studmuffin gracing the cover of a GQ magazine?!! ha ha! Here's our favorites!

Our June in Pictures

Even though June is not quite yet over, we are off to NY for our annual summer getaway so here is our June photo slideshow! I decided that with the exception of Baby Grover #2 updates and special occasion postings, each month I will summarize our funfilled Grover life in one jam-packed slideshow and summary!

So here we go.......June brought us lots of gloom, but also lots of fun times with friends and family. There was our duffy boat Sunday Funday, Balboa Island patriotic parade, saying goodbye to my work and Taj's Montessori, many girl nites for mama (and many boy nites for dada and Taji), Belmont Shores Lebanese date nite, Chloe's last soccer game, many family R&R beach days, a visit to the farm, and this week alone... 4 playdates with our local buddies! June was a great introduction to summer, but summer 'aint like a good 'ole fashioned NY summer! We can't wait to play in the lake (& blow-up pool for Taji), go boating, biking, fishing, campfires, catching up with friends, and just hang out at our summer cottage in Bemus Point, NY. Most of all it's the slow-pace, clean fresh air, nature, the Amish farms, nature, and did I mention the beautiful nature (!), I look forward to the most!! It will be Taj's first time seeing where dada grew up and we have a lot in store for the little guy (and Brad is surprising us with all the work he's had done on the cottage, can't wait to see it! :)

In Taj news, June was the month for increasing his vocabulary, playing chase (he runs now!), stacking cups, building towers (and knocking them down), turning on the TV with the remote, saying the beginnings of "open" and "help", animal sounds, the "uh ohs" , the Ready, Set, "GO"'s, singing "Row, Row, Row your boat", dancing, giving us (open-mouth) kisses, being a big helper, and an even bigger mess maker! Phew! As I said before, every month gets more exciting!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's to our 3 awesome fathers: Dada Brad, Deda (my dad), and Grandpa Grover (Brad's dad)! Taj is lucky to be surrounded by so many positive male role models :) On Brad's 2nd Father's Day, Taji and I took him to a fabulous brunch at Summer House, right down the street from our house! Here is Dada pushing Taji in his cool mobile:

Taji giving dada his father's day cards.....

Family Pic at Brunch, check out the "Like father like son" duo with their matching hats to my left !

On our walk back home...... thanks Babi and Deda once again for this cool blue cruisin mobile, we take Taji everywhere in it :)
Balboa Bay Club Classic Car Show:

The boys' favorite was the red hot Spyder (the same type of car James Dean crashed and died in)

We had fun playing at the resort! Here's our little rocker dressed in his "My Dad Rocks" T-shirt.

Last but not least, I just want to stay how impressed I am the type of father Brad is to Taj. He melts my heart the way he plays and interacts with him. He always rushes home from work to meet up with us wherever we are, at the beach or playground... and dedicates his weekends to family time. I love love that he takes over weekend mornings and takes Taji outside to play while I get to sleep in. I also love the adorable Boy nights Brad does with Taji. Taj is a social magnet so he always loves going with Brad out to eat, interacting with others, and listening to chill acoustic music (like when he accompanied Brad and his buddy Justin at Port for an early dinner, and he loved the guitar player.) Brad the Dada has taught Taji how to dance, how to wrestle, how to strum the guitar, how to shoot a ball in a hoop and bowl (toddler version of course :)) Watching Brad be a father to his son has made me fall even more in love with him, and the ways he helps me and supports me has made our marriage that much stronger. I wouldn't be the kind of mother I am if it wasn't for Brad's dedication and the amount of effort he makes on his part. We are one hell of a team and have accomplished a lot. I know we will continue to persevere and flourish as our family of 3 grows to Family of Four!

Mama's New 'Do

A new chapter of my life as a full-time mommy and a new pregnancy can only mean one thing...... time for a new 'do! (I'm also hoping my new haircut will slim my face as I put on the pounds this pregnancy and my cheeks get rounder and rounder!)
Pic of one of the many girls nights I was lucky to have this month (thanks to Mr. Mom). This one was from this past Saturday night: Shannon's Bachelorette Party! Can you spot me and my new bangs?!

Meet our soon-to-be second Cuddlebug!

Our little teddy bear we met just a few weeks ago has grown into a sweet little baby, and looking like one too! Taji's soon-to-be sibling and our soon-to-be second Cuddlebug turned 12 weeks old this week (in utero) and we captured his/ her first movie debut! (Listen carefully to the very end of the video where you hear the heartbeat!) Its so amazing to watch and listen to this little being with Taj right beside us, babies are truly the miracle of life :)

Baby Grover #2 Movie Debut from jana grover on Vimeo.

And here is mama's belly carrying Baby Grover #2 at 12 weeks:


(newsflash! Mama Jana has already gained 14 lbs. in the first trimester! Pretty nuts if you ask me, but this also happened when I was preggo with Taji). Let's hope I'm able to bounce back as quickly as I did the first time around!

And just think, around this time next month Baby Grover #2 will reveal itself to us even more, in time for our birthdays! We can't wait to find out, but most importantly, we can't wait for the day when we will hold our second little Cuddlebug in our arms!

SURPRISE!

It's OFFICIAL!!! Taji is going to be a BIG brother this December!!! We can't wait to meet the newest addition to our Grover family! As if we couldn't have more love and cuteness already, another bundle of joy is making his/her debut this winter! With only a few days away from the end of our 1st Trimester, we are looking at a Christmas baby (due date 12-27-11).......our holidays this year will definitely be filled with cheer and suspense as we await our 2nd miracle of life. Taj and Baby Grover #2 will be 19 months apart :) We just love that they will be close in age, and either way, if we we have another boy, the "boys" will be each other's best friend and I can dress them alike LOL...... and if we have a girl, then I get MY mini-me and Taj will be the best and most protective big brother there is, looking after her :-) Life is so beautiful, and we feel very blessed to be able to expand our family!

How We Found Out:
Back in April, and after only a couple months since I stopped breastfeeding, I took some pregnancy tests and kept getting 2 lines, one faint and one dark, so it came down to the digital tests, that give you a very clear straight answer! And lucky for us, the answer was, PREGNANT!!

With Taj's 1st birthday only a month away at this point, I was ecstatic at how "perfect" the timing turned out! Taj was not only going to turn ONE but he was also becoming a big brother! And I feel like maybe Baby Grover #2 was a reward for us for successfully completing our first baby's 1st year...... I guess we are pretty good at this parenting thing because now we get to repeat it all over again this soon! ha ha Anyway getting back to when I first found out, I decided to tell Brad in a creative way. I used a little messenger, Taj himself, to deliver a very special card. I told Brad "Daddy, Taji made you something in Montessori and wants to show it to you....." Taj hand delivered the envelope to daddy when he got home from work, and Brad mentioned to me that all along he had a suspicion that we were up to something and had news to share. This was the inside of the card that Brad opened: It said "Our family just got cuter!
Guess what Daddy? I'm gonna be a big brother! Signed by Taji himself (can you see the colorful crayon marks?) !!! Brad was thrilled!!

We decided to keep it very hush hush, since our Taji baby's BIG birthday was approaching and we did not want to overshadow his special moment with this special news. We had our 1st ultrasound appointment the same week Taj turned 1, and we took him into the doctor's office and all 3 of us got to see our "sweet little teddy bear" for the first time (as I like to refer to Baby Grover #2, because the little peanut looked more like a teddy bear on the ultrasound picture!) We all got teary-eyed watching Taji's amazement when listening to the heartbeat and watching it on the screen. I wonder if at that exact moment Taji knew and recognized that another Grover baby was on his/her way! I remember saying to Taji later, "Happy Birthday Buddy, for your 1st birthday we created a playbuddy just for you!" We couldn't wait to announce our news to world! Babi and Deda found out by recieving a very special package for their birthdays (my mom's was in May, and my dad's was beginning of June, so the timing really worked out!) They unwrapped their present and saw the above photo of Taji holding the ultrasound pic in the frame that said "Grandkids." At first they couldn't figure out what Taji was holding, then 2 minutes and a magnifying glass later, it dawned on them that it was a recent photo of our newest addition! I just love creatively surprising my loved ones. :) Stay tuned for our "teddy bear's" first official movie premiering at the end of next week, when we go in for the 12 week ultrasound!! Yup! I hope to replicate the same pregnancy journey and booklet for this baby as I made for Taj!

And how is mama feeling you may be wondering? Well, this time around I feel way more queasy then I did the first time! The morning sickness feeling comes in waves throughout the day, mostly when I don't eat every 1-2 hours! I think i have already gained 6 lbs and my bump is starting to show! My partner in crime and pregnancy sympathy buddy Brad and I love indulging on waffles, hot dogs, cream cheese, juices (I'm crazy for my lemonades again!!), and of course BEEF! Hmmm, same kinda cravings as when I was pregnant with Taj! The only difference is that I'm really really drawn to the carbs and love my comfort junk food..... so I have been trying to eat in moderation along with all the healthy salmon, fish, veggies, and soups... that way I get a good balance and deliver lots of nutrition to my little teddy bear growing inside of me. This time around I'm also A LOT more tired because gone are the days I get to come home and just park it on the couch if front of the TV. Nope, Taji will not have it, so we go outside to play and walk. Taj is definitely going to be my physical trainer that keeps me in shape for this pregnancy! Thank goodness he's walking too, can you imagine growing bigger each month and having to lugg around 20 lbs?!!

From High Heels to Flip Flops

It was a momentous day, the day I traded in my school psychologist high heels for some nice comfy SAHM (Stay-At-Home-Mommy) flip flops! I have been anxiously waiting for this day for the last few months, and now that it is finally here, I feel like I have been set free. Free to completely indulge in my precious sweet family, without feeling torn, guilty, stressed, and overworked. This day comes after a symbolic last week of work. This week I happened to work my last 3 days all in row, consecutively, which has been uncommon for me since I have had the every other day part-time work schedule. A few things happened that made me quite emotional and strengthened my desire to fully devote myself to our growing family. First, hats off to full-time working mommies, because working everyday, packing up the daycare bags, drop-off, pick-up, then to only get home and rush to get dinner started, I can't imagine how hard it must be to squeeze in that special time.... and before you know it it's time for bed and the next day this rigid routine starts up all over again. Kinda hard to build memories and bond with your baby when you only live for your weekends :( I felt very sad dropping Taji off at day-care every day for 3 days straight, and I already felt like I lost a little bit of our quality time. Secondly, on Monday when I picked up Taji from his Montessori, there was a little girl who was crying her eyes out and would not stop. When I inquired why she was crying so much, the teacher told me she saw another baby get picked up by his mommy and she immediately began crying for her own mama. It broke my heart. The next day, when I again went back to pick up Taji, the teacher and I witnessed another little girl take her first steps! It was incredible but I felt extremely guilty that her own mother was not there to witness her amazing milestone. To think that if I had worked full time this year, I could have missed these special milestones! Brad and I are truly lucky that we were right there with our hearts and our videocamera to capture Taji saying mama and dada for the first time, rolling over, crawling, walking, and now talking so much using real words! If you don't stop and cherish each waking moment, then you miss out and slips right through your fingers.

To prepare for this transition and new chapter of my life, I have been reading some awe-inspiring stories that have once again brought me to tears. Here is one real- life excerpt of a SAHM that really touched my heart and made me feel grateful:

Lisa's story: As I sit to write this letter, my hope is that if just one mother can hear what I have to say and holds her child just a little tighter today, I have fulfilled my reason for writing. By the time I was 29 I had a beautiful baby boy, loving husband, and although never money to spare, we found ways to get by. I had stopped working full-time shortly after my son was born because I loved being with him. I knew I could not work anymore. Something inside of me told me I had to spend as much time with my child as I could. My husband worked extra hours, we budgeted, and we made do with what we had. There were days where I was pulling out my hair, and found myself totally exhausted at the end of the day. But there were also many moments I would never trade in for any job, no matter the pay. Those moments when your child gives you a smile or a look you never forget, moments when they would give you a kiss, a hug, or just hold your hand for no reason. Those are moments a mother treasures in her heart forever and they can never be replaced, not even by a grandmother. I was selfish-- I wanted my child to know me, and I wanted to be that special person in his life.
But perhaps I took too many things for granted. Two years ago my son was killed in an auto accident, he was 22 years old. He was away at college when he decided to get into a car where the driver had been drinking; 10 minutes later he was dead. Our lives will never be the same; our world as we know it has been destroyed. We miss our son terribly. The only thing I can say and that gives me peace in my heart is that I am so grateful for those moments I had with my son. Those moments, the good as well as the crazy ones, I will forever hold close to my heart. All those precious years I spent with my son now are what help me get through the day.
Our children are such special gifts that should never be taken for granted, and life is so unpredictable, we never know if today we will breathe our last breath.

I will NEVER regret, only TREASURE this time of my life, and as I have said before, I want to be my children's mother. I want to love them , hug them , kiss them any time of the day I please, especially before they grow up and run away from us parents or prefer to spend more time with their friends. And with our second Baby Grover on the way (yes! it is official! Special post coming very soon with pics and video) the timing couldn't be more right for us to enjoy what could be our last pregnancy possibly, relish the one-on-one time with Taji before his sibling is born, and then of course we get to relive that first amazing newborn year along with watching Taj grow into a 2 year boy right in front us! I plan to be there every step of the way for Taj and Baby Grover #2 as they grow into toddlers and preschoolers. I have an awesome husband that is an endearing father himself and also sees the importance of having this special time before they are off to preschool. I believe everything happens for a reason, and having Taji by our side this year has strengthened our family even more. Even though change is difficult at first and sacrifices have to be made, the reward is much greater, and time is just as much of a gift. My favorite quote has always been, "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is the future, and today is a PRESENT." Amen.

Taji's Birthday Extravaganza - THE MOVIE

taj 1st birthday celebration from jana grover on Vimeo.