Jobless

Okay. I said I'd provide a "juicy" post about us. Well, it's not exactly exciting or anything, but it's kind of a big deal to us.

Blair quit his job.

Are you wondering if he has another job lined up? Haha! Nope. We're in full-swing job-search mode. Am I worried? Am I stressed? For some odd reason, no, I'm not.

Maybe that odd reason has something to do with the fact that I finally have my husband back, literally and... emotionally...(?) That job was sucking all the life out of Blair as if it were a dementor slowly eating his soul. That may sound overly dramatic, but if you think of one's soul as one's personality/happiness, I feel that dementor analogy isn't too far from the truth. The more I heard about what he was dealing with, the more I would say to Blair, "you need to get out of there!". Three years is long enough to feel like you're heading off to hell every morning. I honestly do not know how he lasted that long.

Blair is always calm and composed on the outside and he would not write about his experience as dramatically as I am, but I know that underneath that handsome, cool, head he was feeling like this:

(I'm not sure, but I think that picture is supposed to be a man expressing frustration at work. However, as I looked at it longer, I wondered if it might be showing the ecstatic joy of a man who just quit the job he hated. Either way, it works for this post.)

Since quitting, Blair is happy, plays with Paul, plans, creates, and talks (well, as much as a Blair ever did, which isn't much). It's the Blair I know and love!

As far as a new job: we have some promising possibilities. Regardless, I'm just glad he's out of the doom-and-gloom smog and finally has the energy and clarity of mind to look for something new. Meanwhile, I'll be teaching more dance classes at the studio to keep us from eating into our savings too much.

If you hear of anyone needing a super talented and good-looking engineer, let us know!

More Paul - 21 months

Yep another blog post about Paul. Don't worry, we still exist too. In fact, I'm planning a really juicy blog post about Blair and me and what's going on in our lives very shortly. Until then, enjoy more pictures of our current obsession: Paul.

 Paul has really become good friends with his Teddy Bear as of late. He wants to eat, sleep, cuddle, talk and play with him. I even saw Paul "teaching" the bear how to climb on the armchair and turn on the lamp by using the bear's fluffy limb to turn the switch. If the bear falls down Paul will say, "Uh oh! Ochie!" kiss the bear on the head and say "All better!". He loves to just "ug" and "kiss" (or "mua!") the bear just because he loves it so much.

And here are some other random pictures for the blog.

This is what Paul does when we ask him to smile:


Another good "fend" of Paul's is his baby cousin "Ing-kuhn" (Lincoln). Paul talks about "bebe inkun" all the time. He loves to just be near him. Who wouldn't want to be close to that adorable little face?


This was Paul's first trip to the library, which he absolutely LOVED! You wouldn't know it from the pictures, but he was giggling with delight the whole time we were there. Just smile for the camera once please!




Thanks for stopping by!

Funny Happy Paul

In the car the other day Paul started counting,
"one...
two...
four...
five...
chicken..."
which put Blair and I into a fit of laughter.


Right now, one of Paul's favorite phrases is "ookit, Mommy ookit!" (look it). When I look, he's either dangling from something new he's learned to climb, figured out a new way to smash his hands together to form a sculpture of tangled fingers, or he's just pulling his ears away from his head and making a silly face. Yesterday, I heard that familiar "ookit, mommy, ookit!" and when I turned around he was being held and spun by Blair in the most graceful of poses with his back arched away from Blair, one arm beautifully curved over his head and the other curved at his side with the most balletic of fingers. He held that pose while spinning for a good two minutes, all the while saying "ookit, mommy, ookit!". "I see you, Paul" I was trying to say , but couldn't through all my laughter.


One day while in the kitchen Paul comes with his head hanging and saying "Ooooh nooooo, ooooh, Paul! Water! Oh no!" I instantly scoured every room in the apartment frantically trying to find what mischief Paul had gotten into. When I came into our master bathroom I saw he had opened the cupboard (which has a child lock), opened the mouthwash (I can hardly open those silly lids myself!) and poured the entire bottle (which was practically full) all over the bathroom floor. Some of our laundry still smells like that mouthwash after the clean-up.


I often hear Paul playing in his room saying things like, "Here you go, Mommy!" "Hello, dinosaurs!", "good morning, cars!" or singing a tuneless song to his toys or himself. He is almost constantly insanely happy! I absolutely love his contagiously joyful little personality!



Me: "Paul, do you want to go visit grandma and grandpa?"
Paul:"Um.... no. How about.... hmmm... "
Me: "Aunt Reana and uncle Shawn?"
Paul: "No... how about.... um.... Delilah!?"
Me: "The cat? Do you want to see Bowser too?"
Paul: excitedly "Yeah! Delilah! Bowser!"

Paul loves his grandparents, but for some reason the thought of seeing their pets is initially more exciting.

Paul at 19 months

For some reason, Paul has seemed a lot older to me these past few days. Maybe it's the way he asks me to "draw a star, please" or the fact that he can tell me exactly what he wants for lunch, whether it be "pene butter anich" (peanut butter sandwich), an "onge" (orange), an apple, yogurt or whatever it may be, and can ask me to "dir" (stir), "poke", "cut", or "mash" it with a "moon" (spoon), "ork" or "ife", and he might ask me to "bow" on it if it's "hot". There are very few basic words and ideas he cannot express - often using two or three word sentences. My baby's constant questioning and chatting, demanding and imploring, reasoning and concluding is forcing me to realize he's just not a baby anymore.

Some other new skills of his include: pointing out and naming any of the letters of the alphabet; identifying most basic shapes; pointing out and naming the colors yellow, blue, orange and black (the other colors are still a little confusing for some reason); and, the skill he's most proud of, running super fast! On average, he fits in about 30 laps around our dining/kitchen/living room circle every day. He certainly takes after his daddy.

Something we're still working on: not screaming. Anyone out there have any ideas? We've been consistently putting him in his crib whenever he screams and closing his bedroom door until he's quiet and asks nicely to get out. (We leave the lights on and window blinds open to differentiate from nap time.) It seemed to be helping at first, but the ear-shattering screeches have not left for good. Has anyone else found something that works? Or should we just continue to be patient with the crib method?

As a whole, life with Blair and Paul is heavenly. After story time and our nightly prayer we all hug each other in a tight knot of giggle-filled bliss. I can hardly believe how lucky I am to have these wonderful, loving and good-looking boys in my life!


Who does he look like more? Mommy or daddy?

Paul loves to sit and "stretch" with daddy after Blair's run.

This poor kid really needs a backyard to play in. He loves going outside but this cement patio is all we have outside our back door.

This is the way I see him most - running!

My Newest Nephew!

My sister, Reana, had her baby!!! Woohoo!

All through church my thoughts were on Reana. Her water broke at four that morning and she and Shawn arrived at the hospital at nine. I subconsciously assumed my sister would have a labor identical to mine - fast! However, things took quite a bit longer for her. Her contractions didn't start until one or two that afternoon, and they just kept coming after that. All that evening we waited for a phone call. Nothing. That entire, restless night my phone lay right next to me, and still there was no no news. Reana labored all through the night without any pain medications and without much progress. Finally at about eight in the morning she was given relief through an epidural and in a very short time she dilated completely and was ready to push. Lincoln Grey Sabbavarapu was born January 28th at 11:22 am, weighing 6 lbs 15oz.

Reana is one strong woman, and little Lincoln is strong too. He had the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck during delivery which caused his heart rate to drop to dangerous levels. After he was born, he had trouble breathing, but thanks to the wonderful staff there at St. Vincent's hospital, he and Reana are perfectly fine.


Lincoln in his daddy's hands.


Lincoln and Reana.

I'll have to post some pictures of when Paul and Lincoln first met. They're a pretty cute pair already. :)

December 2012

December was wonderful, as usual. On the 17th we celebrated my parents' 30th wedding anniversary by eating out at our (Blair and myself) favorite restaurant, Dar Essalam, in Wilsonville.


Paul's favorite food was the pita bread, especially when he got to feed it to grandpa.


We also spent some time near the temple and in the visitor's center for their nightly musical productions. The temple had a giant nativity on the reflection pool. I'd never seen it before, so it was a pretty surprise during our walk.


Since my mom would be working on Christmas day, we got to celebrate a bit of Christmas on Sunday with my family then the actual Christmas day with Blair's family. On Christmas morning we had our own little present opening. With Paul getting older, Christmas is just about to become magical again. We certainly didn't go all out this year. I figured we'd save that for when Paul's old enough to appreciate it. But we did have a tiny bit of Santa magic for Christmas morning.





Paul opening his very first Hot Wheels car.

He likes it!

New Year's eve was spent playing games and eating treats at my parent's house. Those are some of my favorite things to do with family! The Christmas break always seems to fly by way too quickly, but every day was a blast and we're excited for what the new year will bring.

Paul's 15 Month Accomplishments

This post is just to remind you that we're still here and we're still obsessed our little Pauliewog. 

At 15.5 months, Paul is definitely a toddler now. He has all his teeth except his 2 year molars. He's walking, running, climbing, opening, braking, laughing, screaming (*shudder* he just started this one), and talking!

He almost talks as much as a girl! His pediatrician said he's an early talker for a boy. Beside all the English-sounding babble, here are some real words in Paul's current vocabulary (since I know you're all dying to know) :

Mama

Dada

Up

No

Nummy

Ersss (yes)

Push

Bar (he's so obsessed with Larabars that he's learned to say this word perfectly with the correct "R" sound and all)

Door (also means "open", again, with a perfect "R")

Chair 

Gar (car)

Guck ( 3 meanings:  it could be a truck, that he or something is stuck, or it's also used as "yuck")

Beya-ba (belly button)

Beday (body)

baba (bubble)

Hi / bye (all the time to anyone and anything very loudly!)

More

Mook (milk)

Moosh (juice) 

Nack (snack)

Bub (poop)

Uh-oh

Awtttt (hot)

Eye 

Neck

Ay ay (light)

Rice

Me (we're hoping this means "please"...)

Mess (he loves to make them)

Bush

Bird

Guy (sky or airplane)

Dore (store)

Go go

Shoe

Gock (sock or clock)

Bik (bike)

Wahw (wall)

Bahw (ball or Paul)

Bock (block or tower)

Gaing (train? or again?)

Book

Wow!

Meh (Cat "mew")

Woof Woof 

Moo (cow)

Buh-buh (chicken)

Ooo (owl)

Oo-aah -eeh  (monkey)

Bey (pray)

Jich (church)

Jishish (Jesus)

Buck (bug)

Mana (banana)

Rash (trash)

Wee-oh (wheel)

A-wee (away - as in cleaning up)

Who will ever read that huge list up there? Me! So I'm keeping it in my blog. 

Paul is as happy and confident as he appears in this photo. He owns the world and what a fun and silly place it is!

Sunday best. What a charmer!

Paul was a raccoon for Halloween. (Thanks, mom, for the costume!)

What's the opposite of claustrophobic? Because that's what Paul is. I always find him wedged in the smallest crevasses of the apartment. 

Yep. He got in there all on his own.

Another favorite pastime of his is stacking things. Anything!

He sneaked those out of the fridge when my back was turned and created a condiment tower.

(I helped with this book tower.)

Ready for the Christmas snow! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!

I write as if I have a huge blog following or something. Ha!