Miles has been very drooly lately, but at a doctor’s appointment the pediatrician said she saw no signs or any teeth coming soon. Well, Miles must have seen it as a challenge because as he was gnawing on my hand this morning I felt the first real poke of something sharp and hard. Sure enough, the first of his bottom teeth are coming in! Horray Miles! One week before his six month birthday!
Sometimes we look back at how difficult we thought things were when it was just Jacob and laugh. It was nothing compared to how difficult things are now with both he and Miles. Then one of them will do something so cute and it will warm our hearts, making things seem a little easier.
Miles has grown so much in such a short period of time. He is definitely moving up in clothes sizes faster than Jacob did. And you can tell he is eager to get on the move in order to chase after his big brother. The two love each other so much. Miles is still one of the first thing Jacob looks for in the morning and Miles always keeps an eye on Jacob while wondering what he is up to.
Miles is rolling all over the place. Earlier today, within seconds, he rolled from the middle of our living room to half under the couch. He would have made it too if not for his big noggin getting in the way.
He had his first taste of solid food today too. It was a bean without the skin. He seemed to enjoy it so solid foods are right around the corner.
Miles still greatly prefers mommy to daddy. Normally I would feel bad about that but Jacob was the same way when he was younger and I eventually won him over and got on equal footing with Val.
Stress is high for mom and dad, but we are managing. These two little guys are so worth any trouble that they can dish out. Before we know it, both will be running. That’s when the trouble will really begin.
He almost rolled into one! After a few weeks of rolling side to side (with help from mommy and daddy) and after some cheering on by big brother Jacob, Miles finally learned how to roll over on his own. After my complete joy over him learning this new skill, a realization hit me… We really need to work on Jacob’s clean up skills!
While Jacob has always been messy, now I need to worry about Miles rolling into/onto/over pointy things or getting something in his mouth. Jacob brings sand and crumbs into the room and miles won’t always stay where we leave him now! It is crazy to remember all these things that we worried about with our first that we need to review.
For now I will just be proud of Miles and hope for the best!
I still remember the feeling of that day. The mixed emotions that included excited, scared, and everything in between. It was the day that I received the most important title I would ever earn. It was the title of “Daddy.” He would not call be that until later, but every time I hear it now, I realize how blessed I am.
So much has changed in these three years. Jacob has grown so fast. Much of his personality has emerged. And while he has his moments of naughtiness, for the most part, he is a very good boy that is driven by curiosity and a love of fun. That’s something that we as adults could learn from him.
Watching him meet his “friends” this week brought so much joy to my heart. His “friends” are named Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, and others. Seeing Disneyland through his eyes was so very different for me. While I saw lines, crowds, and dollars flying out of my bank account, it was all worth it to see the joy he was experiencing.
And now, he has a little brother in Miles who he loves so much. A little brother that he wants to see first thing in the morning. A brother that he worries about when he is crying while trying to calm him by saying, “It’s ok Miles. I am here.” He is a great big brother and all of this is just one example of how big his heart is.
I cannot imagine my life without this family. It has helped me to grow and love even more than I thought possible. There are trying times, but through it all, I am thankful.
Happy birthday to my little man. I want you to never lose your sense of wonder and joy about the world. Keep playing. Keep loving. Keep enjoying life. It is an honor to have you as my son. I love you.
Jacob David Bonilla
Born 9:30 PM on May 6, 2013
6 lbs 7 oz and 20 inches from head to toe
A few days ago Miles hit his three month birthday. Time flew by so fast, and now it is time to start planning for my return to work. I have mixed feelings about this because I love my job, but I have not really left Miles for more than a few hours in the entire thirteen weeks of his life. When Jacob was this age he spent several long chunks of time with either set of grandparents. I am not sure why we haven’t done that with Miles, but I don’t really mind. I am trying to enjoy all this time while it is here. However, we need to start figuring out how to balance the needs of all while I am working. Dropping off and picking up the kids from daycare is going to be interesting.
In the meantime, I am having fun just soaking in Miles. I love how his eyes just follow me everywhere when I move around him. I love that when he cries he calms down as soon as I touch him. I love how he grabs my shirt when nursing, telling me that he wants to stay close. I will miss his “superman” stretch when he outgrows it. He has a cute snort sometimes when he is working up a cry. He has the cutest toes and a chunky belly and legs. He is definitely heavier than Jacob was at this age, yet he still looks so much like Jacob that the daycare staff are having dejavu.
Three months and he has just become such a great part of our lives. I doubt Jacob remembers a time before Miles. He wants to make Miles feel better whenever he is crying. He wants to see him every morning. He wants Miles to go upstairs so he can play big drums. It is an adventure but I wouldn’t change a thing.
one of my favorite views
Mellow Miles
Two days ago, while we were visiting Valerie’s coworkers to introduce them to Miles, he laughed for the first time. Unfortunately, it was during a moment when it was just he and I. No one else got to witness it.
Then yesterday, he laughed for the second time. This time, both Valerie and I were there to see it. She was so happy to finally see that little laugh of his.
Like everything else he does, his laugh is uniquely Miles. It’s not really like how I remember Jacob’s first laughs. Jacob would laugh hysterically. Miles kind of laughs and then just smiles at you. It is more subdued but not any less adorable.
Sadly, Miles was running a bit of a fever yesterday. So it was his first time being sick as well. But through it all, he is just as happy as ever and finds time to smile, laugh, and wonder what big brother is up to.
This little two-month old is growing so fast and it brings back great memories watching him go through all of his own firsts.
Miles is about to turn two months old, Jacob is on his way to turning three, and I can’t believe how fast time is moving. As I enjoy all the newborn cuddles and seeing those first smiles, I also look at how far Jacob has come and can’t wait to see both boys get older. I don’t know how I came to be so blessed with these sweet boys who already love each other so much.
I love how much Jacob dotes on Miles, always wanting to be a part of what is going on. Despite him being a toddler still, I see so much maturity in Jacob at times. His vocabulary continues to grow and I can understand more and more of what he is saying. He can explain himself more too, asking why things happen or if he deserves a treat. When I look in Jacob’s eyes I see a glimpse of the older boy who is to come, and I try to seal in the memory of him being as little as he is now.
As for Miles, I feel this new connection that I wasn’t expecting. Jacob was always so independent, even as a baby, but Miles seems to always want me and I am happy to oblige. His eyes follow me as I move around the house and I recognize one of his cries as a “hey, where are you Mommy? I don’t see you” little sound. He is so like Jacob but also so different. It is hard to explain, but I can’t wait to see his personality emerge more and more.
Through it all, I still have my wonderful husband and we are constantly trying to remember to balance parenting and marriage. I crave those times when we are alone (or even when we only have Miles in tow) so we can reconnect, even for a few minutes. He works so hard and there is never enough time in the day, but I know that he loves us so much that he will do what he needs to do.
I guess I am just being sentimental, but I feel so fortunate to have this life. I thank God every day for these amazing gifts. Who knows how much time we have on this world, so I will cherish every moment.
Jacob riding “his” pony named Chips
Every now and then I see a photo of Jacob from one or two years ago. Even the photos from just a year ago make me wonder where the time has gone. People are correct. They grow so fast that if you blink, you will miss a lot.
Sometimes I look at Miles and remember what Jacob was like at his age. It doesn’t seem like it was almost three years ago. Three years is a long time. But here he is, closing in on his third birthday and he is communicating with us much more clearly than I could have imagined. He has his own distinct personality. His own likes and dislikes. He even tries to trick is sometimes to get his way.
Where did the time go? I feel like I missed a lot for some reason. I didn’t, but he has grown so fast, it just feels that way. I keep thinking that I need to just sit there and stare at Miles to fully appreciate these moments that go by so quickly. He is already smiling and wondering about the things around him. Looking at him and then realizing in less than three short years, he will be where Jacob is – it makes me emotional.
Jacob even knows how to show me that he loves me. He gives me kisses and hugs all the time and it just melts my heart. I never want to let go. They are perfect moments. Just as perfect as the first time I held him in my arms.
Then I see him playing on his iPad, going from app to app and interacting with each. He has been doing that for some time now. He is so big. He figures things out so fast. Sometimes I just want him to be that little guy that needed us to carry him everywhere. At the same time, I love his independence and eternal quest for joy. He loves his family. He loves loves loves his baby brother. He loves his friends. He loves his Lord. He loves his music. He loves so much. There is so much love in his heart.
I am proud of who he is. He gets into trouble, but overall, he is a very good kid. We thought he would be jealous of Miles, but it has been the exact opposite. He loves him so much. When he hears him in the morning, he wants to climb into his bed to be with him. When he cries, he wants to comfort him. When I pick him up from school, he asks about him. “I want to see baby Miles,” he says. And he means it. I am so proud of who he is and who he is becoming.
Today was Valentine’s Day. Typically you think of romantic dinners, time between two lovebirds, etc. Well, for this family of four, it was a usual Sunday filled with lots of family fun. Do I miss those romantic times with my wife? Sometimes. However, what she has given me means so much more and I would not have it any other way.
Miles turned one month old on Friday and will be 5 weeks old tomorrow. Time is slowly drifting by and the days are mixed between great and hard. On the hard days I am sleep deprived, unsure of when I last fed him or if I remembered to make Jacob a lunch for school. On great days miles sleeps long chunks and I get laundry, dishes and dinner done without any problems. On the best days my mom comes to help and I get a long nap in the middle of the day. I am so grateful to have family nearby to help out when needed.
Jacob is finally adjusting and starting to stay in his bed at night rather than coming to our room. He gets in a little trouble at school, but I think it is mostly him being a toddler. He loves Miles and asks about him a lot. “Is Miles awake? Is Miles happy? Mommy, get Miles!” He also loves Miles’ toes just like he loves ours.
I am enjoying my time with my little ones and looking forward to getting cleared by my doctor to start doing more. I will soon be able to lift heavier things (like Jacob!) and exercise to start working off some baby weight. For now I will just enjoy these early days and all the cuddles.
Asleep at Panera Bread
Miles popped into out lives just two weeks ago. Time has flown. That’s not because it has been all sunshine and rainbows since he was born. It has been hard, very hard, on both of us. He pretty much just eats, sleeps, poops, and repeats. However, it is all on his terms.
Jacob loves his baby brother. He asks for him every morning. When he gets home from school, he goes to look for him. Lately he has been getting into a little trouble at school. Perhaps it is related. We’re trying to figure all of that out right now.
Miles went to Panera Bread with mom and dad for his two week birthday. Exciting, huh? Well, he slept through the whole thing so he probably doesn’t even know that he left the house.
For the most part, he is a pretty mellow kid. Sometimes he just lays there looking around or staring at us. I guess he is trying to figure everything out too while taking in his new surroundings.
Figuring out our routine and dealing with getting everything done while having another little one around again has been a task. Luckily, for the first week or so at home, we had help in the form of Valerie’s mom. We are always so grateful for our family who is always willing to help in any way they can.
We sure are tired, but our little family of four sure is worth it.
My Birth Story-Miles
I woke up at 4am on Tuesday, January 5 to get ready to go to the hospital for a scheduled c-section. I was really calm and relaxed despite being disappointed that I did not go into labor naturally beforehand. I really wanted to try for a natural birth, but I guess someone had another plan for me.
When we arrived at the hospital two hours before our surgery time, we went straight to the post-op recovery room where I remember being after I had Jacob. No fancy labor and delivery room for me. The nurses were very friendly and started to get me prepared. I thought there might be a lot of waiting around but something was happening most of the time. Soon enough, the anesthesiologist was there explaining what would happen and how I might feel, which was different from the emergency csection. Then my doctor came to check on me and say they were almost ready.
One thing I really wanted to do differently this time was to see the baby as soon as he was born (while still all dirty and gooey). I missed that with Jacob and I felt it was harder to really bond with him because of that and how scared I was. Luckily, when I mentioned it to my doctor (despite it being maybe 30 minutes before we began) she said they would do what they can.
When we went into the operating room, I got on the table and got the spinal block, which was not as bad as I thought it might be. I was surprised at how quickly I started losing feeling in my legs and soon enough I was on the table and they got going. Again, I was so surprised at how quickly things went! I thought it may take a little longer since it wasn’t an emergency but as I laid there holding my husband’s hand, I got updates from the anesthesiologist that they were nearly there. After a little tugging, a nurse lowered the little window flap on the drape in front of me (they found this drape just for me!) and I saw my son’s head and body being held up. It was only for a few seconds, but it was so magical and felt RIGHT that I couldn’t say anything but “I like it!” Soon enough I could hear little cries and sent David off to take our second son’s first video. When they cleaned him and brought him to lay on my chest I just soaked him up and touched his head.
After that, the doctor quickly wrapped up my surgery while dad and Miles waited for me in the recovery room. I held on to the image of him being born while waiting the maybe 15-20 minutes to be reunited. The funny thing is when your body is numb but you are fully awake, things are so off. When they moved me to the bed, the nurses said it would feel like I am falling which was so true! By then I was so happy that I just said “whee!”
Once I was back in recovery, we put a naked (diapered) Miles directly on my chest for some skin to skin time. He started rooting around and I helped him start nursing, which he took to right away! We stayed in recovery for over an hour until a room was ready and began the long journey to recovery. It hasn’t been easy, but finally one week in and I am getting used to this routine again. I just wish I could spend more quality time with Jacob. He has been very good with there being a baby in the house, but I still don’t think it has sunk in that Miles is here to stay. I want Jacob to be more involved but right now we are just trying to keep him in a bit of his routine while I recover.
One way or another, our newest addition will be out by about 7:30 AM on Tuesday. Jacob is excited to meet his little brother. After all, he said that he wanted a baby brother for Christmas. We’re just a little late on this gift.
We’ve gotten most everything done that we needed to get done in preparation. Our overnight bags are even in the car already.
I have not allowed Valerie to venture far from the house or the hospital. The other day she craved a restaurant a little further out and I said, “No! 20 minute radius!” I’m not taking any chances. The nice thing is that unlike when Jacob was coming, we live just minutes from the hospital. So I am a little less nervous about that.
So 2015 passed without a delivery. So that means no tax credit until next year. I think Valerie is just ready to get this done though and meet the little guy. I think I will always feel like we can use just a couple of more days.
Soon enough, he will be here and the [even more] restless nights can begin. Stay tuned…
Well, we made it past Christmas and tonight’s full moon! I am grateful that we were able to enjoy the holiday with family and not be in the hospital. Plus, we would feel bad if our little man had to share his birthday with a major holiday. But, he is safely tucked away and seems to be happy staying with me for a little while longer.
That being said, I do sense he is getting ready to arrive. Yesterday I noticed my tummy was considerably lower, and I get a lot more Braxton Hicks (fake) contractions. It finally is getting hard to put on my own shoes and sit on the floor with Jacob. I get aches and pains I don’t remember having last time. I finally began nesting this past week and feel in a time crunch to get everything ready. Luckily we are 90% done with the essentials. There are still some things I want to do.
-I am still hoping to see Star Wars on the big screen!
-I want to get all the stuff in boxes in our garage sorted and put away (this includes all the bottles I have, ack)
-set up the baby swing and pack and play so Jacob is used to seeing them around.
-get over this cold that started two days ago (thanks Jacob)
-spend some time with David
-just relax!
It is going to be hard doing all this with only 10 days or so to go, but I know with the help of my hubby and family I can knock a few things off my list. Until then, I get to just practice patience.
See you soon!
Well, that snuck up on us. Here we are at 37 weeks now (as of yesterday) and it feels like we had all the time in the world not too long ago. Of course, things have been hectic since Halloween so that may have something to do with it.
With work on our house 99.9% done, we are focusing on getting things ready. Today, I had the fun task of raising Jacob’s old crib back up to the newborn height. A task that sounds easier than it actually was. We are gather supplies like diapers and such in preparation.
Val started her maternity leave, so now we’ll be able to coordinate things better.
Jacob seems to be getting excited. Sadly, he gave up his bedroom for the baby. It was just easier than moving the crib and everything baby related to a new room and figuring out a way for it to fit. We just moved Jacob’s bed. He likes his new room though because all of his toys are there. After all, it was his former playroom. He’ll get the bigger room back when he gets older.
The baby has turned and is now upside down, waiting for the day to exit Val and enter our lives. Val seems to think that the baby will come early. Like right after Christmas. Of course, that is just a feeling. We shall see.
We’re almost there.
Sitting at just under 30 days left and we learned that our son is already expressing his independence by pointing in the wrong direction. I often feel a big lump on my upper right tummy, but we learned that it is likely his head. Yup, he is breech right now.
The doctor said that he may still turn head down, but if he doesn’t that means my chances for avoiding another c-section are gone. It is hard not to be a little disappointed, but I will wait until the next appointment (and another ultrasound) to see if he flips. Until then, I am talking to him more, encouraging him to turn. Even if it isn’t working, at least I feel him moving lots and know he is almost ready to make a debut.
With unexpected work going on at our house and Team Bonilla living out of a hotel, things have been very busy. Once we get back into our house, we will probably start scrambling to get things ready for our new addition’s arrival.
Baby Bonilla has been moving around a lot in mommy. Sometimes to Val’s delight, other times causing mischief. Just like with Jacob though, Val is strong and a real trooper. She goes through all of that and still manages to be a great mom to Jacob.
Just a few weeks separate today from Jacob meeting his little brother and we could not be more excited, even with plenty of life distractions keeping us busy.
Being a father has opened me up to all kinds of emotions that I didn’t even know existed. Sure it is a lot of work, worry, and stress, but it is all worth it. Times like when your son wakes up, jumps out of bed and runs over to your bedroom to find you. Even if he does say, “I went poo poo daddy.” You can’t help but laugh.
Apparently you can have your heart broken and filled with joy at the same time. Jacob must love ‘Father & Son Friday Mornings.’ After we finished at Coffee Bean, we headed to school to drop him off. As I got ready to leave, Jacob pulled me close, gave me a big hug, and whispered in my ear, “Don’t go daddy.”
It broke my heart, but after a little thought, it filled my heart with joy knowing that he loves me so much that he wants me around. It’s one of those mixed emotions that just makes you sit in your car and reflect and relish that moment.
Things are very hectic at home right now. Things are tough on Jacob and they won’t be easier for another month or so. Plus, the time change has prevented our near-daily trips to the park (or ‘pawk’ as he calls it) after school. He has been trooper. The stress of everything going on really gets to me sometimes. However, moments like that bring me back and remind me of how much we have and how blessed we truly are.
Valerie at 30 weeks
The other day, Valerie showed me a little countdown app that she has on her phone. It said there were 60 days left until her due date.
How has time flown by so fast? And with the holidays coming up, these next two months will probably fly by too.
Valerie is now in her 30th week. It is almost time to get the ball rolling on baby’s new room. I’m a little surprised there has been no nesting yet. Of course, we are both so busy and about to get even busier.
Yesterday, Jacob said that for Christmas, he wants a baby. Well boy, do we have a surprise for him!
I turned thirty weeks yesterday and looking at the calendar causes mild anxiety. I can’t believe that soon enough we will have TWO children! Today I was thinking that I should really take some time to enjoy these last ten weeks or so as who knows when quiet moments will happen in my future.
Jacob still has no clue what is going to happen. He knows he is a big brother, and he knows baby is in mommy’s tummy, but I doubt he knows a baby will be living with us soon. In the next week we will start getting baby’s room ready and preparing to get anything we need for him.
Last weekend, friends came up to is in church and asked, “Are you two the dumbest parents in the world?” We had to answer “probably.”
Of course they were joking — maybe. What they were referring to was photos of Jacob with a new drum set. And we’re not talking a toy drum set either. This was the real deal.
Originally, for Christmas, we had planned to get him a bigger drum set than the little toy ones he has. Turns out a friend of ours had different plans when she found this professional junior set at a garage sale.
Once he saw them, we knew there was no going back and we had to bring them home.
It’s needless to say that he loves them. In fact, on the car ride home, he fell asleep with the drum sticks in his hand.
We’re trying to make sure he knows that drums are for after school, not early in the morning before school. Luckily, houses in our neighborhood have a little distance between them. If we lived in a condo or something, our neighbors would hate us.
And then there are times when Val and I say something to one another but just realize that it is pointless because we can’t hear each other. Maybe we should text each other.
Jacob knows that he has to wear his ear muffs too while drumming. At least his ears won’t suffer. He loves them though and we are glad. We want to encourage his love for music along with his love for coloring, bubbles, and peanut butter.
Valerie is at 28 weeks now. Before we know it, Thanksgiving will have passed and we will be scrambling to get everything ready for Jacob’s little brother.
As the baby grows and Valerie’s tummy gets bigger, she still finds the energy to keep up with Jacob. Valerie’s app says that the baby is the size of a head of cauliflower right now. I can’t really picture that, but it sounds like a decent size.
Once again, we heard the heartbeat today. I am feeling movements when I rest my hand on her stomach. Soon enough, Team Bonilla’s numbers will grow by one. Sadly, Valerie will be outnumbered three boys to one girl. Go boys!
So we were just sitting at the dinner table enjoying our food. Jacob was mumbling something – as he often does. We didn’t think much of it until Valerie recognized that one of the mumbles was the name of a month.
It turns out, he had been naming the months of the year. The kid is two! Two! Look, this is my first experience with this, but this seems amazing to me. Maybe there are a bunch of two year olds out there running around saying the months of the year for fun. I don’t know. There is no way I was doing that at two. I was probably trying to avoid running into walls or something. He must get it from Valerie.
The amazing thing to me was that he was saying them in order. I was floored, flabbergasted, and any other past tense verb you want to throw out there. I asked him if he knew how to do calculus too. Come April, he’s doing my taxes.
He really is learning a lot at his school. We are so happy that he is there. So far, he knows his months, can count to 39, say his ABCs, knows all his colors, knows the days of the week, knows his shapes (including octagon – seriously?!), and much more. We’re glad he loves learning.
While Jacob hits milestones like going potty in his potty chair for the first time, our newest addition, due in early January, continues to grow, grow, and grow.
I had the pleasure of feeling a little flutter already while resting my hand on Valerie’s stomach. I have yet to feel the full on kick that I first felt with Jacob when he was around the same age.
Baby is moving around and kicking though. Soon we will start looking at getting his room ready. We can’t wait to introduce ourselves to him.
24 weeks
This morning Jacob hit a huge milestone, making for a very proud mommy and daddy. He has been showing a lot of interest in using his potty chair this week, so we’ve done a lot of sitting and singing songs with no results. Well this morning, I decided to sit him down as soon as he woke up and nothing was happening. However, as soon as I left the room to get a clean diaper, I heard music coming from the bathroom! His potty chair was singing because he made peepee in it for the first time!!! Mommy and daddy danced and cheered while Jacob looked a little confused.
We are just so proud of how big Jacob is getting!
The Big Boy!
it is hard remembering back to being pregnant with Jacob, but I swear this baby is way more active sooner! Every day I get brief moments of lots of wiggles and kicks. Daddy was even able to feel one good kick, which is about 3 weeks earlier than with Jacob. I hope this isn’t a sign that he will be a much more active boy in the long run. While Jacob can be a handful now as a toddler, he was a very calm baby.
I still can’t believe that in about 4 months (or a little less if he comes early like Jacob) we will be bringing home our second son. I think I remember how to take care of a newborn. Until then I am just going to try and take care of myself and baby as best I can. In a few weeks I need to take the glucose tolerance test that will tell me if I have gestational diabetes again. I am expecting that I have it, so I have tried to be mindful of my diet. My doctor said in the meantime to just feed myself and baby. Don’t have to tell me twice!!
