Annie's Birthday Round-up

Annie's 31st will go down in history. Great times with the Paraiso family. Birthday morning and afternoon were spent with our little family. Annie decided to stay home after Oscar and Leana scared us with ER news (They're expecting any day now). It was a good enough excuse to take the whole day off. Of course Annie didn't decide to stay home until she was on the train. Got off in Montclair. Realized the next train returning to Rancho didn't come until 3 hours later. So I packed up the boy and picked up Mommy in Montclair. Dropped her off at the Rancho station to pick up her car and Annie went to Mass (Mom and Dad had a birthday Mass for her). She came home and we enjoyed a nice birthday breakfast with McDonalds! Enjoyed Lunch in the Claremont Village at Harvard Square. Waitress fell in love with Isaiah. Isaiah killed her with his charming smile. Came home, rested and gave Mommy her gifts. Isaiah couldn't wait to give Mommy her gifts. He decided to help open them. Did spend the evening with her parents for dinner. Enjoyed some great sushi. Birthday came to an end and Annie seemed to enjoy it.





Ended her birthday week with dinner at Sevilla with the Paraiso fam. Started our evening off with two pitchers of sangria. Ordered tapas as appetizers and thoroughly enjoyed our entrees while continuing to guzzle down sangria. You know Annie's dad is having a good time when he asks us to order more sangria. "More sangria?" Good times! Mom drank more than she should have (thanks to Ate) and felt a little tipsy by the end of the night. A Great time was had by all!

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Happy Birthday Annie!

Today Annie celebrates her first birthday as a mother. At 31, Annie is as beautiful as she's always been, if not more beautiful. Motherhood has certainly brought out the best in Annie this past year. Of course she's super over-protective of Isaiah, but I guess that's a good thing right? The lack of money this year has put a damper on the many wonderful things I would love to do for Annie, but Isaiah and I have done our best to make this day special for her.

Plans for the 31st birthday include dinner tonight with just the three of us. Annie's family will celebrate with her this Friday night with delicious tapas (yum yum!)We'll finish off the birthday extravaganza with my family celebrating next week on a mini family vacation destination (details to come if we make it out).

Happy Birthday to my beautiful wife. I hope the day is as great as you want it to be. I love you, Isaiah loves you, we love you. Yay you!

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Tooth be told

After weeks of non-stop drooling but no tooth to show for it, the tooth has finally poked it's way through. Annie found it the other night while Isaiah was chomping on her finger. I was called over to put my finger in his mouth and feel for myself. Although it hurts, it's truly an awesome feeling. Our little boy keeps growing up!

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Duck watch at the park

Made a trip to the park last week and enjoyed the fresh air. Isaiah has this thing about trees. Wouldn't be surprised to see him grow up to be a botanist. Anyways, we took lunch with us, played on the blanket, took a nap, and ended with watching the ducks and turtles swim by. Fun day!

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Ziggy Phelps

Finally gave in the other day and decided to take Isaiah to the pool in our complex. I've been fighting with this for quite awhile now for a number of reasons. One being the use of the public pool and the cleanliness of it. Two being the post baby weight that I'm still carrying which prevents me from having the desired swimmers body I would like to have. So what made me give in?



Well Annie had the day off and we had planned to go to the beach. Woke up late, got lazy, and didn't feel like driving all the way to the beach by the time we did get ready. I also got tired of telling Annie "no" everytime she would ask to go to the pool.














As much as I kick and scream about Annie's crazy ideas (remember that I would stay indoors all day if I could), Annie really does have the best ideas. We had a blast! Isaiah loves his baths so why wouldn't he love the pool? He's a natural. Already knows he needs to kick in the water. Isaiah wore his swimming trunks that Aunite Rosie and Uncle Gabe bought him for Christmas. Looked adorable! Annie also had the crazy idea to run out and buy him a floating harness for him to sit in. Again, brilliant idea. The three of us had so much fun and I'm glad Annie dragged me into going with them. Looks like we'll be spending more summer days together at the pool.

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Laughter

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"Take Zig out to the ball game"

Although it wasn't his first baseball game, it was a special one indeed. On Monday, June 29th, Isaiah joined the Valtier Boys for a night out at the ballpark. We had the opportunity to see Manny Ramirez in his rehab stint with the Inland Empire 66ers. With all the hype surrounding his rehab in the minors, it's no surprise that the game was sold out and crowded. On this given evening, the 66ers played our hometown team, the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. Who were we to cheer for? It was a tough call but we fell victim to the excitement surrounding Manny and cheered for him and the 66ers along with the rest of the crowd.

Isaiah had a blast and so did I. It was great to be out with my son, my dad, and my brother enjoying a "guys night out". Of course with the IE 66ers being the single A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers, this allowed the perfect opportunity to dress up the baby in his Dodgers outfit. Thanks to Uncle Oscar and Auntie Yayo, Isaiah was the cutest Dodger baby in attendance.

Yes mommy was missed. The baby missed her and so did I. This was my first outing with the baby on my own without Annie's help. I wasn't so scared at first but as we got closer to the evening and I saw how sad and scared Annie was, I began to feel nervous. Annie's list of things to pack in his diaper bag could have easily filled a truck, but that's just how Annie is...prepared.

Long night for the boy, long night for the rest of us too. IE won the game that night in the bottom of the ninth inning with an RBI single into right field bringing in the winning run from second base.

As for Manny? Well much like the rest of his rehab stint in the minors, he went 1 for 3 with two strikeouts and left the game in the 5th inning. See what steroids do to ones game? Say no to drugs kids!

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Father Tony

Summer is here and I couldn't be happier. Not just because the end of the school year is here. Not just because I'm off from work til the end of August. More so because I get to spend my vacation with my little buddy, Isaiah. Just finished my first week taking care of the boy and I'm having a blast. He's so much fun right now. The boy just starting sitting up on his own this past week and his recognition of Mommy and Daddy is to die for. This is not to say I don't miss Annie being here with us and believe me, I am glad to see her walk through the door. Isaiah shows his delight as well with his killer smile.

My first Father's day was exactly the way I wanted it...relaxing, chill, and low key. Started off the morning with church. Had lunch at the Yard House. Took a nap with my boy. Finished off the night with a BBQ at the 'rents house. I really owe this love for fatherhood to my dad. His love and support through the years is all I know of dads. It's his time and energy, the sacrifices, and the support that's helped shape me to be the dad I am today. The careful notes I took have paid off well.

With that said, I'm already dreading the end of August when I return back to work. It will certainly be a day filled with tears. Ok, I'm off, the boy has awakened from his nap and he's hungry hungry.

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Isaiah the Catholic I Be

"He will then be reborn..."

On April 26, 2009, Isaiah Henry was baptized.

If you look at Anthony and myself, you wouldn’t believe we were too religious. We go out late at night, we drink, we (well, more me) have potty mouths, we are accepting and respectful of all lifestyles and beliefs; basically, we aren’t what you would call “old school” Roman Catholics.

Ever since I was born, my family and I have always gone to Church on Sundays. I’m always praying. I attend religious events, pray the Rosary and went through my share of CCD and Confirmation classes. I’ve completed all of my Sacraments, the latest one being Marriage. I can admit that through the years I hadn’t taken all of my Sacraments seriously, but I’d say about 10-12 years ago, everything all of a sudden started to make sense. Would it be corny to say that meeting Anthony changed my way of thinking? But not in the way you would think.

Anthony, too, had completed all of his Sacraments up until Confirmation when I met him. But his family stopped going to Church for personal reasons and because of that, Anthony wasn’t really motivated to go to Church anymore. I remember one of our first trips to Las Vegas with the family. Early Sunday morning, we all started waking up and getting dressed. Anthony went through the motions of getting ready, but didn’t really know why we were up so early and where we were going. He finally asked me what the plan was for the day. I said, “We’re going to Church.” He said, “How come you didn’t INFORM me of this?” This was funny to me for two reasons: First, it is assumed that we go to Church, even though we were on vacation, and even though we were in Sin City; Second, he was so upset in being forced to go to Church when he hadn’t gone in years.

When we began dating, our Saturday nights began with going to Mass because I worked Sundays. Later, it turned into him joining my family for Sunday Mass. Even later it turned into his family joining my family for Sunday Mass. And even later still, we became more involved in the church, with my brother, Anthony, and myself leading Children’s Liturgy every Sunday, and Anthony finding his calling as a teacher, more importantly, a teacher at a Catholic school.
We have so many reasons to be thankful. God, Our Lady, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit and countless other Saints have been so good to our families. We have been witnesses to so many miracles and many blessings, and the latest one being the birth of our beautiful baby boy.

Which brings us to the point of this post. After much planning and re-planning, we were finally able to Baptize our amazing son and introduce him as a member of our Catholic community. It was a beautiful day and a very spiritual event for both of us. Isaiah slept through almost the whole thing; he was so angelic and beautiful. Godparents are my older sister and my younger brother, whom I hope will continue to guide him through the journey of his faith.

Even though we may not seem like it, Anthony and I are proud Catholics. Having faith in our lives is so important to us. It grounds us. It guides us. It gives us a deeper connection with God. It makes our marriage stronger. It makes our new little family stronger. We have a love for one another that is so deep and unbreakable. Anthony and I speak so freely of our faith now; it’s a part of our daily lives and I’m proud of who we have become. And we are proud of our little boy, who will now share in all the wonderful blessings of the Catholic Church.

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Noachella this year :(

So priorities have changed this year with the addition of Isaiah. Coachella has been an on again off again sort of tradition for the last several years. It looks like we're off again. Do we bring Isaiah, do we not bring Isaiah? After all, he was there last year :)As much of a hassle it may sound to bring such a young infant, Annie and I believe we could have done it. So then why opt out this year? Baby? Weak line-up on some days? Money issues? Well all might have influenced our decision in some way but the real reason has to do with his upcomimg Baptism. Long story there, but bottom line is I felt it wouldn't be right to go and have fun at the expense of my arents losing out on a night of fun.

In any case, I've been following Coachella this year via AT&T's webcast. So far the baby and I have seen the Courteneers, Aggrolites (to which Isaiah was rocking out to!), The Airborne Toxic Event, and currently playing is Alberta Cross (I'm liking them)

It's hard to watch the webcast and not witness the sights and sounds for myself. Looks like beautiful weather this week in Indio, CA. I've made a promise already though: We shall return next year! With Isaiah too!

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Spring Break with the boy

Well this week is drawing to a close and if you've been following on facebook or twitter then you're probably aware I'm on Spring Break. I thought I would share the highlights of my week with the Zig.

Monday Annie stayed home because the baby was sick (he had been sick for the past 5 days). We took him to the doctors and she ordered an x-ray for the little guy. I had to be tough in front of him and not show how scared I really was. We walked into a dimly lit room and put on these x-ray protector vests. They harnessed him in a contraption in what Annie describes as, "Some Hannibal Lecter looking thing." As scary as it was, it was over and we were out. RSV test, throat culture, and x-ray came back negative and Isaiah just has to get over his little cold.

Tuesday was fun. Annie went to work (Not the reason it was fun!) It was just the boy and I all day. Slept a lot that day because he was sick. Rest is what this boy needed because he woke up in a great mood and I managed to tape his laughing attack you might have seen by now on youtube. Who knew he would get such a kick out of hearing his daddy say "Go Boom!" Crazy kid!

Wednesday I had to make a pit stop at the dentist so I dropped off the baby at grandma's and papa's house. had lunch with them. Came home to spend more quality time with the Zig. Returned that night back at my parent's house for dinner.

We pretty much spent all day on Thursday staring at each other. Nowhere to go. wanted to go for a walk but remembered Annie had driven to work with the stroller in the back. Made dinner that night! Yes, I made dinner! Nothing fancy. Smoked sausage and potatoes. It's the only complete meal, if you call it a meal, I know how to make. It's the thought that counts right?!

Side note: He's decided these past two days to wake-up at between 2:30am and 3:00 am. Lucky me because I'm on spring break, I get to stay up with him and put him back to sleep. Very tired.

So here we are on Friday. Beautiful day. Annie left the stroller for me. Went on our walk. Sitting next to me as I type this. I had fun this week. Sure it was tough and it felt like Groundhogs Day every day (wake-up, feed, change diaper, play, sleep, wake-up, feed, change diaper, play, sleep...)One can imagine the excitement I felt at 7:00pm when I knew Annie would be walking through the door any minute. However, the quality time I got to spend with my son far outweighs the exhaustion I felt at the end of the day. I'll miss him next week when I return to work. I love my little dude and I hoped I showed it this week.

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Isaiah's first cold!

It was bound to happen one of these days. Isaiah has a cold. Suffy nose, chest congested, but still happy as a clam. Took him to the doctor today on day 1 of my Spring Break. Annie stayed home today as well (feels sorry for the little guy). X-rays are negative. Results of RSV test came back negative as well. Guess he needs to just tough it out. Time to crank up the vaporizer.

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Spring Pics = Spring Crying

Well We tried it! Our first professional pictures with Isaiah. Disaster as expected. Cute outfit, we matched, sweet poses, lots of crying. We even took a break for awhile to feed and that didn't help. So then the photographer asked if she could get another family in while she gives him more time to relax. Sure! That didn't work either. Saturday was just not his day and he was in no mood to smile for a picture. Did get a few shots in though. Somehow managed to buy this insane photo package. Got home and he was all smiles. Woke up this morning in the greatest of moods. That's it we now schedule his next photo shoot at 7:00 am.

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Back to work :(

Annie said goodbye to her co-workers in late November and life was great. Her return to work seemed so far away and the thought of being home with our baby gave her great joy. For three months work was never mentioned nor thought of. My return back to work in January complicated things a bit and Annie would no longer have me around to tag team. Although I was missed, my absence around the house during the day actually helped create a special bond between Annie and Isaiah.

Annie's greatest fear of going back to work is Isaiah forgetting who she is. The way he looks at her, the way he smiles at her, the way he "agu's" with her, the way he stops crying in her arms, it's not possible that he could ever forget her. I've tried to explain this whole mother/son bond to her. My mom and I have always been close and I can still go to my mom to talk about things. In similar fashion, Annie's brother, DJ, also has a closeness with his mom. Many people will love Isaiah, but no one will love Isaiah more than his mom. Many people will hug, kiss, and hold Isaiah, but no one will comfort him better than his mom. Isaiah loves his mommy. A son's love for his mother goes unmatched.

With that said, on March 2nd Annie returned back to work and our life has been turned upside down. One can imagine the hurt Annie feels inside every morning as she kisses Isaiah goodbye. Lots of crying, lots of sadness. 5:00 can't come sooner these days and Annie can't wait to get home each night. Long days at work for the both of us and each of us tired for good reason. However, as tired as Annie is when she gets home, seeing her baby boy helps her forget all reasons. She makes every minute count now because her time is so limited.

One week down and never have I seen Annie as happy as I did on Friday night. The weekend was finally here. Exausted and lazy we made the most of spending time with our baby boy. Sunday night is here again...it starts all over.

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So much to do

Although I have been on maternity leave since mid-November, I haven't been able to do all the things I wanted to do. There were so many variables: doctor's appointments and fatigue during pregnancy, and then the fact that Isaiah came 2 weeks early.

So here's my To Do list in no particular order.

Look into re-financing
I just pay my mortgage; I am nowhere near really understanding what all of it means. I want to understand it and also find a lower rate.

Bring out my spring clothes
I want to bring out all my space bags and switch my winter and pregnancy clothes for my spring wardrobe. I also want to go on a major shopping spree (as much as budget will allow) as a special treat to myself.

Bring out Isaiah's spring clothes
I need to store all of his newborn clothes and stock his drawers with his 3 month stuff.

Paperwork
There is paperwork everywhere in this house. I need to file and store all of it, and also get rid of receipts and bill stubs from 2-3 years back.

Exercise
I want to do my yoga, kick-boxing, and running again. Although I've pretty much lost all my pregnancy weight, I want to get back into shape and tone up all the flab!

Cook
I want to cook again. I want to make homemade pasta with my pasta maker, ice cream in my ice cream machine, and cupcakes with my Kitchen Aid. I also want to do Spanikopita and other things with phyllo dough.

Read
I have so many baby books to read. I fear that if i don't start reading them, Anthony and I will have a hard time establishing a system for Isaiah.

Will I ever get around to doing any of these things?

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My Baby's Daddy

All of a sudden I realized that the world dd not revolve around this baby. I've been holed up in our condo tending only to the baby's needs and haven't really been in touch with the outside world. But now, everything around me is reminding me that Isaiah and I are not the center of the universe and that life goes on.

After five weeks of time off, my husband is going back to work. During those five weeks, Anthony and I experienced so much, learning about our new bundle of fun. We have been such a team (the a-team, haha). I couldn't have asked for anything more in a father and a husband. Anthony's been a handyman (putting together cribs, rocking chairs, swings, mobiles, play gyms, you name it), a chef (not really...he was just really good at getting us some take-out), and of course, feeder, burper, soother, and diaper changer. Most of all, he was my support: When I was frustrated and in pain from breast-feeding, he would drive, me in the rain to the breast-feeding clinic; when I couldn't figure out why our cute little angel was screaming as if we were torturing him, he would take him and soothe him, even if it took 5 hours; when I was so sleep-deprived, he would take over in taking care of the baby while I slept, even though he was exhausted, too. But most of all, when I just wanted to cry because I was overwhelmed with the thought of a little person being so dependent on me, he was there to listen and hold me and make me feel like I was a superhero with all that I had accomplished already.

It's not like Anthony's going away, it's just that I've been so used to our late nights, early mornings, naps in the afternoon while the baby slept, and weird eating times. I've been used to finally getting enough rest when the sun went down, and quick trips to the store to pick up groceries and for speedy Christmas shopping while my parents took care of Isaiah. I've been just so used to it just being us.

I know that eventually our lives will get back to normal, but for now, I am saddened at the thought that Anthony won't be here when I need him. I know, though, that his class needs him and that his school and kids miss him, too.

Isaiah will miss his Daddy, but he and his mommy will be waiting for him when he gets home!

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Santa Rocks! / New Year, New Family

Ok so a month has passed and our baby boy is growing! Annie and I are growing into our new roles as parents and if you ask me, I think we're doing a great job. Sure our precious sleep has been stripped away from us and our schedule is all messed up but it's so worth it. He doesn't do much right now but he's so much fun.

Isaiah was the best Christmas present this year and celebrating with our bundle of joy brought new meaning for us in Christmas. We thank everyone for thinking of him on his first Christmas and showering him with many thoughtful gifts. Although he didn't open any of them, he was very excited...or as excited as he could be. At some point during the christmas week Annie and I became ill and were not in the mood to do much. However, this being Isaiah's first Christmas, we knew we had to tough it out and celebrate with friends and family. Good times were had at Midnight Mass (yes Midnight Mass...he's up anyways), Isaiah's first Noche Buena, Christmas at Tita Baby's, and Christmas at my mom and dad's house (had a blast with phase 10!)

We rang in the new year in a very chill form. We didn't feel like packing up the baby and going anywhere so we decided to just stay home and enjoy our little family. At midnight Annie and I toasted for a hopeful and prosperous new year, kissed our baby and said goodnight. It may not be the wildest and craziest new year celebration but it's exactly the way we wanted it. It's our new family and it's our new year. Happy New Years!

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Isaiah's Magic Kingdom!

Thanks Celeste!
(Don't forget to press pause or stop on the music player on the right!)

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Britney Spears

So I provided my baby with the worst misfortune, or maybe he did it to himself. Either way, he now shares a birthday with Britney Spears. Poor Isaiah. All joking aside, I am so in love with our new baby boy. He is beautiful and perfect and he's ours!

Motherhood is fun! Breast-feeding is not. It hurts so much that I cry sometimes, but I am determined. I don't care that I feel like I am being tortured; I just want my baby to eat. Luckily, Ziggy is a good latcher, so I hope things will get easier. No more details!

Isaiah had quite an eventful head start into this world. My due date was on December 19. We were procrastinating like crazy, thinking that this baby would be on time, if not later. The nursery was not completed, we didn't have my suitcase packed, and all the baby laundry I wanted to do were in piles on the floor.

Last Monday, December 1, at about 5:00 am, I felt what I thought were Braxton-Hicks contractions, or the false alarm kind. I breathed through them as Anthony went to take his shower. I kept thinking, "How can I deal with this pain for the rest of the week or until the 19th?" So as Anthony's shower finished, the pain had gotten worse.

Let's backtrack and tell you what Anthony had going on this week. It would have been his busiest right before Christmas, with play rehearsals (he was co-directing the school Christmas play), class presentations, and parent-teacher conferences the rest of the week.

Knowing that, I asked him, "How much would you hate me if we had the baby this week?" I can't remember his answer, but it wasn't a very positive response. No one should take that as Anthony not looking forward to finally meeting his son, but more of his overwhelming responsibility to teaching and to me.

So he left for work, and I promised to call if anything was wrong. I had a doctor's appointment to check if my gestational diabetes affected the baby's size or development in any way. This was with a specialist, so it wasn't my regular ob/gyn. I went through the motions of getting ready, pausing every few minutes to ride out the contractions that weren't lessening, and hurried to pick up my mom, who was going with me.

I made my way to the left turn lane. All of a sudden, I felt a bump behind me as someone rear-ended me. To make a longer story short, I don't think the car accident alone induced my labor, but I think it contributed to raising my blood pressure and making me have the baby sooner. The doctor referred me back to the hospital for monitoring, and they in turn admitted me, telling me that I was going to have this baby within the next day or so. All I kept thinking was, my bag wasn't packed. I hated the thought of sending Anthony home with a list of things to bring. I wanted new slippers for my hospital stay. I wanted time to pick the baby's going-home outfit. I wanted to make a check list of everything I needed and more. My travelling instinct of bringing more than needed was on overdrive and I was pissed that I didn't have more time to prepare.

And yes, I had the epidural. Yes, I took painkillers. I'm a wuss, I know. I was in labor for 28 hours. I think my biggest fear was that the pain was going to get worse. Also, I was kind of trying to ride it out as much as possible, since my regular ob/gyn would not be in until the morning.

It all worked out in the end. I managed to be in labor for the whole day and night, my water broke right after the nurses announced that my doctor was on her way, and the epidural was wearing off. The delivery literally took like 10 minutes max, and was the LEAST painful part of my ordeal.

So here's to Isaiah Henry Paraiso Valtier. He was born on December 2, 2008 at 7:57 am. He weighed 6 pounds, 5 ounces and was 17 1/2 inches in length. He was born beautiful and healthy. I know we keep saying this, but I mean it with all my heart when I say I truly believe we are blessed to have our healthy son, no matter how early he came, no matter how unprepared we were. It could easily have been another story, with the diabetes affecting his development and in turn, his introduction into this world. But he's our amazing little dude and we are looking forward to this new chapter in our already blessed life.

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Say Hello to Isaiah Henry Paraiso Valtier A.K.A. "Ziggy"

On Tuesday, December 2, 2008 at 7:57am Isaiah was brought into this world and into our lives. God has blessed Annie and me with a beautiful baby boy and we are now enjoying every minute of parenthood. It’s not easy and the sleepless nights have been long, but looking into his eyes reminds us how wonderful and lucky we are to have a healthy son. We can't wait for everyone to meet him.



Isaiah was brought into our lives with an interesting story that only Annie can re-tell. Story time will come when she can break away from Ziggy. Or rather, when Ziggy can break away from her!

The Christmas season is upon us and we are truly blessed with this gift from God.
Hope the holiday season is treating everyone well.

God Bless,

Anthony and Annie

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