La Vita E Bella

God is Good

I'm determined to sit here and update my blog. I have the greatest of intentions, it just seems harder to make a reality as my kids get older. Each day presents itself with a new host of responsibilities or distractions. I feel like I have become "that mom". You know, the one in the grocery store wearing her stretchy black pants, hair all a mess, pushing a cart with a toddler who has sticky fingers and a baby crying on her hip. As hard as I try to look the part of a celebrity (you know, put together, makeup on...), I fail 6 days out of the week. If I'm lucky, I'm celebrity status twice a week, but generally it's only once. Time for myself is a rarity during the day and I'm usually too tired to make the most of it. Motherhood is a full-time job and usually involves a ton of overtime. Lucas is 17 months now and the most adorable child EVER. His vocabulary has grown leaps and bounds in the past week and Trei and I are continually amazed. He has added the following words to his repetoire: Katy, Kyle, Please, I love you, Water, More, Cat, and Baby. He forms sentences in baby talk, i.e. (insert cute baby gibberish wherever you see the word "yada") "yada yada yada yada Baby" or "yada yada yada yada my boo boo". He mimics everyone around him with the greatest impressions and never ceases to amaze us with his charm and wit. I officially predict that Lucas will be named "Class Clown" in highschool, that or "Biggest Flirt". Can't decide between the two. He has two big "boo boo's" this past week. Last Saturday it was a bee sting. The little devil landed right below his eye, on his cheek and before anyone knew, the bee was dead in the pool and Lucas was screaming with a stinger stuck in his face. We actually got it on film, because I was videotaping him swimming and happened to be talking to him when the bee landed. My poor baby. He was such a trooper. Secondly, he cut himself on a piece of broken glass he found under a chair. It bled for awhile. When it finally stopped, we wrapped it in a bandage. He was so proud of the bandaid and would show it to anyone willing to see it. He called it his boo boo and wanted all of us to give it kisses. Now when we ask "Where is your boo boo?", he has to take a look at both his hands until he finds the tiny little scab left over. Makes me want to squeeze him. Olivia will be 12 weeks this Wednesday. She has grown so much this past month. The grumpiness I spoke of in my last post is GONE, and has been replaced by the happiest baby ever. She is so much more pleasant and a gem. Really. Her smiles happen much more frequently and I see such a resemblance to Lucas when she does. God is amazing. I realize this more and more everytime I watch my children. Whether they make a face that looks like Trei or I, or they hit a new milestone. He has gifted us with wonderful children and I am so grateful to be their mom. Olivia has begun laughing which fills me with delight. I could listen to her forever. I'm really cherishing this time with her, because I know from experience how quickly the time passes and I want to milk her baby-ness for all it's worth. We recently packed away all her newborn and 3 month clothing. She has moved into 6 month sizes and fills them all out perfectly. She is much bigger than Lucas was at this age, and I love all her pudge. Especially because she wants to be held and snuggled all the time. Luckily for her, I love giving into her wants. Livvy-Loo (that's my nickname for her) is the perfect addition to our family. I cannot imagine a day without her in our lives.

Staying Updated

Vossler Family Photos on Flickr - CLICK HERE!

I got a call from my father-in-law today asking me to update my blog. He said he wanted to see some new photos of his grandkids (that's understandable, right?). He said he has no idea what they look like now-a-days (ha ha Pete) I called him right up and asked him if he ever visited my photo site. His response? "No, what is it?". I guess I just assumed that most of my close family and friends visited that site in addition to my blog (I know, a little presumptuous of me) - I guess i was wrong. Either way, I wanted to let everyone know that I post photos to Flickr (a photography website) a couple of times a week. Blogging takes time, and as much as I would love to write more often, time just doesn't allow. So I upload photos to Flickr so everyone can stay updated on our life visually....especially when my blog gets pushed to the wayside.

If you bookmark this blog and visit it regularly in hopes of an update, just add the Flickr site as well, using the link above. I can assure you that you will get to see new photos of my most beautiful children almost everyday, and that has to be a fair trade for my lack of posts.

Off to bed, with the promise of a new post sometime soon :)

Love, Me

Getting Big.

We are settled in. It feels like this has been the longest month of my life. I'm seriously so sick of moving. If I could live at my parents forever, I would,  just so I didn't have to move any more. Although I'm quite the pro....it still doesn't make the act of moving any less stressful. So far, we are doing well. Everyone has managed to live harmoniously. It does help that my parents have a huge house, so everyone has a spot to retreat to when they want to get away. In fact Lucas is in bed, Trei, Olivia and I are in the loft watching TV and my parents are on the other end watching their own TV shows. I'm sure they are relieved. To say that their lives have been jostled wouldn't be fair. They went from "almost" empty nester's (Kyle still lives at home) to a house full of 4 new people (two of them being babies!). It's been busy, but I'm appreciating the help so you won't hear me complaining too much about living with the folks. The kids are well. Lucas is almost 17 months and so freaking ADORABLE. He keeps everyone on their toes and wrapped around his chubby fingers. He is charismatic and so full of energy. He is interested in everything around him. Loves to "talk", sing, and make animal noises. He knows what he wants and doesn't want and has no problems letting us know. The time outs are happening less and less now as he figures out there are consequences to his actions. He is so smart. There are many times a day that I'm caught off guard because of something he'll do or understand. Since moving in with my mom, Lucas has found a new passion....Gardening. He gets down and dirty in those flower beds. Never leaving Grandma's side. He digs in the soil. Tries to unplant the flowers she has just planted and gets dirt in every crevace of his body. He loves it. He also loves the cat. He follows that cat around the backyard while saying "Mow" (that's "meow" for those who don't speak baby) in the highest pitch his voice will allow. The cat is cool, calm, and collected while Lucas tries to stomp, grab, pet, and harass it. Every once in a while getting fed up enough that she swats at Lucas. He always looks so stunned after getting scratched and then starts right back in. You all should see the amount of kitty scratches on his arms and legs. I guess we assume that eventually he'll learn. Lucas has also taken to dancing. And I mean boogy-ing. He loves music and is quite the coordinated little fellow. He sure has rhythm. His favorite song right now is Beat It by Michael Jackson. Honestly, I could watch him explore the world and try out his  newly found abilities for hours each day. I love, love, love him.

99 Balloons

There is no doubt that parents of a sick or dying child are heroes. Especially those that have an unwavering faith in God during even their toughest times. Grab a tissue, you're going to need it.

Small World (or Hospital that is!)

I was looking at the photos from Lucas and Olivia's birth. I noticed (for the first time) that I delivered them in the exact same room, #5E42. Crazy.

Goodnight :)

Sharing the Latest

I've been avoiding blogging since my last post. In the past few weeks, our family has gone through some tremendous changes - and I think I've been feeling a little apathetic. I guess the biggest change (aside from the birth of Olivia), was our decision to....yet again....move. This time, in the home I grew up with. Yes, you guessed it. Back in with my parents. To spare everyone too many details - Trei and I asked my folks if we could make a temporary move into their home until Trei has completed his Bachelors degree this September. The biggest reason for this move? The ability to save money. Living in an apartment in Costa Mesa was cutting much too far into our monthly budget and we had to make a change. Especially if we want to freedom to go where we want once Trei is no longer committed to his education. My amazing parents graciously agreed to us moving in, and that is just what we did this past Tuesday. It was an emotional day for me. In fact, I cried on the phone with my mom while following Trei down to my parents. Not because I'm moving in with them (although I definitely didn't imagine my life taking this route just a few months ago!), but because I really loved my life in Orange County. I loved my home. Love my friends. Absolutely LOVED being 5 minutes from my sister. Loved it all. I guess I just feel like I haven't had a chance to settle down anywhere since we got married. Granted, every move has been by choice....but still. Trei and I packed up our home in just two days, and are now the residents (again) of the San Fernando Valley. In fact, Trei and I are sleeping in my old bedroom (trippy!). I apologize for not sharing this news with a majority of my friends and family. This was a quick decision, and a quick move - which didn't allow for much "yelling from the rooftops". Trei got an incredible job working at a high end restaurant in Century City. He is also commuting to Costa Mesa for school twice a week, and will continue to do so until he graduates. The kids and I? Well, we are hanging out. It's been a little crazy since arriving (did I mention my parents are remodeling?!). I'm trying to unpack, find places to put things, and on top of it...take care of my two children in the midst of the commotion of construction. The optimistic side of me says "These next few months are going to be a lot of fun!". The pessimistic side of me (the one I'm trying to ignore) is saying "How in the world are you going to do this Melissa?" All I know for sure - is that I'm trusting God. I'm trusting in His plan, and THANKING him for the generosity of my parents. I know this is a stretch for everyone involved, but I also know that good things will come from this time. I have to believe that.

So that's my update for the day. It's 3pm, and I have to nurse Olivia, wake Lucas from his "rest" and then get out of the house for some play time. I'll try and update tomorrow while Trei is home. Keep checking up on me...I'm not lost forever. Just a little distracted right now. Oh, and prayers are always good. We need them.

Love, Me