meet tess olivia

It's a girl and a pretty cute one if I do say so myself. She was born Jan. 4th. 7lbs 12 oz 19 1/2 inches long. Honestly we were kind of surprised it was a girl (sorry brian) and even MORE surprised at her head full of black hair! (p.s. our mailman is Asian) I so hope that it will stay dark and I'm pretty sure she's going to have blue eyes like her sister--beautiful!

My recovery from the C-section was so much better than the last 2. No throwing up, infection, or severe pain like before. The sadest part of the whole experience was during the surgery, the doctor said that I had a ton of scar tissue and my uterus is super super thin. He strongly advised us not to have any more children because there would be a huge risk of rupture and it would be very dangerous for me and the baby. Brian and I had always kind of felt like we wanted 4 kids and it has been very emotional for me.

On the positive side, it has made me savor every moment of this beautiful girl. I can't stop kissing her, cuddling her, and staring at each of her perfect little features. I don't even mind the middle of the night feedings, knowing that each day she will get bigger and less and less of a newborn, and then less like a baby until one day she is all grown up. I just want to freeze her.

We are so blessed and thankful for the 3 lives that have been entrusted to our care: each healthy, happy and each filling us with so much joy. Welcome to the world tess olivia--

p.s. thanks to my dear friend Kristy for this darling picture and more to come. so talented.

Merry Christmas!!

We won't be sending out Christmas cards this year due to the fact that our newest family member will be here in 11 days and we didn't want he/she to feel left out of the family photo! (or it might have something to do with my swollen feet and face :) We feel so blessed this year! Especially this time of year we are thankful for the birth and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We wish you all the best and hope your family is happy and healthy. Stay tuned for some much needed updates and yes, a belly pic in there too! LOVE YOU ALL!!

i know..i know....

This should stop the nagging while I'm working on a post with all the highlights of the summer. See they're still alive and they're still pretty cute!

I definitely needed this today...

I have been know to enjoy a good dance party at my house every now and then. I now realize I need to start working on Jack's moves a little more if he's ever going to compete with this kid. I was especially entertained by the fervor with which he "slapped" the booty :) Hope it makes you smile--i needed it today....

Cure for sandy cheeks!!

SO I recently went to the beach with some friends and picked up this gem that I HAD to pass on. I was stripping down Ruby after a few hours at the beach, swimsuit filled with sand. How am I going to get this all off to put her diaper on without rubbing her raw?! My friend Brittany says all nonchalant, "oh don't you use baby powder?" "What?" I've never heard of using that. She hands it to me, I sprinkled some on--and ALL of the sand literally falls right off when you dust it off--miracle!! Added bonus is they smell all fresh and baby-like! How could I have grown up my entire life on the beach and not know this...crazy! All you mommies, go out and grab some today seriously!!

and baby makes 3!!

I am pregnant with Lombardi baby #3! I can hardly believe it. Sometimes I think we're insane and I want to take it back--but most days I'm excited to see what this new little member of our family will be like. When did this all happen? Life just seems to be passing much too quickly! I have been much more sick with this one, but I think I've turned a corner! and guess what....WE'RE NOT FINDING OUT THE GENDER!! Those of you who know me well know that this is so not like me. I found out the gender at 13 wks with Jack and 14 wks with Ruby. We figure hey we've got 1 of each and we have to have another c-section (so we'll know exactly when it's coming) so we would LOVE a fun surprise. Now I'm super excited not to know and surprise all of our friends and family on the big day.....any guesses??

p.s. I figure with a fun announcement, you'll forgive me for NEVER updating my blog and making you look at that lame pink ribbon every time you come!

Little Miss Ruby is 2!!

I can't believe little Ruby is already 2! We invited family and some of her little friends and we had a great day with perfect weather at the kiddie pool. Brian was a champ and helped me cut out a hundred little fondant flowers to put around the cake and made all the letters. I think he secretly likes it when I force him to help me!She is definitely acting 2 lately too--little miss independent--wanting to do everything herself, temper tantrums flailing on the floor but with all of that she is filled with personality and makes me smile. She adds so much to our family and I can't wait to see her grow into a little girl. Ruby was so cute when we were singing happy birthday to her with this huge smile. Thanks to everyone for making her day special!!

Play it forward!

Pay It Forward! So, here's how it works: the first 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive a handmade gift from me. What it will be and when it will arrive is a total surprise! The catch is that you must participate as well. Before you leave your comment, write up a pay it forward post on your blog to keep the fun going (or copy and paste like I did). Then come back, let me know you're going to play and then sit back and anticipate the arrival of your gift! Hurry -be one of the first three!

i just need to tell myself...

potty training + sick kid + house bound for a week = unhappy mama

a little time with the girls

Last weekend I had a much needed weekend with some of my favorite girlfriends. Who doesn't love a little vegas right? We spent the drive up reminiscing about the good ol' days back in the alabama house. Immediately after arriving, we picked up Sara and drove directly to Cafe Rio which happened to be having "free food day" umm okay. We'll wait in line 20 minutes. If possible the $0 price tag made it all the more tasty! The next day in loo of the pool (turned freezing) we got our shop on. There might have been a mani pedi in there as well. I didn't change one single diaper and I didn't spend all of dinner trying to get Ruby to stop climbing out of her high chair. Most of all we just enjoyed our time together and remembering why i love these girls so much.

p.s. thanks to my dear husband for watching the kiddies all weekend.

meet molly.

She is the latest evidence of our insanity. Don't let the cute face fool you--she's got razor sharp teeth and she knows how to use them.

I can't believe I forgot to add this little girl to the things that make me smile about Brian. We traveled all the way to Mississippi to get her. One might ask, "you couldn't find a lab puppy in CA?" yes, yes we could. But she wouldn't be a "wildrose dog"--the offspring of two of the finest hunting dogs bred with the finest hunting attributes and training. you think to yourself, "oh, i guess i didn't know that brian was a hunter..." He's avid. I think he went dove hunting one time with his dad last year.

But that's not the only part that makes me smile. A year and a half before we got the dog he ordered "training the wildrose way" instructional dvd and has probably watched it 20 times. (and has forced others to watch it as well--sorry!!) He's determined to make this a well trained beast. I have to had it to hand it to him. He's been doing training sessions every day. And for those of you that are concerned for my emotional well being (already having 2 under 3 at home--one being jack)--Brian takes it to work with him almost every day and he takes it out in the freezing cold at the 3am to go to the bathroom.




We did make a weekend out of it. We stayed in this cute little cabin on the wildrose property


You can't go to Memphis without visiting "graceland" right? Trust us, skip it. it's totally "underwhelming" not a very big house for a "mansion" straight out of the 70s with a "white trash" flare about it.



We also visited the Lorraine Motel--the site of Martin Luther King's assassination. They converted it into the civil rights museum. Very cool. Not the oppression, but the museum.



What is a visit to the south with out some down and dirty bbq eating? Which is yet another thing about brian that I left off his list--his bbq obsession.

i heart brian...and his mom!!

Four years ago, on a very stormy day, I married my best friend. It was honestly one of the best days of my life. I had everyone around me that I love and I started a new life with Brian. Some of the things about Brian that makes me smile:
He wants to buy a gyrocopter (who even knows what that is, right?) and talks about it every time we sit in traffic. Remember we live in CA right?
He hates stickers, or should I say what is left behind when you remove a sticker.
He loves jiu-jitsu
His amazing green eyes
He dreams about buying a submarine
He calls his brother and dad such endearing terms as "ogre," "fat face" and"porker"
He loves to clean, I mean, deep clean professional steamer kind of clean, but hates to pick up his underwear off the floor--go figure.
He wants to put Jack into jiu-jitsu (just what my boy with "anger issues" needs right?)
He and Jeff want to buy a beater VW bug, put a fast engine in it, and race it in the baja 500.
He loves to ride motorcycles
He could spend hours watching survivor man, how its made, and the military channel.
He gets an instant headache when he eats candy but he eats it anyway.
Whenever he's sick he tells me every half an hour about how sick he is (still)
He'll sit and eat ice cream with me while we watch "the biggest loser"
He begged me to buy a sprinter van instead of the town and country and now is adamante about buying an aptera--google it--straight up jetsons.

I love all of his little quirks, each and every one of them. I love how hard he works to provide the best life for his little family. I love that he loves us more than any of those other things in his life. I love what a great dad he is to them.



and I love that he is mine forever and always!

Happy Anniversary Lover!!

We love sharing our anniversary with one of my favorite people on the planet! Happy Birthday Kathy! We love you so much!!

Starting the 2 month recap...

So Christmas (I know-I know) was so fun! We traveled to Boise to be with my side of the family. Boise doesn't usually get that much snow, but the week we were there it dumped! The kids had so much fun having snow ball fights and going sleding--Brian and I were able to get away and go snowboarding for a day as well. Jack and Ruby adore their cousins! Lauren and Megan each had called dibs on one of the kids before we got there. Lauren was assigned to Jack and Megan was assigned to Ruby. They were our own personal nannys for the week and the kids were loving it! It is so great to spend time playing games and the wii. Is the video of jack not hilarious?! Watch his little legs go!

This Christmas was so much more fun being able to see Jack start to "get it" I have always loved this holiday, but I can honestly say I have so much more fun now watching my own children get excited.

CRAZY!?

For all you out there that get bugged that I never update my blog--this will all but make up for it i'm sure. SO I was reading my friend's blog and she was talking about how you can find unclaimed money. I thought what the heck, I'll check to see if I have any...sadly no, but 2 hours later, I've searched several of my friends and family and have found THEM money. My mother and father-in-law, Adam Koch, Kathy Weeks just to name a few and the biggest of them all $1000 for Jason Draeger! I expect my finders fees from all of you! Just follow this link and search away! First peppermint joe joes now unexpected money--you see it's quality not quantity of posts that matter! Love you!!

p.s. if you're not from CA you can type in "unclaimed money" and whatever state you live or have lived in into google to find your state's website. Each state has a free one, so don't go to any of the sites that make you pay to search.

another christmas miracle...

I went to trader joes today and out in the front of the aisle was a huge display of peppermint joe joe's. I'm always up for a festive treat, so I picked up a box. I just sampled one & it might as well have been crack! I am wondering to myself...how have I never heard of these before? Or are you all just holding out on me since apparently they sell out every year! Well if you haven't had one, let me just describe the experience for you...

the cookie starts off crisp and clear like a Girl Scout Thin Mint. Then when you hit the creme filling, the crispness gives way to a lush, milky vanilla, infused with bright flecks of candy cane, reminiscent of sparks of sunlight against a fresh snow.

Doubt the power of these cookies? Just try Googling them, and you'll find people who have devoted pages to these inexplicably delicious joe-joes.

I will definitely be going to Trader Joe's tomorrow to stock up on these cookies, and will bring them out to my deprived family in Boise that have no trader joes.

Taking in some of that holiday cheer--Join us!!

Just thought I'd post a few of the fun activities we're going to do in the next couple of weeks to increase our excitement for Christmas (if that is even possible)! We'd love to have any and all who would like to join us. Just give me a call and I'll give you the specifics:

Thursday 12/11--Disneyland! We're going between 3-4pm and they're open until late.

Friday 12/12--Dana Point boat parade (maybe a date night??)

Monday 12/15-- Visit santa and pic at Fashion island--FHE a few years back I learned a secret from the Draeger family that this is the REAL santa-SHHHH. Maybe a little dinne? Food court @ fashion island? We'll probably go on the early side to try & avoid crowds.

Wednesday 12/17- Newport Beach boat parade. This the 100 year anniversary and they're shooting off fireworks at 6:20pm before the parade. We're bring the kiddies.

Saturday 12/20- Christmas at the OC Zoo- 10 am. I guess it's all done up for christmas and santa will be there of course with reindeer! I mean for $2 bucks how can you go wrong with this family outing??


If not with us, we hope you're getting your holiday fix elsewhere!! Much LOVE!!

Much to be thankful for...

(i'm on a roll, huh?) Thankfully Rachel was taking pictures and sent me these or else we would have none! What was i doing the whole night? We had an excellent Thanksgiving at Brian's uncle's house in Glendora. Brian was secretly glad about the morning rain, eliminating the annual turkey bowl football game, thus ensuring him not getting hurt or throwing up because he's so out of shape. (good thing he doesn't read our blog :) My parents joined us as well--it makes it so fun to have it together so we don't have to travel. Dinner was as delicious as ever and we packed it in! I made my dutch apple pie that i do every year, but added a chocolate bread pudding to the menu as well that was super tasty. I figured there is never enough chocolate at Thanksgiving dinner. We have been so blessed in so many ways this past year. We are so grateful to our Heavenly Father for giving us such wonderful family and friends in our lives. We love you!!

Yummy turkey!!


Brian's uncle has an enormous hallway leading from one end of the house to the other. It was so fun to watch Ruby and Marie trying to catch Jack as he'd run back and forth
(2million times).



I love marie's face in this picture!



If only you could hear the deafening "CHEEESSSEEE" that Jack added to this picture!

Hello my name is Dawn, and I'm a terrible blogger

Admitting you have a problem is the first step right? I really do think I started out a pretty good blogger but I'm not really sure what happened. I think it's a combination of life getting busier with 2 and the anxiety that builds as time passes between posts and you think of all of the treasured moments that have come and passed unrecorded, that will be lost forever. I have guilt for many things in my life and I have voluntarily added another thing to constantly nag at me at the back of my mind. I mean how hard is it really--get it together! So for all you haters out there here are a few posts to keep you off my back for awhile.

p.s We put up our Christmas lights today--tis the season and I'm so so excited!!

Jack's way of showing Ruby and loves her...

As much as Jack likes to hide his love for his sister, she really has become his best friend. If ever one is awake without the other, they are trying to go into their room to wake them up. These moments are becoming more and more frequent, making me so excited for all the fun memories to look forward to. Ruby adores her brother, is his constant shadow, partner in crime ( more often than mom would like) and puts up with anything Jack can dish out.

Not quite sure, but I'm pretty sure the move jack is using to tickle Ruby's foot resembles some kind of submission move I've seen on Brian's ultimate fighting shows. Proof that I was right when I said he can't watch that stuff or else he going to start using them on his sis!

Jack's Preschool (well sort of)

Have I become a "home schooler!?" Since moving to Ladera, Jack and I joined a Co-op preschool group with 4 other kids his age. On tuesdays and thursdays from 9-12 Jack is starting to learn all the preschool essentials like the days of the week, his numbers, letters, using scissors (his favorite) etc. Each of the moms take turns having the kids at their house for 2 weeks in a row--then you get a nice long break (which you definitely need after having 5 soon-to-be 3 yr olds at your house!) I've really enjoyed the private time I've had to spend with Ruby.
We get ALL of the teaching curriculum and supplies delivered to us by this home school company--right down to all the little parts to the crafts they do. It's awesome. Jack loves his little friends and only steals their crayons and eats parts of their lunch occasionally...