The Salari Family

Happy Birthday Baby Boy!

My heart is overflowing- so full It is tough to breath. My thoughts never allowed me to see the immense love I would have for my second child. I will admit after taking the pregnancy test I was concerned. I had perfection, beauty, everything I ever wanted in a child. She was my girl, my life.

Then the next morning I woke up in love for the third time. I didn’t know who he or she was but I knew it was my baby and I was its mamma. 9 months of only being mine, tiny kicks that no one would ever get to experience like me and the sound of a heart that would make me hold my breath so I wouldn’t miss a beat.
Delightful is a perfect description of my son. Quiet yet friendly. Though he may be a man of few words he is funny and smart. The way he mimics his sister makes me belly laugh. He dances to any music and bring tears to my eyes when he open mouth kisses me. I am charmed by his laugh when we play peek-a-boo or pat-a-cake. I adore the pleasure he get out of playing with toys. His hands and feet fascinate me, flawless soft skin and perfectly chubby fingers and toes. The way he claps in pure joy. His smile is another subject I could talk about for days. The love I have for him is beyond my control.

I am amazed to see how one tiny being can take over an entire mind, heart and soul. Colin is my perfection, beauty, everything I ever wanted in a child. He is my boy, my life.

A whole year is just about to pass since the day he joined our lives. His second year of life will bring new adventure and experiences that will shape him as a person and me as a mommy. Mostly ones he will forget and I will cherish. Though It seems like one year is a short time, it feels as if I have loved this boy forever. Happy first Birthday Colin!

May 5th 2010 (on our way to the hospital)

First Bath

4 Months Old

11 months Old!

Easter

The weekend played out like cherished memories of my childhood. Saturday we decorated eggs at my mom’s house, but it was even better than being a kid. All we could do was laugh as my first time egg dyer Lily, as she decided to dip her arms in the bucket of dye all the way up to her elbows…….and just bathe. It was out of my control at that point so all we could do is laugh! If you keep up with my blog you are familiar with the fact that my child likes to be naked, so yes it was naked egg dying and then a little naked quad riding.

Sunday was perfect. A morning full of excitement and wonder as kids flung plastic grass across the living room floor digging through their baskets. And of course the two year old interrogation of how the ester bunny got in the house to leave the treats?. Breakfast consisted of half a chocolate bunny each, a lollie-pop and maybe a little plastic grass for Colin too. The big egg hunt at my parents was a charming. A dozen little girls turned out in their spring print dresses and adorable boys spiffed up in church attire. The yard was sprinkled with happy families and friends of forever. It is a day we all look forward to every year and I am so thankful to my parents for giving us these memories and giving us a chance to pass it on to our children. Happy Easter!

Top ten reason I LOVE summer! In no particular order

10. Popsicles. Good for a genuine smile (and teething babies)

9. Water Hose. Makes for a busy day in a kids life.

8. The smell of sun screen. It makes you breath deep and relax for a moment.

7. Tan skin and Tan lines. Makes for smooth flawless skin- tan lines are just cute peeking out of a diaper on a little ones butt.

6. Swimming. My kids were born with gills. Colin may know how to swim before he can walk.

5. Longer days. Allows for one more bed time story or snuggles on the couch.

4. The warmth of sunlight. The feeling of warm sun kissing your skin can put anyone to sleep.

3. BBQing with friends. Food is always better of the grill and with good company.

2. Bare feet. Time to show off our painted nails or just get them wet when ever we want.

1. Naked Babies. No explanation needed.

Only Once....

Only once will a baby be born, only once will it take a first step, and only once will we get to experience this life. So today I will slow down for moments like last night. Lily looking so tiny in the theater chair with colors of the film dancing across her face and her eye as big as moons. The movie was simple so watching her was easy, she was beautifully innocent. Her firsts are clear in my mind but it worries me they will fade. I beg myself to slow down and remember life only happens once.

Last night was her first trip to the movies and before I know it she will be on her first date to the movies and instead of me holding her hand she may be holding the hand of her first heartbreak or future husband.

Her face was glowing as she sipped her own soda and crunched popcorn. She giggled loud but she breathed quietly as she took in every second the night had to offer. I am guilty of getting caught up in the mundane rhythms of life. I need to forget once in awhile- the dishes can wait, the house will still stand messy. Take time to allow moment s in our day to mean something.
I will kiss more, hug tighter and hold longer….. so I never forget.

Say a little prayer

While we try to teach our children all about life,
Our children teach us what life is all about. ~Angela Schwindt

“Are you kidding me Lola!” says Lily as she pulls on the ears of my parents basset hound puppy. My throat tightens as I remind myself she is only 2. How did I ever get so lucky? I pray a lot and I worry that God might stop listening because It seems every day my prayers are the same…….

4:45am “please let Colin sleep so he will be happy today” he wakes two hours later with rosy cheeks and a toothless smile.

9am my house is full of chaos. “Dear lord please give me patience to explain to my child why she is not allowed to wash her hands in the toilet”

1pm “lord I need them to nap at the same time today, my patience is short and my desk is full of work” moments later they are both screaming. He wants to be held and she does NOT want take a nap. Eventually they both fall asleep and I survive another afternoon.

4:30pm “ohhhhhhh SHIT” Colin just fell off the bed while folding laundry… “Lord let the bump go down, please don’t let him have brain damage” moments later he is giggling as his sister is jumping on the bed and saying “oh shift!” I pray again “please help me to stop cursing in front of my children, let them realize they have a classy mother” I can’t help but laugh at her.

5:30 I pray as her tiny hands hold a big butter knife as she chops onion with me while prepping for dinner. “Lord give me patience, I know she wants to learn”

7pm Colin falls asleep in my arms- in pure peace. Moments later I find myself lying next to Lily hands folded as I say the Our Father prayer then say a small prayer of hope and happiness for our family members, when I finish she says “Amen, mommy can you sing that song again” I tell her its not a song it’s a prayer. She says “sing it again”.
My worries are eased. I receive a daily confirmation God is real; they are innocent, pure, perfect miracles that I was blessed with to make me stronger, to fill my heart with joy and my surrounding with laughter.

My final prayer of the day “I pour my heart out with thanks for this day and for these children, I am so lucky. Please Lord Guide me to be mother they need as much as I need them”

We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today.
~Stacia Tauscher

This is truly 'The most wonderful time of the year!’

The scents and sounds of the season fill our home but what really tells me Christmas is here is look on my little girls face. She is filled with excitement, wonder and joy. Her eyes sparkle every time she sees a Christmas tree or hears a holiday song. This year’s trip to see Santa is a memory that will forever be in my heart. We drove to Las Vegas early in the morning and arrived to the mall just as it was opening. By some miracle we were the first family in line to see Santa, the crew was setting up but Santa had not arrived yet. He was still feeding his reindeer. As we stood in line Lily took in all holiday sights surrounding Santa’s display. Many times she asked “what’s that?” as the crew set up the camera, cash box, and basket of Candy canes. She always has been quite nosey; she gets it from her Auntie Sarah. About five minutes had passed and the line of children and parents was growing. All of a sudden a big hand wearing crisp white glove lands on Lily’s shoulder, she gazed from his shiny black boots to his bright blue eyes then looks at me with a beaming smile and said “he is here!!!!!!!!!” Her eyes were as big a saucers as he says “you look pretty today” and then sat down in his big chair. Her smiled did not leave her face until I picked her up to set her on his lap……like a flash of lightning the 2 year old came out in her and she took off running to her dad. So after a magical moment we only ended up with a picture of Colin looking like a dear in head lights sitting on Santa’s lap. As a parent I had no expectations, so the experience was so much fun to see the my two year old daughter realizing the magic of Santa and being just a bit too scared at the same time.

We try and go to church every Sunday so it seems to me Lily understands the true meaning of Christmas as well as the details of Santa. My mom has a “Church” Christmas party with a live nativity including Sunday school kids playing Mary, Joseph and the wise men. She has a very realistic manger scene with a real donkey, sheep and a horse. A passage is read out of the bible and anyone who is attending the program is encouraged to sing ‘Away in a manger’ and ‘Silent Night’. Lily knows every word to ‘Away in a manger’ and was thrilled to be singing aloud at the end of the song she turns to me and pointed to the starry sky and says “ he’s up there mom” it brought tears to my eyes. She is truly a child of God. The program ended with a hayride and Christmas caroling. When everyone had gone home Lily pointed to the horse corrals where the Nativity scene had been and says “Hey where’s baby Jesus?”

I am so proud to announce my sister and Jeff have been blessed with a little miracle of their own. They are expecting their first child in July. I am over the moon about being an auntie but more than that I am thrilled my sister will get to experience the immense joy of being a parent!! Speaking of blessing Anthony and Jeff have recently been accepted into the Bullhead City Fire Academy. I am beaming with pride for my husband because he has worked so hard to be accepted. His long hours at the gym and nights of studying have paid off, he is great man!

Christmas is an important time to be thankful for the birth of Jesus, becasue of him our lives are filled with these joys. My husband and children are my blessings from above! May your holiday be as blessed as ours.

The holidays are here!

This weekend is Halloween which means the year is almost over and it’s time for all of the fun holidays! I’m so excited for this year’s holidays because it is the first year Lily is old enough to somewhat understand what’s actually going on. So far the weeks leading up to Halloween have been a blast for Lily. We were the first house on the block to decorate with orange pumpkin lights and gravestones in our front yard, at first she was just thrilled with the idea of decorating especially the part where we got to climb the ladder to hang the lights. But then when our neighbors started to put large glowing blow up Halloween figures in their yards she started to get the idea that pumpkins and black cats represent Halloween. Every morning when we leave for the day and the glowing blow up figures have been unplugged and are laying down on the ground she says to me “oh they blew it out” claps and says “Happy Halloween”. Auntie Sarah an Uncle Jeff were a little late getting there decorations up compared to our block but thankfully they finally did and invited us over one evening to see. Sarah told Lily on the phone “ok auntie and uncle have spooooky decorations please come see” so now when Lily sees any decorations she says “ooooooh stoooky”. Now picking a costume was just as exciting, we received a Pottery Barn Kids catalog in the mail about a month ago and it was full of costumes and nearly every day Lily would look at every page. After days of looking she had finally decided she wanted to be an airplane then a doughnut, then a hotdog, and a pumpkin, a cat and an owl. So after I looked at the pricing and realized I could not afford one of the costumes let alone 6 we went to the Halloween super store in town and looked. Of course the very best Auntie Sarah and Uncle Jeff came along to help pick it out and paid for it too!! There were so many to choose from the first choice was Mickey Mouse but it didn’t come in her size and she actually doesn’t know who he is, in the end she choose the one thing she really knows about CANDY! She is going to be a Candy Corn, and I must say the cutest candy corn I have ever seen. Although she wanted to pick a costume for her brother such as a cowgirl, we just settled with the traditional pumpkin costume for him. The other really great thing about the holidays are the gifts, we have been so blessed with generous family. About two weeks ago the kids got a package from my Aunt Linda with adorable Halloween socks, we really love them because they are perfect to wear with cowboy boots. Tonight we received a goodie box in the mail from DeDe and John Mangum, wow was is wonderful! The box was full of so much fun Halloween stuff from window stickers to a pumpkin flashlight and everything in-between. DeDe and John own a beautiful dog named Abbey, Lily LOVES her. So when we got the package she said to me “mom Abbey likes Halloween?”
Thank you all for being so kind to our kids you have really made our holiday special!
Since my last post Lily has been quite successful with her potty training. Colin is going to turn six chubby months in the next week. He amazes me daily with his development, he can fully roll over front to back and sit on his own though he still falls over occasionally. His hands are working so well, he loves toys and pull and plays with anything in reach. As you have seen in past photos he is still so smiley. Our trip to Sedona was fantastic we didn’t take many photos since it was just the two of us but it was a much needed get away. We really had a nice time.

Hope everyone has a SPOOKY Halloween and I will be posting trick-or-treat photos as soon as I can.