D & D Plus Two!

A Long Overdue Update...

2009-07-28T21:22:00.000-07:00

I just finished visiting my cousin's blog and seeing pictures of his beautiful new baby girls - twins Baily and Brynn born this morning! (Congrats Scott and Maran!) They are adorable... Mom looks tired, Dad looks happy, and big sister Hannah is going to have her hands full teaching her baby sisters everything. Seeing the blog update, their pictures, and knowing the babies were delivered happy and healthy, made me want to update my own blog and explain about the delay.

Our family has been busy over the last few months, and although much of it has been blog worthy, I have been putting it off for the following reason. Early in May, I found out I was pregnant. A little unexpected and caught off guard, David and I were both very excited about adding a new baby to our family. I had a doctor's appointment scheduled for June (11 weeks along), and had intended to share the news and include ultrasound photos of our new baby as soon as my appointment was over. Needless to say, things didn't quite work out that way. The doctor could not find a heart beat and soon discovered that the baby had stopped developing at about 6 weeks. Although I had miscarried 5 weeks earlier, my body had not yet realized that I was no longer pregnant. My uterus was enlarged and growing, and my body had continued to produce pregnancy hormones. I had a D & C procedure the following day, and had a (thankfully) quick and easy physical recovery. Emotionally, it has been difficult, but both David and I agree that things like this happen for a reason. Still not sure about adding another little Standring to our family, but hopefully next time around, we will be able to update the blog and share our news as we planned!

That being said, it has been difficult for me to want to update the blog. But I really can't put it off any longer, and I promise to add recent pictures of the boys - they are too cute for words and they deserve to be shared!

Ian is a busy, busy, busy 4 year old. He had a great birthday party in the beginning of June with his friend at Build-A-Bear Workshop, and has since started swimming lessons and it loving the pool. (We're hoping to break the floaty habit this summer... we'll see!) He is not only busy, but a big boy, weighing in at 44lbs and measuring a whopping 44 inches tall! Many people keep asking if he is starting kindergarten this year! He is not starting kinder, but will be starting a 3 day a week preschool program in September. He is excited for school to start, as he loves playing with kids his age and I know he will make lots of friends. Ian is also an EXCELLENT big brother and takes very good care of Nathan.

Speaking of Nathan... He turned a year old at the end of June, and is definitely keeping all of us on our toes. Very different from his big brother, he started walking in April, at 11 months old, and now it is hard for us to keep up. He loves to climb, and will scale anything on which he can get his little feet. He is also very loud, and must be the center of attention at all times. He is quite adorable, though, and has dimples, big blue eyes, and curly blond hair. I plan to take the kids to get formal pictures this week, and will try to add some of those to the blog if possible.

David is working, working, working at Intel. He celebrated his 38th birthday in July, and is enjoying time with the boys and playing WOW. If anything changes, I'll let you know... :o)

I, on the other hand, have had an awesome summer so far. On July 1, I got on a plane and headed to Europe for 12 days! I spent a week in Austria touring with my choir, then a much too brief 3 day visit in London with Charles and Nova. I missed my family, but it was a wonderful time with good friend, beautiful music, and taking care of myself for a change was quite refreshing. There are quite a few pictures posted on Facebook if you're interested. I am also getting ready to start school in a couple of weeks... Still working one day a week teaching sixth grade. It's a great option to be able to get out and keep my foot in the door of the teaching world, yet still focus on the boys and get to be home with them. Not sure how long it will last, but for now, it's pretty fantastic. We also joined the Gold River Racquet Club, which has been great fun for me, David, and the kids. The play center is great, I have enjoyed getting back into the work out habit, David and I have been playing tennis on the weekends, and Ian and Nathan both are loving the swimming pool. I hope that this will become a permanent fixture in our life, even after the summer is over, as I think it is a fun and healthy diversion and a good reason to get out of the house.

Ok, enough said. I'll do my best to get updates more often... Monthly, at the very least!
Hope you enjoy the pictures of the boys -they are growing up so fast!

Nathan & Ian in the tub.... Nathan at the ranch......

Nathan climbing... Ian's Preschool End of the Year Picnic

Ian's 4th Birthday Party at Build-A-Bear

Happy Easter!

2009-04-13T18:59:00.000-07:00

We had a lovely Easter this year! After singing 11:00am mass at Sacred Heart Church with my choir, I rushed home, changed clothes, grabbed my boys (David, Ian, & Nathan) and drove to Arbuckle, CA to the Rominger Family Ranch. This is my cousin Amy's family (my Dad and her Mom are brother and sister - Amy's Mom and Dad have been divorced for many years, so this is really not my side of the family, but it was so nice to be included!) and her grandmother Margie and my cousin Scott (Amy's brother) hosted a fantastic BBQ in the beautiful grove of oak trees on thier 400+ acre property. Nestled between a wheat field and rows and rows of almond trees, we ate, played, took tractor rides, and hunted for eggs that the Easter Bunny had hidden in the almond orchard. And, as a very special treat, the Easter Bunny HIMSELF made an appearance by flying over the orchard and dropping stuffed easter bunnies on the kids! Needless to say, a good time was had by all. We have managed to ration the eggs and the candy, but I'm sure Ian has had enough sugar to last him for quite some time. What a wonderful way to spend a beautiful spring day. Happy Easter to all and I hope your day was wonderful as well!

Nathan's first egg!

Ian found a ton of eggs...

Playing in the wheat field

Hangin' on the picnic blanket

Bubbles!

Standring Family Update

2009-04-07T12:52:00.001-07:00

Well, it has obviously been too long since I have blogged, and for that I apologize! Lots going on in our crazy little world! Let's see...

David - Working his behind off at Intel! Things have been crazy for him, and due to some poor and annoying management at work, he tends to be working on things that he doesn't feel like he should be working on! He's looking forward to the end of this project, and possibly a move to another group. But, we'll have to see - we all know how much David loves change! :o)

Diane - Keeping busy with the kids and work. I am still working only one day a week, but March brings Variety Show, a job that I love and hate all at the same time! Beginning with auditions in late January, then working with kids (mainly singers who need a little coaching) and preparing for dress rehearsal and three performances, I keep pretty busy. Not to mention advertising for the show, putting together programs, and making certificates for the kids. Thank goodness for my fabulous partner, Anna Hocson, for her technological skills and taking care of all the music. The show would definitely not go on without her! It turned out to be a great performance, and the students and parents enjoyed it. Makes the time and effort worth it! Other than that, just doing the mom thing with the kids, and looking forward to the end of the school year, for both Ian and my students. Should be fun!

Ian - Wow, he is growing up so quickly! He goes to preschool twice a week, and yes, I am biased, but he is super smart. He loves to run and play outside, and right now is totally into the planets and outer space. He has decided he wants to be astronaut when he grows up. He has asked for a telescope for his birthday (he will be FOUR YEARS OLD in June - I can't believe it!) and he loves to ask questions about the planets and things in the sky. My personal favorite phrase lately is, "Mom, tell me all about _________." Fill in the blank with anything from Jupiter to Hungry Hippos. He's so curious and excited about learning - I just hope that curiosity continues! Another thing Ian is totally into right now is jokes, and boy, does he have some good ones! A few of my personal favorites:

Why shouldn't you tell jokes while you are skating?
Maybe the ice will crack-up!

How do you fix a broken tomato? With tomato paste!

How do you fix a broken finger? With a finger nail!

What did the teddy bear say after dinner? I'm stuffed!

What did the apple say to the pear? Haha, you're silly - apples don't talk!

He's still working on the timing (he usually doesn't let you answer between the questions and the answer) but his delivery is quite adorable, and he never fails to make people laugh! I can't believe how grown up my little boy is. :o)

Nathan - Well, he is definitely NOT like his older brother! This little boy has a mind of his own. He is 9 1/2 months old, and he is a busy little baby. He crawls like a mad-man, but really thinks he can walk. He cruises around the house, barely holding on to things with one hand, and loves to climb on anything he's not supposed to - chairs, stools, gates, anything he can get his hands on. We started gymnastics a couple of weeks ago, so hopefully that will give him a safe crawling/climbing/jumping outlet! He also loves cords. He has turned off the power strip to my computer a few times, and he gravitates toward anything that is plugged in. He currently has two bottom teeth, and his two top teeth will be in any day now - not pleasant for Nathan or his parents, but this too shall pass. It is hard to believe that he is almost a year old - time certainly does fly when you're having fun! Besides being busy, Nathan is a very happy baby. He loves people, has not really developed too much "stranger danger" anxiety, and is just a bundle of fun. His smile is infectious and those big blue eyes make my heart melt on a daily basis!

As a family, we are looking forward to Easter, as we will all be making the trip to Arbuckle to the Rominger Family Ranch for lunch and a fantastic Easter Egg Hunt through the almond orchard. Last year Ian had a blast playing in the dirt, riding on the tractors and four-wheelers, and hunting for eggs. We are excited to take Nathan this year, and hope to come home with goodies and lots of fantastic pictures of the boys and their eggs! We'll keep our fingers crossed for beautiful spring weather...

Other than that - not much is going on! (Yeah, right!) I will post some new shots of the kids after this weekend's festivities. Maybe we'll even throw some in of Mom and Dad, too! Happy Easter to all!

Facebook - My New Addiction

2009-01-10T07:56:00.000-08:00

So, every once in a while something comes along that I feel as though I can not live without. First, there was David. Then Ian. Then Nathan. Most recently, my iphone. But now, I have discovered something new - Facebook. Dear lord! Sarah sent me the invite becasue she had opened an account to stay in contact with friends from college. I knew that a couple of my friends had accounts, so I figured, 'What the heck - might as well get in on it!' Well, now that was a mistake! I now have 72 friends and have installed the Facebook application on my iphone so I can check in when I"m not near a computer.

In my defense, it has been very cool to connect with people from high school and find out what the friends that consumed my days for four years are doing now eleven years later. Marriages, divorces, kids, businessess, school - lots of "Wow, I can't believe they are doing that!" moments, and dissapointments because those 'really cool' people in high school that were beautiful and popular are still beautiful and popluar. (Although, the reason we looked them up was to see if they had gotten fat and were working at McDonald's...)

It's sad, really, that my desire to connect with people has led to an obsession, but I have been assured (by my cousin Amy), that the overwhelming need to check my Facebook page will go away in a week or two. Until then, my new motto will come from a button on my Facebook corkboard sent to me by my best friend Jaime... "Not now, Mommy's on Facebook!"

To open your own facebook account, just go to www.facebook.com, login and, and let the fun begin! :o) Addiction breeds addiction, right?!?!

My Little Santa

2009-01-10T07:44:00.000-08:00

My mom sent me these pictures from Christmas Eve with Nathan wearing one of his two Christmas outfits... I thought it was just too cute not to share!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2009-01-03T20:20:00.000-08:00

What a very Merry Christmas we had this year! Both the boys were spoiled during their THREE Christmases! First there was Christmas Eve with Mammy and Bop Bop (Diane's Mom and Stepdad). It was so great to spend the evening with family and enjoy a yummy meal and lots of presents! Diane went on to sing Midnight Mass with her choir and crawled into bed around 2am. Fortunately, she was in bed before Santa came to visit! Ian put out cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer. For Christmas number two, Santa brought Ian a Jack In The Box and a Buzz Lightyear which Ian enjoyed playing with most of the morning. Then after some downtime at home, we hopped in the car and drove to Nonna and Papa's house in Walnut Creek (Diane's Dad and Stepmom). We enjoyed another yummy dinner of cracked crab and yet another round of presents!

Ian also celebrated the holidays at preschool with a darling holiday program and an early surprise visit from Santa!

New Year's Eve was quiet and relaxed... the boys went to bed early and we enjoyed watching the movie Hancock with Dan and Sarah, then watching the ball drop and toasting with champange and sparkling cider at midnight! I believe we were all in bed by 12:30, but enjoyed our chance to ring in the new year!

Although we have taken down the treen and put away the decorations, there is more celebrating to come! We are looking forward to yet another Christmas with David's family in Truckee in January. We are so blessed toget to spend the holidays with such wonderful family!

Christmas Photos of the Boys!

2008-12-15T16:35:00.000-08:00

Here are a few holiday pics of the boys... We went to JC Penny and had them taken at the photo studio there. Ian was less that cooperative, and although he often shares his "cheesy" smile with the camera, we were able to get some very cute pics of boy Ian and Nathan. Hope these make you smile... ENJOY!

Nathan - Rockin' and Rollin'!

2008-12-09T12:22:00.000-08:00

So, the time has come to reinstall the baby gates and prepare ourselves to try to contain the uncontainable! Nathan rolled over for the first time about a month and a half ago, but was only going from his back to his tummy, then getting VERY upset that he couldn't flip himself back over. During the last couple of weeks, though, he has mastered the art of rolling from tummy to back, then over again and again. Rolling in succession - it's a beautiful thing! Although, this means lots of traveling all over the floor, finding big brother's toys and putting them in his mouth, and getting stuck in uncomfortable places. While answering an email this morning, Nathan managed to roll off the carefully placed blanket full of toys and other distractions, and wedge himself underneath the futon in the loft while reaching for a matchbox car left under the futon by Ian. Isn't having children fun!?!? Needless to say, even with the amount of work that I know keeping Nathan away from Ian's toys and dangerous situations, having a mobile baby is tremendously entertaining. I hope everyone smiles while sharing in Nathan's mobile milestones with us with this quick little video. Oh, that white blur at the end - that's Que, the cat, putting his nose into the camera. Enjoy!

Disneyland and Tucson, AZ

2008-12-09T11:12:00.001-08:00

Ian posing with WALL*E

Well, October and November were busy months in the Standring household. First was our trip to Disneyland! We spent three days visiting both Disneyland and CA Adventure parks in Southern California. Ian had a blast! He was SUPER brave and rode both the Matterhorn and Splash Mountain, as well as his favorite Autopia. Ian also managed to convince Mommy to go on the teacups with him! At CA Adventure, we enjoyed the Pixar Parade, and rode the new Toy Story ride with 3-D glasses! Ian didn't want to give the glasses up at the end. Nathan was a trooper and seemed to enjoy taking in all the sights and sounds of the parks. We were especially lucky to spend the day with my friend and co-worker Heather and her family, and we even saw Auntie Jaime and her girls on the last day we were there! Overall, it was a great trip!

Ian and Daddy driving Autopia

Riding the carousel

Ian with his 3-D glasses in line to ride the new Toy Story ride

Mommy and Ian on the teacups!

Just a few days after returning from Disneyland (just about enough time to do the laundry!), we hopped in the car to drive down to Tucson, Arizona. David's oldest brother, Jim, was celebrating his 50th birthday! We stayed at a lovely resort and enjoyed sunny weather in the upper 80's. Ian and I went swimming every day. Because we were in AZ on Halloween, we brought Ian's costume with us and he got to go trick-or-treating with his cousins Cameron and Amanda (XingXing) Lee. After a lovely dinner with David, Cathy, and family, we headed out to nearby neighborhood. Ian lasted about ten houses, but he came home with some good loot and had a great time. SuperWhy has never looked cuter!

The next day was Jim's party, and we enjoyed good food and good company. On Sunday, we drove home and crashed. It was a busy weekend, but we had a good time and were glad to see and spend time with our family.

Christmas Music with Schola Cantorum!

2008-12-01T22:26:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I know this is shameless, but I need to add a quick post for anybody who drops by to invite you ALL to my holiday concert with Schola. (I promise to update the blog this week with pictures and stories from Disneyland, Tucson, Halloween, and doggie drama, so make sure to check back in soon!) Our Christmas concert is always my favorite, but I am especially excited about the concert this year! We are singing some really fantastic music, and the audience sing-a-long will be fun as always! The details are listed below, and I really hope everyone who is looking to be uplifted this holiday season can come. Feel free to pass the info along to any friends and family as well. Happy Holidays!

"From Heaven on High"

Christmas Music with Schola Cantorum

Saturday, December 20 @ 8:00pm

Sunday, December 21 @ 3:00pm

Sacred Heart Chuch, 39th and J Street, Sacramento

Suggested Donation: $15 general / $10 students and seniors

http://www.scholacantorum.com/

The Pumpkin Train!

2008-10-08T10:36:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, we took our family on a ride on the Pumpkin Express! This special October event was hosted by the Sacramento Valley River Train, and we were so lucky to be joined by Mammy (my mom), Auntie Steph, Uncle Dan and Auntie Sarah. Our train left the station in Woodland at 10:00am and left for a 20 mile round trip journey along the Sacramento River with a stop at Uncle Ray's Pumpkin Patch in West Sacramento. We enjoyed cookies and apple juice, and came home with some beautiful pumpkins! Ian had a blast, and Nathan looked awfully cute in his orange shirt. A good time was had by all!

Our family!

Mammy and Ian on the train

Mommy and Ian checking out the tracks

Hmm, wonder what this thing does?

Our two little pumpkins!

September 2008 Photos

2008-10-04T12:25:00.000-07:00

Enjoy some pics of the family!

My Two Boys

All clean!

Ian loves his baby Nathan!

Sleeping babies are so cute!

Sitting up and playing in my new Bumpo seat.

David and Ian on the train in old Sac

October Update

2008-10-04T12:04:00.001-07:00

While visiting with my Mom yesterday, she pointed out that I have been slacking off on posts, and being that I haven't added to the blog since late August, I figured it was time. Sorry for the delay, folks! :o)

October is shaping up to be a busy month for our family. Tomorrow we are taking Ian on the "Pumpkin Express" Sacramento Valley River Train. He is so excited, he can hardly stand it. I will make sure to add pictures to the blog after we go - it should be fantastic! In two weeks, we head to Disneyland with my friend from work and her family, then off to Tucson the following week for David's brother's 50th birthday party. For those of you who don't know, I have started singing with Schola again and have our first concert on Sunday, October 19. It is an organ recital with renowned organist Roger Nyquist, and we have been invited to sing a few pieces. Let me know if you are interested and I can get you tickets. It should be a nice concert. I also started back to work in September, and am working with a 6th grade class on Fridays. It's an adjustment to only be at school one day a week, but I enjoy my class and it feels really good to teach again. I'm technically on vacation until November, but I'm sure that my partner Heather and I will be in and out of the classroom this month getting things together, which will be fun. Lots going on, so I will do my best to keep the blog updated!

Nathan is now 3 1/2 months old! I can't believe how quickly it has gone. He is getting bigger and stronger each day. He holds his head up well, coos, goos, and talks to us often, his smiles are biggers, and his laugh is adorable. He especially loves to watch his big brother Ian - whether Ian is playing or just hanging out, Nathan is entranced. Nathan hasn't rolled over yet, but he loves to lift up his legs and roll from side to side, so we anticipate the full flip isn't far away. We head back to the doctor's office later this month for his 4 month appointment, so we'll fill you all in with the growth details at that point. He is sleeping well, although still up once during the night to eat. We will probably introduce some fruit and cereal next month, so maybe that will help fill him up and he will start sleeping through the night. We'll see!

Ian started preschool at the beginning of September, and is doing wonderfully there. He attends twice a week (T/Th) from 9am-12pm in a class of 20 kids and 3 teachers. The head teacher, Ms. Aileen, says that Ian is a character, and is always very aware of what the other kids in his class are doing. He is often the first to point out that someone is not sitting on the carpet or not listening, so we are working on helping Ian to take care of himself and let the teachers worry about the other students. I appreciate his attentiveness, though, and I am glad that he is enjoying his time there. He loves to help pack his snack in his lunchbox, and is often so eager to get into the classroom that I have to force him to give me a hug and kiss goodbye! So independent so early! I would rather have him happy, though, then upset everytime I drop him off, so for now, we'll take it.

I celebrated my 29th birthday at the end of September, and now the countdown to 30 begins! I can't believe that my 20's are almost over, but at the same time, I have so much to be thankful for that I shouldn't let a little number get me down. I am hoping to have a party next year, so keep the end of September open. Should be fun!

David is doing his same-old same-old at Intel, and continues to work from home one day a week. It's nice to have him here on Wednesdays!

Above you will find some random photos of the kids from the last month. Pretty darn cute, if I do say so myself! Again, I will do my best to keep the blog updated. Hope everyone is doing well and love to you all!

Nathan's 2 month check-up

2008-08-25T15:16:00.000-07:00

So, we made it back from the doctor's office in one piece. Nathan is doing great and Dr. O'Malley says that he is growing and developing according to schedule. He weighed in at 11 lbs, 11 oz (52nd percentile), and is measuring 24 1/2 inches long - the 97th percentile according to the doctor, so it looks like we're going to another tall boy on our hands! He had his first round of shots (OUCH!) but was a trooper. Daddy was there to work his magic, so Nathan was done being upset before we even left the office. Hopefully he will continue to take the shots well and not react negatively this afternoon.

I know they say that the second child usually gets the shaft as far as pictures and baby books go, but I think that might not be the case because of this blog! I don't have a play by play of Ian's first doctor's appointments, so I'm feeling pretty good! :o)

Nathan is 2 months old!

2008-08-25T06:54:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it! Nathan is already two months old!
He has a doctor's appointment this afternoon, where he will get his first round of shots, which I'm sure will be much harder on me than it will be on him. I am very curious to see how much he has grown this past eight weeks... He is getting big so quickly, I can hardly stand it! He is a busy little boy for somebody who can't even roll over yet - he loves to kick and flail his arms and bat at toys that hang overhead, and he is a big talker. I love his cooing and he is smiling more and more each day. He gets a kick out of Daddy's morning hair, loves to smile at his big brother Ian, and his little laugh is just too cute. Sometimes it even sounds like he is saying "Hi".

Ian is a very good big brother and has made the adjustment from being and only child to being more independent with ease. He still whines and acts like a typical three year old, but he is so sweet to Nathan and he loves to help. He still hasn't figured out why he can't share his food with Nathan, or why Nathan can't ride in the Jeep with him yet, but he's being patient, which I appreciate! I'm so lucky to have such wonderful boys!

A Smile Captured!

2008-08-09T20:08:00.000-07:00

The smiling has started! It is still rather random, and not always prompted, but it is too cute! I was finally able to capture a smile on camera, and an awake one at that. I know I'm biased, but he is just the cutest thing ever. I think we'll keep him!

2008-08-05T17:23:00.000-07:00

Nathan Lucas Standring

June 25, 2008 3:23pm

8lbs 7oz, 20 inches

Ian's 3rd Birthday!

Welcome!

2008-08-05T16:52:00.001-07:00

So, I figured with two kids it was about time to start one of these things...
Plus, my brother and his fiancee are moving to England and they started one, so I didn't want to be left out!

My brother-in-law Dan started a Standring Family blog, so I will try not to duplicate things, but this blog will be specifically about our little branch of the Standring family tree - info about me, David, the kids (can't believe I can say "kids" - crazy!) and the goings on in our life. Plus, it will be an easy way to post updated pictures of the boys.

Let's see... a quick update on the family.

David is still working at Intel, but no longer in the chipset group. Now he is working with graphics. Doing what exactly, well, you'll just have to ask him! :o) I am currently staying at home with the kids, but will be teaching again starting in September. Lucky for me, I will only be teaching one day a week! I am sharing a 6th grade class with a fabulous teacher named Heather Korvink. We taught 6th grade together last year, and I am so lucky to be working with such a great partner. After working full time last year, I decided I was ready to stay home and be a mom for a while. This way, I get the best of both worlds!

Ian turned 3 on June 8th and is a smart, talkative, and very BUSY little boy! He keeps both David and I on our toes. He also tries our patience on a daily basis! Ian will be starting pre-school in the fall, which beyond the opportunity to learn and socialize, will give Mommy some quiet time. Yeah for me!

The big news this year is the addition to our little family - Nathan Lucas was born on June 25th weighing in at 8lbs, 7oz and 20inches long. I was induced ten days past my due date, and after a pretty short but intense labor, Nathan literally popped out into the world. He is now six weeks old, unofficially weighs over 11 pounds, and is doing great! He is a good eater, likes to kick, makes lots of cooing noises, smiles occasionally, and sleeping well. He is usually asleep by 10pm and is only waking up once to nurse before deciding to start his day around 6am. Pretty nice as far as I'm concerned! I know there are lots of family and friends who have yet to meet him, but hopefully we will get together with you soon!

There are lots of other exciting things going on, but I think this is probably enough for my first post. I will try to update a couple times a week, post current pictures, and respond to any comments. Love to you all and hope you enjoy hearing about our growing family!

P.S. Pictures of the boys posted above... New pics will be added frequently - at least that's my plan! :o)