August 2017 Life Update

It is official, we are moving! As many of you know, we have had a few issues with our current rental property, and have been seeking living arrangements elsewhere. Yesterday, we found a new place that is less than our current rental and we will be signing a new lease today! Thank you for all of your prayers and support as we know that without the godly encouragement of our friends and family, the success of finding a new place while growing and learning in our financial stewardship would not be possible. We are not moving far, so keep an eye out for an invitation to help us on moving day ;)

PJ started his leadership courses this month and is very encouraged by the direction of the program. He will take a class each month and have the opportunity to implement what he learns in his store. He also found out that he may have the chance to move to a higher volume store and grow as a manager in new capacities! He is very excited for this possibility and we would appreciate your continued prayers as he prepares for the move. He really loves his team and would be sad to leave them.

We love extra snack times on Disney Days! 

AJ and E are growing quick, as you would expect. They are both teething and seem to be going through growth spurts at the same time. AJ is struggling with patience (as many almost 2 year olds are) and trying to communicate hunger verses pain have also been a challenge. You would hardly be able to tell that anything was wrong with E, she does not seem to share any grumpy tendencies until she is tired. Even if we display unhappiness, she glows with joy.

Jessy has been having a difficult time balancing everything (weight loss, home management, training the girls, and her general spiritual health) lately. She joined a gym in June and may have jumped the gun, since we are moving and have a lot of expenses hitting at once. We are grateful to be in the middle of Financial Peace University with a starter emergency fund (baby step 1), as well as having paused baby step 2 in order to prepare for the move. However, we have decided to cancel the membership for now so Jessy can refocus on her priorities with the girls and embracing her time at home with them.

That is all for now. Thank you again for doing life with us!

<3 The Molina Fam

E at 10 Months

Wow, what a whirlwind! This little nugget is, well, not a little nugget! She is WALKING, has 4 teeth - & 2 more coming - still adores big sis, is learning how to climb and loves to smile.

E is a growler who tends to to be unsure as to whether she should growl or giggle when you hand her a bottle. She steals Ate's milk and thinks it tastes far better than her formula. Who can blame her, once you've hit table food, it's difficult to find that powder stuff appetizing. Sometimes, mommy still struggles with the fact that she didn't push harder to breastfeed, but it is what it is and both babies are happy, smart and healthy, so mommy can't complain.

It is such a joy to see the love these girls share and how much they enjoy one another. It is crazy to me that E is taking steps so consistently now and it is fun to watch them communicate in their own little language. AJ is the most helpful toddler I know. She comforts MeiMei when she cries at diaper change time and throws away the trash so her little sis doesn't get a hold of it. On the flip side, it is difficult to share her blankie, but you know how that is!

Number 2 at 9 Months

Wow, it has been far too long since I have shared life here! There is part of me that feels so much guilt for not keeping up as well as I did with AJ for E, but the other part reminds me that I have 2 to watch over and it is better to enjoy them than to keep up the baby book. Although, my little brother might have a different opinion!

Anyhoo! E is 9 months old already and I don't believe it! She has 3 teeth and 1 more coming in. I began calling her MeiMei because Lolo (grandpa) calls her his little Chinese girl - as those features are a bit more prominent in her than AJ, and it means "Little Sister" in Chinese; I also read it in Joy Luck Club, loved it and am sticking to it.

This girl cannot wait to walk; she is constantly pulling herself up on whatever is in front of her, trying to take steps (and succeeding) when she has a hand on something. These 2 sisters love one another so much, they enjoy wrestling and hugging one another and making each other laugh. It is so wonderfully precious to watch.

E Is Five Months Old

Well, I guess she is technically 5 and a half months old now. I am sorry we are a little late, but I guess you can just expect that until there is some semblance of a schedule. It is unclear right now as to when that may become a reality as we have a 5 month old and an almost 18 month old. So, good luck with that!

Anyhoo! As I said, E is 5 months old and is growing so much! She's rollin, she's rockin, and she is grabbin everything in sight! I call her flipper, she tends only to flip over when no one is looking ;)

*I am about 18lbs
*Ate (Big Sister) makes me laugh the most
*I am currently a mommy's girl, but I reserve the right to change my mind
*Bright colors and big smiles make me turn my head
*Talk to me and you can keep me from eating, since I need to be social and cannot be bothered to take in nourishment hehehe

For the Grandparents

Dear Grandpa & Nonna and Lolo & Lola,

I want you to know how incredibly grateful PJ and I are to have you so close and so willing to love on our family. Thank you for dropping everything and spending time with the girls. AJ and E will never understand how valuable it is for them to have their grandparents so close and so ready to spend the day with them.

PJ and I do not know what we would have done these last few weeks without you! With me going to the hospital, needing to go to dental and other doctor appointments, having to run long errands that stretch through nap times... It would be so stressful without you. We have so many friends who are far from family or have to drive long distances from home to see their families/ We also have friends who have lost or are in the process of losing their parents and are facing the challenge of seeing their little ones grow without their grandparents in their lives.

I grew up with so much family, it's ridiculous. I never understood (and probably still don't truly comprehend) how immensely blessed I am to have known 4 grandparents - and even 1 great grandparent until I was 13. At 27, I still have 3 living grandparents and so have the opportunity to see my babies loved by 4 grandparents and 3 great grandparents!

Knowing what I am going through and understanding the stress I am experiencing in this season of motherhood, I am grateful for all of you and the difficulties you had to face in your season of rough parenting. Mom, you faced single motherhood for 14 years! Ryan and I were adults (for the most part) before you married again. Dad, we have had our disagreements and rough patches and seasons of growth in our relationship, but I am so grateful that the Lord brought you into our lives when he did. And you are such an amazing Grandpa! Daddy and Mama, you guys had a few siblings here in the states, but you were on your own! Your parents were in the Philippines and passed without having these opportunities to love on their grand babies like you are. Thank you for the many sacrifices you made for Baba, PJ and Pete.

I just want you all to know how much it means to us to see you enjoy your grandbabies and that you are so willing to drop your days off, vacation days, and weekend plans to help us with them. Besides expressing myself through this blog, and tearing up as I do it, there are not enough words nor is there enough money in the world to compensate for the amount that we appreciate and love you for your support and encouragement as we tackle this parenting thing.

We love you guys!

Defining Success

I just wanted to check in with a quick family update!

PJ continues to do well at work. It was tough for him to receive the December results on their store's numbers and find out that they were not number one, a spot they had held pretty tightly for a few months prior. It was a slice of humble pie for him to remember that there is never a time to stop pushing. However, it was a good opportunity for me to support him and encourage him in the accomplishments that he has achieved beautifully over this last year. Just because they did not make number 1 in December does not negate the hard work that has been put into making his store a success over the last year.

In the last year they have gone from underperforming and stress-filled to a well oiled machine where the environment has been uplifting in the coworker relationships. Please be praying for the growth and maturity of one of his new coworkers who is working to find her place in the store. Also, the lead technician will be taking some time off to recuperate and connect with his family before his paid family leave runs out. Pray for a time of refreshment for him as well as diligence for us. That PJ would take care of the schedules in a timely manner and that I would encourage him every step of the way over the next 3 weeks.


I have been working on finding a flow that works for the girls and I as I am amping up exercise and meal planning. May the Lord help me to be creative in making new meals that keep AJ interested and keep me in check not to deprive myself of so much at once so that I may continue on my weight loss journey with success not only for myself, but also for my family. This journey is not just for me, but it is for me to be a more fruitful home manager and trainer for my little ones, as well as a biblically submissive wife who takes care of her hubby as he leads us through the challenges and blessings of life.

AJ has been testing boundaries day after day. It is a continued challenge for my patience and drawing a clear line of consistent grace and discipline. Each day seems to bring difficult set backs, but when I take her to lunch and she eats well and socializes with our family or I can sit her in a chair while I get my eyes checked at the doctor, it is clear that the Lord is giving me enough grace to successfully teach my children well.

E is taking rice cereal at night, which is elongating her sleep time, but there is still a challenge to get her through the night. Please pray for consistency in her schedule and that we would not be lax in what we know might work for her instead of taking the easy routes of feeding when we know she is capable of rest. She is rolling from back to belly pretty consistently now, in that, whenever she is placed on her back, she flips for a better view then gets frustrated with her lack of strength to hold herself up for an extended period of time. It is adorable and she is enjoying the flip game!


That seems to be all for now. Thank you for your love and encouragement as our little family continues on our journey! It is such a blessing to know the love and support we have from our church family and all those around us. We love and appreciate you all so much!

-Jessy

This Year at Work

I wanted to take the time to share (brag about) my husband's success. I am so proud of PJ for all the work he has accomplished at the pharmacy this past year. He has completely turned his store around from having an "underperforming" status to being among the top in his district and his "area," which includes, I believe, all or most of Southern California.

A few months ago, his supervisor asked him to share his success on a monitored panel for other District Managers in the area so they may take away from his experience in improving customer service and other numbers for their own stores. When that went well, he was invited to speak at a national conference in Boston. My husband was recognized by his company on a national level! I did share about that already, but to update, he made it out there and back and it went wonderfully well!

He had made his first hire last summer, but after her training, she has only been at his store for 3 months now. Unfortunately, it has been a difficult adjustment. I am praying for a turn around, but it has been stressful for his whole store, with staff being effected in their motivation and performance.

Please be in prayer for PJ as the Lord guides him through this time at work and in approaching the situation among his colleagues. Praise God, I have been able to not only encourage hubby in his work, but also help him through a few stressful situations this past week. We are so grateful for the Lord's faithfulness as I have been growing and being gracious in late evenings and making the most of my time at home instead of sulking in waiting for PJ to get home.

E is 4 Months Old

E turned 4 months old the other day! She is such a happy baby, just in case you couldn't tell. She has rolled over a couple of times, but is not interested in making it a regular thing. She loves to eat her fist and is beginning to establish a regular schedule. She is up to 6oz of formula every 4-5 hours! She still wakes up once between 10pm and 5am, but will take her paci to go back to sleep until 5:30/6! We are so proud of her.

She also enjoys watching her Ate (big sister), AJ, very intently and it makes her smile to get kisses from her. They enjoy watching Frozen together, but any parent with a child between 0 and 14 (maybe even older) knows that this is a staple film in the house!

E is beginning to enjoy her tummy times (not only tolerate them). She is really strong and even pushes herself up to get a better view.

Life's Encouragements

About a month ago, PJ told me that his district manager wanted him to recreate a panel discussion regarding his store's success at the national conference in Boston for Area Managers for the company. I really wish that my response was, "Oh my goodness, honey, that is amazing! I am so proud of you and the work you have accomplished at your store this last year!" To my shame, however, I responded with, "Well, how long will you be gone?" in a tone of contempt for his accomplishments. I felt the excitement drain from his demeanor and I knew there was no way I could take that moment back.

I was being completely and unreasonably selfish.

I wanted him to say he would bring ME with him. I wanted him to acknowledge how difficult his absence would be for ME. I wanted to feel as needed as I feel I need him.

It is not easy being a full time mommy and housewife. But I think that being a true helpmate and encouraging wife are even harder. As much as I give myself to my precious little girls each day, I have to give my full support and encouragement to my husband each day. That is a lot of work and takes a lot of investment. I want my husband to be successful and I desire him to do well. If I am aligning my life with his, which is what I am called to do, then I need to be more uplifting in my attitude.

Gee, this wife thing is tough, but I am so glad to have this opportunity to love and minister to my husband in this way.

Please pray for PJ as he heads off to Boston tomorrow. There is an ice storm warning in effect this weekend on the east coast and I pray his flight is not delayed or cancelled coming home. He will be flying out tomorrow morning, his meeting will be all day Thursday, and - Lord willing - he will be returning on Friday afternoon.

-Jessy

3 Months Old!

Life is hectic, so I'm a few days late, but I still can't believe that AJ is already 3 months old! She is already such a big girl. Sometimes, when she smiles or gives me a mischievous look, the Lord blesses PJ and I with a quick glimpse of what she will look like in a few short years. Our little one is such an adorable and stubborn girl!

As far as progression and growth, AJ is now approximately 13lbs and wearing 3 month clothing (to specify, not 0-3mos or 3-6mos). She just hit the sweet spot, which means that I will probably be needing to reorganize her dresser soon and pack away the 3mos clothing! People are not kidding when they say these little ones grow so fast!

Baby Molina is trying to hold her bottle, but does not quite have complete control of her muscles. This means I let her try and it drops/squirts her face in about 3-5 seconds. This, to me, is still pretty impressive. Daddy is a little bit more active in pushing her, though, he often props her bottle up w/ Sophie the Giraffe or a blanket+a burp cloth for the first half of the bottle. It works pretty well as long as she is hungry and has a good latch.

Mommy was a little bit drained and inconsistent with pumping, so, she stopped at 2 months, but AJ seems content (most days) to have her formula. Other days, she simply wants to take in just enough for fuel (1-2oz) and play until she's tired. It's a challenge for mommy to be disciplined and patient to work with her, but she does keep to a relatively consistent schedule when we work at it.

It has been 3 nights in a row that we have had a solid 7 hours of sleep! That means AJ has a great schedule for us all to get good rest before our long days. Typically, we're waking up at 6am, eating, playing, sleeping and starting over at 10am. After that, through the late afternoon, her feedings are 3 hours apart.

AJ has her tough days, but we all do, and when I take a moment to step back and look at this beautiful life our Lord has given us, I have no cause for complaint. More and more each day, I am utterly grateful not to have a job to go back to. As difficult as it is for me to get everything I would like finished around the house, I know that it would be much worse if I weren't here. As a bonus to managing our home, I have this wonderful, smart, beautiful, joyful little girl to take care of.

Thank you for all of your prayers, encouragement and support. We couldn't do it without our incredible family and friends!

Love you all,
Jessy