Reinventing Motherhood

Its been FOREVER

2011-06-29T21:30:00.004-04:00

So as far as TTC goes, we tried a mini IVF cycle that ended in a chemical pregnancy and we are now waiting to save up money to try again maybe next summer.

An update/Catch up in pictures:)

Had a GREAT time at my ten year reunion.

Cut off all my hair for pride.

Tyler learned to "drop in" at the skateboard park, which means he skates down the side of what looks like a pool to me - as a mom a little scary to watch but he loves it.

Went into DC cupcakes (the first time i had ever passed when the line wasn't down the street so we had to take advantage)

The kids are doing great and get along about 50% of the time:)

We remolded our kitchen....

Ty is getting back into golf, when he's not busy skateboarding:)

TTC Update

2010-10-09T09:17:00.002-04:00

Well we did get our BFP but from the very beginning it didn't look good. We had low betas that doubled and the day they caught up i started spotting. I had a ridiculous amount of blood draws and ultrasounds and they could never find the pregnancy for sure. I had two trips to the ER, one ambulance ride, and was admitted once. They think they found it outside of the uterus and outside of the tube but were never sure. We saw a lot of different doctors and I swear got a different answer from each one (one night in the ER they said i was bleeding internally and could have the surgery or could just go home and wait and see) I chose to go home and the next dr i spoke to said the other one was wrong it wasn't blood just fluid and i was fine (thank god i didn't opt for the surgery!!!!). It was a long and hard roller coaster ride but finally the pain has for the most part stopped, my beta levels are dropping like they are supposed to, and now begins the waiting game until we can try again (three months i think because we had to get the Metho shot to terminate the pregnancy).

Pictures

2010-09-11T21:58:00.004-04:00

Lexi and her second cousin hanging out in Old Town.

Some women were there turning wool into string - Ty got to try it out.

Lexi hanging out with her fur cousin....

Feeding the ducks popcorn at Burke Lake Park - we were probably not supposed to be doing this....whoops.

Riding the train at the park.

I got Lex a kitchen at this awesome consignment sale - she loves it!!!!!

Apple picking is becoming an annual tradition.

Hanging out with Ry.

The County Fair

2010-08-22T19:59:00.004-04:00

We went to the county fair this weekend and the kids had a great time!!! They rode lots of rides and ate funnel cakes and played a few games.

Back by popular demand this year the pig races.

They have the machine where you rent and return them RIGHT when you walk in the main door we always go in. Normally she tries to push them and get in, but you can't get them off the rails unless you pay. Someone tried to return this to the wrong machine, so when we walked into the mall and she ran up to this one and pushed it and it actually came out so they just climbed in and we had to push the silly thing around all night - such goofballs!!!

TTC

4 follies, 2.5 mil swimmers, estradiol over 2000

We are currently 1 DPO, TWW = YUCK!!!!

C.lomid Bites!!!!

2010-08-14T22:53:00.004-04:00

So i have started taking C.lomid and am getting almost every side effect on the list. Yesterday i was nauseous, had horrible headaches, and was dizzy all day!!!! Today i've had the pleasure of hot flashes thrown in, although the headaches weren't bad. And the moodiness - lets just say i feel sorry for anyone who has been in contact with me the past couple of days:P

And because what's a post without a picture:) My childhood friend just (well 10 weeks ago) welcomed her son Ben into the world, and i was lucky enough to take a trip down to NC to meet him!!!

2010-08-11T20:53:00.003-04:00

Pictures from the Beach!!! Funland was right down the road from our beach house and the kids loved it!!!

TTC

CD3 - everything looks good, and we're ready to go:)

Happy Second Birthday Alexis

2010-07-08T21:57:00.003-04:00

Ciara's Turn

2010-07-07T21:38:00.004-04:00

Ciara insists that when i proposed to her that i told her my plan was that we were going to get married and then have a baby and she could get on board or get out.....while i do NOT remember that conversation being a part of my proposal I do remember that being my "plan". When DC passed legal marriage Ciara said it was her turn to tell me that now she wanted to get married and have a baby, soooo.......

The ceremony was just her sister, my parents and the kids and it was perfect!!!! We did it on our three year anniversary and true to my word we followed up with our first fertility consultation for child number THREE yesterday. It was the fastest consult ever...

Dr - Oh i vaguely remember you...You're skinny thats what made me remember you

Me - yeah still skinny

Dr - let me look over your files......

So it worked last time

Us - yeah, we have a two year old girl now

Dr - ok lets do the same thing

The End

Pride 2010

2010-06-14T21:07:00.005-04:00

We were so excited to have Ciara's cousin Corey join us for Pride this year. It was the first time the kids and I got to meet him and everyone LOVED him!!!! Lex was asking for him today...just saying "Corey, Corey, Corey".

I love comparing the pictures through the years....

2008

2009

2010

Been so long

2010-06-01T21:29:00.002-04:00

Just thought i'd add some new pictures...will try to write more soon....

2010-01-09T21:59:00.003-05:00

I Love this shot - it just cracks me up. Everyone and their computers:)

When mommy is home the kids have electronic free time, Ty usually fusses but then look how creative they can be when they are forced to:)

We've been baking a lot - can you tell?

We went to a new place in the mall where the sushi comes around on the little dishes that rotate around the center of the restaurant.

And guess who liked sushi. Well it was just avocado and cucumber - but still!!

Today we went to an indoor water park, but they had to shut down for an hour because someone had an accident in the pool...so we went bowling instead. Alexis really got into it. She just learned to high five the other day and loved that she found a place to practice her new skill. Oh and she had an awesome happy dance no matter how many pins she knocked down!!

A Whole Bunch of Pics from the Holiday

2010-01-03T16:23:00.006-05:00

Christmas Eve...Lexi loved getting to play with her little buddy! She was really excited when we let her "hold" her.

Lexi and Ty in their matching pajamas they got to open Christmas Eve. Maybe a little mean to dress them in the same outfit - but so cute we couldn't help it!!!

Baking Christmas Cookies.

We promised Tyler if he could stay up until midnight he could open one present (Ciara's family tradition). He didn't make it so I told him at midnight I would wake him up...this is he proof that we tried:)

Christmas morning. Alexis figured out if you ripped off the paper (a fun thing to do all by itself!!!) there was more fun stuff underneath.

Talking to Eepa on her new phone.

T.ony Hawk's Wii game!!!

Everyone on their computers in bed:) Lex must have been asleep but she got one too - I'll have to get a picture of that at some point too.

The family rocking out to Rock B.and

The kids making a gingerbread house. More candy and frosting made it into their little mouths than on the house I fear - but isn't that half the fun of it.

Lexi actually gets a piece of candy on the house.

Outfits from our kind friends in Morrocco.

We went to a New Year's Eve Celebration. We tried to go to the same one last year but bailed out early because of the cold went to see a movie and missed the fireworks. This year we wised up and drove to the first location. They had music and boat building and sailing. We stayed there the whole time and even made it to the fireworks at midnight.

I was actually only on vacation for part of the break and the other part I was working from home - I have to say I loved it (although it may not look like it from my expression), but it certainly presented its own interesting challenges!!

Alexis and Ciara

2009-12-30T22:20:00.000-05:00

Lexi and Ciara.....

Haircut

2009-12-21T13:15:00.003-05:00

We dug ourselves out of the snow yesterday and spent the day at the mall. When we got there it was actually not that crowded, but within an hour or two it was business as usual for the Holiday season. While we were there we got Lexi a haircut. Its a little shorter than I had thought they were going to cut it, but its cute. Ciara thinks she looks like Dora now.

Tyler was really excited about his sister's haircut!!!

Victoria's Secret. She had a lot of fun!!!!!

2009-12-19T20:21:00.002-05:00

The snow is so beautiful!!!! I am still in awe that we have gotten as much as we have, and it just keeps on coming....

None of these came out very good but I wanted to post them because it looks so cool at night with the flash lighting up all the snowflakes.

Lexi kept coming into the living room with snacks. I was really confused until I followed into the kitchen and discovered her newest trick is that she can open the pantry and get whatever she can reach!!!

Well at least she's sharing her snacks.

First Snow of the Season

2009-12-05T14:28:00.001-05:00

Tyler of course was ecstatic, Lexi wasn't so sure how she felt about it. She did not enjoy getting snow in her eyes!!!

Random Cuteness

2009-11-25T21:16:00.002-05:00

Just had to share because they're cute!!!!

For My Mom and Dad

2009-11-18T18:19:00.003-05:00

When my parents are babysitting they never know what Lex is trying to tell them. I have been promising them a video of all of her signs and what they mean and have finally gotten around to it.

So here you go mom and dad. She has quite a few that look exactly the same but mean different things so you will just have to guess on those.....

2009-11-08T20:29:00.002-05:00

We went to rainbow family day at the local pumpkin farm. The kids had a great time, and we got to meet a lot of families.

I was so excited about the pony rides, but this was as close as we got. Luckily they had a policy that if your kid freaked out and wouldn't get on the pony you could get your money back. Maybe next time!

Fall Fun!

2009-11-07T14:41:00.002-05:00

I got some cute shots while we were waiting for Ciara to get off the phone and come outside to run errands. They are always moving so quickly its hard to get shots of them....Notice how there is only one of Tyler, its not because he's older its just because he moves so much faster. the ones of Lex were even blurry and she still isn't that good on her feet. I'm scared of when she actually can start running.

Look Who Is Learning to Brush Her Teeth

2009-11-05T22:51:00.002-05:00

She loves brushing her teeth and her new training tooth paste. Just wanted to share, cuase I think she's cute!!!!

2009-11-02T19:48:00.003-05:00

We had a wonderful Halloween. I thought Alexis was going to go crazy when she figured out if she went up to the house that she would get some candy. She discovered that she didn't have to get out of her stroller, and her brother would just run and deliver the candy to her:) I think if we had gone in our neighborhood where the doors were closer to the sidewalk she would have gotten more into it. We went to a friend's neighborhood which was awesome for Tyler - TONS of houses and most of them handing out candy!!!! I can't even imagine how much he would have gotten if it hadn't started raining.

The next day we couldn't get the pumpkin full of candy out of her hands (as illustrated by the pictures of her taking it to naptime with her). After she fell asleep I was able to hide it and today she hasn't remembered it because her Mama kept her busy with a trip to the mall for storytime, a train ride, watching the fish at LL Bean, and a pretzel!!! I miss out on so much fun now that I'm working:)

Apple Picking Year Two...

2009-09-13T19:25:00.005-04:00

We found a new place to go and pick apples this year and we had a lot of fun. We went with our friends who have a son a year older than Tyler and a daughter a year younger. The kids had a blast. They had a raspberry patch also and Alexis LOVED them, she just couldn't get enough, I think she ate more than that got into the bucket.

Here she is with her little buddy Ryleigh.

What a difference a year makes!!!

The boys and their Ipods.

Again...last year she could only look at the apples.

Updates...

2009-09-08T21:58:00.004-04:00

Words we think we've heard:

Mama

Dog

Hola

Tyler

She is imitating tons of actions and has a few signs she uses:

candy

water

all done

noodles/more

dog

waving hi and bye

She has also developed an ATTITUDE when you take things from her or something doesn't go her way...

She has started talking on the phone, using remotes, pointing them at things and pushing buttons.

Oh and she got her first haircut.

Here is her talking on her "phone". I was using the computer so she was watching herself.

She was fascinated and kept waving hi, or trying to pass herself the phone.

New Threads and Kicks:)

2009-08-21T23:26:00.002-04:00

I had to post a picture of me in my new grown up attire that I wear to work now. I had to step it up because I can no longer use the excuse that I spend the day on the floor and covered in all kinds of fun stuff left behind by preschoolers. Ciara is having almost as much fun dressing me as I do dressing Lexi.

Speaking of Lexi I had to post a picture of her in her pink cowgirl boots (Thank you aunties Brooke and Perry!!!!!). It was much harder to get a picture than I thought it was going to be because she learned how to get around in them very quickly. When they would fall off she would bring them back to me to put them back on:)

Tyler Turns NINE

2009-08-13T08:54:00.002-04:00

I didn't get a chance to post these because we went out of town the day after Ty's Birthday. Our first night just the family went to C.huck E Cheese's, and the second night of the celebration we had dinner and cake at my parent's house. He LOVED his presents, he got a PSP from my brother and some cash from his great aunt and cousin:) Oh and we bought him a skateboard.

Jackson Wyoming

2009-08-11T15:40:00.004-04:00

We had an amazing vacation in Wyoming. It was to celebrate with my friends from college that we all turned thirty this year. Alexis LOVED the dogs and spent most of her time trying to play with them. She had no fear!!!

We got to do a ton of really fun stuff like....

Campfires with Smores

Making home made pizzas in a pizza oven

Canoeing...and we even went white water rafting.

Margarita Night!!!

Just a few images of the BEAUTIFUL houses and landscape!!!! It looks like a bunch of postcards...

1 Year Checkup

2009-07-30T21:32:00.003-04:00

Lexi's Stats for her One year checkup today.

Weight: 18 pounds 14 ounces (20th Percentile)

Height: 31 1/8th inches (99th percentile)

Head Circumference: 17 1/4 (10th percentile)

Tall and Skinny!!

Vacation to Virginia Beach

2009-07-30T21:15:00.004-04:00

We went to Virginia Beach for a week and had a great time!! Alexis and Tyler loved the water and the sand. Lex was teething which made for some really fun moods from her..but on the whole she did well. Unfortunately she has decided that she does not like to eat at restaurants and now screams bloody murder when asked to sit in a high chair, or really sit still at all!!!! I'm hoping its a phase she will be out of VERY soon, because sadly for our pocketbooks we love to eat out!!!

A bicycle built for four we rented on the boardwalk.

At a waterfront restaurant before Alexis became so opposed to them.

She was wiped at the end of the days.

She loved the water.

They actually played very well together, when Tyler wasn't out catching waves on his boogie board.

An outside fountain they played in after going to the Nauticus museum.

Tyler in front of the big guns on the USS Wisconsin.

More shots from the USS Wiscosin.

My Dad Came Home!!

2009-07-20T20:44:00.006-04:00

After 11 weeks in the hospital my dad got to come home today!!! He is using a wheelchair and a walker but is doing really well. We are all so happy to have him home!!!

Tyler discovered a new love. Skateboarding. How did I get so lucky? Makes me think that las months staples will not be the first. He is just learning how to ride one but is already at the skate park going up and down the hills and stuff.

Lex had fun playing with rocks in the rain garden.

Zoo Day

2009-07-18T22:48:00.003-04:00

We went to the zoo today to meet up with some other mommies. We of course were running so late we didn't get together with them at all but the kids seemed to have fun. Unfortunately about half of the exhibits we went to were closed so they didn't actually get to see that many animals. I think we're going to try again during the week so that its not so crowded and we can get to more of the animals.

The seals and sea lions are my favorite. Unfortunately today they weren't really do much of anything!

This is Lex looking at a bear. Who was actually awake and moving a little bit.

In the Amazonian exhibit.

Allergy Test

2009-07-16T21:24:00.005-04:00

Our poor baby had to get allergy testing. We took her in because she had this horrible rash/excema all over her poor little body. We thought it was allergy related so we went in to figure out what in the world we were feeding her that was messing her up so much. Good news is the only extra thing she is allergic to that we didn't know about is dust mites. She was such a good sport about the whole thing. It also turns out that the other stuff all over her body is a fungal infection that has gotten infected in places. We make a mixture of neosporin, lotrimin, and cortisone and spread it all over her poor little body. Now she has to take a medicine which she HATES and she has to take a teaspoon of it every night.

The big patch (1,2) is peanuts (bad allergy to that!!!)

In non baby/kid related news I finished my classes for my Applied Behavior Analysis certificate. Now I just have to do my supervision hours (1500) and pass the exam and I'll be a board certified behavior analyst:)

The Party at Our House

2009-07-11T22:36:00.004-04:00

The party was a blast!!! Lexi's little friends were so cute, she had so much fun opening her presents (well attempting to - the other kids were pretty fast helpers), eating the cake, and running around like a the little madwoman she is!!!

Sharing and feeding chips to her friend.

Lexi and her little buddies.

She started out all neat and tidy...

But in true one year old fashion she was a wonderful mess by the end.

Ciara is already aching for another one...

Aren't they cute!!!!

The Party At the Hospital

2009-07-11T21:54:00.009-04:00

Here are the pictures from the celebration at the hospital with my dad...

This pretty much says it all about these two!!!!!

Yum Vegan C.ake Love Cupcake:)

Yay we got shoes today which means no more bare feet in the hospital:)

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY ALEXIS!!!

2009-07-08T22:25:00.005-04:00

We had a great family birthday party today in my dad's rehab room. I'm so bummed because Ciara forgot the camera so I took all these pics with my mom's but she uses a different kind of memory card and I can't download it onto my computer.

We took our favorite chicken and cupcakes (Lexi had a vegan one) and I think everyone had a good time. Since I can't upload the pics from then I'll post the ones from our Fourth of July celebration with my dad. We had a "picnic" and Tyler did poppers and snakes:)

2009-06-29T20:28:00.003-04:00

Isn't it wonderful when siblings get along:) (Tyler earns time on the computer for reading either to himself or his sister) They really do love each other though. Alexis even calls him when he leaves the room and she's looking for him.

Theme Parks and Playdates:)

2009-06-26T13:40:00.005-04:00

We've had a great start to the summer. We went to a K.ings Dominion on Wednesday and then today had a playdate with two of Lexi's little friends. They were both a lot of fun. The kids LOVED the water part at the park and were sad to leave, but once they did they had a great time on the rides. I even got Ty to go on the Scooby Doo Roller coaster with me. When he gets a little bigger we're gonna hit the real roller coasters:)

Mostly Photos because I'm tired tonight but wanted to share:)

2009-06-15T21:02:00.005-04:00

I took Lex to the playground by my Dad's new facility. She had a great time playing on all the stuff. They even had a special section for toddlers (it was the playground that belonged to the daycare).

YAY I LOVE PRIDE

Milestones: She's taking steps independently - I think 18 is her record so far. She's cutting her first two teeth. She now knows two signs, all done and water, she uses all done for whenever she wants us to do anything for her (mostly pick her up since we taught her it first to get out of her highchair) and she uses water for anything she wants to eat. If we don't give her what she wants she points to what she does want and then signs water

Updates and Firsts

2009-05-28T22:52:00.006-04:00

To start off my dad is doing better!!! He was transfered from the hospital to a rehab center yesterday. He continues to make progress but sometimes its a couple of steps forward and then a couple back. He broke his pelvis, his arm, and the bottom of his spine. He went through two surgeries and a tracheotomy. He is now breathing completely on his own and was moved out of the bed for the first time in 26 days yesterday to sit up in a wheel chair for about 15 minutes. His progress is going really well, its just going to be a long road.

And for Tyler's first (and hopefully last) STAPLES IN HIS HEAD!!!!!! This weekend he was at his friend's house and they were down at the lake at the park and depending on who you talk to they were either skipping rocks and Tyler stepped in front of one his friend threw, or Tyler and another boy were talking and told the third friend not to throw any more rocks, when he did and it hit him in the head. My guess is the truth is somewhere in the middle. It stopped bleeding by itself so we thought it was ok. Today I get a call, from him, saying he needs to be picked up from his after school program because he got hit in the head with a basketball and the cut opened up and was bleeding. Since I was at the hospital with my dad Ciara picked him up and took him to urgent care, where they STAPLED his head back together. My mom and I left the hospital and met them there. He was a great sport about it and we took him to his favorite Chinese food restaurant afterwards so he was ok.

Then just to make sure the evening wasn't too dull...Lexi took her first steps!!!! She is growing so fast I can't even believe it.

Trying Desperately to Keep My Mind Busy!!!

2009-05-02T19:23:00.003-04:00

So we are in Pittsburgh to watch our friends run the marathon. However it looks like we won't be staying. A few hours ago I got a call that my dad had fallen off a ladder (3 stories) through a window and was in the hospital having surgery on his stomach. My mom is out of town as well (in Wisconsin) (I did find out later though that my brother happened to be in town so he's enroute to the ER as I type). We had to wait about an hour for him to get out of surgery to hear anything. The news is better than I had thought. His blood pressure was super low so they thought there was internal bleeding. They couldnt' find anything however they still can't figure out why the pressure is so low. As soon as they can stabilize him they're going to scan him to see if they can find some answers. I am sitting in the hotel room waiting for Ciara to bring dinner (i finished packing, checking email, reading new blocks, checking facebook, which is why i'm typing here), then we're going to pack everyone back up (we arrived about 6 hours ago after a six hour drive - don't even ask about THAT). I hear them at the door though so I will go eat and try to recharge a bit...for those of you who pray please say one for my daddy:) For the rest of us lets just think positive healthy thoughts for him!!!!

Our little Tiger in the Making...

2009-04-30T20:06:00.005-04:00

Ty got some golf clubs (I think for his birthday last year) and he goes through phases of loving golf. Since its starting to warm up and people are offering to take him (his Nana and his godmommy) he is back in the swing of things. We were at the driving range and someone walking past us made a comment about him being a Tiger Woods in the making. He turned to me and asked why everyone always said that to him. I asked him what he thought and he said "Because I'm the only little brown boy here." Such a perceptive boy he is:) At least one other person (that I heard) did say something about Tiger Woods to him - its pretty funny. I don't think he has the patience to follow through on it though.

Lex had a ball watching him, and eating and throwing the gravel and the soft practice balls he brought.

In other news I think I've written before about the patch of eczema on Lexi's face that won't go away and how it sounds like she's having trouble breathing. Well when we took her for her checkup Ciara asked for a referral to a dermatologist. When I mentioned that it had gotten a lot better when I stopped breast feeding the doctor suggested we do an allergy test. We got the results back yesterday and it turns out she has a mild allergy to egg whites and a moderate one to peanuts. She'll need an Epi-pen for the peanuts, especially when she goes to school. We're not sure about the egg whites though. It seems like so many things have eggs in their ingredients so thats going to be tricky if we have to cut out all eggs. We're still waiting for a call back from the our pediatrician's office to see about what she can and can't eat. We're trying to stay away from anything with eggs in the ingredients. I was pretty sure macaroni and cheese was safe - i triple checked the label and compared all the ingredients to the list that was on the internet. She's doing the funny breathing thing again so now I'm thinking maybe I was wrong. It also makes me think maybe we weren't completely crazy the night we took her to the ER. She started making the noises right after she was eating something - of course neither one of us can remember what it was she was eating.

On a final note - this is the reason she might continue to sleep in our bed (or at least fall asleep there) forever!!! This is the ONLY time she's still and cuddles with me. Even when she's drinking her bottle and falling asleep she is crazy, kicking, squirming, pinching and scratching. She is such a nut!!!!

Update to Add More Photos

2009-04-23T14:16:00.003-04:00

Ciara was sad these photos were not included so here they are....

I thought this one was a little Risque but Ciara loves it. You can see the band-aid from her shots at her checkup from earlier. Poor baby mommy made her play dress up after shots and getting her blood drawn. Oh and she's off the chart for her height:) Just makes me laugh becuase Tyler wasn't on the charts either, but only because he was so small.

I took this photo because this image is what saved their behinds after a 5:30 wake up taking care of all three (C - low sugar, Lex - screaming and hungry, Ty - mad because all the commotion wok him up) Notice how everyone except me is calmly and peacefully sleeping again...

Awwwww...except not really

2009-04-22T20:30:00.006-04:00

So I saw this post and HAD to get one for Lexi. Of course it arrived today when so much homework due tomorrow I can't even think straight. And of course I had to try it on and take pictures because who could resist. I thought i'd just snap a few quick ones and then come finish my work. Two hair changes, three underneath changes, three setting changes, and fifty or more pictures later and here I am finishing my homework, oh wait creating a blog post wasn't on my list of twenty things due tomorrow. I guess it is now. I might write it down just so I can cross something off:) But oh so worth it!!!!!!

I got a couple of cute ones but she did NOT want to hold still. I tried giving her a prop I thought might keep her still and be really cute.

You can see how well that worked.

This is what the majority of the photos looked like:) Its going to be nice this weekend so I'm going to take them someplace nice and springy and try again.

Goodbye Twenties

2009-04-21T21:38:00.004-04:00

I said goodbye to my twenties today. It was a good decade..I can only hope the next will be even better:) We celebrated by going to the M.elting Pot and eating a ton of yummy fondu. It was a big hit with the kids - in fact I think it might have been a bigger treat for Ty then me!!

Lexi Learns how to Use Her Bouncer

2009-04-20T20:28:00.003-04:00

We got Lex the bouncer for Christmas and while she's never hated it she's never been that big of a fan of it. I kept trying to get her to bounce up and down in it because I thought when she learned that she would love it. She never really got the hang of it though so I gave up. Now that she is so mobile we have to plop her in it if we need to do things like carry the laundry up or down the stairs and the gates need to be open so we don't kill ourselves. She has learned to climb stairs which is terrifying to me. I'll post a picture of the stairs in our house so you can see why. Saturday she managed to get the door on the gate open and followed Ty up two stairs before I caught her. But I digress... So yesterday when her Nana was over we put her in the bouncer so my mom could vacuum behind the couches and my dad could fix the baby gate so we had no more incidences like on Saturday. And look what she learned to do.

I have no idea if this is interesting to anyone but me but I think it is ADORABLE so I had to share. I could just watch this child all day and night if I had the time. I love watching her explore and learn new things. And her laugh...I can't get enough of it.

Other new milestones is that she can now imitate clapping her hands and she has developed a SERIOUS attitude. She got mad at Ciara the other day and I swear she snatched something right out of Ciara's hand and then yelled at her. I couldn't stop laughing but Ciara was able to take it seriously and get whatever it was she had taken away in the first place and told Lex it was not ok to have attitude like that. I've also seen her snatch things from us that she doesn't want and then throw it on the floor. Again so hard not to laugh even after I had spent all morning vacuuming and mopping and it was pieces of wet sticky mandarin oranges she was snatching and throwing onto the floor.

We are trying to keep up doing the signing. Right now she just uses all done for any and everything. I have been trying to teach her up, more, and a few signs for food she loves, but she is so impatient and so attitudey she starts screaming at me, won't look at what I'm doing with my hands and certainly won't let me help her little hands make any signs. Another thing I would love to have some video of. Maybe I'll have Ciara tape a session one day. I shudder when I think of her being two or ~gulp~ sixteen. I am quite positive that I will be paid back for all that I put my parents through as a teenager.

This has turned out much longer than I ever intended. Probably because I have a TON of homework to do and this is just so much more fun:) But I really should try to get something done...or at least fully commit to trying to get my little malienta to sleep.

Oh yeah and we have an ant infestation in our BATHROOMS!!! Why in the world they like our bathrooms is beyond me. I keep cleaning thinking it must be something they're eating but its not making any difference. I've been sitting here checking because I keep feeling like ants are crawling all over me. We meed to find some sort of kid safe something we can spray cause this is horrible!!!

Happy Easter

2009-04-13T21:58:00.003-04:00

We had a nice Easter. Very laid back. We found Easter baskets, visited with family, and ate lots of food. I was totally bummed because with our vacation I didn't have time to go and buy Lexi and Easter dress. One of the things I was looking most forward to about having a baby girl. We put her in a couple of dresses that were from when she was younger but they were too small. I almost made Ciara take me somewhere I could buy her one but we were running late for brunch with my family so we'll have to wait until next year. (Or maybe I'll get one and stage some Easter pics). Some pics of the kids enjoying their baskets and the best shot of Lex in the dress we picked in the end (Thank you Buela).

Spring Break

2009-04-11T23:20:00.002-04:00

Our Spring Break was WONDERFUL.....

Our view from our balcony this time...not quite the same but not bad either:)

Miami Airport.

Dinner on a swinging booth in Coconut Grove.

Lexi CHILLIN

Ty and Ciara picking mangos.

Lex feeling the ocean for the first time.

She was hesitant at first but once she warmed up to the sand and the water she seemed to have a lot of fun.

Tyler didn't need any warming up.

Mommy's massage under the waterfall. It was true PERFECTION!!!!

Lex in her little pool her brother made her.

Ciara's Corona shot.

Ty and Ciara getting ready to ride the Jet Ski.

It was a short ride. He got scared and told Ciara to bring him back that he didn't want to die.

The next day we tried the family paddle boat. Unfortunately it did not go over much better. Lex started bawling and Ty complained that he was tired and wanted to go back. It lasted even less time then the jet ski.

Lex in the ocean.

Lex was pretty good for the flights and slept most of the time.

The sunset from the Treetops restaurant.

More Milestones

2009-04-06T13:36:00.005-04:00

Today Lexi signed "all done" when she was done eating and wanted to get down. We've been practicing for a while, but its the first time she did it by herself. It was too cute and so exciting for me. She has started trying to imitate a lot of things and is kind of starting to imitating saying mamama and bababa.

We have spring break this week and I have been loving spending time at home. We have been spring cleaning and are going to go to Key Largo on Tuesday. We're staying at the same place we stayed at for our honeymoon, only this time we'll have kids in tow. Here's a pic of the view form our balcony last time...

We won't have a water view this time but I'll be sure to post pics from our tree view to compare:)

Lex has become very independent and is very sure about what she does and does not like. She does NOT like pony tails but I am trying to work with her on it. This is the first time i have successfully gotten them into her hair again. I will continue to try (I'm not torturing her she doesn't care once they're in she just doesn't like sitting still for me to do it).

Been A While...

2009-03-22T23:08:00.006-04:00

Its been a while, things have been busy and I just haven't had much time for blogging. Also my favorite part is the pictures and we haven't been taking as many. Lex is quite the handful lately. She is a pro at crawling now and has started pulling up on just about anything she can. This makes for MANY falls because a lot of the things she pulls up on are not that steady and they both topple over. She also gets so excited about standing or tries to grab something without realizing she's let go, and over she goes. Although I have seen her stand there for a few seconds on quite a few occasions.

So her milestones this month are: pulling up, standing alone for a few seconds, and her first bloody nose (She terrified her Mama by falling off the bed onto her head and getting a bloody nose - I freaked out, she was fine, but then I felt justified the next day when I heard about Natasha Richardson and the people on the news were saying that all head injuries should be checked because you never know).

And now for the pics:)

One of her favorite places to play...not much sleeping...but she loves to stand up in there and talk to us.

She gets into EVERYTHING!!! This laundry basket kept her occupied for close to twenty minutes, and I only put all the clothes back in once.

Today was beautiful so we took advantage and took the kids out to a bike path and park near our house. They had a great time - and Alexis even seemed to enjoy the stroller. Especially when her Mama practiced her jogging (Thank you Aunt Dina).

She was ok sitting there until she tried to crawl and little pieces of rock, dirt, sticks, etc stuck to her hands.

We spent a long time trying to practice throwing the rocks into the stream like her brother. I thought she would enjoy it because once she's out of the tub she LOVES throwing things back into it. She didn't really get it with the rocks and was far more interested in trying to eat them.

A pretty photo taken by Mama.

Also not such a big fan of the grass. She takes after Mommy like that. I'm not too much of an outdoorsie type:)

She much prefers to be held, as you can see.

Happy Birthday Ciara.

2009-02-24T19:45:00.005-05:00

Ciara turned 31 last Tuesday. I was going to be out of town this weekend so we just did a really small thing Tuesday night. We went to Red Lobster so Ciara could have some crabs and then we went home and had cake. Not too exciting but I think she enjoyed it:)

YAY D.ukem

2009-02-14T21:49:00.006-05:00

Last night we went out for Ethiopian food. It was a craving that I developed when I was pregnant with Lexi. I made Ciara take me for lunch probably five or six times in the last couple months of the pregnancy. We hadn't been since she was born, so I was really excited.

Ciara is far less cautious with what she lets Lexi eat, especially when I'm not around, but sometimes even when I'm sitting right there. She let her try the Inerja (the "bread" you eat the meal with), with some of the mild sauce on it. Lex loved it. She wanted nothing to do with the baby food I brought and tried to feed her after I got on Ciara for feeding her the grown up food.

Lex begging mama to give her some more.

Taking things into her own hands when Mommy says no. Luckily this time I caught it before any major damage was done. The one time we weren't as fast Ciara's drink somehow ended up in her lap - whoops.

Mommy relents and lets Mama feed her.

We went to the bookstore after dinner and had fun pulling all of the books off the shelf.

Sibling Love

2009-02-10T21:56:00.005-05:00

I realized that it was Lexi's Seven month birthday Sunday night and since we hadn't done anything for her six month I got all excited and got her an ice cream cake at the grocery store. (I think really I just needed an excuse for a little C.arvel in my life:) We sang and put in a candle and let her have a little taste of the frosting and a little taste of the ice cream. We're so bad but she loved it!!!

Well maybe love was a little bit too strong of a word:)

Ty is such a GREAT big brother. I made them dress up in their matching PJs for a mini photo shoot tonight. I needed a new picture for my computer desktop. Lexi LOVES her brother!! He always gets the greatest laughs from her like this one in the tub.

Look out World Here She Comes

2009-02-03T22:52:00.004-05:00

Our baby is growing so fast!!!! I was so scared that when I went back to work I was going to miss her big milestones but guess what Mommy got to see tonight:)

2009-01-31T11:12:00.003-05:00

A Nice breakfast of pancakes. Such a big girl! This was the first time mommy used the high chair to feed her. Much easier than putting her in the bumbo on the table. We had MANY spills from her wandering hands:)

The new way she gets herself to fall asleep. It makes me so freaking nervous and as soon as she's asleep I move her. I check about a thousand times to make sure she can breathe. This pillow makes me less nervous then some of the other things she's pushed her head under.

Pigtails and Stuff

2009-01-20T13:54:00.003-05:00

Not too much to say today. Our internet and tv and phone are all out. Silly bundles. Ciara got so annoyed on their third trip out to fix our problems that she canceled the service and kicked the technician out. Unfortunately we now have nothing!!!! I called and its going to be set back up tomorrow....but its sad how much I rely on those three things!!! Wanted to post these pics though while I do have some internet. I know its sad I brought my computer over here to watch the Inauguration because I was in internet withdrawl:)

So close to Crawling..

Watching Obama Being sworn in.

Pigtails.

How Time Flies...

2009-01-15T23:50:00.009-05:00

Look how she's grown!!!! We haven't been good at taking pictures of her in the same chair or seat so we can see how big she's getting. I found these two of her in her car seat though. Now that I am thinking about it I'll start being more conscious about trying to get one of her in the same seat every month or so.

One Day Old

Three Months Old

Six Months Old

Today she got up in the crawling position and started rocking. She was able to move one hand forward before she fell. I have a four day weekend (Woohooo for Martin Luther King and Obama) coming up so I told Mama Ciara no more practicing until I get home tomorrow. I want to be there for the first time she crawls!!!!!

6 Months Already!

2009-01-12T17:07:00.004-05:00

So our little Alexis is 6 months and growing so fast! We wanted to have a half a year B-day with just us and a cup cake. We didn't get a chance to do because we had a busy day.

I thought I would post that she is starting to get up to crawl but when she pushes forward she falls. Its a start and I'm pretty excited about it. She is also starting to be a picky eater. Which makes sense because her brother and mommy are that way as well. She screams a lot! She flirts and its funny! Im sure Im missing something but Ill post on it later on.

Look Who's Sitting Up..

2009-01-05T21:47:00.002-05:00

She's starting to sit up for longer periods now. She's still pretty wobbly especially if she's trying to get something. I think she's pretty excited about it as you can see:) And what is it about babies and remotes. She had like ten toys on the bed with her (including her own toy remote) but was still most interested in the power cord for my computer and the remote. I tell you we are in serious trouble when she starts crawling. She's not even mobile and she's already into EVERYTHING!!!!

Tyler had basketball practice today which I think he enjoyed. I didn't get a chance to get any pictures though because someone was squirming around and trying to escape from her car seat, or my arms like it was her job!!! When we first got there she was so fascinated she sat really still. I was so excited because I was able to read (I'm on the third book in the Twilight series, unfortunately a highly addictive series) but it lasted all of about three minutes and then no more reading for mommy. She loves trying to turn the pages if she can reach them and screaming at me when she can't.

Well this turned out to be a rather random post but thats just how my head is tonight....off to try to read some more and pray for lots of ice and sleet so that we at least get a delay tomorrow:):):)

Fun Times During Winter Break.

2009-01-02T10:04:00.010-05:00

We have had a fun Christmas break. Last week we got to meet up with our blogger friends from Love Makes a Family. They were great. We met up with them at a museum which we never do so it was fun to take advantage of living so close to DC. Our little guys had the same due date and Candice and I talked through a forum throughout most of the pregnancies so it was so neat to meet them in real life. Their boys are adorable and we all really had a good time. I wanted to kick myself because I forgot to bring my camera which I take everywhere but they said they'd email the pics so when I get them I'll post them. Although here's The Link to C's post with the pics which is probably easier:)

Yesterday we took Tyler snowboarding for the fist time. He and Ciara took a lesson, at the end of the lesson they went down the bunny slope and I met up with them. Ty was laying on the ground crying when I came off the lift. He said his hands were freezing. I told him that he could take off his board and walk down and we could go warm up or he could try to board down the hill. He would get up go a little bit fall down and bawl. He and Ciara were ready to turn in their boards once they reached the bottom but I convinced them to get some food warm up and try again. Tyler was great. The second time we got out there he LOVED it. Ciara went down the baby bunny slope (barely a hill) once and was done. Tyler kept going and by the end was doing pretty well. I left them and ventured out on my own one last time to try the intermediate slope. I have to say that skiing is not quite as easy to pick up again as biking (I hadn't been in probably 10 or more years). On the bunny slope where I stayed so that I could watch them in their lesson (and cause I'm a chicken) was fine but I hit a few bumps and some ice on the harder slope and thought I was going to die. I made it down and actually had a lot of fun. Tyler is already plotting for another trip but we'll have to see about that.....Skiing isn't the easiest sport on the pocketbook:)

We're all pretty sore today but it was fun!!!!

Eventful Night

2008-12-30T11:10:00.003-05:00

So Lexi's newest addition to her repertoire of noises landed us in the hospital last night. I have been worried about her breathing lately. She gets really congested sounding after she eats and being the paranoid parent I am I was convinced that food or liquid was making it into her lungs and that why she was sounding that way. I haven't been the only one who noticed either. I've mentioned it to Ciara but she never seemed that worried. She also has started making this new noise....sometimes it seems like its a game to her and other times it seems like she's actually having trouble taking a breath.

So last night when we were feeding her she started sounding all congested and wheezing and then started making the new noise. It was the first time Ciara had heard it and she got really freaked out. We called our advice line and they said that from what we were saying that they didn't feel comfortable letting her go the night because it could be a precursor to SIDS. I personally thought that sounded a little extreme and absurd because isn't the whole point of SIDS Sudden infant death syndrome. There aren't precursors for that - right?? So I managed to convince her we should wait for a call back from our pediatrician. Ciara put Lex on the phone and the Dr told us to count her breathing and watch to see if it was labored and that she would call back. Lexi's breathing was pretty fast so the Dr told us a few things to try (saline in the nose to clear her up, feed her again to see if it happened, etc.) and if the breathing didn't slow we should go ahead and take her into the ER, otherwise we could bring her in at 8:30 this morning. Ciara was pretty upset by the whole thing (stupid advice person and the SIDS comment) and we had decided to go the next morning but as we were going to bed Ciara decided if Lex did die during the night she would never be able to forgive herself and that she felt safer taking her in. I was just going to drop them off, but the insurance is under my name and I didn't know how it would go so we all just stayed.

Lex and Ty were great the whole time (we were there from 10:30 to 1:30). The doctor said he couldn't remember the last time he saw such a happy baby. (I mumbled under my breath so Ciara couldn't hear "Thats because she's not a sick baby!!!") There was a W.ii in the hallway (the triage person had told Ty there was one in each room) so once the family who was on "ours" left and Ty got to play on it he did great too. He brought his U.no Attack and he and Ciara played that while we waited to get to the room. This morning Ciara took her to see the regular pediatrician and she said everything looked good. Didn't even mention asthma (the attending Dr was a little nervous about that when he listened to her last night) and she said that babies can learn that if they get a big reaction from a new noise that they'll just keep doing it. I think this is a scary sign of things to come if at 5 months she's already so attention seeking it caused the family to spend the night in the ER - :) - just imagine what she'll be doing at sixteen :)

Christmas

2008-12-26T21:39:00.009-05:00

We went to our Christmas Eve service at my parents church (the church we were married at) and had Lexi dedicated (its kind of like the Unitarian version of a Baptism). Lexi was so good through the whole service (the kids do the story of Christmas with Mary, Joseph, the wise men, etc.; and we sing a bunch of Carols) and was perfect for the dedication part. We got so many compliments on how cute and good she was:)

Unfortunately the camera's flash wasn't working and the pictures came out horrible. This was the one that we were able to lighten up a little bit.

Lexi and Nana for the candlelit Silent Night

Ty and his buddy.

Our Christmas was great. My parents, my brother and his girlfriend came over. Tyler got a ridiculous amount of presents and we all had a lot of fun watching him tear into them and go crazy!!

Lexi in her new jumper that she ADORES!!!!

We then went to Ciara's parents house and after that to my godparents' home for dinner. We spent the whole day eating. It was really a great Christmas.

2008-12-22T23:04:00.003-05:00

We finished decorating the tree today and actually finished basically all of the Christmas shopping in one day. Crazy - don't think I'll try to do that next year.

There's not too much new going on right now, I'm very sad because it appears I (or maybe Tyler) somehow lost my IPOD touch. It came free when I bought my computer for a back to school promo but still....it makes me sad! I need to sleep so that I can be well rested for our last day of school before the break YAYAY!!!!

Xmas Poses...

2008-12-21T00:52:00.009-05:00

Today we went out and got some last minute shopping done. What a crazy thing to do! I still didn't get all the gifts for family and friends. I'm going again Monday because it was just to busy today. I also took a look at some little doggies for my sis. I found the perfect dog, a peekaboo but they didn't let me adopt it. They said they don't let you adopt dogs for gifts. I will try again Monday to see what I can find. It was so little and cute.

Lexi is now making a lot of new nosies. She likes to grunt and screech. She is really funny when she wants something.

Tyler wants everything for Christmas. I believe we have spoiled him a little. I have a few surprises for him but I'm not buying him everything. I can't wait until the Big Day. I got Megan something awesome and I really want to see her face.

OK well it was a busy day for us and its done now. We will relax tomorrow and clean. I'm Hispanic and its traditional to have a clean house on Christmas and to start off the year. Megan thinks I'm a little silly about that but its what I know. So we clean and clean well.

Anyway, here are a few new Christmas photos from our photographer (Lara) she is so great! She was booked for December but made some room for us so we could have some Xmas photos of the Family. I can now send out the greeting cards to friends and family. I want to wish everyone a Happy New year and a plentiful Christmas.

Family Photo

2008-12-18T22:36:00.004-05:00

Today we just got a photo back from our photo shoot for HRC. We volunteered to be a family for an adoption campaign for HRC. I guess we felt pretty diverse and when we got the photo today we all seem to blend together well. I wish we had more shots the photo is just great.

This week Tyler was out sick from school with a stomach virus and now I think he has a respiratory infection. Having two kids a home is something else. Lexi seems to love her brother being home yet she wants all the attention. Luckily Tyler has so much stuff to play with he doesn't mind so much. We also just got our Christmas tree but I have been having a hard time finding our Christmas tree stand. That being said I also had a hard time finding a Christmas tree stand in the local area. Home Depot was sold out and the Local Lowes had none either. So I made a few more calls and found one at the mom and pop hardware store. I was amazed I mean I didn't think these small guys where making it now days. Yet I'm so happy because they were there and now I have what I need. So tomorrow ill have 2 kids and a tree to put up. Always things to do and so little time. ;-)

Randomness!!

2008-12-14T22:13:00.001-05:00

Tonight we went to a Japanese Steak House - Lexi LOVED it!!!

We also picked out our Christmas Tree.

Went to a Christmas Party - Lexi was more interested in the paper then the presents.

We threw a baby shower last weekend and this is the cupcake tree I made for it. We dressed Lexi up and she had a blast. She's such a party girl!!!

Milestones

-She's starting trying to sit up on her own

-Has starting saying "mmmm"

-Is rolling over VERY quickly

-Trying all kinds of new foods (including many that Mama sneaks her when I'm not around like Cheerios or those little puffs)

Baby Model

2008-12-09T16:36:00.015-05:00

Ok My little Lexi is doing the teething thang. I got a video of her very mad at her toothbrush. Its so cute!

Here is Lexi modeling her new hat....

Panama

2008-12-07T02:18:00.003-05:00

So I have just got back from my visit to Panama on Friday. My reason for the visit was because my grandmother has breast cancer and she is doing very well considering. My Grandmother is the toughest 72~, I'm not sure exactly how old she is because she doesn't want to tell me. Panama has no real public transportation, what they do have are very inexpensive taxi's and souped up school buses. My grandmother had Chemo one of the day's I was there and she was at the hospital all day from 4am to about 330pm. After she was done she waited for a taxi for about an hour and no show. She had to walk a half a mile down a hill to another spot to pick up a cab. I was impressed she did that even after the chemo and I was a little mad that her taxi didn't show. Other than just visiting my family and asking about my family tree it was an uneventful visit. I was highly torchured that I had to leave Megan and the kids. Yet I needed to visit my grandmother.

Hi Mama, We Miss You!!!

2008-12-01T21:14:00.004-05:00

So I have started back to work and blogging is one of the many things I have little time for anymore. Luckily Ciara has been keeping up with it now that she is the mostly stay at home mama. This week however she is in Panama with her family so after being harassed I have taken some time to post the video from Ty and Lexi.

Hi Mama we miss you!!!

Turkey Day!

2008-11-27T14:26:00.010-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Today is a great day! I love food and so it the best day ever. We just eat, nap and maybe a football game to watch. We had plans to visit a few places and decided that one is just enough for us. Megan also made a great pie Pecan. She is an amazing baker and I make jokes that its why I decided to spend the rest of my days with her. She is really good at baking. We are also getting up at like 3am or 4am to do some shopping tomorrow. Im very excited about the deals and Im trying to get a good HDTV. Megan thinks Im a nut to do this but its on sale for cheap! You can't beat $400 less than a usual price right!? So I wish everyone a Happy Turkey day and get ready for left overs! lol

Hanging waiting to eat

Tyler playing PC games.

Family Photo

The Mullet

2008-11-25T11:02:00.011-05:00

So I'm thinking Lexi has a full blown mullet. Its cute and all but Im going to have to get rid of it ASAP! I know she is a little young for a hair cut but she has a lot of hair. This came up today at our morning meeting. I call it this because we discuss what are plans are for the day and how we are to get them done. She is a very serious child so I think this will go well with her personally. So we are feeding and eating. Lexi then grabs a big chunk of rice cereal and smears it in her hair. At that time I notice it more than before. I have done a little research on the mullet because I thought it would be fun to do. I have to confess as well I had a little curly mullet as a kid. Not cute at all and I don't know why I thought it was the bomb (no photos of the crazy do). Here is a cute website of Child Mullets and after looking at this site Lexi had no mullet at all.

Here is the mullet yet hard to see but it is long!

Here is the do after I trimmed it up.

It was very hard to trim because she a wiggly baby but I got it done. Megan was a little mad but it looks so much better now. Sorry Love bug (Megan)