My morning exchange with Calli

Let me preface this by saying that Calli has a bottle of princess vitamins and for her age is only supposed to have half of one.

Calli: Mommy, I want a vitamin

Me: Okay, just a minute

C: Okay

::::Long pause::::

C: Mommy don't rip her head off!

M: Who's head?

C: Snow White's head. Don't rip it off Mommy!

::::I finally realize she is talking about the vitamins::::

M: I have to honey, you can only have half

C: Okay (pouty face and resigned sigh)

KIDS!

Fiddlestiks

I have to go to the body shop today. Yesterday on our way home from the library we got rear-ended. I was yielding at a yield sign to go right and a big truck bumped me from behind. Luckily he wasn't going TOO too fast and there are just a few scratches on the bumper. The girls were fine which was, of course, my first concern. On impact Serena had been sleeping but woke up and cried for a few seconds before falling back to sleep. I don't think Calli even realized what was going on. The guy felt so terrible and was really nice and really, I don't find the need to be a bitch in these kind of situations. As long as my kids and I are fine, I am happy. A car can be fixed, replaced, sold.......my children are my life and irreplacable.

We also got to go to a fun indoor playplace yesterday called fiddlestiks . We had been there once before but Calli was the only one there. This time there were three other boys to play with. One of them kept picking out some dresses for Calli to wear in the dress up section. There was another boy, about 3-4, who was playing with the pink vanity in that same section. Well, you could tell his dad was NOT happy about that. He kept calling the boy over (he wouldn't come) and making little remarks to his wife and grandma with him. Finally he went over to the boy and whispered something in his ear to which the boy replied "but we can play with anything we want!" When the same boy had a pink wand in his hand his father made the comment "you better be pretending that is a sword". Ummm, seriously!!??! What was this dad so concerned about? That playing with a vanity and wand for five minutes was going to scar his masculine son for life? Because yeah, I'd much rather have my child pretending that their wand is a dangerous weapon than a fairy wand. Some parents would just find this funny that their son is playing with these toys. This guy took it a little too far I think. Sure, you don't have to buy your kid pink clothes and make-up, but for goodness sake, it's not going to change his life if he plays with it for a few minutes. And we wonder why grown men have a hard time showing their emotions, aren't as sensitive as women, and don't call their mothers as often as they should. Maybe it's because of the way we raise our boys..............

I am so happy it is the weekend. Calli has her soccer class tomorrow morning and a birthday party in the afternoon so we will be busy busy. So here are some pictures from the last few days. I actually forgot I had a few on the camera already from the Inflatable Wonderland we went to last weekend. Enjoy!

Bouncing around on Sesame Street

Stopping for a quick picture...she can't resist the camera!

Going up.........

.......and sliding down!

Hi Mom!

Cute girl

I love my sister!

YMCA

Last night I went to the gym for the first time in a REALLY long time. I'm talking eons. The last time I worked out was when Calli was around sixteen months or so. After that, between being busy with moving and then getting pregnant (heck no I don't work out while pregnant, are you crazy?!?!) I just never went. Well, Richard has been itching to go to the gym and so we decided to check out the YMCA over the weekend. They gave us a free trial pass to use and we went last night around 6:30. I was impressed with their childcare, but should have known it would be good since it IS the YMCA. There are two sections, one for babies and one for older kids. Both kids did great and Calli especially loved playing with the other kids. Serena mostly hung out in the swing and took a cat nap. Meanwhile I did lots of calorie burning on the elliptical machine and treadmill. It was nice to feel like I am doing something for myself and something to get back in shape. I will be in my size fours again in no time right!?! So at the end of the evening we decided to get a membership to the Y and we're excited to use all the facility has to offer. They are building a pool right now with a cool splash park/water slide that should be done in August. They will also offer free swimming lessons, which will be a lot of fun for Calli!

Speaking of Calli, she will be having a busy Saturday. She has her soccer tots class in the morning and then a birthday party to attend in the afternoon. Looking at my calendar now, I can't believe that Sunday is June 1st! We are almost halfway through 2008 already, where does the time go? It seems like so much has happened for us, what with going from a family of three to a family of four just two short months ago! Coming up will be Serena's first holiday: Fourth of July! This was also Calli's first holiday nearly three years ago, but she was just five days old and Serena will be three months exactly on the day. I am really looking forward to doing all the first holidays again -- first Halloween, first Thanksgiving, first Christmas and before I know it, first birthday. Serena is unique because she will also be celebrating her first Easter AFTER she turns one. Easter fell early this year and later next year so she gets caught in the middle. Her second birthday will actually be celebrated ON Easter so that will be fun. Hopefully by that point we will be living back in California and can have a fun celebration for her.

Serena slept well for me again last night, from 9-6:15. That was nice because I was oh-so-tired from the gym and needed my sleep. Her and Calli decided to switch this morning because it is usually Calli who is up early and Serena who is up later. But Calli slept until after 7am. She may have been tuckered out from all the playing before bed last night though.

I haven't taken any pictures lately and I really need to do that! I will have some coming soon, I promise.

Sleeping angel

Serena slept from 8:45pm to 7am this morning without waking up ONCE! I was so excited. She slept from 8:30pm to 6:30am on Sunday night as well so this is the second time she has slept about ten hours in a row (although on Sunday she woke up at 2am because Richard doesn't bundle as well as me and she broke free. But I just rebundled her and gave her the paci and she was good). I am so glad we have the Angel Care Monitor because otherwise I would have been in her room every twenty minutes checking to make sure she was okay. But this way I knew everything was fine or the alarm would have gone off. When I woke up with Calli at 6:30am (THANKS CALLI!) I thought I had better check on her. But then I reminded myself of the alarm and that she was fine and all I would do is wake her up if I went in there. She ate about six ounces when she woke up instead of the usual four and stayed awake for two hours before her nap instead of the usual one and a half. So she is currently dozing and Calli is watching her Wonder Pets and I am about to clean the dishes from the eggs and potatoes I made Calli and me for breakfast. Then we are going to head to the store this afternoon, so exciting I know!

Kids

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.--Proverbs 22:6

This is, perhaps, the hardest job in the world. How do you know if you are doing right by your children? How will you know if you are raising them right? I am constantly wondering if I am doing a good job as a mother. I wonder if I make the right decisions and if a simple choice can affect their lives profoundly. Should I have made her eat her fruits with lunch? Should I really have given her a time out? Does she need to get outside more? What if she grows up to hate me because I was too busy to read that book today? The questions are never ending and I guess all I can do is hope and try to be the best mom I can. We never really know if we are doing a good job until the kids fly away from the nest as happy, well adjusted individuals. I suppose only then I will breathe a sigh of relief and happiness and pat myself on the back.

Memorial Day Weekend

This weekend was lots of fun mixed with some tantrums and crying...but is that really so unusual in a household with a toddler and infant? Friday Richard came home early from work and we decided to drive across town to the mall that has the Inflatable Wonderland for Calli to play in. When we first arrived she decided for some reason that she did not want to play. We had just payed $10 to get in and by God, she was going to play and she was going to LIKE it. There were no other kids there so I wondered if maybe she just needed someone else to play with (adults aren't allowed to jump, no fun!). So we decided to leave and walk around the mall and come back in a bit. We picked up some books for Calli and me at the bookstore (started and finished My Sister's Keeper this weekend which was SO sad, but really good). The next store Calli and I went into alone while Richard fed Serena and Calli had an absolute meltdown. No matter who you are or how great of a parent you think you are, it's always embarrassing when your child throws a full on tantrum (especially when you are inVictoria's Secret). All I could do was pick her up and walk out of the store pretending not to notice any of the stares directed at me. Needless to say, I was in quite a mood after that! We went back to the Inflatable Wonderland where, after lots of coaxing, Calli finally decided to play. There was another little girl there not much older than her that she ended up playing with as well. Finally! Then I had another problem -- convincing her to leave!

On Saturday we were supposed to go to a birthday party for one of Calli's friends in her dance class. We had misplaced the invitation (well, Calli had misplaced it after repeatedly taking it off the fridge), but I knew that I had read the party was at The Little Gym on Huebner. I thought it was weird that the location didn't show up on their website, but I googled it and got an address. We set off early, circled the parking lot about five times looking for the place and then I finally ran into a liquor store to ask just WHERE this Little Gym was. Turns out the place had closed down (now the website thing made sense!). The next closest one was near our house and we decided to try and see if the party was there, but it was completely closed. We ended up just having to drive home after wasting a quarter of the gas I had just got. We scoured the house when we got home for the invitation, but it was no where to be found so I could not call the mother to find out just where this party was. I am still curious to see her today and find out. Calli was very disappointed she couldn't go to her party so we promised her something fun to do. We decided to just go to Chuck E. Cheese, that always pleases her and it did not disappoint this time around.

We spent a lazy Sunday morning around the house and in the early afternoon headed to the local YMCA to check it out. We are thinking about joining the Y for their gym. They also offer other activities, such as a movie night for families once a month, a coming-soon pool with water slides and free swimming lessons and discounts for sports Calli can play in the fall (SOCCER). This seems like a good option for us, so we are going to go use our free pass tomorrow and make sure we like it. I need to get back in shape and lose these last few pounds (okay, it's more than a *few* but don't tell!). With this hot HOT summer already upon us South Texans it's getting just miserable to keep wearing jeans. But it's all I have right now and I refuse to buy a bunch of clothes in a size I won't be for very long. With the heat index over 100 for the last week I'm thinking maybe I should just sit outside and sweat off the weight.

So yesterday (Monday and Memorial Day) we headed to a sports store to buy me a new pair of running shoes. The last pair I had I bought in 2003 and they are about a half a size too small. I am so happy with my new PINK running shoes. After that we went to Linens N Things and bought some adirondak chairs for our backyard. We have a tiny slab of patio and nothing to sit on out there when Calli is playing so I wanted to get something cheap and comfy. Although it is super hot out during the day, by the early afternoon the backyard begins to shade over so it's not TOO unbearable by early evening. Of course, I am saying this in May and I reserve the right to change my mind in July. I think we are going to have another hot, record breaking summer like 2006. We have already broke two record temperatures in the last few weeks. Last summer here was soggy, rainy, wet and miserable and I couldn't decide which was worse, the heat or the rain. Not that it was much cooler when it rained out though and it was SO muggy, which I can't stand. So I suppose that was worse.

Because this blog is already so long, here are a few other things that happened last week in condensed fashion: we got a garage door opener installed, I signed Calli up for soccer tots that starts next Saturday, my youngest sister has decided to come out and visit us in a few weeks, and I convinced Calli she wants a ladybug party instead of another princess one.

Whew!

Today is gone. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.

That is some Dr. Suess for you. I had it running through my head after the busy morning we had. I was checking my email around 9:15am and decided to check if the local bounce house was open. It said the hours for preschool play were from 10-11:30am on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Well I figured if I didn't take Calli today then I'd have to wait until next week and I really wanted to do something fun for her. So I got ready in record time, thank goodness Serena was napping, and we were out of the house by 9:45am. We had never been to this particular place before and it was fun, though not as awesome as the other bounce place across town called Inflatable Wonderland. THAT place is awesome. It has about five or six bounce houses, two huge slides, an indoor movie theater and a concession stand with pizza, hot dogs, etc. But this place is much closer and so I decided to check it out. The way it is set up, you play in one room for about 45 minutes and then they switch you to the next room. Each room has one big slide and two bounce houses. Calli had a blast of course. She was the only little girl there, all the rest were boys! There was about seven or eight kids total. Serena ate and dozed off the whole time, she loved the white noise the inflatables made.

After playing there we decided to go get some lunch. I didn't want to eat out, but I had to go grocery shopping as well and the last thing I wanted to do was drag everyone home and then go back out to the same area I was already in. The problem was though that we had McDonalds for dinner last night and I didn't want to eat fast food again. So I decided on Chipotle, which I am not a huge fan of, but it sounded healthier than the alternatives. It actually wasn't too bad this time, Calli and I shared a few tacos. Then we hit the grocery store where the kids were very well behaved while I shopped. And then it was back home to put the groceries away, feed the baby, put her down for a nap and deal with Calli. She is currently in her room crying that she doesn't want to take a nap, which means that she REALLY needs one. She drives me crazy because she refuses to nap during the day and she desperately needs to nap. By the time the evening rolls around she is cranky as heck and driving us up the wall. She just goes and goes with all her energy from the time she wakes up (7am) till she goes to bed (lately about 7:30pm). I don't really know what the big deal is with the nap thing, what adult out there wouldn't LOVE to take a good nap at some point during the day!? I know I would! My own mom made us kids take naps until we were in kindergarten. I hated that! I came home from my half day of school and had to take a nap. I figured I would make my own kids do the same thing someday, but 1) they have made kindergarten a full day for reasons beyond my comprehension and 2) Calli doesn't nap.

Thoughts about the second baby

I think there are two things that every second time (or more) expectant mother worries about while pregnant.

1) How am I possibly going to care for TWO (or three or four) kids? Just when I think I was starting to perfect the mother of one business, I decide to shake things up and add another one to the mix. How crazy is that! With my kids being 2.5 years apart, I knew it wouldn't be easy. Calli is really becoming her own little person, very independent in so many ways, yet still needing her Mommy and Daddy. Could I balance the challenges of raising a toddler with the demands of a new baby? At the point of Serena's birth I think I was just beginning to forget how hard the baby days were and how slow they can seem to drag when you are there. I couldn't imagine having kids spaced farther and being even more removed from the baby days. It would be really tough to go back. But you know what? Things are working out better than I thought they would. Serena has blessed me not only with just her presence on this earth, but with being a generally happy baby. Calli cried a lot as a baby and Serena is the opposite, which certainly helps with keeping my sanity. I get decent amounts of sleep with her sleeping 7-8 hour stretches at night already. I guess I was just worried for nothing because two kids is probably a piece of cake compared to three or four.

And 2) How could I possibly love a second (or third or fourth) child as much as I love my first? I read all the books and articles online that reassure you that you can, in fact, love subsequent children as much as you love your firstborn. Before I got pregnant with Serena I thought that was silly; of course you can love all your children. I refused to let any such dumb thoughts into my head when I first got pregnant. But as the months wore on, the thoughts showed up. Could I really love a second child as much as I love Calli? She was my first everything: the first pregnancy, first baby, she made me a mother! The second child already had a lot to live up to. So I joined the ranks of every other pregnant mother who thinks (at least once) that they may not be able to love the next child as much as the first. But you know what? It really is true what the books say and it is indeed possible to love your second child as much as the first. I think it took me a bit longer to bond with Serena, but that is natural! I don't get to spend all day just gazing at her beautiful face because I have Calli to tend to as well. Calli and I spent 2.5 years alone to bond and Serena doesn't get that same luxery. She is still loved more than I could ever say though. And what she may not get from Mommy in one-on-one time she will make up for in having a sister. Calli had to wait 2.5 years to get a sister, but Serena got one the moment she came into the world. She sure is blessed.

And so am I.

The thing about mobiles.......

What is the thing about mobiles? You wouldn't think a couple of shapes floating a few inches above a persons' face would be so interesting. But to Serena they are absolutely captivating. Calli never had a thing for mobiles, but maybe that's because she wasn't properly introduced right away. Living in Guam with a PCS date seven weeks after her birth, she had little more than a basinett to sleep in and some clothes to wear. Once we were settled into our new home in San Antonio and bought her bedding set complete with butterfly mobile, she didn't really have any interest in it. Oh well. Serena on the other hand cannot get enough of her mobiles. We have three in the house: the first is a Winnie the Pooh one on her pack n play downstairs, the second is a bears mobile on her swing and the last one is a Precious Moments one on her crib (only because we can't find a part to that old butterfly one). She adores looking at all these mobiles and will be content to just sit there for fifteen minutes or so just staring. We have discovered her love for Eyeore by the way she stares only at him and ignores Pooh and Piglet on that mobile. When I put her down for naps in her crib I spin that mobile up and of course that's the coolest one of all. Not only does it spin for her, but it plays music as well. If I'm lucky too, the mobile will actually put her to sleep, although sometimes I have to back in and wind it up a few times. That is my only complaint about mobiles! Someone needs to invent one that spins and plays longer than a minute. I don't know many people who could fall asleep in this time frame.

So we failed to transition Serena to her crib last Friday night. I tried again last night though and it worked better. I was motivated from not getting much sleep from the night before. She is a very deep sleeper for the first five hours of sleep or so but then she gets really restless and it's impossible for me to sleep. I give her the paci and she still sleeps, but it's fitfully and of course I'm not getting any rest bouncing up to check if she's awake yet. So by putting her in her own room she probably won't be sleeping the 7-8 hour stretch anymore, but I'm okay with that because I wasn't getting that much anyway. I figure if I can get a good five hours for the first stretch, then that's even better for me anyway. So she went down about 8:45pm and woke up at nearly 3am, which is still good. I went in and fed her and she went back down surprisingly easy. I was nervous about how much she would actually sleep though, but I didn't hear a peep until 6:30am. This was a wee bit on the early side for me, but she decided she was up for the day and what's an extra half hour anyway?

I am so glad for the weekend and happy this week passed by pretty quickly. We don't have any major plans, but just having Richard home to help is nice. And next weekend will be nice too because it is Memorial Day and a three day weekend. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Adventures at the Doctor

Yesterday was Serena's one month check-up at the doctor. The title of this post makes it sound so much more exciting than it actually was, but I just have a little trouble coming up with good titles. Anyway, it was pretty hot and miserable yesterday (it was 92 with the humidity pushing the heat index even higher) so toting two kids in and out of the car multiple times that day was really no fun. Serena's appointment went well and she is a very healthy little girl. She weighs 10 pounds, 14.5 ounces (which is 14.5 ounces more than I guessed she weighed!) and is 22 inches long. Those are both 75th percentile. Her head hasn't grown too much and has dropped down to 50th percentile. She has a much bigger head than Calli. When Calli was born her head was so small it wasn't on the charts. Since then she has fluctuated in percentiles, but always no more than 25th (and that was only once). I always thought with Calli that I would much rather have a baby with a small head because it looked more normal. But really, Serena's head has never seemed too big to me. So after all that weighing and measuring business we got to see the doctor, who was very impressed with her sleeping skills. She gave Serena a clean bill of health and then it was on to the shots (a Mommy's biggest fear at the doctor!). They just gave her one shot so it wasn't too bad. The part I hate the most though is just watching my baby lie there before the shot comes, so oblivious to what is about to take place. She is just happy and content and then BAM! Out of nowhere comes this prick in the leg. So not only must it hurt, it must be really startling and frightening that Mommy could allow something like this to happen! I think mothers are more traumatized by the shots than the babies. They are over it in a few minutes and usually conked out.

After the doctor we went to the post office to mail a bunch of packages to various people. This was quite the challenge as I had a baby carrier to hold, a toddler's hand to hold and four packages to try and carry inside. I ended up leaving Calli by the door while I ran back and forth about twenty feet to the car to get the packages. Then I pushed them across the floor and inside to the line with my feet. It wasn't easy, but I did it! Who needs the gym, right!??!?! As I was mailing them, the kids were waiting very patiently (well, one of them was asleep) behind me. I heard Calli talking to people, but she always does and I wasn't paying much attention as I was trying to get the packages dealt with. When I'm finally done and turn around there is a small crowd gathered around Serena and Calli and everyone is cooing at the baby and asking Calli if it's her little sister. Calli is always such a proud big sister when she hears this question and promptly tells whoever asked her that "her name is Serena" whether they wanted to know or not. I was told I had beautiful daughters and was very lucky and that is certainly true. I don't know that there is a bigger compliment out there to me than hearing praise about my kids. Whether it's that they are beautiful, smart, well behaved, polite, etc., it always makes my day to hear these things. After all, it reflects on how they are being raised (okay, and their good genes!) and so it is also an indirect compliment to me. I know that I have beautiful girls, but hearing other people tell me that as well absolutely makes my day.

So today it is my turn to go to the doctor for my six week post partum check. I almost can't believe it has been six weeks already (Serena is six weeks on Friday). Six weeks ago I was probably sitting at this same computer wondering WHEN the baby was going to come out in the world, as I was six days overdue at that point. Little did I know what was to come. I am so thankful for my kids, I was truely blessed with them. Can a parent really ask for more than healthy children in this world? Some days I feel so much love in my heart for them that I just want to have ten more children to replicate the feeling over and over. The love a parent has for their children is a very strong and beautiful thing.

BAM, coffee!

I haven't made coffee at home....well, ever really. We have this coffee machine that my mom bought us for Richard and my first Christmas when we were in Guam. I think I used it maybe once and since then we have carted it from house to house, always putting it on the countertop to stare at. It gets the most useage when we have visitors, as most of our relatives are coffee drinkers. I do enjoy coffee, but I am the kind of person who likes a nice mocha from Starbucks from time to time. But I am not hopping in the car with two kids to go to the coffee shop and we have this perfectly good coffee maker sitting there, soooo...I made some coffee this morning. Desperate times I guess. Okay, this morning really isn't too bad. Serena slept from 9pm to 5:30am. The problem is that she is a sound sleeper until about 3am when she wakes briefly wanting her pacifier. After that she is a very restless sleeper which means even though she IS sleeping, I am not. I don't want to encourage her to start waking at 3am to eat again so I just let her be until she is really ready to wake up, even if that means I'm up for another two hours waiting for her, like this morning. Sometimes I just lie there hoping she will wake up so I can feed her and get her back to sleep because I know if she wakes up too late she won't go back to sleep. That happened this morning. Since she slept until 5:30am, it was about 6am when she was done with her feeding and of course, refused to go back to bed. With a first baby this would be no problem, as I could rest later. I knew she would be tired in about two hours, if that, but by that time, my lovely first born would be awake. So to sum this up (and it probably makes no sense because I am a little on the tired side) I have pretty much been up since 3am. Serena just went back down for a nap, like I knew she would, but Calli woke up at about 7:15am screaming for me from the confines of her bed. I think she thinks that it is a prison of some sort with invisible bars holding her in because for whatever reason she just refuses to get up on her own in the morning. I can't really fault her because I was the same way as a kid. I remember I used to have to have my mom come and get me up in the morning, even on the weekends. If she didn't come do it herself I would cough repeatedly trying to get her attention to come get me. Yes, that is so weird looking back. It seems Calli has gotten into the same habit, only instead of coughing she is screaming "MOMMY" at the top of her lungs.

Today we have Serena's doctor appointment. This appointment was supposed to happen last Monday, but thanks to the insurance it did not. You see, I managed to get myself, a toddler and a newborn all ready and out the door in the early afternoon to go to the doctor. I showed up, waited in the waiting room for twenty minutes before finally being called to the desk and being told that Serena was not added to the insurance yet and we couldn't be seen (unless we wanted to pay out of pocket). I was more than a little cranky about the whole thing, considering I had just wasted half my day getting ready for and going to the office. Luckily the paperwork for the insurance finally went through at the end of last week and so I was able to get another appointment today. I am dying to know how much she weighs! She feels so heavy to me, but maybe that is because my last baby was 6.5 pounds at birth.

And I will leave you with a funny Calli story that happened over the weekend. Calli had taken one of Serena's bottles that I left (nearly empty) sitting on the coffee table and brought it over to her kitchen along with a sock left lying on the floor (can you get an idea of how clean my house is?). She proceeded to pretend the bits of formula left in the bottle was cleaner and her sock was a cleaning rag. She "cleaned" her counters and dishes with it. When we asked her what she was doing, she told us "this is my BAM". I didn't think I had heard her right so I asked her to repeat it and sure enough, it was her BAM. I smiled and as I was leaving the room she said "BAM! And the dirt is gone". If you've never seen the commercial (or is it an infomercial??) for that product, that is their slogan. Perhaps she is watching a wee bit too much TV in the morning...

Super star soccer player

Yesterday we took a trip to Walmart so I could get some storage bins for all the clothes Miss Serena is outgrowing already as well as my maternity stuff. Of course I always like to wander around the store as well and browse. I am not able to do this too much though with a one month old now, but she was sleeping so I took advantage. Calli wanted to go to the toy section of course, so we moseyed (I know that doesn't look right, but I looked it up in the dictionary, I swear!) to the toys to play. I saw the soccer net I have been wanting to get for her and I finally got it. She was so excited to get home and set it up and play. She is really a natural soccer player, just like her Momma! It is in the genes I guess. Seriously though, she is really good and I know she will be a soccer all-star someday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp3lBfucs1Y

Sleeping in her own room?

Tonight we are trying to have Serena sleep in her crib for the first time. For the last five weeks she has been in a bassinet right next to my bed where I could hear her every breath if I listened hard enough. Now she is across the hall and I have two shut doors between her and me. It helps that we got an Angel Care Monitor last weekend. That is the one that goes underneath her mattress and tracks movement. If none if felt for twenty seconds an alarm sounds. I definitely have peace of mind after getting that, but it is still sad coming to the point of moving her into her own space. Calli slept in the same basinett in our room for 3.5 months. When we finally did move her, it was very sad for me and I missed her so much, despite the fact that she was just around the corner. I am just concerned we are going to mess up Serena's sleep habits now. She has been such a good baby at night and I don't want to get out of that routine! Last night she went down at 8:40pm and slept until nearly 5:30. She ate and went back to sleep for another 1.5 hours. I definitely cannot complain about her sleep habits! I am worried that we'll be getting up a few times a night though to retrieve dropped pacifiers, but we will see how it goes. If this doesn't work out, I guess we could always move her back to our room until she's ready to be on her own.

A new milestone we have reached with her is SMILING. She has started really smiling in response to our smiles as of yesterday. I can't wait for those smiles though that light up her face, the ones that happen spontaneously in response to a funny face I've made or something her crazy sister has done. I look at her beautiful baby face and see so much in her future. On one hand I want her to stay my little baby forever, but on the other hand I am so excited for all the fun things to come in the next few years. The most exciting thought for me is seeing my kids interact and play together. That will truely be so special. I sure hope they get along! I am really glad to have two little girls just 2.5 years apart. I hope they will appreciate each other as they get older and be the best of friends. Sisterly bonds are the best and I am so happy to have given this gift to them.

(They have the same big, beautiful blue eyes!)

Pictures

So here are some pictures from the last month. I need to be better at taking more pictures because I know someday I will look back and think, "why don't I have more pictures from when Serena and Calli were __ months or years old?!" Every time I try and take a picture of just Serena though Calli is always right there to jump in and say cheese. Getting her out of the picture is impossible. This is why I have almost no pictures of just the baby. Calli is a camera hog!

Calli was so excited to be able to hold and feed Serena for the first time. These are my favorite pictures of them so far. Serena was just two days old.

Checking each other out


Hey, she kind of looks like me!

Serena was not enjoying her first bath!

This is my favorite picture of Serena so far. She was 2 weeks old. I love how big and blue her eyes look and how chubby her little cheeks are!

Three generations. The kids and I with my mom when she came to visit.

Our first family picture of all four of us.

Pretty girl in her pretty dress

Big sister giving little sister hugs and kisses

Calli playing in her new pool

My first post!

Well I thought I would start a blog here keeping everyone updated about our family life and how things are going. Check back often for updates and pictures!

At the moment life is good. Richard and I were blessed with a second daughter on April 4th, 2008 at 1:02am. Serena Camille weighed eight pounds, seven ounces and was 20.5 inches long. This was quite the difference from her big sister Calli who weighed a mere six pounds, eight ounces and was 17.5 inches long. Serena is a BIG baby. Of course she seems small because she's a newborn still, but I can tell how much bigger she is than Calli was at her age. For one thing, she fits into all the 0-3 month clothes and even some 3-6 month onsies. At this age Calli was still swimming in newborn sizes! Calli is certainly loving being a big sister for the most part. She is very helpful to me (usually) and loves to play with Serena and give her hugs and kisses. She is constantly squealing "she's so cute!"

Life with two kids is an adjustment and it's not always easy. It sure makes you realize how great it was just having one kid. Bedtime at 8pm, sleeping through the night, etc. But life is even better now with two wonderful kids and the baby days pass by so quickly. I was looking at Calli yesterday and thinking in amazement how big she is and how she grew up so quickly. I can barely remember much about her baby days, it's mostly a blur of feedings, diaper changes and crying. Serena is a much happier baby than Calli was and doesn't cry much unless she's hungry or tired. She is content to play in her gym if she's fed and changed and doesn't need to be held all the time. Of course I love holding her too, but with all the bottles to wash, toys to pick up and dishes to do, that's not always possible.

Speaking of Calli growing up, she will be THREE in June, which I can hardly believe. It seems like we were just celebrating birthday number two last summer with my family here to help. This year it will just be us, but Calli has some friends in her dance class and the neighborhood so we are probably going to have a party for her this year. We just have to figure out what to do for it! Calli insists she wants a princess party despite that I keep reminding her she had one last year. That is no matter to her, she is very adament about the princesses. I guess I should have saved all the decorations!