Easter

Sorry I'm late with the Easter post. It's the story of my life.
I think I'll keep it short n' sweet and make it a photo post!


My sister took this picture, along with many others. Stephen took one that's very similar, but Sister's came out much better. (Better photographer, better camera; what can I say?)



Here are my girls enjoying their first Easter together. I realized I never posted pictures from Easter last year, so now I'm trying to make up for that fact. Leah was only one month old at this point, and the poor baby had the oh-so-flattering baby acne that some newborns seem to get. I guess it comes from the mother's hormones or something. Anyway, acne or not, aren't my babies precious?



Here are my baby girls: both on Easter Sunday, both in the same outfit, and both about the same age. (The age difference is a tad more than a month. Em was a little over 15 months, while Leah was a bit under 14 months.) There's obviously a difference in hair length.
But other than that, what do you think? Do they look alike?

Hey... I just noticed the sandals Em was wearing. I wonder what happened to those. Oh, well; it wouldn't matter anyway, 'cause Leah hates wearing shoes!!


I'll end with this one. (No pun intended. ;-)


[To see all (and I mean all) of my Easter pictures, click here.
For Easter 2008 pictures, click here.
And for Easter 2009, click here.]

She's On a Roll!

Leah's been on a roll these past few days. Of course, *the* major achievement was walking, but she also surprised me this past weekend by drinking water from a straw, and clapping her hands to music! I'm not saying this is early for her to be doing these things, but it was just neat to see her suddenly doing them. It's like she's had an explosion of firsts lately.

When we went outside to play on Monday, I let Leah walk around unassisted for the first time. She was so cute when she'd bend over and pick up the soccer ball, cradling it in her arms. The ball looked huge while she held it. It was like she had to use every bit of arm she has just to be able to hold it! [The picture above was actually taken on Tuesday. Unfortunately she wouldn't pick up the soccer ball like she did the day before, and of course I didn't have my camera handy then. So this was the best I could do. Oh, well. It's still cute!]

It made me smile to watch Leah walk around in the grass, and follow Emily into their playhouse. I sat on the rocking chair and watched them play together in the beautiful breeze. I even got to do some reading! It was very nice and peaceful. Of course, part of me is sad to see Leah growing up, but as I sat there watching her and her sister, I thought to myself that every stage is fun and special, and I wouldn't trade any of them for the world.

Emily & David

Ever since her first day of school, Emily has been drawn to her classmate, David. David is an adorable little boy who just so happens to live down the street from Grandma and Grandpa Rivera. Em talks about David a lot, and she loves to play with him. Most days after school, she, Leah and I play with David; his sister, Rose; his brother, Joey; and his mom, Ann, in the playground. Fun times! :-)

Ann posted to her blog about Rose and the little boy she likes (his name is Joey, and he's in Em and David's class), and about David and Emily. It's an awfully cute post. I enjoyed it very much.

Thanks, Ann!

Little Miss Walk-About!

Last week was Leah's first week of *really* walking. Em loved for Leah to walk to her. It was SO cute.

For more videos of Leah's first steps, go to our YouTube site.

The Dentist

Emily went to the dentist on Wednesday. It was the second time she'd ever been; her first time was in September. I wanted to blog about that first appointment at the time, but it never happened. [What, ME not getting around to blogging? Preposterous.] I gotta tell ya, I was pretty nervous about how she'd do that first time. I mean, you never know what'll happen... a kid just might decide to shut his or her mouth, refuse to open it, and not budge... but Em did great. Actually, I think she thought the whole thing was kinda cool. Maybe it made her feel grown up, who knows? But she listened to directions very well, she did everything the hygienist and the dentist asked her to do; she was fully cooperative. I was so glad (and relieved!). At this second appointment, they reminded me that I should bring Leah when she's two years old so that she starts getting used to it early. Em was three-and-a-half when she went in for the first time, so I was worried that she wouldn't take too kindly to it, but boy was I pleasantly surprised. She was SUPER easy. It couldn't have been a better experience! Oh, and not only was she cooperative and easy, but her teeth did really well, too. No cavities (yay!), no tartar, no problems. The only thing was that not long before I took her in for that first appointment, one of her top front teeth developed a blue tinge. The dentist told me that she probably hit it on something at some point. He told me that more than likely it would be okay, but to bring her back in if she developed a pimple-like bump on it (which would indicate infection), or if it were to change. Anyway, it never got worse -- in fact, it's now much lighter blue than it was six months ago. (It's still there, but it's awfully slight.) I think it might be sorta common in little kids. Other than that, there were no issues. Everything looked great!

This time, however, the hygienist told me that there was some build-up on her lower, inner teeth (mainly the molars, I believe). She was able to get it off with her scraper, and then she told me that Stephen and I can continue to let Em brush her own teeth, but that we really should then go in and brush them again ourselves. I asked the lady (a young, very kind, pregnant woman -- the same woman you see in these pictures, which are from Em's first appointment in September) if she could help us out and tell Em that she's gonna have to let Mommy and Daddy help her brush. I think that helped. Now when she brushes, I tell her, "Okay, you go ahead and brush, but remember what the lady said... she wants you to let me or Daddy brush your teeth after you do..." and that's worked so far. Before this, she would let us brush maybe 50% of the time, but since her appointment, she's let us help her every time.

Other than the build-up, the hygienist (I can't remember her name, darn it!) told me that Em's teeth look great. Again, no cavities, no problems. Since she turned two, or somewhere around there, I've always been pretty good about making sure we brush her teeth every night before bed, and since she started school, we of course make sure to brush every morning before she leaves. I just hope she grows up understanding that it's very important to keep her teeth clean and healthy, and to do that she needs to brush often, floss, and go to the dentist regularly. Look at what a big girl my Pookies is -- and this was already six months ago!

Leah's First Tooth

[This is mostly for my reference.]


My baby's first tooth came in today. It's in the middle on the bottom. Hers came in a bit later than Em's did. Em was 8 months old. (Leah's 9.5.)

These milestones are so bittersweet!

Leah's First Sign

It's so cool...

Leah's signing! At around 6 months of age (she's 9 months old now), I started signing the word poop to her while changing her diaper. Looking back, I realize she's been signing poop for a while now. It's just that up until today, I wasn't sure she was truly doing it.

But today, there was no mistaking it. She signed poop for us twice today, and lo and behold, she had a dirty diaper. Not only is she signing the word, but she's applying it correctly! She knows what it means!

It's the cutest thing in the world to see her slap those pudgy little hands back and forth. (She doesn't quite have the proper technique down, but that's alright. ;-) I haven't seen anything so adorable since Em did it as a baby.

I'm excited, because I believe this is how Emily was potty-trained at a relatively young age. Starting at around 18 months of age, Em would sign poop before she would soil her diaper, and I would then put her on the potty. It took a good six months to seal the deal (she was about 2 years old when she was fully potty-trained).

Now here we go again. This time with Da Munks! Yay!

Unfortunately I've been forgetting to teach her other signs, like milk for example. Silly me. That's on my to-do list for sure!

Pumpkin Patch

Emily's preschool class went on their first field trip last month, and it was to a local pumpkin patch.

I wish I could say we had a good time, but we sorta didn't. It was pretty warm out, and since the patch is next to Lake Hodges, there were lots of gnats flying around at all times, which was kinda nasty.

It was fun going on a hayride, though, and picking out a pumpkin. Actually, the pumpkin-picking was a bit on the painful side since a certain little someone insisted on finding the tiniest pumpkin in the entire patch. ;-)




As I said, we went on a hayride... we also walked through a maze and learned all about pumpkins and gourds. It was a bit challenging for me to navigate through the patch with Emily and Leah by myself. (Normally Grandma would come to help out, but she and Grandpa were out of town.) It was fine, though. Thank goodness for the Bjorn, 'cause Leah doesn't take too kindly to strollers!

Mrs. Martin says that next year's fall field trip will be more exciting. (I guess the four-year-olds get to do bigger and better things.) The place we went to this time was nice, but I do hope next year's place will be without bugs. It's no fun constantly having to shoo them from your face, hair and mouth. Nope. No fun at all.



But this all makes up for it!



[Click the small pictures to enlarge.]
[Click here to see the rest of the pumpkin patch field trip photos.]

The First Day (of Many)

It's official! Our baby now goes to school!! Tuesday was her very first day, and she really seemed to like it. She played with Thomas the train, blocks, puzzles, a hypercolor thingy; she danced with her new friends, played in the sandbox at recess, and enjoyed snacktime and storytime.

The only catch was that Mommy was there with her the whole time (as were all the other mommies).

Today was different, though. Today was her first day at school by herself -- that is, without me. And she did GREAT.


I had been preparing her for this day for a while, telling her that Mommy would stay with her at school just for that first day, but after that, I would have to leave her with her teacher and new friends. Later, whenever we'd talk about school, she'd say to me, "You're going to pick me up." And I'd say, "Yes, that's right."

And funny thing, today Mrs. Martin mentioned to me and another mom that most of the kids this age don't quite get the concept that Mommy is going to come back to get them. I replied, "That's interesting, because Emily kept reminding me that I was going to be back to pick her up. I had been occasionally mentioning that to her, and it really seemed to be the thing that stuck with her." So I guess that really is important to a three-year-old: knowing that Mommy or Daddy will be back and definitely won't desert her.

It's amazing. I was the one who ended up having a problem separating. I dropped her off this morning (Daddy was able to stay with Leah before heading off to work), and I found myself lingering and stalling. I must've said goodbye three or four times and kissed her goodbye at least twice. Both times she said, "Bye, Mommy" and then promptly turned back to the little kitchen set she was playing with. I approached Mrs. Martin and explained, "Emily's completely fine; I'm the one with the problem!" She said, "Oh, I know. Don't worry." (I'm sure she's heard that a thousand times!)

When I returned to pick her up, I learned that Emily and her classmates painted pictures (one look at her shirt gave that away) and played with Play-Doh. She informed me that Anthony ate some of her pretzels at snacktime. (Mrs. Martin later explained that Anthony was sitting right next to Em and had pretzels of his own, but when he ran out, he went ahead and helped himself to hers. :-)

Stephen and I are so excited about this new chapter in our baby's life. It's crazy to me that just six months or so ago, Emily wasn't quite ready for this. But now she most definitely is. Three hours twice a week is just what the doctor ordered. It's wonderful that she can go out there and learn and play with other little people and have a blast.

This is only the beginning!








p.s.
This marks my 200th post!

Em's M

Emily wrote her very first 'M' last month! It was quite exciting. She wrote it on her chalkboard, so before she got a chance to erase it, I had Stephen snap a shot of it.

The first letter she ever wrote was an 'O', and she can also write a 'C'.

Long live Em's M!!!

Happy First Birthday, Emmy!

Emmy turned one today!! She had an awesome birthday party at Grandma & Grandpa Rivera's house this past Saturday.

The theme of the party was Sesame Beginnings (Baby Sesame Street). (Party City doesn't sell Baby Snoopy decorations. ;-) We all had a blast! Grandma made one of my favorites -- chicken adobo -- and everyone's favorite -- lumpia. She also made a delicious cherry cheesecake & Grandpa made a to-die-for chocolate birthday cake. Mmm, it was so moist! Boy, did it go fast. (So did the lumpia -- no surprise there!) Kenny brought his infamous Stone brews. This was a huge hit with Stephen & Josh. We (or should I say I?) also had sangria. It was sooo good, I think I drank most of it. The stuff sure does go down easily. (Too easily! Woops.)

Emily really made out like a bandit. Thank you for all the great gifts, everyone! She received such adorable clothes & toys. Thank you also for helping put on such a wonderful & memorable party for our baby's first birthday. :-)

Pictures soon to come!

Emily's First Cold

Emily's sick for the first time.

Not last night but late the night before (Monday night/Tuesday morning), she started coughing a little. It seemed a bit strange to me, but I didn't give it further thought until the following morning (yesterday), when I heard the decongestion, heard her coughing and sneezing continuously, and just "saw" the cold in her eyes.

I realize that this is just a taste of things to come. I know that there will be many, many more nights when I'm aching for my baby, wishing I could take the sickness and pain away. She just looks so pitiful -- her eyes weepy, her nose runny half the time and stuffy the other, her breathing labored.

I called the advice nurse yesterday and she told me that the pediatricians don't like to give babies too much medication if it's not necessary. She said I could give Emily some PediaCare at night if I felt Em needed it, but other than that, I should try to stay away from the stuff. Instead, she recommended treating her by suctioning the mucus out with a syringe and blowing a saline solution (like Little Noses) up her... uh... little nose.

The good news is she's doing remarkably well, considering. She only gets fussy at night, and even then, it's nothing like I would've expected. She's a real trooper, this kid. Stephen & I have always noticed what a tough cookie our daughter is. Even when she falls or hits her head or get some kind of coco, it's really not a big deal to her. This cold is no exception. I did notice, though, when she was napping today, that it was very difficult for her to breathe, and her cough kept waking her up. I think I'll go ahead and give her some PediaCare tonight. She needs some good, solid, uninterrupted rest so she can hurry up and recooperate.

Happy Halloween!

Today's one of my three favorite days of the year. The funny thing is that Halloween wasn't all that great when I was a kid, but for some reason as an adult, I love it.

Maybe it's because it really makes me feel like Fall is in the air. Maybe it's because the decorations and all the kids in their costumes are so cute. Maybe it's because it's the unofficial start of the holidays. Maybe it's because of all of the above!

I have a feeling that now that I have my own little one to dress up and celebrate with, Halloween will be even more fun and special for me. I can't wait to get her in her costume (I won't tell you what that is -- you're just gonna have to wait 'til I post her picture!) and show her off to Grandma & Grandpa. Her Aunt Cecilia (Sister) was supposed to come, but won't due to various reasons. Her cousins Zac & Grace were coming too, but decided to go trick-or-treating with their roommate, Benta, instead. (This is a first. The kids have come to Poway for Halloween every year. Kinda sad that they won't be coming today. Same goes for Sister. Oh well. Their loss! :-()

I'm bummed because I can't find these really neat Halloween recipe cards that Mom Lawless gave me a few years ago. They're for spooky treats like spider cookies, ghost cake(?) and pumpkin spice bars. Last year I made the pumpkin spice bars, and man, they were YUMMY! I was hoping to make them again this year, but like I said, I can't find the recipe. Oh well. Guess I'll have to wait 'til next year. :-(

Lee next door invited Stephen, Emily & me to dinner tonight. She's making "spider dogs" & chili. ;-) She & her husband, Dave, have two kids: Joey, age 10 & Hannah, age 8. They're great kids. I tutored Joey in reading & writing over the summer and I'm proud to say that we learned from his teacher that our efforts are really paying off, especially in writing! (Yay!! :-)

I guess I'll pick up a bit around the house, put up a few decorations that should have been put up a month ago, go to Rite Aid to see if I can find a black light bulb for the front porch (Lee told me that their decorations are 50% off), and then take my little monster to Grandma & Grandpa's for a little while. Then we'll come back in time for Daddy to get off of work; to carve our pumpkin; to have dinner at the Joneses'; and for sundown, when all the other neighborhood ghosts & goblins will come a knockin' on our door.

Man, I love Halloween. :-)