We made it...

We survived the drive up to Quincy. LJ was actually amazing. She slept, played with her brother, stared out the window at the rain. All in all, not too bad. I already miss not having Jenoma around to keep Lucas entertained. That made life so easy. Jamie was awesome - the kids would come out of Jenoma's room screaming and yelling, and Jamie would shout out: "Back in the room." It was awesome. Hands-on parenting at its best.

After a 12 hour drive home, we woke up the next morning to go and pick up Cano. He is a 9.5 week old chocolate lab puppy who has stolen our hearts...and is causing me to lose my mind. Between Cano thinking LJ is a litter mate and pouncing on her, to the 2:00 a.m. howling to be let out... it's like having a baby all over again. The hubby and I have resorted back to the beginning weeks with a new baby... yelling at each other in the middle of the night, claiming to have been outside with the puppy longer than we really were. It's hysterical.

Due to my losing my mind and having far to much to do (isn't this supposed to be vacation?) I've yet to upload my pictures. I want to do a post this week with a year in pictures of Ms. LJ (totally stolen from Dear Baby).

I hear someone making sounds like a bird being strangled. Must be Cano wanting to go outside.

We're nuts. . .

We leave tomorrow to head up to Quincy for the Christmas holiday. (For those of you who don't know where Quincy is, it is a gorgeous chunk of land nestled in the Sierra Nevada mountains. It's the kind of place where you arm gets tired from waving to people.) The drive is scheduled to be anywhere from 9-11+ hours, depending on traffic. Not to mention this amazing storm that has been sweeping up and down the state.

Herein lies the "nuts" part. We're planning to do this drive with an 11 month old!!! Lucas (who just turned six) is going to be amazing. As long as he has a DVD player or some other electronic device (we got smart and picked him up some headphones) in his lap, he's good to go. LJ on the other hand... my face is breaking out with stress and anxiety just thinking about it.

Presents...

Do you think she'll look back at her first Christmas and accidentally mistake her mama for the Grinch?

First, I decided I didn't have the patience to put up a Christmas Tree. LJ gets into everything. I had nightmare flashes of her pulling the tree down on herself, swallowing an ornament hook, or worse.

Second, we decided not to get her any Christmas presents. Before you judge, realize that the girl has more toys then she knows what to do with, and we are having a huge 1st birthday party for her 4 weeks later. And to be honest, she will be just as excited by the wrapping paper her brother tosses at her after he opens up his presents. I think it's a win-win for everyone.

Aunt KiKi came by Saturday morning to bring LJ and her brother their Christmas presents. She did a pretty good job unwrapping the most adorable teapot set you've ever seen. She even let me put a bow on her head - and kept it there for over an hour.

Quote of the day...

I stole this from my favorite blog in the whole word, Dear Baby. Something about this woman and her family stole my heart. To say that I am mildly obsessed is an understatement.

"You know what is the beautiful thing about becoming a mother? You get to always be one. It’s not like being a child or a teenager or a twenty something - those are all phases. They are all moments in life that come and go. But to be a mother. To become that woman who holds a tiny newborn in her arms and who watches that newborn grow into a unique individual. To become that woman who knows the feeling of loving another being with every cell in her body - the beautiful thing about that is that it never ends. No matter what happens in life. Becoming a mother is a journey that always will continue. And knowing that I get the privilege of doing this all again. It hit me like a ton of bricks Sunday morning."

On a side note, I'm slightly jealous. I've been very adamant in my decision to only give birth to one child. When the hubby and I decided to bring LJ into this world, we were both in agreement that since we already had Lucas, she would be it. As of right now, the hubby will be 62 when LJ graduates from high school. Yet at the same time, part of me wonders "what if?" (and honestly, I've been doing that far too much lately).

Where did the time go...

Can you believe Ms. LJ is going to be a year old in one and a half months?

More tears...

Again, I am chop liver. I cried away my mascara this morning as I drove to work. It feels like LJ doesn’t like me anymore…especially when we get to Nina’s. She seriously catapults herself out of my arms to get into her Nina’s arms. I know that I should be relieved that my baby is so comfortable with her daycare provider, but at the same time, it devastates me.

Socks...

Apparently the world's funniest thing ever!

The urge to compare...

It's funny how my mind works. Every baby book I've read cautions you against comparing your baby to other babies around you (not that it's an issue for me, since my LJ is a genius).

I find myself comparing her to everything but other babies. At first, we compared her to farm animals due to her ridiculously loud nursing. Next, her brother compared her to a gummy bear (by far one of the cutest things I've ever heard). Once she learned to move around she was compared to a carnivorous singing plant and even more recently, a dog.

Tonight we did our normal family routine of the four of us on the ground, letting LJ crawl around. I'm sitting back watching Lucas constantly try to keep things out of her reach ("choking hazards" has become his new favorite phrase). I can't help but laugh as I watch LJ working her thighs off to get to the forbidden object, only to have it taken away. She's like a squirrel going after a nut.

So today we compare her to Ice Age (and any mom who has watched that movie 16,002 times knows what I am talking about).

p.s. Did you know that black beans come out looking exactly as they went in? Just thought I'd share that tidbit.

Two things...

First: My son told me today that my cleavage (not that he knows what that is), "kind of looks like a butt." Classic!

Second: Sometimes I feel like a dog trainer. I always have some sort of gerber puff, dried fruit, or cheerio in my pocket. I have mastered the art of distraction.

p.s. LJ really enjoyed her first Thanksgiving dinner. I'll post some pics tomorrow. I think there is still mashed potatoes in her nose.

Daddy of the Year...

So here I am, on a Sunday, stuck at work (damn you stupid Gonzalez case). I just called home to ask if I could stay a little longer. The hubby of course agrees as long as I bring home some beer and food. Easy enough. In the background, I can hear a whiny 5 year old and a 10 month old that has refused to nap all morning. Mind you, the hubby was already amazing this morning and let me sleep in while he got up with the kids. I love that man.

Wintertime...

Warm...Cozy...Snuggly

(I used to hate pink)

I'm tired...

I remember telling the hubby that 7 months was my favorite stage. LJ was so content to sit on a blanket and play with toys. Today at almost 10 months, my world has changed.

We get home from Nina's and I put LJ in the living room - hoping she'll stay there long enough so that I have time to close the bedroom/bathroom doors, block the coffee table full of magazines off, and do a quick scan to make sure there aren't any choking hazards lingering. By the time I've done this, she's made her way into the kitchen smacking her lips babbling "dada." (Again, why this little girl cant' say mom, mama, mommy or anything close to that is beyond me.)

We've also discovered that LJ likes dirt. She is obsessed with our house plants. She pulls herself up on them, grabs handfuls of dirt, and sneaks tasty tidbits. Vitamins right?

The hubby and I have also realized that she appears to miss her brother during the week. She'll crawl down to his bedroom door or the closet he likes to play hide and seek in (kinda one-sided if you ask me) and yell out for him. It's as if she is looking for him.

Thank god today is Friday and we will be blessed with the beautiful concept of "siblings." It's so much easier when they have someone to play with.

Audrey II . . .

LJ likes to make this lip-smacking sound when she is hungry (thank you Nina). If you are sitting on the couch attempting to enjoy a banana, LJ will crawl over to you, pull herself up on your knees and make this “kiss-kiss” noise. She stares at you, your food, back to you, and then smacks her lips together. Sometimes I’ll be sitting with the laptop on my lap, food in my hand, and I’ll hear the lip smacking and not see the baby. I always think of Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors.

Da Do….

It's a blogging kinda day...

Tell me my husband doesn't make the world's cutest kids?

(My cousin's wife Crystal is an amazing photographer. Check out her website here)

Tear...

I felt like a mom today and it hurt. I wasn’t even able to kiss LJ goodbye this morning. I forgot to do my customary hugs and kisses before we opened the door, and once she saw Nina, she wanted nothing to do with me. “Tu Mano Lucilla” (again, genius baby reaches out her hand). The only thing on her mind was her leche and her Nina.

To be added to her list of words:

Elle (the sweet little girl at Nina’s who looks like “Boo”)
Twinkie (the little white dog at Nina’s that Lucy likes to “cuddle” with. Poor Twinkie)

On another note, Everly Veda is walking!!! I’ve been following this blog since I was 9 months pregnant. Dear Baby is one of the most beautiful blogs on the web. It has made me cry, laugh and feel warm and fuzzy. I highly recommend it.

Doggies. . .

Jeopardy here we come. At nine months old, my little fatty can now say quite a few words:

Dad/Dada
Cup (she likes to yell this out when she’s holding her bottle cap)
Dog/Doggie

LJ came with mommy last night to a Cookie Lee Jewelry party (a clever excuse to drink margaritas and gossip). The host of the party, Ms. Erin, has a sweet little mutt of a dog named Hannah. LJ lost her mind when she spotted this small dog - lost her mind in an arms flapping, drooling, Pterodactyl noises kinda way. Unfortunately for Hannah, LJ had 4 pounds on her. Luckily for Hannah, Lucy is still slightly slow and easily distracted. Oh yeah…the point: LJ kept pointing to the dog, staring at me, and saying “dog.” I was so proud.

The big question is why can’t the little fatty say Mama? Really? My ass grew to the size of Texas while I created kidneys and lungs for you - and you can’t say Mama?

Hopefully having an older brother who never shuts up (remember the day I wished he would talk more?) will help Lucy be advanced in the language department. Hopefully not in the “act like a 5 year old boy” sort of way. Holy crap!

Is Halloween over yet?

We are still about 2 hours away from a festive night of trick-or-treating. I hate to say it, but I'm over it. After Friday at my office, the Villa Park Community Center Festival, and gorging on candy all day - I'm ready for Thanksgiving.

My Nina...

Nina….
I love my daycare provider. She is the most amazing and kind woman. And the best part is that LJ loves her. I generally try and give her a hug and a kiss before we walk through the door. Once we get inside, Lucy starts making her “well hello there” sounds and lunges out of my arms to get to Nina.

“Buenos días Lucilla. ¿Quieres que tu leche?” Meanwhile, arms are flapping, teeth are showing (I swear she shows you her teeth when she is smiling), and there is zero interest in mama anymore.

I thought I was going to be way more neurotic about my LJ. Nina has done a few things that have caught me off guard. But then I remember that she has been doing this for 30 plus years. While some things she does may be frowned upon (i.e., popsicles for teething, pizza crust for hand-mouth coordination, etc.), Nina is raising my daughter with as much care and attention as I would. I think she loves LJ as much as I do - and vise versa.

She is so flexible and accommodating. Every afternoon, LJ is singing a song, playing with toys, eating delicious smelling home made food… life is so simple when you are a baby.

A few months ago Nina offered to watch LJ overnight so that I could have a little shindig at my house. When I walked through the door (albeit a little slow) the next morning, Nina had LJ bouncing in her arms. “Look Lucilla, it’s the woman who watches you at night.”

Sad, but true.

The simple things...

Don't get me wrong - I was ridiculously excited when LJ started crawling, the first smile she gave mama, and when her little razor-sharp teeth came in... but the best thing I've experienced to date has been her bringing her chubby little hands together.

Clapping! Our average afternoon consists of us sitting on the living room floor, singing silly songs and saying, "clap clap clap." She gets so excited and starts slapping her thighs (seriously - she slaps her legs so hard they get red), and then she realizes that mama is telling her to clap. Her little cabbage patch "where are my knuckles" fingers come together and she starts mimicking the "clap" sound. It makes me want to cry every single time.

I'm a silly woman. I don't know why it makes me so happy.

(and I wish I had an uber-cute photo of her clapping - I suck)

8.5 months old....

Where did the time go? I can't believe I haven't been keeping this up. At first I thought it would be a great idea to jot down my daughter's life on a weekly basis - something cool for her to read. Years later when she looks at this, she will only be thinking that her mother is a flake.

As I sit here on the couch writing this blog, my husband and daughter are sitting on the floor in front of me. She is up on her knees playing with the hubby's awesome stereo (hello class of 1983!) She is so freaking big!! She crawls, talks non-stop (no idea where she got that from), has 6 teeth, says dada, loves to splash, laughs, smiles and flirts with every passer-by. I can't believe she is already 8.5 months old.

I still cannot go to Target or the grocery store without being stopped my people admiring my beautiful baby. Her big blue eyes melt every heart she smiles at, and her chubby(yyy) thighs scream to be pinched.

Luckily for me, I've finally gotten my body back. Just as my sister said, "9 months up - 9 months down." Who thought that'd be true?!

It is now my official goal to post at least twice a week. Ms. Lucy is getting too big too quick for me not to keep up with this thing.

Food...

(Yes, I suck - it's been forever!)

Ms. Lucy June has moved onto solids. She has been eating food for about 3 weeks now. Oddly enough, her favorite things to eat are veggies. Peas, Carrots, Squash, Sweet Potatoes...she loves them all.

We have also developed teeth!!! Her first one popped in the beginning of June, and the second one followed shortly after. She's been practicing her biting skills on mommy. Each time I pull her off and say "no biting," she laughs at me. Apparently it's funny when mama talks sternly.

We've also learned to laugh. A real laugh. Straight from the gut-baby giggle. When we sing "wheels on the bus" she cracks up when we get to the "horn on the bus" part. And the amazing baby skill of getting our feet into our mouth is a serious rib-tickler.

Next week will be our first High Sierra Music Festival. I can't wait to be a hippie and whip my boob out without a cover. Kinda funny that I'm most excited about the most natural thing about being a mommy.

Mama's been practicing with Photoshop...

Slacker...

Man...this working mom thing is hard work. My day begins at 4:45 a.m. and doesn't end until 10:00 p.m. I've barely had time for myself, let alone tend to my ramblings.

So It's been almost two full weeks that I've been back at work. Honestly, it's been easier than I thought it would be. Having an amazing daycare lady to take chubby to as made it so much easier. I feel like I'm dropping her off at my grandmother's house.

Pumping has been pretty easy too. I've mastered the art of taking over our mini-break room (aka the "lactation closet") three times a day to pump out my liquid gold. The stock-pile of milk bags (or "white bricks" as the hubby calls 'em) in the freezer is quite impressive. The only disadvantage to her taking the bottle all day, is that she wants to nurse non-stop when we get home. I feel like I'm hooked up to a milking machine for hours.

The hard part of going back to work is only seeing her for 4 hours a day. Who invented this concept? Who said we should procreate, fall madly in love with our little mini-me's, and then go back to work for the entire day. As much as I love my job, I love my baby more. I wish there was a way to find a happy medium.

One more day and I get two full days with my baby... I can't wait (plus MiMi is here).

p.s. I know I shouldn't say this because karma is a bitch, but my daughter is a grumpy girl when I have to wake her up in the morning. She's used to sleeping until 7:30 and now mean-mama wakes her up at 5:45 a.m.

Last day...

Today is my last day as an unofficial "stay-at-home-mom." I get weepy just saying it aloud.

Four weeks ago I contemplated going back to work early. I was bored out of my mind sitting at home with a new baby. There's only so much conversation one can have with someone who only knows how to drool and poop.

So I joined Gymboree (awesome learning place for little people). We went twice a week and listened to sweeter-than-sweet women (who obviously were snorting pixie sticks in the backroom) sing "Wheels on the Bus" and "You are My SunShine." It was an interesting experience for a month. I learned some great ways to amuse my baby...and myself.

Tomorrow will be my first 8 hours away from my chubby. Boo!!

And I'm scared of a bikini??

We decided to take Lucy swimming this past weekend for the first time. Her big brother Lucas has recently become obsessed with our pool. I think he would swim all day if we let him. And let me tell you, it's beneficial for all of us. After the little dude swims for 6 hours straight he generally passes out by 7:00 p.m. We can hardly rouse him to get his teeth brushed before he's out.

I shoved my little Gordita (aka: puffer-fish, butterball, chunky-monkey, and fatty) into an adorable pink bikini and smothered her in my favorite scent - pink baby sunscreen. She got slightly pissed when her feet first touched the water, but once Mark had her fully emerged, she completely relaxed. She closed her eyes and made soft cooing noises just like she does during bath time.

It's funny how I'm so scared to put on a swimsuit since my body is still post-baby, yet I shove my daughter, who has more rolls then we can count, into a tiny bikini and take pictures.

We are so mean!

p.s. Isn't my husband sexy???:)

11 weeks already...

I can't believe my Lucy June is 11 weeks old. Where did the time go? It seems like just last week that we were driving home from the hospital for the first time (sorry again to my hubby and sister for being a neurotic bitch). She has changed so much in these two short months. She smiles, laughs, rolls over, coos, and gurgles. She grabs my lips when she eats and looks into my eyes so sweetly every morning. It's almost as if she is saying "hi mama."

A few things I've learned about Lucy so far:

She loves to have poop explosions in public, especially at Nordstroms, and usually when there is a line of women behind me waiting to change their little ones.

She can't stand to have her diaper be slightly wet. If a hint of dampness exists, she loses her mind.

She eats well. My breast milk is apparently high in calories. My daycare provider, Nina, has dubbed her "the little Gordita."

She is a noisy nurser. When she eats she mimics the noises of pigs, donkeys, and other various farm animals.

She does not like hats, socks, blankets over her face, being naked, or her feet touched.

She sneezes every time she goes into the sun.

She likes music in the car. Jack Johnson and Portishead in particular.

She can burp and fart louder than her dad.

She is the love of my life. I truly feel like a mom now and can't believe I'm this lucky. As much as I hate the cliche phrase, I truly am blessed.

She's so advanced... (yep, that's for you sister)

Today my little butterball hit her first big milestone...she rolled over. We were participating in her favorite activity - Tummy Time. Normally she grunts and gets very angry after about 2 minutes, but today she actually enjoyed it. She was doing baby push-ups and smiling at her mommy. When all of a sudden, she pushed off with her fat little cankle and rolled over. When she landed flat on her back she looked up at me and giggled. So I, being the evil mother that I am, put her back on her tummy to see if she would do it again. She repeated her accomplishment - my baby is a genius!

So when Daddy got home we tried to show him our new trick. Daddy, being the techno-dork he is, got out the video camera to capture the moment.

Shockingly, she just got pissed. But she did let us document her amazing flatulence skills.

What is it about...

daddy's and little girls? Why is it the sweetest thing ever? There's something about the way a little girl fits into the crook of her daddy's arm, the way she giggles when she says "daddy" and the way she holds his hand. *Merrrrr*

Disneyland...

Taking a two month old to Disneyland was not peaches and cream like I thought it would be. She didn't want to be in her bucket, my arms, or in the sun. And to top it all off, she was insatiably hungry. Shock, I know. So we decided to test out the daycare lady the following day so that mommy could attempt to enjoy her 2 year old niece's reaction to California Adventure. Well worth it.

But, by the end of the day, I missed my Juney. Every baby I saw snuggled against their mommies made me crave the smell of her (not to mention, triggered the pleasant lactation let-down).

Well have to try it again when she is a few years older.

Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice...

Why does the sweet smell of pink baby sunscreen and milk make me want to eat my baby?

So sad...

Today my Juney got her first set of shots. I think it was worse for me then it was for her. First they gave her the oral vaccine and then they headed towards her chunky thighs. She got 3 shots!! She made the saddest little "mama, I'm in pain" cries. It broke my heart.

The nurse was talking sweetly to her... telling her she should feel lucky because other babies aren't so lucky to get vaccinated. Juney gave her the stink-eye.

I already told Mark that I'm tagging out for the next appointment. I can't stand to see her go through that again (at least not for a while).

And... it made me feel like a mom.

It's just so easy...

I've started a new routine which I'm sure would be scolded by many baby books.

In the early mornings when my Juney stirs in her room, I quietly get up, change her diaper and then bring her into bed with us. She quietly (if you know my baby, you know that is a dirty, dirty lie) eats and then falls asleep snuggling her burp cloth. I love the intimacy of having her pressed so closely against me cooing softly in her sleep.

When I woke up this morning sandwiched between my sexy husband and my baby girl, and realized that my 13 pound baby was taking up more than half the bed, I thought of one of my favorite songs.


The telephone is singing
Ringing it's too early
Don't pick it up
We don't need to we got everything
We need right here
And everything we need is enough
Just so easy
When the whole world fits inside of your arms
Don't really need to pay attention to the alarm
Wake up slow, yeah wake up slow

First time's a charm....

Exactly 7 weeks ago today I was sitting in a hospital room thinking to myself, "I'm a mom...now what?" Even though I had planned to get pregnant, got pregnant way too easy, carried a baby in my belly for 9 months, and then gave birth to a baby, I still couldn't believe the baby was mine.

It took me almost 4 weeks to stop looking at her and saying, "who's baby is that?" I constantly wondered when the feeling was going to sink in that she was mine and that I was a mom.

I remember when my sister started taking my niece to daycare and a little girl asked her, "Are you Jenoma's mommy?" and my sister finally realized she really was a mom. I'm still waiting for that moment.