Half Way

Hi little gummy,

Today I am 20 weeks into my pregnancy with you.  Half way to your big day, September 17th.  We just found out that you are a little boy and we couldn't be happier.  We got to see you today. You had your little hands in fists in front of your face but finally let us get a peek at your cute little nose, eyes and lips. You are 13 ounces and the size of a cantaloupe. You will change our lives for the better and we'll wonder what we every did without you. 

We are making preparations for your arrival and are also trying to do a few new projects around the house to get things in tip-top shape.  We talk about you often and wonder what your personality will be like.  Similar to Carmen's or completely different?  Will you have lots of hair?  Be a good sleeper and eater? Will you be a thumb sucker like your sister? Only time will tell. Thus far you've been a dream. I've been feeling great and am now starting to feel you move. You are definitely growing as my tummy is really starting to expand.  As you know, I love my sweets and I've been eating lots and lots of gummy bears (I've consumed a three pound bag already and we still have 20 weeks to go).  We've been calling you our little gummy since we've known you were in my tummy.

We can't wait to meet you in September, hold you and let you know how much you are loved. We feel very lucky that our family of three is becoming four.  Thank you for enriching our lives and giving us the opportunity to be parents again.  We can't wait for this next adventure.  See you in 20 weeks little gummy!

Little Miss Independent

Hard to believe our little girl is not so little anymore.  She's just over 16 months now and is developing quite the personality.  She is sweet, but headstrong, and certainly lets you know what she wants.  While her vocabulary is growing a bit each day, she still likes to enthusiastically point to what she wants just so you don't misinterpret her needs.  She is very particular.

She loves stuffed animals and dolls and has been practicing wrapping them up in blankets (or kitchen towels) and rocking and kissing them. Hopefully this lovable trend will continue with her new baby brother or sister.  She loves to line things up and then put as many things in her arms as she can carry, transport them to a new location, drop them and do it all over again.  Her new discovery is the toilet.  If she sees you heading for the bathroom she quickly runs down the hall and comes in, then squeezes herself in between the toilet and the wall so she can flush.  We've caught her a few times trying to put her hand in the toilet (or Lamby, her prize possession) so we are diligently trying to remember to keep the lid closed. 

Her hair continues to grow and her bangs are well to her nose.  It's hard to think that at one time I was convinced that the 'old man hair' she had would ever grow in. She does pretty well now keeping in her barrettes, but on occasion she pulls it out and uses it as an eating utensil (who needs a fork!).  Her current favorite foods are avocado and blueberries; she simply can't get enough and would eat these things all day if you'd let her.  She is getting quite good at drinking out of cups (particularly mommy's water bottle) and wants to do so many things by herself, including feeding herself yogurt and soup with a spoon which sometimes turns into quite a messy proposition.  She's had more baths lately due to the high volume of food in her hair after mealtime.

When you ask her a question (no matter what it is) she enthusiastically responds with 'Yeah.'  Would you like a treat? Yeah.  Would you like to eat shark fin soup for dinner?  Yeah.  Are you having a baby brother or sister? Yeah.  I'm sure she'll catch on sooner or later that Yeah is not the proper response to every question, but for now, it keeps us entertained.

She is getting really good at recognizing sounds.  When she hears the garage door she runs down the hall and stands in front of the door leading to the basement because she knows either mommy or daddy is home from work.  She knocks on the door to let you know she is standing there and waiting for you to walk through the door.  Usually the best part of my day.  She blows kisses and waves and is oh so lovable.  When she doesn't want to do something (like get her diaper changed) she tries to run and hide in the corner or duck behind something which is always funny to watch.  We usually pretend that we don't see her and are convinced that she's disappeared and when we start to walk away she pops out of her hiding spot.

She continues to make us laugh and smile with the silly things she does, the looks she gives and the noises she makes.  Although, her laugh is still by far the best.  We just can't get enough of our Little Miss Independent Carmen!

A day with Dad

Today Carmen and Daddy spent the day together while mommy was at work.  I came home to a tornado of a house, Carmen still in her jammies from the night before with a few spots of chocolate on them.  Apparently Dad decided it was time for Carmen to break-out her chocolate Easter bunny.  Needless to say, Carmen thoroughly enjoyed her day with Dad!

A perfect day for the park

Sounders Season

Sounders season is in full swing and Carmen attended her first game of the year.  She was a true fan sporting her green jersey and clapping appropriately when she heard the crowd cheering.  Although, there was a little less watching of the game for mom and dad as we tried to entertain Carmen with snacks, walking around the stadium (several times), looking at all of the food vendors and playing with the free give-a-ways.  All in all, it was a good game with beautiful weather and a winning result for the Sounders.

Easter Festivities

It's been two busy days of getting prepared and celebrating Easter: first the community egg hunt (good practice for the real deal on Easter Sunday); lunch with friends, coloring eggs, mass producing Jell-O eggs, getting a visit from the Easter Bunny, going to Easter mass and rejoicing, family breakfast, another egg-hunt and then concluding with a family dinner.  Phew! A busy but good couple of days. Happy Easter!