Starting over....

Okay blog, it's been a super long time since we've last corresponded. I guess I've been experiencing a bit of a writer's block. And life with two kids, a husband and a part time has kept me pretty busy.

I took the kids to the park yesterday. It was a perfect fall day; the air was clean and crisp, the sky was a perfect blue and the leaves on the trees were a golden yellow. I had the best time with the kids. Besides playing on the swings and climbing the jungle gym, I was able to sit back and watch the kids play. I didn't have to supervise every step the kids took.

I remember a year ago when Angie was 5 months old and Christopher was nearly 18 months. I remember having to hold Angie in my arms while pushing Christopher on a swing or bfeeding Angie while watching Christopher run across the park into a neighbor's yard. I am thankful that times have changed and it's gotten a bit easier.
The first year with the kids was difficult, but I am a stronger person beacause of this.

Hiii!

It's been a little rough these last few weeks. We were all sick with the flu last week. The kids got it first, and then Alfonso and I were sick. We ended up calling off from work for a few days while we all recuperated. Then a few nights ago, Christopher woke up at 1:30am and vomited all over his crib. Poor Alfonso had to clean him up (I was working the next day). Christopher is doing ok now, it was probably something that he ate that didn't agree with him.

My mom is officially on her journey to Africa to see my sister Crystal. She flew from Traverse City-Detroit. And then from Detroit-Paris. They have a stop over in Paris for a day or two, and then from there they are flying to Niger (West Africa). She is going with a childhood friend of my sister. This is the first time that my mom has travelled outside of the US. I hope that she will be okay... Niger is very hot and windy, so I hope she doesn't have a flare up with her asthma.

We have Angela's 9 month appointment this week. She isn't crawling yet, but moves around by creeping. It's hilarious to see her moving around the house. :) She is eating very well; loves most foods with the exception of pears and applesauce (too sour?). She even eats her vegetables! I am still bfeeding her, but not nearly as often. I will be a little sad when she is weaned. I will not miss pumping while I am at work. I get so stressed when I can't pump (because I am too busy and such) so it will be nice to not have any additional stress while at work.

I plan on posting some more pics soon. I ended up dropping my Olympus digital camera (I've had it for almost 5.5 years) so it would cost too much to fix it. I am now using Alfonso's camera, but the camera doesn't take the best photos. I hope that once we have some extra money saved for our emergency fund, I can store a little extra for an entertainment fund. I have my eye set on the Canon Rebel. :)

I smell teething

So.. this may be a little odd. But I can tell when my children are teething by the smell of their breath. It reminds of blood, but a little more medicinal. I could tell when Christopher was teething (I was pregnant at the time with Angela) and since having Angela, I've been breastfeeding.. So maybe it's hormone related? I was asking my dentist about this, but she had never heard of it. But I googled "teething breath" and a few hits showed up, so I am not the only one.

The reason why I bring this up is because Angela is teething, and a tiny little bud is starting to pop on the lower left part of her gums. She's been gnawing on me a bit more than usual, and has been fussy this entire evening.

It's been a long (long) time!

Hi everyone, sorry for the tardiness with this blog. I figured I should put something out there, since it's been several months since my last update.

These last few months have been busy with the holidays and my return of going back to work. It's been quite an adjustment for everyone, especially for Alfonso. However, I think we are doing okay. Work has been going pretty well for me, despite the annoying politics and the layoffs that were going around the hospital. I think it has settled down for now, but for a couple of weeks it was pretty high strung. We are always hearing about "the budget" from the management, so it can be tiresome.

I am only work two days a week (12.5 hr shifts) but I am so tired on my days off. I don't usually sleep well (I sleep downstairs in the guest room) while Angela is upstairs with Alfonso. I always wake up during the night feeling uncomfortable (I am used to feeding her during the night at some point) and I can hear her crying upstairs for me.

I am still pumping while I am at work, (usually twice, sometimes three times) and we've been giving her solids for the last two months. She loves her meals.. she makes screeching noises when the spoon is not in her mouth. I can't give her the food fast enough. She is quite the piggy.

Christopher is doing well. We think he is going through a growth spurt, since he eats all of the time (literally two breakfasts in the am, lunch, snack, dinner, dinner snack). It's crazy... and think about how many diaper changes coincide with all of this eating.

I am turning 30 in two weeks! I am feeling pretty excited. I loved the second half of my twenties, so I hope my thirties are just as amazing. And this will be the first time Alfonso and I have been in the same decade with our ages. Haha!

Here are some recent photos of the kids:

Angela at 5 months

Angela is 5 months today... Such a big girl. And totally loves to be held, especially by mama. She has been doing complete rolls for the last several weeks. Depending on what part of the floor we lay her on, she will occasionally roll into furniture and then get stuck. I am usually in the other room when I hear her squawking, so I have to run out and rescue her.

We had our first family photos taken last week. After rushing to meet the photographer, I was picking Angela up from the carseat and saw that her entire back was covered in poop. Normally this wouldn't be a problem (we carry extra clothing for this type of occasion) but this time we didn't have an appropriate outfit to change into (the pink and white striped Nike onesie wouldn't have coordinated with the rest of the family). Poor little girl.. She didn't seem to mind though. Here is the finished product. We plan on sending this out with our Christmas cards.



We had a very nice Thanksgiving. Our friends from Berkely came down and visited us. Rather than cooking a turkey with all the fixings, we made carne asada on the grill and had corn tortillas, rice, beans, homemade salsa and homemade guacamole. Yum! It was sooo good. Then we had pumpkin pie for dessert.

I have so much to be thankful for. A wonderful husband, two healthy and beautiful children, my wonderful family and friends, and a great career!

Video of Christopher walking on Halloween

Angela at 4 months

It's hard to believe that Angela is now 4 months old. She is no longer considered an infant, but a full fledged baby! We had out doctors appointment yesterday; Angela weighed in at 13 lbs, 2 ounces and 24 inches long. She is in the 40th percentile for height and weight.

She is noticeably more alert; enjoys smiling, squealing, and cooing with us. She has started grabbing objects and will bring them to her mouth. She loves to roll onto her stomach and prefers to lie on her side while sleeping.

Christopher has adapted quite well to her. I will occasionally find him trying to touch her mouth and eyes, but otherwise doesn't pester her too often. It's cute when they smile and interact with each other. I hope that they will play together when they are a little older.

We had a very enjoyable Halloween. We spent the early part of the afternoon at a Halloween party with other mothers and their babies. In the evening we went to the mall and Christopher enjoyed his first carousal ride.

I am looking forward to starting my job in December, as staying home with the kids can be quite mundane. I feel that I will be a better wife/mother with the occasional break from home. I hope that this will work for the family.