Catbird Speaks

Things Lately

2008-11-13T21:18:00.000-08:00

Hello, Internet. Yes, I am still alive. And not doing too bad, actually. Well, at the moment, that is. The days are passing quickly and Catherine is getting giant. She rolled over for the first time about two weeks ago. Or was it three? It was in the month of October, of that I'm sure. And she is so cute, rolling over and over. She is doing great. Although she still occasionally refuses the bottle at school. What can I say? She is in love with the boob. Let's just hope that she doesn't nurse until she is almost three years old like her big sister. Still no teeth to speak of, although she explores the world around her every second of the day, it seems. She is always grabbing at stuff, chewing on something, and smiling and laughing. Oh, my Catherine is a good, sweet baby. It is so easy to love her. She rarely needs a pacifier. She laughs and smiles often. I am so in love.

As for the big sister in the house...Sofia has gotten over lots of the anxiety that came with starting a new school, and for that I am very happy. She continues to have a love/hate relationship with her ballet class on Saturday mornings which I could really do without. Every Saturday we go to my parents' house. Sofia loves it, but if any of her cousins drop in, she hates it. For some reason, she thinks she is the only grandchild deserving of my parents' attention. It is really annoying, and I tell her over and over again that they had nine grandchildren before her, but she doesn't care. She really bonded with them while we were staying with them in the spring and now greedily wants them all to herself. I have to say that I'm happy that she loves them so much. They adore her as well.

I love her school. They are teaching her some good stuff! She has a music class and a tumbling class twice a week. She is learning how to write her letters and her daddy is teaching her how to read. She is actually starting to read three letter words. Very exciting! She is beautiful, and I am so proud of my little stinker Wee. My little stinkerbell.

As for myself, I am working. I'm getting a lot done, and I have deadlines and everything. And the best part is I am working at home. I can get so much done AND go for a walk in the morning, AND get some grocery shopping done, AND pick up the kids before 5 pm, AND actually cook a meal that involves real food. The kind that grows. And we planted a vegetable garden a few weeks back and I can actually water it everyday. It is so weird. I really, really love it. Sure, I miss some of the people I worked with, but I love working at home. I keep expecting my job to tell me that I can't do it anymore, but I sure hope that doesn't happen. Oh, and I got an IPod, and I love it. I am finally listening to some new music.

Oh, and I'm so HAPPY that Obama got elected! I still can hardly believe it's real. I have to admit, I was pulling for Hillary, but I was always an Obama fan and I loved his acceptance speech. It was amazing.

Not everything is perfect. Not everything always is, but we're working through things and enjoying life now. I hope things stay okay for us with the economy being such a mess. I hope everyone else is well.

I miss you, internet! I hope to post pic's of my angels soon.

Changes

2008-08-29T09:48:00.000-07:00

So, here I am at home. The kids are at school and the house is eerily quiet. I don't know if I'll be able to take it if this is what working at home will be like. WEIRD!

I start back at work in mid-September except that I'll be working from home. Not sure what it will be like. Sofia is adjusting well to school. I picked her up early yesterday and she cried because she didn't want to leave. She wanted to eat lunch at school with the other kids. I guess that's a good sign. Catherine is adjusting to taking the bottle while I'm gone. She put up a fight the first couple of days, refusing the bottle, then finally giving in after extreme hunger and sucking the entire bottle down.

I really like the school so far. It is very close, small, and the teachers are great. I'm happy they are there.

I guess I'm entering a new phase with the kids gone and me starting work soon. Yet another adjustment for me. With the move to San Antonio, the new house, Catherine, school, now me working at home, I feel like I'll never just settle into a routine. The last few months have just been very crazy. But on the positive side, I love all the changes we've had so far. I love my Catherine so much. She is absolutely beautiful. She is the best baby I could have ever hoped for, and I adore her with all my soul. I have cherished the last few months with Sofia, and I wouldn't have had it any other way. Sofia turned three years old, by the way, this past Sunday and we had a great little party for her at the house. And I love this house we are in, and I hope we grow old in it and the kids grow up and love this house and this neighborhood. I'm so happy to be near family again.

Update

2008-08-20T21:59:00.000-07:00

Both kids are sleeping. Husband went to bed a little while ago, and here I am. I feel like I'll never get back to normal. I feel like I live in one of those "life comes at you fast" commercials. Catherine is two and half months old. She is beautiful and such a great baby. She smiles and coos and really, really loves her mama. Sofia is good with her, but still drives me nuts when she gets way too close and kisses her on the mouth and pries her fingers apart and stuff.

My beautiful Miss Catherine was 12 lbs at her two-month checkup. It's so weird how different the two children are as babies and how different I am as a mom the second time around. I feel like I can appreciate the babyness much more easily this time around. I think I felt a little shell-shocked with Sofia. Going back to work will be tough.

We got both girls into a pre-school. That alone was an absolutely crazy experience. Somehow between the pregnancy, moving, buying a house, having the baby, unpacking, freaking out, etc I forgot to start looking for a daycare/preschool for the kids. Eventually I am going back to work. My start date is mid-September, so last week I hustled and made myself a royal pain the butt for the place I wanted to put my kids. They start next Monday. Well, Sofia starts, but I'm not parting with Catherine just yet. I'll be dropping her off little by little so she can get used to the folks there. Good thing is I will literally be just a few blocks away from the place. And I'll be working from home as long as my job will let me. I'm supporting my Houston job from San Antonio and I don't know how long I can keep that up.

August 21st is my wedding anniversary and we're not even celebrating. We have our parents' meet the teacher night at the preschool. Then this weekend we're having Sofia's birthday party for her birthday Sunday. Then she starts school Monday. I feel like my head has been spinning for months.

All summer has been strange, but good. Sofia, myself, and Catherine. Sofia and I got to spend a lot of time together, and I'm pretty sad having to part with her. She is still very much my baby. Life is tough, but I love my girls more than anything in the world.

Something to blog about

2008-06-10T05:50:00.000-07:00

Our new arrival, Catherine Eve, made her way into the world May 30, 2008 at 6:44 am. She is such a beautiful and good baby! Labor was painful, but the epidural made it bearable. Robert and I rushed over to the hospital around 2 am after a full day of labor pains. Sofia came to visit her new sister the next day.

We are living in San Antonio. Just bought and moved into our new house a week before Catherine got here. Things are crazy and boxes are everywhere, but we're doing what we can. The husband went back to work this morning and I find myself in a mild state of panic trying to figure out how I will care for this newborn baby and keep Sofia entertained, along with doing dishes and laundry and the like. Other people have done it, right?

And still my hormones are raging and I think about how I miss work a little and I'm not sure what I'll do when my maternity leave is over (can't believe that, but it's true). My job is letting me support Houston activities while I work remotely from San Antonio. It wasn't too bad these last couple of months but I suspect it will get harder to do.

I suppose I should end this post before both children wake up. Sofia went to bed yesterday at 6:30 pm and is still asleep. It's 8 am. That child refuses to take naps, and it is so hard on all of us. Then she ends up collapsing in fatigue around 6 pm, waking up, and not going back to sleep until midnight or so. Last night we kept her asleep somehow. Catherine is awesome. She nurses beautifully and only wakes up when she's hungry. She does have a raging diaper rash, which breaks my heart every time I change her. I feel powerless. I've tried two types of desitin and aquaphor and nothing seems to be clearing it up. The doc said to blow dry her bottom. I've done it a few times, but not enough apparently. She's also a little congested so we're sleeping with a humidifier.

I am not looking forward to another hot day. San Antonio heat is dry and brutal. I actually miss the humid, rainy weather of Houston. At least it rains there. Here half our yard is dead because the lady we bought from never watered her grass. And I can't bring myself my go outside in the afternoon. It is absolutely too HOT.

I will do my best to post later. I have no job right now because of maternity leave, but I know that blogging will be harder than ever.

Decisions

2008-02-02T16:30:00.000-08:00

It seems that the only time I blog is when I'm feeling emotional or pissed off or sad. In fact, my husband told me that I shouldn't blog anymore because people would think that my life really sucks. I told him I'd blog if I damn well pleased, and that if he had something to say about it he should start his own blog.

Anyway, here I am. I've been away for quite some time. In that time, I've managed to get knocked up and turn 32 years old. In that order. I am about 5 and half months now. And this pregnancy is so different from my first. With Sofia I was always checking the internet to see what was happening in my baby's development stages. I was always obsessing about my registry. I was always doing SOMETHING with respect to the baby. This pregnancy? Not so much. I spend most of my days working and just trying to get through the day and keeping up with Sofia, who is now 2 and half. In some ways I feel a little guilty for not thinking as much about the fetus, but in some ways I think it's good. At least I don't have the stress of not knowing what to expect. I think that's what a lot of what it was with Sofia. It was all big unknown. Pregnancy and mommyhood. Not that I have it all figured out, but I at least have an inkling of what I'm in for.

So my husband just got a job offer in San Antonio. And now my life feels like someone flipped it upside down. Part of me wants to jump for joy and move in a heartbeat to be near my family and not work and have this baby. The other part of me wants to cry all the time and freak out about selling our beautiful first house (in a crappy market) and having to move in with my parents in San Antonio until we sell the house. And losing my health insurance and having to go on my husband's. And losing our second income. And living with all this uncertainty. What if he hates his job? What if I'm just as lonely there as I am here? I haven't lived there in about fourteen years. What if we can't buy a great house somewhere with good schools? And I swear, I've cried everyday since Wednesday (the day he got the offer).

But it's a good career move for him. I couldn't care less about my career really. I'm serious. The only thing I'll miss is the money. We'll still be living on less than what I even make. I'll have to defer all my student loans. How do people make these decisions? One of my friends just moved from the Woodlands to Austin because her husband got a job there. They wanted to be closer to her family, but once they moved, they hated it and now they're back in the Woodlands.

I think we'll end up doing it. I just have to come to terms with it. I feel like I have the baby blues early with all the crying I've been doing lately. If we make the move, he starts March 10th. So not only is this an insanely tough decision, but we're super pressed for time. We even had a realtor come look at the house today.

And something that really scares me? Is this staying at home business. As much as I really really really want to do it, it scares the shit out of me. All day everyday with not only one kid, but two kids. On a tight budget. How do moms do it? How did my mom do it? She had five freakin' kids. Won't I run out of ideas of things to do? Won't my kids hate me because I'm so darn boring? Will I turn into a wicked witch of a mommy who constantly yells? Wait, I might be one of those already. So many things to think about...

Well, hello there

2007-06-30T21:50:00.000-07:00

I went to a hair salon opening today. And I totally rock because I won a $75 gift certificate as a door prize. Oh yeah! And my toddler is asleep. And my husband is gone. He slipped out of the house muttering something like "I can't take this shit" after I got home from the celebration. See, he had been home watching the child. My cousin was gracious enough to go with me to the salon grand opening, which was totally fun, but my husband had to stay home with the child. I am a bit toasty, what with lots of margaritas. Anyway, I just wanted to say that I had a good time tonight. Which is important. I understand my hubby's frustration, but whatever. I spent two hours grocery shopping with the child earlier today. That was hell. How do people decide to have a second? Anyone? Miss Kellye is pregnant, BD just had her second, and Sabrina gave birth to a fourth? Holy moly. I really do want more than one child, but I feel crazy already. How does one make that decision? Oh yeah, I neglected to mention that my sister-in-law just had a third yesterday. WOW. She's still in the hospital.

I just created my new google account for this blog, and I decided to post something. I know I'm a sucky blogger, I don't need anyone to twist the knife. But I still love you internet. And I really love the one to three people who still periodically check back her for updates. You guys are awesome. I miss you!

Well, Hello There (and Happy Birthday to Me)

2007-01-22T21:14:00.000-08:00

You know how when you haven't blogged in a while, you just keep thinking, "well, I can't blog now because I never blogged about that or this" and you just keep putting it off because of everything you haven't captured? Yeah, well, that's me. I longingly read other blogs wishing I could just set the gosh darn time aside to blog. You know, instead of watching "Friends" and "Seinfeld" reruns on the WB. And here I am. Back. At least for tonight. And a whole year older, I might add. I turned 31 today. Thirty-freaking-one. WOW.

And boy, did today suck. Sure the hubby and I caught a movie for the first time in damn near a year. Oh, we've seen movies on video, but not on the big screen. It was okay, but the whole day just kind of, well, sucked. Maybe it's the sinkful of dirty dishes in my kitchen. Maybe it's the cluttered, messy, toddler-toy ridden house. Maybe it was Sofia's fit at the grocery store today. Maybe it was the fact that I ate some bad barbeque yesterday and yakked it all up last night. Whatever it was was, I hope it's not an indication of the year to come.

New things in my life?
A fast, fast growing toddler. Okay, so that's not new, but she sure does new things everyday. And MAN, she gets cuter by the second. (Note to self: must post pic's)

An Ebay addiction. You really can get anything!

A kitten! A cute cuddly little thing, who is also growing by the second. She is Ginger, and she drives me bats.

Holidays were good. Hope everyone else's were good. Sofia got a ton of stuff. It was amazing with Sofia a whole year older and actually being to open her presents and get excited.

Okay, I guess that's all for now. Baby steps...

Kittens

2006-11-06T21:34:00.000-08:00

Sofia got to see some real, live kittens yesterday! I wish I'd had a camera to capture the look on her face! The child grinned from ear to ear and kept pointing to the kittens and saying, "cat". She also did a lot of happy screeching. It was adorable, and something I never want to forget. My cousin's cat had kittens, and now I'm considering getting one...Is that bad? They are SO CUTE!

Fourteen Months

2006-10-31T20:17:00.000-08:00

Dear Sofia,
Last Tuesday you turned fourteen months old. Fourteen months old! You are a big toddler, but you are still my sweet little baby. When your daddy and I clown around with you and rock you like a baby singing "Rock a Bye Baby" you laugh and laugh, as if you know you're too big for such things. You just keep growing, Wee. You are getting more and more beautiful with each passing day, with big, beautiful curls on your head and giant, velvety, brown eyes.

You talk so much, Sofia! You say "dinothah" (dinosaur), "cooold", "hot" and so many more words, but your favorite words are "mama" and "dada", which makes your mama and dada very happy. You say both on cue, and we love it! You are so adorable.

We finally put your swing up in the backyard, and I think swinging is your favorite thing to do! The past few times we've been in the yard you constantly walk back to your swing pointing and babbling, wanting more. You love the yard, and I'm so happy we have a yard with trees and plants and lots of good grass. You love running around the yard, picking up acorns and rocks. Unfortunately you stick everything in your mouth! And you're a naughty little thing quickly running away from me when I ask you for what's in your mouth.

I skipped work yesterday and we carved a pumpkin together. You kept picking up the pumpkin chunks, trying to feed them to your dad and me. We took you to the Houston Zoo this weekend for Zoo Boo! You had a good time! You also had your halloween party at school today. You were a cat for halloween, and I thought I would fall over and die from the cuteness overdose. Your costume was adorable. Your dad found it for you. The two of you went shopping on his day off. I came home from work and you and he were returning from a walk with a pumpkin in the stroller. Tonight I couldn't help thinking about how you'll be trick or treating in a few short years. How the time is flying.

You still sleep with us, Sofia, in the family bed. I sometimes wish I could move you to your crib, but I cherish the warmth of your precious little body next to me at night. You are still nursing at fourteen months. Every now and then your dad says, "she's a little big to be nursing, isn't she?", but I don't mind. You pull at my shirt and say "chi chi". I love mornings with you, especially weekends. These are the days you wake up on your own and you're in a happy mood, sometimes climbing on top of me. And almost always, the first thing you say when you wake up is "mama".

I love you so much, Sofia. I am so thankful that I have you in my life. You are beautiful and perfect and I will always love you, my precious little Wee. Every morning I wake up, I kiss you and thank God for you. Every day I leave work, I think about you and can't wait to go get you from school. As we drive home, I can't wait to get home to carry you into the house and spend time with you. You make me so happy, Sofia. You are the best part of my life.

Love,
Mama

NEWS

2006-10-16T21:21:00.000-07:00

Gosh, so much has happened in the past month! But then a month is a long time, so what can one expect? No, I'm not pregnant. At least, not that I'm aware of...Robert and I bought a house! Yes, yes, our very first house! Can you believe it? I am still reeling. I can't believe someone sold us a house! Ha. It is a beautiful old, ranch-style house. Built in 1950. Three bedrooms, one bath, nice roomy kitchen, HUGE master bedroom, a nice utility room, a two-car detached garage, big yard. Lots of big trees. It's amazing. I wanted to post all about it last month before we closed, but I didn't want to jinx us. I know, silly. But it's ours now. And now we're broke. It is a big beautiful house, with a big mortgage, but it's totally worth it. It is far from where I work, but you just can't get houses like this in the Clear Lake area of Houston.

We moved in in a hurry. In one weekend, as a matter of fact. It was madness, but we did it. Thanks to a very close friend of mine, who helped a ton. It was hard with Sofia trying to get into everything as we packed, moved, and cleaned.

The weekend we moved, I started my period. My first period in about two years. I went through this insane depression, and I felt a little crazy with the move and all. I kept asking myself if we were doing the right thing, I was all weepy and stressed. Then I did a little research on the trusty ol' internet and found that it's common to go through that when weaning your baby from the breast. Sofia's feedings are not happening very often anymore, and my body's hormones were just going crazy. I was a MESS. Thankfully, the insanity didn't last. I think my hormones started balancing out a few days later. But it was awful. I had no idea this happened to women. Any other breastfeeding mommies out there who had this happen?

So, yeah, the commute is very long and ugly. Sofia's daycare is a good distance from the house too, closer to where I work. But I'm not too keen on taking her out of the daycare that we've gotten used to, so we're planning on keeping her there as long as we can. It takes me about an hour to get to work if I take Sofia to daycare. If I don't, it takes me about 45 min. And I pick her up everyday. It's rough when she falls asleep in the car on the way home. Although it makes for a peaceful drive, it's rough at night trying to get her to bed. We're getting used to things. My drive today was AWFUL. My drive home, that is. Mother nature decided to pour buckets of rain on Houston today, and I made the mistake of going into work. Getting home today was a three-hour ordeal. Yes, three hours. Two of those hours were spent trying to make my way to Sofia's daycare. Usually about a twenty-minute drive. So yes, it was bad, but I am thankful I was not one of the many cars I saw stuck in the high water on the road. Scary. I am very happy Sofia and I made it home safely.

Sofia is a little princess. She has not stopped saying "mama" since she first said it. And it still sounds amazing. Her hair is getting long and curly. She keeps me focused. And tired. Speaking of tired...I think my bed is calling me. I miss the blogosphere.

NASA, diaper rash, and seven years

2006-09-18T20:21:00.000-07:00

I am back. At least for the moment. Atlantis went off into space on September 9th, docked with the International Space Station two days later, and the crew installed a huge new piece of hardware to it after not building on it for years. I worked crazy hours, going in at 2:30 am for many days, but it was worth it. I worked hard and watching the crew perform spacewalks and watching the hardware perform was really amazing.

In other news, Sofia has a raging diaper rash. I mean BAD. The child cries and cries because of it. Poor little thing. We took her to the doc on Friday after a cold she had had not cleared up after many days. Her ears were fine, but her doc said it was probably a sinus infection so she prescribed her augmentin. A few days of that wonderful antibiotic and her little bum was so raw, I wanted to cry. I had been applying diaper cream to her bottom, letting her run around without a diaper (very dangerous) but nothing worked. Finally, I called her doctors office and ask that they switch her to something else. They prescribed her Omnicef. I hope her diaper rash goes away soon. It breaks my heart to see her so pained. I am applying lotrimin and diaper cream, hoping it works.

And last on my list of things to write about today...Robert and I were married seven years on August 21st. Isn't it pathetic that I just got around to posting about it? It is even more pathetic that we didn't really see each other on our anniversary since I had an all-day meeting at work that day and he worked that night. But I love him. And I think he knows. One of the last times I did laundry, as I cleaned out his pockets, do you know what I found? I found a baggie full of animal crackers and a pink barrette. Any man who carries stuff like that around in his pockets is a keeper. He is a wonderful father and husband, and I feel bad that I didn't dedicate a whole post to him.

But I am a few weeks late anyway, so whatever.

Hell

2006-09-06T21:37:00.000-07:00

It has been a long month, and the blogosphere has not heard a peep out of me. I have not been in hiding, I have been in house-hunting hell. I have also made stops in incredibly-overworked-and-underpaid hell, working-mommy hell, my-daughter's-favorite-teacher-no-longer-works-at-her-daycare hell, mother-in-law-came-to-visit hell, and I'm-a-broke-ass-fool hell. Oh yeah, can't forget tubes-in-my-child's-ears hell. I think there is light at the end of the tunnel but house-hunting hell is very dark and it sucks so I can't quite tell...

Sofia: ONE YEAR!!!

2006-09-05T21:32:00.000-07:00

Dear Sofia,
You turned one year on August 24th. A whole year old! You are such a big girl, and I just can't believe how you've grown so much. I remember the day you were born vividly. I remember how scared I was. How scared and thrilled your dad and I both were. At 7:06 pm, August 24th, 2005, you made your grand entrance into this world. It's amazing to look at you now and see the beautiful bright-eyed intelligent child you are growing up to be.

Sofia, you run circles around your daddy and me. Literally. You started walking around eleven months and never looked back! You walk like you were born doing it. Sure you don't like to check the path in front of you when you walk, and often stumble upon your toys laying all over, but you get the job done. I remember a little over a month ago, we went to the mall and I let you walk around a little as I followed closely. You, of course, were drawn to the toy store with its bright colors and fancy toys. I remember the the scary realization that you were growing up. Not just growing up, but really growing up. Walking. You are your own person, Wee, with the ability to walk away from me. I, of course, immediately snatched you up. You are still so much a baby. You are my baby.

You said "mama" for the first time yesterday. Monday, September 4th, 2006. I will never forget it. Your dad was making dinner and I was playing with you in the kitchen when you lifted your arms to me and said "mama". Your dad and I both heard it. It was the most wonderful sounding word ever. Music to my ears.

You got tubes put into your ears the day after your birthday, you poor angel. Your dad and I kept hoping that your ear infections wouldn't keep coming back, but they did. Your ear, nose, and throat doctor recommended we get tubes put in your ears, so we made the appointment and got it done. It was very hard on us, but you were back to your old self that very evening. You were tired most of the day. Of course, the night before we went out to eat for your birthday and let you eat chocolate cake, which kept you up until midnight! You recovered well from your surgery. You are such a strong little girl, Sofia.

You have reached so many milestones it is hard to keep track. You're saying several words, including the old favorites like "dada" and "duck". You have also added "ball" and my favorite "mama". And you are starting to repeat things we say. You're dad and I think the tubes in your ears have helped to improve your hearing, as they should have.

You love pushing your boundaries! You love getting into things you aren't supposed to. Like the cats' water. Yesterday you sat right next to it and poured it all over yourself. When we tell you "no" to something, you do it more. Or faster. You like to throw your food over your high chair. Especially when we tell you not to. And you are so cute doing it, it's hard to keep a straight face, when all I want to do is grab you and kiss you. When you have something in your little chubby hands you aren't supposed to, and I ask you for it, you snatch your hand away and run. It is hilarious! I hope this isn't a sneak preview to your teenage years! You definitely have a mind of your own.

You're still breastfeeding, although we kicked the bottle habit a few weeks ago. Since then, you refuse most milk unless it comes from a breast, which is fine by me. You are still in love with your pacifier, which will be a harder habit to break.

We had your birthday celebration at Chuck E Cheese's! Your cousins came into town with your aunt and uncle (my brother and his wife) and we had a nice long weekend together. I'm sure you won't remember it, but we have plenty of photos. You always have lots of fun when you're with other kids. Your cousins adore you, just as you adore them. It was funny to see you handle yourself just fine with all your big boy cousins. You let them chase you around the house while you laughed and laughed.

You got some good stuff for your birthday, including a Fisher Price Rock, Roll, and Ride trike. You really love that thing. And you are quite the daredevil. You actually try to stand and climb while we're pushing you on it. You have gotten very good at holding the handlebars, and you look absolutely adorable riding it. You also got a lullaby glow worm, and you love pushing its button and making it play music over and over.

You made out like a little bandit for your birthday. You got all kinds of clothes and toys, pictures for your room, and books. You got a fancy toy cell phone too that you like holding up to your ear. You are very loved, Sofia.

I love you so much, Sofia, I can't even put it into words. You are beautiful and amazing and I can't believe I lived so long without you. You are my everything. Every moment I hold you in my arms, each time I listen to your beautiful little heart beating while you sleep, each time I chase you around and around the house, I realize how very blessed I am to have you in my life. Your daddy and I love you more than you will ever know, my sweet little angel.

Love always,
Mama

Bummed

2006-07-30T20:23:00.000-07:00

I'm kind of bummed right now. Sofia has ear infection number 7. Yes SEVEN, if anyone else is counting. The poor little soul is all stuffy and coughing with phlegm. And when number six struck, she wasn't responding to the oral antibiotics, so her doc gave her three injections of a different antibiotic. Three days in a row of shots. Poor baby. It did the trick though and she was better. For about two weeks. Now with ear infection number seven, her doc just started the injections instead of messing around with oral antibiotics. She's had two so far and gets injection number three tomorrow. The thing is, she doesn't seem much better. And this worries me. We've already been referred to an ear, nose, and throat specialist for her. The appointment is in about a week. It will totally SUCK if she has to get tubes put in her ears. I know she wouldn't be the first baby to ever get them (if it came to that), but still.

And I'm bummed that tomorrow begins yet another stressful week at work for me. Not looking forward to that.

And I'm bummed that I have no idea what to do about Sofia's birthday. See, we want to have a gathering, but we want to keep it small. But we also want to have kids here because Sofia loves looking at other kids. She LOVES it. And when I start thinking of who to invite, my mental list just gets longer and longer and then I start worrying of what the hell we're going to do at this party. I mean, all I have in the living room is a couch. No loveseat, no chairs. Where will people sit? Okay, so I have four chairs for my beat-up, passed down, secondhand dining set. The seats of which, are made of that straw stuff, and they are falling apart. We can't sit outside because it will be August in Texas which is just crazy. No one in their right mind would sit out in the 100 degree heat with no shade (thanks to the lack of trees in these subdivisions) and mosquitoes attacking in full force. Oh, and I don't have enough chairs for people to sit outside anyway. Okay, and back to who I'm going to invite. My family won't come because they all live about 230 miles away. Not exactly drive-out-for-the-day distance. So that leaves a handful of my closer, local friends. None of whom have kids. My friends who do have kids are co-workers and I feel bad inviting some, but not others. And even if I could get over that, then there's the issue of having to clean the house and make it look presentable for people who have never been here before. Oh my god, the list goes on...And if we have kids here, what am I supposed to do to ensure they are entertained? We can't go outside and hit a pinata because it will be too hot. Oh, and there is no tree from which to hand the pinata. Man, this sucks.

And lastly I'm bummed because the house search is just not going well. And there was one house that we both liked, but it was very small and the distance I would have to drive to work would be very far (probably about a 50-minute commute), and we talked for many days about it. Could we live in a 1000 square foot house? The yard? was amazing. The neighborhood was cool, but the house was tiny (but it was a very clean, nice little house). Well, we talked and talked. And looked at other houses in the meantime. And looked and looked. And I finally started warming up to the the idea of the house, when I noticed today that there is an option pending on it. I guess I started feeling all this regret at not acting sooner. But I guess I shouldn't feel that way because the whole reason we didn't act right away is because we weren't 100% sure and if we weren't 100% sure...well, you know. Still, I couldn't help but feel sick about it. Kind of like someone punched me in the stomach. And I feel even worse that Robert was in a big hurry to sign a contract at first, but it was only one of the first houses we had seen, and I was the one who was like, "let's not be so hasty", and now I feel like it's my fault we won't get the house. It really is a great house. Even though it's small. It even has a cat door in the kitchen to the backyard. Oh, well. Enough of that. I just have to keep telling myself that we'll find the right place. Even if I'm crazy by the time we move in.

Eleven months

2006-07-24T21:34:00.000-07:00

Dear Sofia,
You are eleven months old today. You are getting bigger and bigger and smarter and smarter with each passing day. I am always amazed at how much you know. You took your first steps a little over a week ago and already you are taking nine, ten steps at a time! You have caught on quickly, my love, and decided that walking is what it's all about. You get up, walk a bit, fall. Get up, walk, fall. Over and over. I love that you keep trying, each time getting a little farther.

You point to your feet when we ask you. You point out the lights on the ceiling when asked. You actually say "Duck!" when I show you your rubber ducky and ask what it is. Duck and "Da Da" remain the two words you have down. I think you say kitty, but it comes out more like "gehdeh". It sounds beautiful. You do so many things, I've lost track. You do a cute little dance when you hear music.

You are a very strong willed little girl, protesting with all your might when we take something away from you. Your daycare teacher says you won't have any problem standing up for yourself when you move into the one-year-olds' room. Gosh, Sofia, I can't believe you're almost a whole year old.

Sofia, I love you with all my heart and soul. You are so beautiful and wonderful and perfect. You'll always be my baby.

Love,
Mari

I totally forgot

2006-07-15T10:57:00.000-07:00

...to mention that Sofia took three steps yesterday! We were in our living room and she was standing a small distance away from the coffee table and she took three steps towards the coffee table and didn't fall! Oh my beautiful, beautiful baby is turning into a beautiful, beautiful toddler.

Complete with tantrums. Yeah, I forgot to mention that too.

She has small fits when I take things away from her. Often resulting in her biting either me or herself. She bites like a declawed cat. It's not pretty. I hope this biting thing doesn't become a problem.

And I also forgot to mention that she had this weird rash this past week, and when I took her to the doctor her doc said it was Hand Foot Mouth disease. Common in the summer and contagious. Luckily hers wasn't too bad, with only the rash. She still ate pretty well and never got a fever. I knew she must have gotten it at daycare. Sure enough, when I mentioned it to her daycare teacher I was informed that, "Jake had a rash like that too last week. His was a lot worse." Nice. Ugh. I could do without all the germs and the colds and the rashes and the ear infections that come with daycare.

Sorry

2006-07-15T09:57:00.000-07:00

Gosh, this blog is really boring. I hate reading blogs that are never updated. So I guess I hate reading this blog because I suck at updating it. I know it only takes a moment to post, but for some reason I can't make time. Sorry.

Anyway, congrats to Alfredsmom! She gave birth to Emma Grace on June 28, 2006! I'm so happy for their family! It's so exciting to see all the pic's and remember what it all felt like. I never did a birth story like I wanted but I did write down most of the details on paper. Maybe I'll document it all the web yet.

Sofia is actually napping and Robert is occupied so I have a moment to write.

I have been super busy at work with the launch of of the space shuttle and the ongoing mission. In fact, I have to work today at 3 pm. Ugh. Working on a Saturday. I worked last weekend too and much of the past two weeks during strange hours, and it was rough on all fo us. Robert and I trying to juggle our schedules is not fun. But even though the hours are long and the job is sometimes stressful, it's times like these that remind me why I do like my job. And even with the on-going mission and all the craziness about, I still had to make time in the middle of my day to go and pump breastmilk. There are security guards everywhere during a mission searching bags, and checking badges and stuff. I felt a little weird opening my purse for them to search, then my computer bag, and then my breast pump. But I got over it quickly. In fact, it makes me proud for people to see my breast pump and to let them know that women actually do this. And I was very surprised to stumble upon a "nursing moms' corner" in one of the restrooms in the Mission Control Center building. It was partitioned off from the rest of the restroom and had a stack of magazines and breast milk guidelines posted on the wall and I was very excited about the whole thing. And then yesterday as I was on my way to pump, I saw another woman next to a break area sink washing breast pump parts. It made my day. It may seem strange to people that all of this makes me happy, but only a breastfeeding mom understands its challenges. And only a breastfeeding/working-outside-the-home/pumping-every-damn-day mom understands how hard it is. I wanted to hug that woman. But I just kept walking. With my head a little higher.

Well, enough of that. Lately Robert and I have also been looking at houses. We want to buy one soon, but that is a whole other stressful situation entirely. We found one we like and we're going to look at it again tomorrow, but it's far from where I work and the house is very small. It would be about a 45 minute commute to my job. Right now I drive 30 minutes. I hate that Houston is so spread out. It's ridiculous.

So between house hunting, working this mission and the upcoming mission (scheduled to launch on August 28th!), trying to figure out if I'm going to do anything for Sofia's first birthday and everything else that keeps me busy, I'm pretty much going crazy. Wish me luck!

Sofia: Ten (and a half) months

2006-07-10T20:41:00.000-07:00

Dear Sofia,
You are ten and a half months old. I was pregnant with you last year at this time! I haven't been that great about recording your birthday on the mark these days, but your daddy and I always wish you a happy birthday with each month you grow older. And I can't believe how the months just slip by. You turned ten months old on June 24th. You are right around 23 lbs and growing like a weed!

Over the past month and half you have sworn off Gerber baby foods. You eat nothing but big people food. You eat all kinds of veggies. And you especially love broccoli. You eat chicken, crackers, pasta, ravioli...pretty much everything. And you love feeding yourself. And if we try to pull a fast one and give you some jarred baby food you turn your nose up and try to hit the spoon out of our hands! The exception is fruit. You still love the Gerber fruit. I've started giving you Mott's applesauce too, and you love it. You are also a big fan of yogurt. Your dad and I have to watch out whenever we're snacking and you spot us because you come over to us and practically attack us for whatever it is we're eating. Sometimes you're worse than the cats!

You're still talking plenty and say "dada" pretty well. You also try very hard to say "kitty cat", and you adore the cats! I worry about them scratching you because you are constantly poking and pulling at them. So far, no scratches. It is so adorable when you get to Whiskers because you rest your little head on her and put your arms around her. It's so sweet the way you show affection. You do that to me and your dad too when we lie on the floor with you.

I heard you say "duck" the other day. Only it was more like "duh!" when I sang Old MacDonald. Then you followed it with "kah" when I did the quacking. You're getting there Wee, you're getting there. When I sit with you and point out colors and animals, I see the look in your eyes like you're really trying to figure it all out and make sense of it all. You're dad and I were so excited when you figured out how to put the balls through the tunnel on your Leap Frog toy. It is absolutely amazing watching you learn and hearing the excitement in your voice.

We took you to the beach a few times in June, and you loved it. You got a little tan despite all the sun screen I slathered on you. My little golden girl. My friend J came to visit with her son last month. He is almost three years old and you loved watching him and crawling after him. We went to beach together and to Moody Gardens to see the aquarium. There was a moment while I was holding you and you were watching the fish with such awe and wonder where I just wanted to bawl like a baby. I was so touched by the look of amazement in your eyes. You kept pointing your beautiful little chubby finger at the fish swimming by. I love you so much Sofia.

I think you're pretty close to walking. You get braver and braver everyday and are already standing up from a sitting position. You squat and then stand. It is so cute. Sometimes you start shaking your hands and then you fall, as if the excitement is just too much!

You can point out mama's and daddy's ears and noses when I ask you where your nose and ears are. You point to lights when I ask where they are. You point to cats when I ask where they are (and squeal with excitement).

You have another ear infection. This brings the grand total to six. It is very hard for me and your dad to see you sick so often, but you respond well to antibiotics and I'm hoping we don't ever have to get tubes in your ears.

Your dad and I are looking to buy a house, Sofia. A house you can call your very own. A house with trees and yard just for you. I hope we find one soon. I want the very best for you.

When I look at you, Sofia, I feel awe and wonder. You are the most amazing person I have ever met. I love discovering the world with you.

Love,
Mama

Weddings and a little Summer Fun

2006-06-03T19:52:00.000-07:00

We had no big plans this weekend, since Robert had to work tonight because he was off last Sunday. Last Sunday we went to two weddings. Wedding number one was a friend of mine from college, with whom I also work. I've actually known him since my freshman year of college, and we just happened to run into each other at work one day ten years later. So we keep in touch now. This is funny because, through him, I've managed to get in contact with a few other friends from college. Here's the happy couple.
Not that great of a photo, I know, but we didn't take too many. I wish we had taken some at the church, but we forgot our camera. We went back to get it before the reception. It was a catholic wedding. We had fun. It was a nice wedding. I love weddings. Especially weddings I just go to as a guest. Being in a wedding or helping plan a wedding is so stressful. But just going to celebrate, eat, drink, and be merry? That I can totally handle!

Wedding number two was a Hindu ceremony, in a completely different language (thank goodness they had programs!). I can't remember the name of the dialect. It was the wedding of a very good friend of mine from work. He and his fiancee (actually we're friends with both of them) had been engaged for about two years, and her parents wanted nothing to do with him because he wasn't Indian. Eventually they came around and sprung for the wedding. Honeymoon and all. The wedding was really nice and we had lots of fun. I, in spite of being very sick. Here is a pic of happy couple number two:

Last weekend was good. And we got to see family, although it flew by way too quickly.

So, because last weekend was so chock full of activities, we planned to keep things simple this weekend. Do some shopping, pick up around the house, etc. We did a little mall shopping yesterday and I bought Sofia two bathing suits. Now, I had planned to take her swimming at some point in the near future, but after seeing Beth's blog entry with Mia in her swim suit, I knew I couldn't wait to put my child in hers. This created a bit of a dilemma. See, we have no neighborhood pool. And Robert and I are so lazy that we have not purchased a little backyard pool for our child yet. Not knowing what to do, I lamely suggested filling the big garden tub in the master bath with water and letting her splash around in her swimsuit. Robert suggested we take her inflatable rubber ducky tub to the backyard, put some water in it and let her splash around. We went with his idea because, while both ideas were pretty lame, his at least seemed to be more in line with the use of a pool for cooling off purposes. It seemed more summery. We could be in the backyard. Whatever. It kind of made sense at the time. Ghetto? Well, yes, but she looked adorable.
She had fun during the short while, but I have a feeling she's thinking, "What kind of operation are you people running anyway?"

Sick

2006-06-01T21:36:00.000-07:00

I finally made my way to the doctor today. I have been battling this "cold" for the past three weeks and, while it may have started as a cold, it has morphed into something much nastier. Just getting an appointment was a feat in itself. I swear, you'd think my doc was some world famous cancer doctor the way one can NEVER get an appointment. If you're sick, expect to see him a week later at least. Anyway, the cold turned into a sinus infection. I diagnosed myself via the world wide web. And my doctor agreed with me. I had the pressure headaches, the post nasal drip, the coughing, the fatigue, the works. The only thing I didn't have were the antibiotics. So he prescribed me Cipro. That seemed kind of strange, but apparently it's used for sinus infections too. Not just anthrax.

I'll start them tomorrow. I dropped my prescription off at the pharmacy and Robert said he'd pick it up, but he got home so late that the pharmacy was closed already. Sucks. At least I get to work from home tomorrow.

Sofia: Nine Months

2006-05-31T20:32:00.000-07:00

Dear Sofia,
On the 24th, you turned nine months old. Are you really nine months old? The months have gone by so quickly, they're a blur. It is amazing watching you grow and discover things each day, but at the same time, I wish I could keep you a baby a little longer.

Sofia, you are such a big girl now. You are constantly talking! You express so many things with your baby talk. I know when you're happy and I know when you're upset (especially when I take things away from you -- you don't hesitate to yell).
I know when you're excited and tired. Gone are the days when I didn't know what the heck was bothering you when you were crying and crying and all I could do was nurse you or rock you to soothe you. You are growing up.

You are eating all kinds of foods now. Still, mainly Gerber, but we're branching out. I've started giving you meats at your doctor's instruction, but you're not quite sure about them. You eat all kinds of fruits and veggies and we've started giving you wagon wheels and fruit puffs, as well as cereal and oatmeal. And of course, you always get mama's milk.

I find so much joy in nursing you. When you are nursing, you're still my baby, and I love cradling you and stroking your hair and cherishing those moments that will be gone before I know it.

You're not too shabby with your sippy cup although a lot of the water ends up on your shirt. I'm hoping you'll get better over the next month or so and we can get you off the bottle completely. We'll see how that works out. Your grandma, aunt and uncle visited this past weekend. They were all so impressed with how well you feed yourself and how you drink from your sippy cup.

This past month you grew some more teeth! You have about three coming in, which may explain why you are so fussy sometimes and wake up at night. You had another ear infection this past month too, which wasn't fun for any of us. That brings the count to four (I think) so far. You can also stand and walk the length of the coffee table or couch or crib...

I think your favorite song is "Old MacDonald had a Farm". I go on and on and on with all the different animals. Sometimes it's the only song that stops your crying in the car. You love it. You also love "She'll be Coming 'Round the Mountain". You smile and laugh when I bounce you up and down on my knee singing it.

You love bubbles and try to crawl on me and your daddy whenever we blow them for you. You still like playing peek-a-boo with me and your new favorite game is "hide the pacifier". Daddy and I hide your pacifier under the pillows on our bed, but you find it every time. We started out really trying to hide it from you so you wouldn't use it, but that didn't quite work out.

You had your nine-month check up the other day, and you weighed in at 21 lbs, 6.8 oz. You are 28 and 3/4 inches long! I can't believe how big you are. Your grandma and aunt reported sore arms after they got home from carrying you all weekend. They watched you this weekend while your daddy and I went out for the first time without you here in Houston. It was strange being without you. You are so much a part of us.

This past month we took you out for playtime in the park. You liked watching the ducks and loved shoving grass into your mouth. We also made a stop at the beach on my first Mother's Day. You loved the water! We actually let you feel the waves rush up to you. You squealed every time. It was so cute. We took you over to our neighborhood park the other day too, and you LOVED the baby swing. I had no idea you would love it so much. Our little thrill seeker. You love the outdoors. Everytime I leave the back door open for the cats you try and escape.

Sofia, I love everything about you. I love watching you grow, listening to you talk. I love the way you show all your teeth when you laugh. I love the way you yell when I try to pull something away from you. I can't believe there was a time not long ago when you weren't in the world. I can't wait to hear your first words, watch you take your first steps, and continue to discover the world around you. Every day brings something new, and I'm constantly reminded of how blessed we are to have you in our lives. Thank you for all the joy you bring.

Love,
Mama

Lately

2006-05-22T20:36:00.000-07:00

Haven't blogged much lately. Things have been busy. I am upset that the Spurs lost to the Mavericks tonight, but oh well. On another note, I broke out in hives last week. Friday morning at around 3 am I woke up itching like hell. I had hives all over. It's happened before. About a year and half ago, I started breaking out in hives when Robert and I went up to DC and New York for a week. They (the hives) stuck around on and off for about eight weeks. I went to an allergist who did all kinds of pokey, pin sticking tests on me, but couldn't find out what was causing them. Then they disappeared not to be seen again until this past Friday morning. So for the past few days I've been getting them on and off. They are a real nuisance. I took Benadryl a few times until I read that Allegra may work better and I wouldn't have to worry about the whole drying out of the breast milk or making the baby drowsy because of the medicine. I took some Allegra last night and so far so good. No sign of hives today. I am also getting over a nasty cold, so I was a miserable creature this past weekend.

We went shopping this weekend for wedding gifts (yes, I was all bumpy and itchy). Robert and I are going to two weddings this upcoming weekend. And I have nothing new to wear. I quickly came to the conclusion that I would have to be wearing a rerun of the outfit I wore to Sofia's baptism to at least one wedding after I realized I have no time to go shopping. I guess I'll pull out an old dress for the other. Kind of sucks. One of the weddings is a traditional Indian wedding. I've never been to an Indian wedding before and I'm pretty excited about going. I wanted to wear something pretty and bright, but I guess that's not going to happen.

We are actually going to these weddings sans Sofia. We have not actually had an outing without Sofia. At least not in Houston. In San Antonio, when we visit, if we visit friends we can leave Sofia with my parents. But here, we have no babysitter. But this weekend, my mom and my sister and her husband are actually coming to visit and offered to watch Sofia while we go to these weddings. Isn't that the coolest? I'm pretty excited to see my family this weekend. I miss them.

Sofia had her nine-month checkup this morning. She's a couple of days shy of nine months. She is doing well. Cutting teeth and taking names. Her doc says we can start feeding her table food, but I am terrified that she will choke on everything. How does one get over this fear? Before she gets all her teeth, of course. She ate a piece of grass today. I like to take her outside to look at the grass and birds and what little trees there are in our neighborhood. She likes looking around, but she loves shoving grass in her mouth. I can usually grab it out of her hands or out of her mouth, but she had shoved a blade of grass in her mouth and before I knew it, it was gone. This child.

I will bring my babbling session to a close as I have to wake up at 5:30 am tomorrow for work. Good night.

San Antonio: Part Two

2006-04-29T09:08:00.000-07:00

So I'm finally getting around to posting more pictures from our little trip to San Antonio.

While we were in San Antonio, we took Sofia on her very first trip to the zoo. We went with Robert's sister, her husband, and their two adorable kids. At the zoo, there's an area with lories -- these crazy birds. The zoo provides nectar for a price to its visitors so they can feed the lories. It's kind of neat and fun for the kids to see the birds so close. They're pretty birds, but the birds are also kind of crazy when they see the nectar. Sofia kept her cool and just kind of looked on

but her cousin was terrified! I love this photo.

We also saw lots of other animals like leopards and tigers and stuff.
It was lots of fun.

During the week we also made it over to my sister's new house. She and her husband just bought this amazing house. I couldn't wait to see it. We visited and had a good time. Here's my sister and Sofia.

That's really all I have. Oh, I guess I should post a picture of Sofia eating because really it was during this trip that she decided solids are really not the enemy. So here you go. Isn't she adorable?

Crazy (whine, whine)

2006-04-29T08:21:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been meaning to post, but (wah, wah, wah) I'm going crazy because I have too much to do. And then this past week, I lost my my wallet and my keys. Not kidding. The morning I discovered my wallet was missing I had to go into work at 5 am, and I was already running late, so I REALLY felt crazy. Luckily I found it later that night (under my bed, of all places). My keys were missing all week, and I got locked out of the house one day because of it. Then? they miraculously show up in a place I know I already searched about a thousand times. And last week I lost my bank card. Thankfully, I realized it soon after and called to deactivate it. And Robert went out of town for work for a couple of days last week too, so I was super exhausted having to both take Sofia to daycare and pick her up and do all the shit I already have to do to get ready for each day. Sometimes I feel like the universe is playing a cruel joke on me.

My schedule has been so erratic lately with me running to meeting after meeting at work that I find myself pumping in the car (driving to meetings or before work because I won't have time to pump at work). I never realized the extent to which I could multitask until I started pumping in the car. I can drive, pump, AND talk on the phone. Imagine that. Of COURSE, I use a headset with my cell phone. You think I'm crazy? Well, yes I am crazy. And I'm sure the people who see me hooked up to a breast pump while I'm driving think I'm crazy too, but whatever gets the job done.
Somehow I've managed to keep my child solely on breast milk and I'm hoping I can keep it up until she's a year. I have a love/hate relationship with my breast pump.

Speaking of breast milk, has anyone seen this article on mothering.com? Breast milk to treat warts? Whaaat?

Next week I have to go into work at 3:30 am two days. We're doing a flight simulation for one of the next Shuttle flights, and I know it will be CRAZY. Oh, well, that's life.

Aside from losing my keys, my wallet, and getting locked out of the house this past week wasn't too bad, I guess. I got to work at home on Friday, which was great. I love being home with Sofia, and since Robert is off on Fridays I actually get some work done.

I really don't PLAN on whining when I start these posts, that's just how they come out.

Eight Months

2006-04-24T20:02:00.000-07:00

Dear Sofia,
At 7:06 pm tonight, you officially turned eight months old. You were crawling around the living room floor, looking for things that you could shove into your mouth. Sofia, I cannot believe you are eight months old! I really can't. You have grown so much it's amazing. And you are SO HEAVY. You weigh 20 lbs, 6 oz. You are very difficult to lug around now.

I never posted when you turned seven months, my love, and I'm sorry. During your seventh month you were on strike against solid foods, and you perfected your crawling technique. You practiced by rocking back and forth on your hands and knees. I thought I would fall over because you were too cute for words!

We visited San Antonio just after your seven-month birthday and had you baptized. We visited with your grandparents, you met your great-grandparents, visited the zoo for the first time, and played lots with your cousins. It was during this visit that your tastebuds miraculously came alive and you decided that solids are not so bad after all! Now you will eat cereal, oatmeal, squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, and all kinds of fruit! You still aren't a fan of green beans or peas, but you'll eat them reluctantly. We sometimes give you the mushy part of French fries and you love them. Please don't judge us when you are older. I know grease and salt are probably not a good idea for you, but we don't give you much. Oh, you also like mashed beans.

I cannot believe how well you crawl, Sofia. You are FAST. Your dad and I are trying to figure out how to best baby-proof the areas that are accessible to you. Just this past week you started PULLING UP on stuff!
Yes, we noticed it when we put you in your crib one day and the next thing we knew, you were standing! And you didn't stop there. You enjoy pulling up on the coffee table too, which scares the heck out of me because there is always so much miscellaneous debris on it, as well as all kinds of papers. And as soon as you get something in your beautiful little hands, you shove it into your mouth to explore. I don't know how you chew through things so fast with only two teeth. It looks like more are on the way, which may be why you go through some extreme whiny spells. You have also mastered the crawling to sitting transition, and it's so cute! You crawl and crawl and stop and pop up onto your little bottom.

You have more patience for books now, actually looking at and touching the pages when we read you a story. We read you Brown Bear and The Very Hungry Caterpillar a lot. You recognize the purple cat every time. Your dad and I are convinced that you try to say "kitty cat". Every time you see our cats, Buxy and Whiskers, you start saying, "kkkkkk...kkkkkk". And of course, your dad and I cheer you on! I can't wait until you say your first real word. You say a lot already, like "dadadada" and "tata...ta...tatata". Sometimes we can hear you talking to yourself in your carseat while we're in the front of the car. We giggle about it. We love hearing you talk, Wee!

We lost one of our cats this past month, Sofia. Her name was Trouble and she was a beautiful gray tabby. Someday we'll show you lots of pictures of her and tell you all about how wonderful she was.

You had your first Easter this month too. We went to Sacred Heart Cathedral in Galveston and took you to your first Easter egg hunt after the mass. You looked beautiful in your Easter dress. You liked chewing on the plastic eggs.

We took you out to take photos with wildflowers this month. We took photos in your baptismal gown and your Easter dress. You wanted to eat the flowers.

You still sleep in our bed. I still nurse you as much as you want during the night. You will only be small once, and I love having you so close to me at night. Listening to you breathe. You still love bath time. You always have your pescadito and your rubber ducky with you. You still hate getting dressed after.

My beautiful girl. I still can't believe you grew inside of me for many months. I often look at those pictures we took in the hospital of you so beautiful and tiny. They bring tears to my eyes. I can't believe you are the same little girl growing right before my eyes. Sofia, you are an amazing, beautiful, wonderful gift. I sometimes wonder what your father and I did to receive such a gift. We are so thankful that you have graced our lives. You make our lives so rich and happy. My beautiful Wee, my Sassafrass, my angel. I love you.

Love,
Mama