Yearly Archives: 2016

Lucia’s Monthly Photos: Eleven Months Old

Dear Lucia,

This past month marked one year since our maternity photo shoot and your baby shower. This past year has been filled with so much that it’s hard to believe it was only one year ago that all of us were celebrating your upcoming arrival, anxious to find out what you looked like, so excited to see who you were and what role you would play in our lives. One thing we seemed to have guessed right–you sure lived up to the “Little Miss Sunshine” theme of your baby shower!

Here are some of the fun things you’ve been up to this past month:

  • You took your first steps on Mar 16th! You were SO proud that day (and probably a little frightened the way Mama squealed when she saw what you were doing!) You love cruising on furniture and you have taken up to 6 steps in a row on your own so far.
  • You moved into your own bedroom a few weeks ago and it has made a huge difference in your sleep (and my sleep). You’re sharing a space with the office and we’re guessing in the next 6-12 months you’ll move next door into Sirena’s room and this room will become the office/playroom. It’s been so fun decorating your space.
  • You’re understanding so much: Like when I say, “Kevin look” you know I want him to look at something you’re doing so you look at him and ham it up big time; you will open your mouth when I say, “What’s in your mouth?” or “Not in your mouth”; you follow directions when I say, “Come here, Lucia,” “Can you do it?”, “Can I have it?”
  • You injure yourself far more often than your big sis ever did at this age and we’re guessing it’s because you’ve been mobile at such a younger age. The photos at the bottom of this post were taken to use in  your birthday party invitation and I’m (somewhat) embarrassed to say that I photoshopped your boo-boo’s out of the photo used on your invite! Every other day it seems we find a new scratch or mark on your face. Oof!
  • You’ve stopped fighting naps so badly (hallelujah!) and you will sleep a solid 45-90 minutes twice a day (around 10/10:30 and 2/2:30). So far we’re still able to get you and Sirena to nap at the same time during the afternoon and that is a freaking lifesaver. The funniest thing is that most times you get put down to sleep, you will roll over and sleep with your booty up in the air.
  • This past month you have been so silly when nursing–you’ll pull the arm that normally goes around my waist under my chest and out in front of you and immediately start clapping your hands together (all the while latched on). Hilarious!

The part of your personality we have really enjoyed seeing come to surface is your love for music and dancing (just like your big sis!) Your favorite song to date is “If You’re Happy And You Know It” and you get all excited and start clapping away when prompted by the song. If you (or me for that matter) are ever in a funk, I can easily put some music on and it gets both of us in a playful, silly, fun mood. For your first birthday, we’d like to start you in some parent + me toddler music classes to encourage this passion of yours which I’m really excited about and I know you’re going to have an absolute blast!

Your first birthday is right around the corner (um…exactly 13 days from the date I’m publishing this post). I feel mixed emotions about you approaching such an incredible milestone–so excited for what’s to come but a little heartbroken that this baby stage is coming to an end, especially given the fact that you are my last baby. You have been such a dream these past 11 months and I am so grateful that you chose me to teach you, learn from you, and tag along with you on this journey in life as your mama.

Love,

Mama

 

The Eleven Month Rundown

Likes

  • Drinking water: You love to drink water–be it from your little straw cup, my water bottle, or even the bathtub (ha!)
  • Airplanes: We live in the flight-path for the small, private planes that fly out of the Long Beach airport and when you hear one overhead you look up, point, and make a cute “ooh” sound. You could not have made your Daddy any happier having a second airplane enthusiast daughter!
  • FOOD: I mean, you really, really, really love food. When you see me sit down to eat you will immediately drop whatever it is that is in your hands and turbo crawl over to me, stand up holding onto my leg, and do the sign for “food” until I feed you. You do this silly thing sometimes where after I give you a bite you will cruise over a few steps while humming and chewing, then cruise back over to me for another bite, and then cruise over a few steps back while humming and chewing (over and over). You also do a super silly thing where you will lean over and eat food directly off of your highchair (no hands). Hahah!

Dislikes

  • Being in the car for too long: You are great in the car seat for the most part but you’ve got your limits. About 45-60 minutes after being in the car (either straight through or in and out while running errands) you are quick to share your discontent with us by screeching. Yeesh!

 

Monthly Photos

11 monthsAnd here’s Sirena’s eleven month photo in the armchair for comparison’s sake

The Many Facial Expressions of Lucia

Lucia’s Monthly Photos: Ten Months Old

Dear Lucia,

What a little love muffin you are! We cannot get over how engaging and curious and sweet and responsive and adventurous and hilarious you are. Each day we learn a little bit more about who you are and what kind of person you are becoming and it makes us so proud to know that you’ve chosen us to come along for the ride.

Here are some of the exciting things you’re learning and doing lately:

  • LOTS of gross motor development this past month:
    • You started crawling on Jan 25! And boy you sure haven’t slowed down one bit ever since. Your favorite things to go for are shoes and Lola’s toys…and then proceed to put them directly into your mouth. Oy!
    • You can stand for a long period of time without assistance and you even have great enough balance that you can bend over and pick up a toy and right yourself again afterwards.
    • You like to practice walking while holding our hands. It’s only a matter of time that you start cruising and then start taking steps on your own!
    • You’re quite the climber, climbing up on top of boxes, on top of us, etc. This isn’t anything we’re used to because your big sis really didn’t try any of these maneuvers so this is all new to us.
  • You LOVE to eat food. So far the only thing you’ve spit out was a kalamata olive. Other than that, you gladly chow down on any food that we give you. For a short while you would pick a piece of food up in your right hand and leave it there, eating the rest of the food with your left hand, and then saving the piece in your right hand for last. 🙂
  • Your communication skills have also sky-rocketed lately:
    • You point at things you want, people you’re excited to see, and places you want to go
    • You have the “milk,” “hungry,” and “all done,” signs down pat. We’re working on “more” and “please.”
    • About 50% of the time you’ll wave hello or bye-bye on cue
    • You make the cutest chirping noises, especially in the car seat just talking away to yourself
    • You like to copy us barking like a dog and roaring like a dinosaur

One of my most favorite things that you’ve been doing lately, especially after your afternoon nap, is resting your head on my chest. It is the sweetest, most loving thing you could do and I melt every time you do it.

Looking back at your sister’s pictures when she was your age, I am reminded of how easily it is to forget how precious babies are once they’re running/talking/spunky toddlers. Although I miss a full night’s sleep like you wouldn’t believe, I do my best to really soak in all of the good parts of babyhood, of which there are many. Only two more months of official babyhood for you and then you’re well on your way to big kid status. This thought simultaneously makes me so excited and makes my heart ache. All I know is that right now, you are incredibly perfect and we love you times infinity.

Love,

Mama

 

The Ten Month Rundown

Likes

  • Cruisin’: You are a HUGE fan of the red plastic Little Tikes Cozy Coupe car. We bought that for Sirena’s first birthday and I’m so glad it’s held up so that you can now enjoy it. You love to stand near it, checking out the steering wheel, horn, wheels, etc. and you love when we put you in and go for a ride on the patio or around the block. You can tell you really feel like a big kid riding around in it!

Dislikes

  •  Diaper changes: It has become the Diaper Changing Olympics around here lately–you twist your body and pull yourself up on your knees or even up to standing. The changing table’s days are numbered, I think…

 

Monthly Photos

10 months

And here’s Sirena’s ten month photo in the armchair for comparison’s sake

The Many Facial Expressions of Lucia

Lucia’s Monthly Photos: Nine Months Old

Dear Lucia,

You’re nine months old. We’re only three months away from your first birthday. How is this even possible? It’s both crazy how fast these past nine months have flown by but also hard to believe that we’ve only known you for nine months because it feels like you’ve been a part of this family forever and a day. Was there ever life before Lucia? 🙂

Here are some of the exciting things you’re learning and doing lately:

  • You’re not yet crawling in the traditional sense but you sure know how to get around. You scoot on your butt, twisting yourself in circles to get places. And when on your tummy you push yourself backwards and often get yourself stuck under things (which I find kinda hilarious in all honesty).
  • You’ve learned to pull yourself to stand which you are so happy about! You first did this on January 14. We’re practicing helping you sit back down because you tend to get stuck standing up. 🙂 You’re also getting really strong and confident on your two legs and can stand unassisted for a few moments before toppling over. When holding your hands you have started to lift your feet ever-so-slightly which means that walking is not too far off!
  • You still like to pretend you’re a puppy dog with your tongue hanging out but you’ve also started to do some cool tricks by rolling your tongue thisaway and thataway, I’m quite impressed.
  • The past month you have transitioned out of your baby bath recliner and you’re now sitting upright on the bath mat. You are SO active at bath time, splashing around, twisting your body around chasing toys, and even trying to pull yourself to standing on the edge of the tub! You’re way more active at bath time than Sirena was as a baby, that’s for sure.
  • You’ve pushed bedtime back a half hour (from 6pm to 6:30pm) and it’s nice to be moving in the direction to you and Sirena sharing the same bedtime (which I know is still a ways off but it sounds so much more enjoyable!)
  • You understand the concept of kisses and you make the cutest puckered lips (sometimes sucking in your top lip to make a kissy sound). Sometimes when we ask for kisses you’ll go right for it and sometimes it’ll seem like you’re going to and then you dodge us at the last minute! What a character.
  • You are a very proud baby. You know when you do something cool and you’ll look around for people to see you and beam when they notice you.

I often think about how so very lucky I am to have you and I hope you always know that.

Love,

Mama

 

The Nine Month Rundown

Likes

  • Other babies! We went to Sirena’s friend’s birthday party and the friend’s baby sister was there and you got SO excited to see her (making squealing noises and flapping your arms around, it was adorable). I hadn’t realized that you really haven’t been socialized with other babies, you’ve been around big kids for the most part! We need to get you some baby friends. 🙂
  • When you’re really hungry you have a tendency to nose-dive at my chest which always cracks me up!

Dislikes

  •  You’ve been extremely distracted lately when nursing so I have to make every effort to go into our bedroom to feed you with no audience (Sirena is the worst distraction, for good reason!)

 

Monthly Photos

 9 months

And here’s Sirena’s nine month photo in the armchair for comparison’s sake

Lucia’s Monthly Photos: Eight Months Old

Dear Lucia,

You are pure joy, little girl. No matter what life throws your way (like a fourth cold in your short existence, wecannotevenbelieveit!), no matter how off your schedule is due to the holidays, no matter if your needs have to occasionally take a backseat due to your sister’s needs, you are always a pure joy.

Here are some of the exciting things you’ve been learning and doing lately:

  • Your first word was Sirena!! You call her “Na” and it was the most heartwarming moment when I realized your “na, na, na” was referring to Sirena. You said this on Dec 11. Other new sounds are “bla” and “ma”
  • Your tongue continues to be out all the time! We call you our little puppy dog. You have started to curl it up lately too.
  • You’ve transitioned yourself to two naps a day which is so much better to work around. Luckily your second nap coincides with Sirena’s so occasionally we get a moment of peace when both of you are napping!
  • You love playing “Where’s Lucia?” where we put a blankie over your face and you pull it down to show yourself, you get so happy when we “find” you!
  • You are so close to crawling it’s not even funny. You get on your hands and knees and rock back and forth but always plop down on your belly after a minute or so.
  • The most exciting thing this past month was celebrating your first Christmas! You had such a blast at all of the holiday activities (Breakfast with Santa at Rancho Los Alamitos, Christmas light viewing in Naples, Big Red Bus ride with Santa, not to mention the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day festivities).

I can’t help but compare what’s going on in your life at this age with what was going on in Sirena’s life at this age and a huge difference is that we moved from Oakland to Long Beach with Sirena when she was 8 months old. We feel that you are so lucky that you’ve had all eight of these months to build relationships with your family and friends down here whereas Sirena was really starting anew at this age (not that she didn’t quickly solidify those relationships!) It is so apparent to us that moving to Long Beach to be close to family and friends was the best move for us (even though we miss the Bay Area something fierce!) Your life and your sister’s life is that much more full of love because of the people we are surrounded with here. My hope is that these relationships continue to grow and strengthen as each year goes by and that you know how truly loved you are by everyone around you.

Love,

Mama

 

The Eight Month Rundown

Likes

  • When you’re super happy you rub the bottoms of your feet together

Dislikes

  • When you’re annoyed at something you’ll make a squishy, scrunchy face (not to be confused with “crinkle nose” that you do all the time which is usually when you’re happy) and you’ll made a screeching sound (lord help us)
  • Being sick (again!!) We were dumbstruck when you started coughing and your nose

 

Monthly Photos

8 months

And here’s Sirena’s eight month photo in the armchair for comparison’s sake

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