Life with a Little Grace

Cami's Words @ 15 mths

2012-01-17T10:38:00.000-08:00

Cami is starting to talk! Mostly it's mumbo jumbo but she has mastered a few words:

Mama
Dada
Nana
Papa
Ba ba (milk)
Wa wa (water)
Bye Bye
Hi
Night Night
Night Night Da (she said this only once, last weekend)
Bu oooo (Bubaloo = Rosco's nickname)

Disneyland & other Stuff

2012-01-13T09:14:00.000-08:00

I took the girls to Disneyland on Tuesday. It was Cami's first time...and my first time taking both. I anticipated it to be much harder. The girls were both very good and it helped that we met a friend there. Parking in the Mickey & Friends structure really is convenient. We rode Dumbo, teacups twice, small world, winnie, the carousel and Grace got a face paint. We got to the boat on Pirates and then Grace wimped out. She rode it once about a year ago and was totally scared. I thought she'd do it with her friend Nola, but no such luck. Thank god there was no line. Cami liked it all; she's my adventurous one.

We've been loving this warm weather in January....spending lots of time playing in the backyard and with friends on the street. Tonight Grace has a sleepover with Grandma & Papa, and tomorrow Nana is watching the girls so we can go to dinner & a movie. It's going to be a fun weekend :)

Happy New Year, Welcome 2012

2012-01-03T10:39:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!!!

It was a wonderful Christmas holiday at the Porco home this year. We had so many fun celebrations with friends, family and neighbors, that I had no time to blog :) The girls thoroughly enjoyed all the Xmas & New Years activity and now we are prepping to go back to school tomorrow as our fun vacation comes to a close. I turned 36 over the holiday and one of the highlights was a dinner celebration at Benihana that Grace got to partake in because 'she's a big girl now'. She loooooved the teppan experience and totally go into it! Mike and I are really looking forward to an exciting year of fun, adventure, and growth with these two little blessings.....one of which turned 15 months today!!!

Christmas Music

2011-12-20T20:08:00.000-08:00

We LOVE Christmas music in our house during the holidays. It is on basically at all times.....unless we're watching TV.....actually.....sometimes we do both :)

Our most favorite songs this year are:

1. Do They Know it's Christmas - Glee Cast (awesome version)
2. Little Drummer Boy - Bob Seger
3. Christmas Sarajevo 12/24 Instrumental - Trans Siberian Orchestra

Download from iTunes and ENJOY!

Love....

2011-12-12T16:05:00.000-08:00

...How these two Love eachother

Big Canyon Christmas Brunch

2011-12-12T15:55:00.000-08:00

We went to our annual Big Canyon Christmas brunch yesterday. The food was soooooo amazing (the mimosas too)! The girls loved all the gorgeous decorations and Grace made gingerbread cookies, crafts and saw a reindeer. Cami just loved running around checking-out all the Christmas decor. She is so independant. Cami also sat on Santa's lap -G was busy doing something- but we didn't get a picture unfortunately. The girls have been 'wearing the hec' out of their Christmas dresses this year. I've already dry cleaned them 3x! Mental note: buy TWO matching dresses for next year :)

December Traditions etc.

2011-12-06T11:08:00.000-08:00

1. Our Elf of the Shelf came 'alive' on December 1st. Grace loves finding him each morning when she comes down stairs.
2. We started the Advent Calendar for the second year now. Of course Grace loves eating her chocolate each night.
3. Grace went to a cupcake decorating event with Grandma a couple weeks ago and was in heaven making Xmas cupcakes.
4. Grace is going to the Nutcracker musical with Nan on Saturday. Last year we went to the ballet and she LOVED it.
5. On Sunday we're going to our annual Big Canyon brunch with Santa. We ALL love that event!
6. We got our tree & decorations up last weekend. Cami loves the tree and Christmas lights around the neighborhood.
7. I am 90% DONE with all Christmas shopping and wrapping!!!
8. More fun Christmas events around the corner...

It's such a great month so far (despite the girls' re-occuring colds). There is NOTHING like Christmas through a child's eyes :)

'A Bunch of Gifts'

2011-12-03T14:20:00.000-08:00

Posing by her class Christmas tree

Reading Christmas books with her friend Audrey before the show

Singing their little hearts out :)

Christmas party back in her classroom - with Audrey and her big sister Ava

Grace had her Christmas show at Grace Christian School today. The program was called "A Bunch of Gifts" and it was adorable. They sang a bunch of songs. After the performance they had a class party :)

Pumpkin Crunch

2011-11-24T10:15:00.000-08:00

The easiest and tastiest Fall dessert ever!
My contribution to Thanksgiving dinner this year. Mike LOVED it last year.

1 box yellow cake mix
16 oz. packed pumpkin
12 oz. evaporated milk
3 eggs
1/2 C sugar
4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt
1 C shopped pecans
1 C melted butter

Mix together pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, spice and salt. Pour into greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with dry cake mix over top of mixture. Top with pecans. Drizzle with melted butter. Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream.

Thanksgiving Feast, Ponies & Cupcakes

2011-11-18T14:04:00.000-08:00

Today Grace had her preschool class 'Thanksgiving Feast'. It was so cute, all the kids had turkey hats and laminated placements with a picture of them dressed like a pilgrim and they said what they are thankful for. Grace said she was thankful for her friends. The kids ate a big meal as the parents and siblings watched/helped and played in the classroom. Tonight we are looking forward to our friend Nola's pony party! There will be ponies strolling down Cantora - watch out neighbors. This weekend Grace has a cupcake decorating workshop AND sleepover with Grandma and Papa. Fun times for these little turkeys :)

Family Updates

2011-11-09T09:55:00.000-08:00

We've been busy winding-down Grace's birthday festivities. She had a fun weekend - cupcake decorating with a few friends & a family pizza party at Papa/Grandma's house. Everyone spoiled her so much this year with such kind and thoughful gifts. She is a lucky little girl!
I'm trying to organize our house a little before the Christmas madness begins. I feel overwhelmed with toys so I'm focusing on the girls' rooms and our downstairs closet so the house doesn't look so cluttered with toys all over.

Mike is busy working a lot and I need to start getting motivated to work-out after a couple weeks off. Between colds and the time change we ALL need to catch up on sleep!

We had two photo shoots recently, one of the girls in a studio & a family outdoor shoot (Christmas card). Nan and I picked out our photos yesterday from the in-studio shoot and they are very fun. We will be giving some away as Christmas gifts. The family shoot was very cool at my favorite spot in San Juan Capistrano and I am always so impressed with our photographer's results. I want to save them for our Christmas card, but here's one of each of the girls individually.

Grace's Birthday - Class Celebration

2011-11-03T12:00:00.000-07:00

Grandma joined Cami and I yesterday when we went to Grace's school with banana muffins (thx Grandma) to celebrate G's birthday. They recognize the birthdays at the beginning of chapel and then have a little class celebration afterwards. The kids put a coin in a can for each year and then the school donates the money to charity at the end of the year. They also give the birthday kids crowns to wear for the day. Grace looked a little hesitant standing in front of chapel but liked it in the end. I think she felt special :)

Happy 4th Birthday Grace!

2011-11-01T19:59:00.000-07:00

Four years ago today I gave birth to the most amazing little baby and today we celebrated FOUR years! Gracie is a huge blessing to us and it has been so fun to watch her grow from a baby, to a toddler, to a little girl & sister full of spunk & personality. Grace, you are a bright light in the lives of all you touch. You are loving, sweet, sassy, smart and beautiful, and a great big sister to one lucky little girl. Daddy, Cami and I love you more than words can say!!

We had a special day for Grace; starting with presents in bed first-thing this morning. She got her EasyBake oven (among more!) so she was thrilled & ready to bake at 7:30 am (ugh!). We went to lunch and the park with Grandma and had dinner with Nan. The celebration continues tomorrow at school, Saturday with her friends, and Sunday with her family. It's a week of birthday party...ing for our girl :)

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T21:22:00.000-07:00

Madeleine, Grace, Cami and Jordan

Madeleine & Grace

Nola, Madeleine, Grace & Maya

Nan & Cami

My babies

Regan & JoJo (the best next door neighbors ever!!)

I feel like each Halloween gets better & better. Grace was Batgirl this year....a costume she selected and I had noting to do with :) Cami was a Ladybug and both girls LOVED the whole evening. Our neighbor had their annual Halloween party and Nan came over to spend the night with us. We all went Trick-or-Treating for a little bit and then Nana, Cami and I came home to pass-out candy as Mike & Grace took on the neighborhood with her friends. A super night!! Boo to your family too!

San Francisco Trip

2011-10-17T19:09:00.000-07:00

Daddy and Cami at the Golden Gate Bridge lookout

The girls and their Poppy

Sandy too!

The view from Mike and my room (bridge & Palace)

Visiting a pumpkin by Poppy's house

The girl who loves to "pose"

Crab Louie's at Scomas

Wisherman's Warf

An 'almost family' photo

The attempt at the Family Photo - Palace of the Arts

Who wouldn't love these grandparents?!

A bird's eye view of the city

Poppy & Sandy's house

Nana and her very special dad

Me, Grace and Sandy

Oh, don't forget Jessie

Nana & her girls first thing in the morning

Camryn's first plane ride

We went to San Francisco this weekend with Nana & Papa to visit Poppy and Sandy. It was Camryn's first time on an airplane as well as her first time meeting her Poppy who is 90 years old - a big adventure for our family! Grace is a great little traveler and Cami was very good in SF although the plane ride was a little hectic because she wasn't very interested in sitting still. I cannot IMAGINE flying with her (at this age) for more than 1 hour. We stayed at a family friend's beautiful home on Union, right across the street from Poppy's house. It was a memorable and exciting trip for all of us. Grace's favorites - going across the golden gate bridge, walking the steep streets, seeing a cow's eye disected at the Exploritorium, meeting Poppy's dog Jessie & Fisherman's Warf. What a perfect weekend!!

Pumpkin Patch Field Trip

2011-10-12T16:02:00.000-07:00

Jill, Grace, Audrey & Faith

We went on Grace's class field trip to the pumpkin patch at Tanaka Farms today. It felt more like strawberry-picking season with this heat wave, but I'll take it over a cold rainy day for sure. It was so fun to see Grace run off holding hands with her friends. She has a great class and teacher this year. Thanks to my friend Amy & my mom for watching Cami so I could enjoy the field trip.

Happy Birthday Baby!

2011-10-03T13:31:00.000-07:00

Camryn turned 1 today! We had a nice dinner last night with family to celebrate the momentous occasion. Cami and Grace were both so happy to see the balloons, cupcakes, presents, but most of all, family. She got some great new toys and tons of clothes. Grace was such a big help with getting everything ready for Cami yesterday. Cami, you are an exceptionally sweet and good baby. We are so lucky to have you and just adore you with all of our hearts. Happy Birthday!!

This Little Beauty...

2011-10-01T20:08:00.000-07:00

...Turns 1 in 48 Hours!

We've Been Boo'ed

2011-10-01T07:41:00.000-07:00

Each year we have a Halloween tradition on our street called the "Cantora Ghost". He comes in the form of neighbors "boo'ing" eachother by leaving Halloween treats at their doors. The girls woke up this morning to find some NICE halloween treats on our doorstep today :) Halloween is in the air!

Warm Clothes & School Update

2011-09-22T13:19:00.000-07:00

I just love a good deal! .....bought these two little numbers for Grace from GAP, 50% off. We're going to San Francisco in October and the girls need some warmer clothes. I've also been loving Nartjie's little leggings and long-sleeved shirts for Cami for fall/winter. Although I love dresses on her, she trips on them too often since she's still learning to walk well so we're going to stay away from them for a few more months.

Gracie loves her school! She has already made friends and always asks eagerly if it's a 'school day' each morning. Her teacher is very nice and Grace's favorite parts are art, chapel (includes music) and motor development class. She has her first field trip to Tanaka Farms pumpkin patch in a couple weeks & they're working on a fall recital. I'm so happy she likes it :) Grace Christian School is truly amazing!

First Day of School

2011-09-12T10:09:00.000-07:00

Grace started her new preschool today. She was excited to go to school, but a little reluctant to be with her new teacher and new friends. She's staying for lunch bunch with her buddy Lukas & the preschool has a lot of bunnies so she wants to see the bunnies at recess. I'm crossing my fingers that she says she loves it when I pick her up this afternoon :)

Summer's End

2011-09-08T10:30:00.000-07:00

Summer is quickly coming to an end, although you wouldn't know it with this crazy heat in OC. We've had a great, relaxing summer but now it's time for school to start and Fall to greet us around the corner. Fall is my favorite time of the year - the girls' birthdays, the leaves falling, decorations, Halloween, baking treats, warm clothes, Thanksgiving, Christmas! I can't wait! Here's a little update on Grace & Cami:

Grace spent most of her summer in the pool. She is a good little swimmer (thx to her awesome swim teacher Kristen) and loves the water. She also really enjoys the beach and is no longer scared of jumping in the waves. She loves spending time outside with her friends and family and enjoys being "on the go", playdates, baking with me, watching iCarly and pretend play. She is dying for an Easy Bake Oven for her birthday and just picked out her -very girly- new school shoes. Grace begins school on Monday and will go three days a week. She is ready for all the action! I am ready for a little downtime :)

Cami started walking at 10.5 months! She LOVES making a mess around the house while exploring and is enamored with her big sister. She gets into everything these days and is always smiling and happy. She eats a ton and wants all the same food as her big sister. She loves taking bubble baths with Grace, animals, her swing, dancing & climbing. Cami will be 1 soooo soon. My little baby is quickly becoming a toddler and it's going by so fast. I can't believe we survived this first year. It's been crazy and hectic....but lots of fun too.

My current Fall Goals:

1. Keep running in the early am!!
2. Plan & cook healthy dinners
3. Organize the house & get rid of stuff we don't use
4. Re-plant all flowers in front & back yard
5. Photograph more

Cami Walking

2011-08-29T15:57:00.000-07:00

Walking. Running.

2011-08-26T06:32:00.000-07:00

My little girl is walking! She will take up to 10 steps and then fall down and crawl because she realizes it is much faster & easier. I need to try to get a better video. We're enjoying the last few (hot) weeks of summer with lots of swimming.
I'm on week 2 of running 3 days per week at 5:30 am. It is so tough to get up & get out there. But it's soooo enjoyable to end my run early for the day, feel great & see the sun rise on my way home. Today: 6:20 am.....

My big girl

2011-08-07T15:20:00.001-07:00

Is into iCarly and pink feathers in her hair.

3 1/2 going on 13!!!

10 Months Old...

2011-08-07T15:17:00.000-07:00

...and full of trouble :) Little Cami is into everything these days and desperately wants to walk. She can stand, climb and walk while pushing a toy, but she isn't quite taking steps yet. Mike thinks it will happen at 10.5 months. I think he may be close!

Cami, at 10 months you:

- Love regular food, not baby food. You eat potatoes, fruit, some veggies, eggs and meat. Your favorite food is blueberries and you LOVE Grandma's homemade baby food.
- Drink about 24 oz of formula and like water.
- Take two hour-long naps and sleep from approximately 7 pm - 7 am.
- ADORE your big sister!
- Wear size 12-18 month clothes and 3 diaper.
- Point and wave at people and REALLY love dogs & balloons.
- You get in screaming matches with your sister and crack-up laughing.
- Dance whenever you hear music.
- Get into all the drawers and like to pull stuff out of them, like the clothes in Grace's dresser.
- Enjoy ripping magazines apart and pulling things off shelves.
- Are learning to wear shoes and don't like sitting in your stroller for very long.
- No longer cry when we put you to bed.
- Are pretty independant and will go to most people.

Balboa Island Vacation

2011-07-30T19:41:00.000-07:00

We just returned from our week-long 'staycation' on Balboa Island. We had such a blast living on the island for a week. It was an ideal spot for the girls at this age because there was lots to do and it only took us 30 minutes to get there (with a ton of stuff)!! We spent most of our time cruising around the island, boating, visiting the beach and penninsula, and just hanging out with family. My parents and my brother and his girlfriend stayed with us in a giant red house on Garnet street. It was a couple houses from the beach and we met some great people next door with a little girl named Addi, who Grace played with every day. Mike's family joined us for a few adventures as well. A very memorable and nice week for our family! I did not take as many pics as I would have liked, but here are the best....

Walking to starbucks one morning

Cami....gearing up for a bay cruise

Day 1, Grace checking out the porch

The girls loved boating, especially Grace of course

Jeff, his girlfriend Jolene & Papa...in our rental house

My attempt at getting a cute picture of the girls on the beach

A heavy load for mommy :)

Cami did not like the life vest that practically consumed her. Grandma & Papa tried to cheer her up.

Grace and her new friend Addi, first thing in the morning.

Daddy and Cami cakes.

Riding the ferry home after a fun outing with Aunt Ashley.

9 Months Old

2011-07-04T13:38:00.000-07:00

Yeah, Cami is 9 months old!

She is standing all the time, sometimes unassisted now, but no steps on her own yet. I still think she's going to walk before her 1st birthday. She points at people a lot and waves. The only thing she says is "Da da" but it's not always directed at Mike. She drinks about 3 bottles a day and eats baby food and small bits of food. She has two front bottom teeth and I don't feel any others yet. She wears size 12 months clothes and 3 diapers. She is still a total sweetie, always smiling and having a good time, rarely unhappy. Naps are still pretty short twice a day, but she sleeps 7 am - 7 pm at night. She adores Grace, Daddy and Rosco and loves meeting new people.

More Summer Fun...In our Backyard

2011-07-01T10:36:00.000-07:00

We've been enjoying all this hot weather by spending lots of time in the water. We're at the pool at least 2 days a week for Grace's swim lessons and we have some water toys set-up in the backyard. It's supposed to be scorching this holiday weekend. We're looking forward to a couple of parties and having fun together as a family. Grace is off to Grandma and Papa's today for a sleepover.

Summer is Here!!

2011-06-23T15:36:00.000-07:00

Getting ready for G's upcoming dance recital this weekend

Separation anxiety has officially set in

Baking cupcakes for G's last day of school....today

Enjoying the backyard and good weather

Needlepointing with Nana

3 Years Later...

2011-06-21T19:58:00.000-07:00

Grace 10 months, Cami almost 9 months

Graduation

2011-06-12T19:43:00.000-07:00

Daddy graduated from UCI's MBA program today! We are sooooo proud of him for this incredible achievement and are happy to have more time with him now. It's been a crazy three years, but he did it (with two babies!!) and today we celebrated big time :)

8 Months Old...

2011-06-04T14:44:00.000-07:00

...and ready to GOOOOOOOOO! Our sweet 8-month old is officially off and running (well, crawling). During the last week she started crawling and standing while holding onto something. We've entered a new phase and although it's a tricky one, I'm happy to see my little baby grow. Cami is having a ball exploring the house and we need to get those baby gates out of the garage and into our house pronto. I have a feeling she will be walking within 2 months, unlike her sister, who was exactly 12 months old. She went to the doctor this week for a check-up due to a nasty cold and I found out she weighs 20 pounds! She is eating like a champ and is still as smiley as ever but I think we have some new teeth comingin because she seems to be in pain at times. She has two bottom teeth and waves hi. No words yet, but I had a very vivid dream that her first word will be "dada" just like Grace.

We went to the Aquarium of the Pacific yesterday with Grandma and Papa. Grace and Papa took off exploring and Grandma and Cami and I were not far behind. It was such a pretty day to check out all the exciting marine life. We've taken Grace twice before but she didn't remember it too well so it was fun seeing through her eyes again like it was her first time. Cami loved 'talking' to the fish. Thanks Grandma and Papa for a great day! Tonight they are taking Grace for a sleepover. Mike is out of town finishing his MBA closing residential and we can't wait to have daddy back tomorrow. Next week is graduation, yaaaahhhhhhh!!!!

Sophie's 4th Birthday

2011-05-31T21:49:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th Birthday Sophie!!!!
Gracie's best buddy Sophie turned 4 on Sunday and had a super fun 'My Gym' party. Grace had a blast and it was so fun seeing my friends and their adorable babes. Mike hung back with Cami who was super excited to be at our Memorial Day block party. Good times!

My best friend Kristyn and her kids Sophie (bday girl) and Ethan

Grace loved the princess cake

Updated Picture of the Girls

2011-05-28T09:59:00.001-07:00

Latest picture of the girls - before going to visit GiGi last week.

Cami is a few days shy of turning 8 months old. She started crawling this week. I caught her this morning across the room with a dog toy in her mouth. Let the good times roll :)

Grace's 2011 Preschool Spring Pic

2011-05-17T14:31:00.000-07:00

Puffs for "Sweetie Pie"

2011-05-16T20:41:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day

2011-05-10T13:01:00.000-07:00

I LOVED Mother's Day! Mike let me sleep in and I went for a 7.5 mile run before we headed over to Grandma and Grandpa's for brunch. Everything was so delicious and it was such a great celebration of all the moms in our family and Stephanie's birthday. I seriously have the two most amazing, loving & giving moms! Not only are they wonderful to Mike and I, but the time and effort they put into their relationships with the girls is so amazing. Happy Mother's Day Nana & Grandma!

So this year I thought I came-up with a unique & exciting Mother's Day gift. I asked Hilary from Light of My Life to paint a picture of Grace posing in her tutu. She does modern silhouette paintings that are so awesome. The result was amazing and I even got one for Grace's room! If you are looking for a unique way to capture a photograph of a loved one, I highly recommend Hilary's work. I'm going to have her paint Cami when she gets just a little older.

Cami's First Angels Game

2011-05-10T11:18:00.000-07:00

We took Cami to an Angels baseball game last Saturday night. It was an evening game so we thought she'd fall asleep for most of it, but she had too much fun watching all the action and stayed up until about 8:45 pm. Grace was at home with her favorite babysitter (and our next door neighbor) Jordan. They had a blast as usual. She didn't feel like she missed out on anything too exciting so that was good.

Dreams

2011-05-06T21:00:00.000-07:00

My little monkey has been having bad dreams at night about a mean raccoon coming into her room so its been hard for her to go to bed & let me leave her room. She is scared and I feel bad for her :( 'Fearful fours' just around the corner?

"Magic Mommy Kisses"
Each night I tuck you into bed, I brush my hand across your head,
and in each tiny little fist
I place a magic mommy kiss.

Full of love and hope so bright
To keep you safely through the night,
Mommy kisses in your hand
To guide you off to slumberland.

If you should dream of monsters mean
Or witches with faces masked in green,
Of snakes that squeeze you oh-so-tight
Or darkness with no sign of light.

When nightmares hold you stiff with fear
A part of mommy still is near,
Just open up your hand and blow
One mommy kiss and nightmares go.

Cinco de Mayo PCRF 10k

2011-05-01T10:24:00.000-07:00

I ran the Cinco de Mayo Pediatric Cancer Research run this morning at the Spectrum. It was awesome. I just love organized races and there were hundreds of people out for the various races. I had my best 10k run yet, whoo hoo! Now to pick the next one (I'm addicted).
Distance: 6.6 miles
Time: 58 minutes, 30 sec.
Ave Mile: 8 min, 53 sec.

Bathtime

2011-04-30T19:32:00.000-07:00

Cami's first bath in the tub. Mike's first post on this blog.

Easter Sunday

2011-04-28T14:40:00.000-07:00

Easter Brunch & Egg Hunt on Saturday

2011-04-25T13:38:00.000-07:00

My New Favorite App

2011-04-16T14:15:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my friend Amy :) I even got my mom playing on her iphone!

Braids & Bubby

2011-04-16T13:59:00.001-07:00

Cami turns 6 months old

2011-04-09T09:18:00.001-07:00

Camryn turned 6 months old this week! I cannot believe she will be *one* in only 6 more months. She is a very happy, smiley, content little girl. She loves to sit-up and play with her toys while watching Rosco, Grace or TV. She loves her jumperoo and exersaucer and still gets all excited when I put on the Baby Bjorn or when she sees her daddy. Cami eats 30 ounces of formula a day and has a little rice cereal and yellow vegetables but she isn't too into food yet. She rolls and gets up on all fours but doesn't crawl yet. She had her first fall off G's bed yesterday but only cried for 10 seconds (bad mommy!!!!) and she wears 9 month clothes and a size 2 or 2-3 diapers. She sleeps through the night and takes about four short naps throughout the day. She is such a little ray of sunshine in our lives and is ALWAYS smiling at us.......rarely cries. Grace is a great big sister. I think they'll have fun playing together soon. Her 6 months stats:

Weight: 18.14 lbs - 74%

Height: 27" - 86%

HC: 17.25 - 51%

Kale Smoothies

2011-04-07T15:06:00.001-07:00

As part of my mission to start eating healthier as a family, kale smoothies are my new favorite snack. Kale is great with all kinds of fruit, such as bananas, apples and oranges, and it's oh so nutritious. The best part is....Grace loves it! Now I won't feel so guilty skipping veggies at night.

Book Recommendation

2011-04-06T08:37:00.001-07:00

I'm almost done with Water for Elephants and it's such a great & easy read. I started last week and cannot put it down; seriously, would rather read than watch my reality shows. It's the first book I've read on my Nook Color too and I really like using a reader. If anyone else has a Nook out there, I can "lend" the book to you so just let me know. I can't wait to see the movie because I love these two......

Weekend Wrap Up & Cami Sits Up

2011-03-28T13:02:00.000-07:00

On Friday we had a family birthday party dinner for Daddy. Grandma and Grandpa made an awesome Italian meal and Grace and I made a chocolate cake that G was very proud of. Daddy got some golf stuff, clothes and shoes.

It was a fun evening.

I've taken a few more pics of Cami now that she can sit-up well by herself. I cannot believe she is going to be 6 months next week! I don't want to jinx myself but our little cutie has been a sleeping champ lately. Last night mommy got 9 hours of straight sleep....!...which was MUCH needed because I met-up with college friends in Palm Springs this weekend and we went to a fun mexican dinner followed by some dancing at Bananas. We felt 21 again....but my body sure showed me I am NOT 21 anymore. These girls were great friends in college and it was so nice to catch-up and to feel like we were back in college and nothing has changed. I'm so happy that everyone is doing so well and has such great little families and lives for themselves :) Very excited that Mary is expecting number 3 and she looks amazing as usual. Thanks for being a trooper Mary! And thanks to a great husband for watching the girls & supporting me in re-living my semi-youth....if only for 24 hours!!!

Now we're getting hopeful for some good So Cal weather this week so we can get back outside.

What We're Up To....

2011-03-19T09:05:00.001-07:00

1. Today is Daddy's 33rd Birthday. Happy B-Day Daddy!! He's in Las Vegas with friends for March Madness so he's very happy & having fun, which is well-deserved since he just finished two more MBA classes at UCI. Only 2 more to go and he graduates in June! We are looking forward to celebrating his b-day next Friday with family.

2. Cami is in sleep-training mode. She had been waking-up in the middle of the night recently and I think she was getting annoyed by her swaddle so we got rid of that and she's sleeping better at night, but still waking around 5:30 or 6 am. I'm working on more naps at home, in her crib. She was getting used to sleeping in our arms so we're trying to break that habit and it's going pretty well. She still naps about every 3 hours. I can't wait until we can get to the '2 nap a day' routine.

3. Grace is at the Discovery Science museum today with Grandma. They have a special Sesame Street/Body exhibit. Cami and I will go over the Grandma and Papa's tonight for dinner. Aunt Jen visited us this week and we're meeting Sophie and Ethan tomorrow at South Coast Plaza. Next weekend I'm going to Palm Springs with college friends so I can't wait for that little break!

4. My running is going well but I'm slacking this weekend with Mike gone. I've picked my next 10k - a Cinco de Mayo run in Irvine. My goal is to better my time. Hopefully with this one I won't sleep in so I can actually eat & drink something before the run. Kristyn is trying to motivate my to do a half marathon but I'm going to wait until Mike graduates to try to attempt a more time-consuming training schedule.

Hope everyone is having a nice weekend. Hopefully the weather clears up next week. A little rain is nice, but not too much. We're enjoying a fire today :)

Tangerine Tree & Silly Girls

2011-03-14T19:03:00.001-07:00

This is my new dwarf tangerine tree. I am slightly obsessed with citrus trees right now and Green Thumb nursery in Lake Forest has soooooo many to choose from. Our full-size lemon tree is going crazy w/ lemons now so Grace and I have been making lots of fresh lemonade lately. Mike thinks I'm nuts but I don't see what's wrong with wanting to start a citrus farm on the side of my backyard. What else are we going to do with all that sun & space this summer? Plus you only have to water them about once a week :) just kiddin mike.

I thought this picture was cute....the girls hanging out yesterday.

10k Grunion Run

2011-03-13T16:52:00.000-07:00

Whoo hooo, mommy crossed the finish line....in just about 1 hour! We had a little 'snafu' this morning when our alarm clock went off an hour late and Kristyn called to meet us at the run, and we were still in bed!! Mike and I had 30 minutes to get dressed and get down to Dana Point. We started the race 17 minutes late so I couldn't run with Kristyn but we passed eachother a couple times on the course and met up afterwards. It's probably a good thing (for me) actually because Kristyn is fast and there is no way I could have kept up with her..ha ha ha. It was so fun, very tiring at the end, but worth the effort to get there and conquer it! Mike and I went to a local coffee shop in Dana Point after the race and I loved this little sign they had on the counter. It made me think of Grace :) The grandparents watched the girls overnight and both were very good and loved getting spoiled by the best grandparents in the world! Now we're wrapping up the day with a little Italian food, yum.

Bella & Grace....and little sisters 'Cami'

2011-03-07T07:33:00.000-08:00

Grace and Bella became fast friends this past week, an instant bond really! Her parents came down from San Francisco to visit Bella's grandma and grandpa who are very close friends of my parents. I went to high school with Bella's dad too. The girls are a couple of days apart, have almost identical personalities & interests (VERY girly), and they went to disneyland together last week. Last night we had a great dinner with them at Bella's grandparents house. It was so cute watching the two girls play together. Another thing they have in common --- a little sister Cami. Yep, same name :) Bella's Cami is 15 months. Grace can't wait to see Bella again. Next trip down the girls are going to CA Adventure together, with their papas, per their request :)

5 months old

2011-03-04T16:00:00.001-08:00

Cami turned 5 months old yesterday! She is a sweetie - loves holding onto toys, loves her sister, daddy of course, and Rosco. She is sleeping through the night, takes 6 bottles a day (5 ounces each) and isn't eating food yet. She loves her jumperoo and excersaucer. She's very alert of her surroundings and an overall happy little thing. She takes lots of little short naps throughout the day and still loves the Bjorn. She sits in the BOB without the infant seat now, holds her head up, rolls all around and sits on her own a little, but usually needs me to prop her up.

Grace is at Disneyland today with Nana & Papa and their friends the Sarracino's and their grand-daughter Bella who is the same age as Grace. Cami and I did some damage at Nordstrom this morning :) Grace is my little angel lately. It took her awhile to adjust to Cami (she was mad at me & acting out somewhat), but she is definitely doing well now and the two girls already love eachother so much. Mike, my best friend Kristyn, and I have a 10k run next weekend in Dana Point so we're gearing up for that. Mike just returned from a trip to Vegas for work and we have a few upcoming trips to Palm Springs so it's a fun time around here....always busy :)

Storytime

2011-02-22T11:16:00.001-08:00

In the princess tent

Baby B

2011-02-20T19:17:00.000-08:00

Today we had a baby shower brunch for Julie at El Torito Grill in Newport to celebrate Baby B's upcoming arrival. Julie looks great and her little girl Olivia is going to be a great big sister! It was so fun catching-up with the girls. We used to hang out all the time 'pk' (pre-kids) but life with little ones keeps everyone busy these days and we don't get together as often as we'd like unfortunately. All of these girls have at least one little girl!! :) Gone are the 'ole party weekends....except for the occasional champagne brunch or playdates :) Can't wait to meet Baby B who is due to enter the world in late April, congrats Julie!

Rice Cereal

2011-02-20T07:04:00.001-08:00

Last weekend, Grace and I tried to feed Cami rice cereal just for fun. This is how it went.... at first she looked interested:
Guess we'll be waiting a few weeks since she clearly was not as excited as Grace and I were about it.

Eminem

2011-02-15T18:30:00.000-08:00

Grace and I were watching Rhianna and Eminem's grammy performance today on YouTube and Grace said "who's that?" pointing to Eminem. I said "that's Eminem". She said, "I love eating M&M's mommy!"

I'd like to be here right now....

2011-02-10T14:38:00.000-08:00

Going thru old pics and found this - Lanai - Honeymoon, 2004. Ahhh, looks divine. It would be even better with Grace and Camryn :) Hopefully next year.

This was my favorite pic of Mike and I. Can I get the body & tan back please? ha ha.

4 Months Old

2011-02-04T20:22:00.000-08:00

Cami is officially 4 months old! Our little newborn is disappearing on us but she is entering a wonderful stage. She holds her head up when we carry her now and coos & laughs. She's grabbing her toys and is getting more interactive with people. Still very smiley, Cami is a HUGE fan of the Baby Bjorn and loves to be held. She's about 17 lbs already!!! We just introduced the exersaucer and jumpy swing this week. She's still a bit small and wobbly for them, but enjoys standing-up right and exploring the toys with a little more freedom. A few more weeks and she'll probably be ready for the Jumperoo. Grace loooooooved her jumperoo :) We haven't introduced rice cereal yet because the doctor said to wait a few weeks since she's already sleeping thru the night, but that will be our next big adventure. Grace is a super big sister! Here's Grace with her bitty baby Ellie.....and Cami in the jumpy.

Anthropologie

2011-01-31T21:34:00.000-08:00

Since Cami was born I've been obsessed with Anthropologie. The two have nothing to do with eachother of course, but I walked into a store back in November - during Cami's first trip to the Spectrum - and fell in love with about 20 different tops immediately. I'm now spreading out to other sections of the store and my newest fav is their kitchen items. I'm loving this bowl and have decided to slowly work some of their cute bowls, mugs and accessories (like dishtowels) into my kitchen decor.

Football, Ballet & a Visit to the Doctor

2011-01-24T14:18:00.000-08:00

We've been busy with 'life' so its been hard for me to find time to blog this month. One of the kids always seems to need me. For example, right now Grace is taking her nap but Cami is lying in her pack-n-play across the room wondering where I am and why I'm not playing with her :)

Last night Jen and Paige had dinner with us while the guys watched football. Little Paige is growing up so fast. She and Grace had a great time playing with G's toys! They pushed eachother in the stroller and loved pretend vaccuming and ironing Grace's clothes. Daddy's team (the Jets) didn't win but he didn't seem too too sad afterwards.Grace has been busy with her dance classes, school and playdates. I've been busy running and spinning when I'm not watching the girls and Daddy's SUPER busy with work, school, watching the girls and P90X.

Camryn had her 6-8 week check up today along with a few shots. She's in the 80th percentile for height and weight - my big girl. She still has a pretty bad flat spot on the left back-side of her head and the doctor said I need to make sure she shifts her weight to the other side most of the time or else she will be referred to the pediatric neurosurgeon at her 6th month appointment. I'm going to try my best......but 90% of the time.....come on....that's going to be hard! Wish us luck ;-)

This weather has been awesome; we spend a lot of early evenings with the neighborhood kids jumping on Maya and Bella's trampoline or playing in the cul de sac. I hope it lasts...I'm actually getting a pretty good tan on my face, arms and chest!

Some Cami Pics - 3.5 months

2011-01-15T14:33:00.000-08:00

We have all had colds since New Years, what a bummer. I hope we're all on the path to recovery. I know Grace and Mike are.....Cami and I are right behind them :)

Happy 3-months-old Cami

2011-01-04T13:36:00.001-08:00

Cami turned 3 months old yesterday. She is the sweetest baby and almost always has a smile on her face. At 3 months Cami, you:

Drink 4 to 4.5 ounce bottles every 2-3 hours during the day and you LOVE your food.

Weigh about 13 pounds and wear #2 diapers. You are bigger than Grace was at this age.

Coo and gurgle (talk) to us.

Have had your first cold already.

Take lots of 'short' naps throughout the day...just like Grace did.

Have slept through the night a couple times lately if we feed you at about 10:30 pm. Otherwise you wake up once, generally around 3 or 4 am, and wake up for the day at 7 am. I wish Grace would sleep in until 7 am with you!!

Love to smile at everyone!!!! You started smiling way early.

Are very good about being dragged around to all of Grace's activities.

Like to be held and want to face forward so you don't miss the action.

Are starting to reach for toys and enjoy looking at your hands and feet.

Like to watch the colors and movement of the TV. Yes, I put her in front of the TV to buy myself some time occasionally (bad mommy)

Love your sister and her constant entertainment.

Like the Papasan seat better than the swing but you're starting to tolerate the swing better.

Enjoy watching Rosco (maybe because he's black and white so easy to see?)

Are more content awake than Grace was as a baby

Are still wrapped up in your swaddle when you sleep, but fight it to get that hand out and into your mouth.

You love your mobile in your crib and will watch it for a good 20 minutes at least a couple times a day.

We are moving you into your room this week, whoo hooo, you'll do great.

We love you little monkey. You bring a lot of joy to our family :)

Happy New Year...surprise, I'm 35!

2011-01-03T17:07:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!! We had a great NYE celebration because not only was it New Years Eve, but I turned 35. 35 - wow, where has the time gone?!!! Grace went to Nana and Papa's and they went out to dinner, looked at Xmas lights on Balboa Island, and played games in their jammies. Cami went to Grandma and Papa's and gave them lots of smiles and love. Mike and I went to our nearby favorite Italian restaurant and enjoyed a whole night at home A-L-O-N-E. It was a great celebration and we all went to Grandma and Papa's on New Years to fry a turkey and celebrate New Years and my birthday. I hope 2011 is a great year for everyone...filled with health, peace, happiness and personal success. It will be a big year for us as we enjoy watching the girls grow - especially Cami - since so much changes in 1 year for a baby.

Itsy Bitsy Spider

2010-12-29T11:15:00.000-08:00

A Very Merry Christmas

2010-12-26T21:35:00.001-08:00

Opening her first gift
Candy Cane smiles
Dollhouse with Nana

Daddy and baby Camryn

I had a horse like this when I was young. His name was Star and I rode him for hours every day. Grace now has a "star" of her own thanks to Papa.

Cami loves her Auntie Ashley

I hope you and your loved ones had a very Merry Christmas 2010! We went to church & my parent's house on Christmas Eve, spent Christmas morning at our house, and Christmas evening with Mike's family. The whole two-day celebration was so much fun but the best part was seeing Grace so excited about Santa coming, filling stockings, bringing presents, and leaving cookies and carrots for Santa and his reindeer. She was so full of wonder, joy & magic this year. All four of us were spoiled with such wonderful gifts and we were just so happy to spend good times with our families and eachother...to celebrate Jesus's birthday :)

The Nutcracker

2010-12-23T15:35:00.000-08:00

Before the Nutcracker

Last weekened we saw the Nutracker Ballet at the Irvine Barclay Theatre with Nana, Grandma and Auntie Ash. Grace loved it so much & I was so impressed with the dancers and the amazing costumes. She is really into Clara and got this cute ornament at the ballet as a memory of our big night out. She also got some new ballet shoes and clothes this week (she starts a new dance class Jan 3rd) so it's been a ballet theme around our house.

Grace's Ornament

2010-12-16T16:10:00.000-08:00

G made this ornament at school today for Mike and I. I LOVE it!

Mike was putting her to bed the other night and she was almost asleep when she popped-up and said "Daddy.......I really love Chick fil a!". How silly is she! Good thing we're having Chick fil a tonight for dinner :)

Christmas at GiGi's

2010-12-16T09:33:00.000-08:00

We had a little Christmas lunch at GiGi's (great grandma's) house yesterday. It was the first time she met Camryn! GiGi gave the girls gifts so Grace opened them. She got a tutu outfit and Cami got a talking puppy. Nana helped pick out the girls' gifts since GiGi doesn't get out of the house much these days. It's amazing she can still live on her own with just a little help at 94. Grace also tried Lefsa for the first time, which is a Norweigan flatbread that is a "tradition" on my dad's side of our family during the holidays. Yum!

Now to Cami: She is 2.5 months old already. Time is flying and she is growing just as quickly. She smiles constantly and is beginning to coo and laugh. She just discovered her hands and is a sweet little girl. She only gets up once during the night which is sooooo nice for Mike and I. Poor thing has her first cold now too, courtesy of her sister, who came down with a nasty cold on Monday. I'm hoping they are both gone by Christmas at least.

5 miles!!!

2010-12-13T20:50:00.000-08:00

Yes, I actually ran 5 miles on Sunday evening. I think the last time I ran 5 miles straight was almost 2 years ago...so I was very proud of myself.

Christmas Brunch

2010-12-13T20:32:00.000-08:00

We went to our annual 'Christmas Children's Brunch' with Nana and Papa at Big Canyon on Sunday. It's great because there are lots of activites for the kids and a beautiful brunch for the adults :) They had a reindeer, face painting, the Grinch story, cookie decorating and pictures with Santa. I don't have a copy of our family picture with Santa, but I snapped one of the whole family minus me. The face painter painted pink earings on Grace's ears so she felt very fancy!

Christmas Playdate

2010-12-13T20:24:00.000-08:00

On Saturday we had a Christmas playdate at Sophie and Ethan's house. The kids had a ball decorating cupcakes, doing Christmas crafts and playing. I had fun catching up with my friends while Cami slept pretty much the whole time we were there :)

Nativity Scene

2010-12-09T10:50:00.000-08:00

This is my new favorite Christmas decoration. It's a hand-carved nativity scene my mom brought back for us from Israel. All the little pieces can be moved around. She also got one for herself and my brother. I love it....the true meaning of Christmas....and Grace loves it too.

We got our Christmas tree last night and Grace and I started decorating it early this morning. We're going to finish it up and put presents underneath it today after she gets home from school. She is SOOOOO excited about Christmas this year. It's so awesome to see as a parent and reminds me of my childhood Christmases, all the magic of the season. She even had her breakfast by the tree this morning :) Camryn just sat in her chair and looked at the lights and ornaments...she's so good. We have some fun Christmas actitivites planned over the next couple weeks, the Nutcraker, brunch at Big Canyon, the boat parade, etc.

Visiting Santa at South Coast Plaza Today

2010-12-06T15:14:00.001-08:00

The North Pole in Laguna Niguel?

2010-12-04T14:56:00.000-08:00

Daddy, Cami Cakes and Papa. It's Papa's birthday today too!

Rudolph and BlitzenMy big 2-month old, such a sweetie :)

Yumm, cookies

"I'm not so sure about you Santa". (But they parted friends, yeahhhh)

Best friends and the little bro

Yes. Grandma, Grandpa, Kristyn, Sophie, Ethan, Grandma Retta and Aunt Maggie joined us. We visited Santa, made crafts, decorated a cookie, watched a puppet show, saw reindeer, got our face painted, played games and drank hot cocoa....what else could a little girl ask for (besides a pink ball from Santa!)? It was a fun holiDAY! And tonight we get to celebrate Papa's birthday with a yummy Italian dinner.

Mission Accomplished!

2010-12-02T10:32:00.000-08:00

I just finished my first Nike Challenge goal of running 30 miles in 3.5 weeks. I'm so excited to be back in the running game. Now how many more goals do I need to acccomplish to loose the rest of this baby belly (ha ha ha)? Maybe a couple more months :)

On a separate note: Tomorrow is a big day, Cami will be 2 months old, whoo hooo!!!

Cami Cakes

2010-11-29T21:39:00.001-08:00

Grace

2010-11-29T21:18:00.000-08:00

Grace was wearing her big ladybug wings tonight and watching a show on You Tube and she looks at me and says:

G: Mommy I have to go potty (gets up and runs to the bathroom).
Me: OK. Do you want me to take off your ladybug wings?
G: No.
Me: Well how are you going to go potty?
G: I'm going to put my butt on the toilet seat.

Duhhhhh mommy :)

Pumpkin Crunch

2010-11-27T16:12:00.000-08:00

So GOOD that its worth the extra workout and it's super easy to make.

1 box yellow cake mix (betty crocker super moist)
16 oz. packed pumpkin
12 oz. evaporated milk
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup melted butter

Mix together pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, spice and salt. Pour into greased 9 x 13 pan. Sprinkle cake mix over top of mixture. Top with pecans. Drizzle with melted butter. Bake at 350 degrees 50-55 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-26T08:11:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours! We are so thankful for our family and friends this year. I am especially thankful for my mom and Mike's mom because they have helped me so much with the girls during the past couple months. I am also thankful for a husband who takes care of the baby every night so I can go to sleep early with Grace. It makes such a difference for my sanity! We had a great Thanksgiving dinner with both our families at my mom & dad's house last night. I made a dessert called Pumpkin Crunch which turned out pretty darn good :) I'll have to post the recipe because it's so delicious and unique. I also took some time yesterday to shoot some pics of the girls (above).

Camryn's Doctor Appointment

2010-11-22T21:06:00.000-08:00

Camryn had a doctor's appointment today. It was her first round of shots and I just cringed when she got those darn shots. It's so hard to see your baby in pain. Luckily it was over quickly and Grace helped distract her. We have been so busy lately I've been neglecting taking pictures, but there will be some nice photo opps this Thanksgiving week. Back to the doctor's appointment.....Cami is a big girl. She is growing much faster than Grace's pace. Her stats are as follows:

Weight: 12 lbs, 9 oz - 85% percentile
Height: 23.5 inches - 84% percentile
HC: 15.5 - 47th percentile

On a completely different note Grace and I have been playing a fun game at night during bedtime. We each tell eachother our "favorite part of the day" and "least favorite part of the day". For the best part, sometimes she says something really sweet like "being with you mommy" or sometime it turns out to be funny like "eating my cookie after lunch". I love coming-up with silly things like this for us to do. She is such a little sweetie!

Cami's First Friend Gavin

2010-11-17T14:29:00.001-08:00

Today we had a lunch date at CPK with Cami's first friend....Gavin. Gavin is one month older than Cami & he's a cutie. Although they both slept through it, I can tell they are going to get along just great. It was also a good chance for the girls (Grace and Audrey, 3 mths apart) to get together and we're looking forward to going to the Spectrum next Wednesday so the girls can ride the carousel. Here are the girls with"their babies".....

Running Shoes...

2010-11-06T22:28:00.000-07:00

The cobwebs have been dusted off!!
I went on my first run today in almost a year and it felt great. Actually, I should be honest - it was more of a slow jog - but I didn't walk. 2.9 miles. I'm doing the Nike Running Challenge with monthly distance goals AND Mike & Kristyn and I are signing-up for the Dana Point 10k in March 2011. Skinny jeans, here I come....slowly but surely...because it's a marathon, not a sprint :)

Grace's 3rd B-Day Party

2010-11-06T22:16:00.002-07:00

Chuck E Cheese here we come! Today was Grace's 3rd birthday party at Chuck E Cheese's. We had about 16 kids come celebrate with us and Grace had a blast. She was very excited about her pink princess cake and loved playing the games and eating pizza with her friends. Cami missed out on the action and stayed home with Nana and Papa. Next year she'll be invited. We took this opportunity to get a good family photo :)

Grace

2010-11-06T22:16:00.001-07:00

Photos of the Week: Two Little Blessings - How Lucky am I?!

2010-11-04T12:38:00.001-07:00

Cami is 1 month old

2010-11-03T14:14:00.000-07:00

Cami is one month old today! My first thought is....wow, we survived the first month. It has been exciting, totally hectic juggling the two, hard adjusting to lack of sleep and so fun...all at the same time. She has grown so much during the past four weeks and is no longer fitting into her newborn clothes. She is just about to graduate to the #1 diaper and gives us the most amazing smiles that make it soooooooo worth the journey. Some nights (like last night) are really good (she only woke up once) and others are not so good (waking every 2 hours to eat). Hopefully they will only get better, and more consistent, from here. Cami doesn't like her pacifier, she seems more content than Grace was when she's awake, but she definitely has her fussy moments each day & has a huge issue with gas - tooting all the time. Mike is really good at calming her down. Today was the first day I took both girls on an outing besides to the doctor's office or to take G back and forth to school and the drive thru Starbucks. We went to Joann's and I think I only started to sweat twice (ha ha ha), but the rest of the trip was not too bad. Good thing Joann's is about 1 minute from my house. Happy 1 month birthday baby girl!!

Grace Turns 3!

2010-11-02T09:36:00.000-07:00

Grace turned 3 yesterday. She is such a big girl now and had the best birthday. We gave her a bike in the morning before Mike went to work, which she rode all day; had a pizza party with Nana and Papa for lunch and celebrated with Mike's parents at our house that evening. She got all kinds of great gifts like a new sandbox, and American Girl baby doll, dance lessons, a jewelry box, Disney princess loot, a Tinkerbell tea set and more! What a lucky litle girl. It was a day full of pink -- Grace's favorite color. Happy Birthday to our first baby who is sweet, sassy, silly, super outgoing, totally girly, FULL of personality, beautiful, fun & full of life. We love you Gracie girl!!! It feels like just yesterday that you were the tiny size of your little sister and we brought you home from the hospital. How time flies...

It's Halloween 2010!!

2010-10-31T22:02:00.001-07:00

Daddy & Minnie getting ready to trick or treat

Madeleine, Grace and Priya at the pre-trick-or-treating pizza party

Grace with little Nola & her favorite next door neighbors Jordan & Reagen

Grace and Cami

Daddy making pink pancakes for Halloween breakfast (we had no orange food coloring)

Sneak Peek

2010-10-30T21:17:00.000-07:00

...of my cute little Minnie Mouse.

Pajama Day & Sing-a-Long

2010-10-28T15:15:00.000-07:00

Grace had 'Pajama/Sing-a-Long Day' at school today and each of the classes performed Halloween songs before lunch. Nana and Cami and I went to watch Grace's class sing about a spider. I took a video but I've been having problems loading my videos onto Blogger and YouTube for the past few days...so here's a pic of the little monkey. She didn't really want to wear her jammies so we settled for PJ pants and a Halloween shirt :)

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-23T16:57:00.000-07:00

Grace and I went to Tanaka Farms pumpkin patch today with her little friends Sophie, Ethan and Paige. We picked pumpkins, took a wagon ride, vsited a petting zoo, and got all muddy and dirty....what fun for an almost 3 year old. The weather was very fall-like but not too cold and we're getting excited about Halloween next weekend. Now we just need to carve these pumpkins up!

Happy Birthday Grandma

2010-10-23T16:51:00.000-07:00

Last night we celebrated Grandma's birthday with a "girls" dinner party at Nana's house. The boys were all participating in a basketball draft so it was a fun night for us girls to hang out. Of course Grace was so happy because she had both grandmas together (and Sprinkles cupcakes!) and it was so nice having the extra sets of hands with the two girls. I can't imagine doing this without the help of my mom and Mike's mom. They are incredible. Happy Birthday to a wonderful, kind, giving, beautiful grandma/mother in law!!

Aunt Ashley

2010-10-21T19:59:00.000-07:00

Came home from college to visit Grace and Cami yesterday. Grace was in heaven.

Stats and Update

2010-10-19T11:20:00.001-07:00

I took Camryn to the doctor today and her stats are as follows:

10-19-10 (16 days old)
Weight: 9 lbs!!! - 53%
Height: 21.25 - 67%
HC: 14.5 - 40%

versus:

10-6-10 (3 days old)
Weight: 7.6 - 31%
Height: 20.75 - 80%
HC: 13.75 - 28%

She has been awake a lot more during the past few days and eats almost 3 ounces every 2 hours. She has had some really good nights with long stretches of sleep but during the last few nights got up every 2-3 hours. Most of the time she goes right back down. She is still pretty gassy but is more content when she is awake and loves looking around and looking at our faces. Grace picked her up once from her swing while I was in the kitchen. I just about died...so we had some conversations with her about only daddy and I picking her up, but she can hold her on the couch sitting down. The intent was sweet, she just loves Cami, but wow, that could be dangerous! Grace started her cupcake/cookie/cake decorating class on Fridays in Turtle Rock with Nana and she just loves it. I will have some more pics to post tomorrow of Camryn with friends and family.

Pictures Say a Thousand Words

2010-10-14T12:51:00.000-07:00

Mommy & Cami

Aunt Temre & Cami

What a Look...

Sister love....two times

1 Week Old

2010-10-10T13:05:00.001-07:00

Cami is 1 week old today...

I can't believe a whole week has already flown by. So far things have gone really well and I forgot how fun & easy a newborn is (except the lack of sleep of course!). She still sleeps so much during the day and is just starting to "wake up" more. The first few nights were hard because she was so hungry and my milk had not really come in so she was very fussy. Now that it has, she has been sleeping at night for longer stretches and I've supplemented with some formula which really helps because Cami is a BIG eater. She finishes eating and is practically ready for the next feeding which is more difficult to handle when you have a 2 year old who does not want to sit in the house all day while her mom feeds a baby. I was so anti-formula with Grace and this time around I'm much more relaxed about using a little here and there if it makes Cami, Grace, and I each a little happier and satisfied. Grace is very good with her sister. She is very kind and attentive towards her and loves to help me change diapers, etc. She has not acted out any more than normal (ie., when she hasn't napped well). She has also gotten a lot of 'extra' attention from her incredible grandparents which has helped her adjust. Both my parents and Mike's parents have been around every day to help us with anything and everything....another reason why this week has been so nice for us.

Sisters....Look-a-likes?

2010-10-09T15:08:00.001-07:00

Grace - 1 week old (she had jaundice)
Cami - Almost 1 week old