and introducing.....SYLVIA ROSE!!

Sylvia Rose was born on August 29, 2008, at 3:58 a.m., weighing 5 lbs 13 oz. and measuring 18 inches long. Mother and baby are at home and doing well.

An evening at the park

It is so nice having a Daddy around for once in 4 years! Now that he can come home from work, and doesn't have to study (I don't have to hear that word anymore :) he can take the kids to the park when it cools down a bit. This picture was last week-the day Lucia started school. Then she got sick with the flu for three days. We've all been sick around here. But, finally we are back to normal. Anyway, now that Julio is home in the evenings, I don't have to do the dishes every night or give the kids a bath! I still do bedtime duty-they will only let me read them stories unless I'm not home, then Daddy can do it. It is so nice to have my husband back. I really feel for you grad school widows! Your time will come too.

Lucia's First Day of Preschool

I finally took the plunge and enrolled Lucia in preschool. Since we are lower income right now, she qualifies for the free State Preschool program. Believe me, I have struggled over this decision because it is not the ideal setting I would have for her, but beggar's can't be choosers. Last year we did homeschool, but I can't do it with a newborn and toddler this year. I knew she needed something just to get her off the couch in the afternoon when Marco and I are napping. So, I know she won't become an academic scholar from this program, but I'm hoping that socially, she'll come out of her shell a little bit, and she will get used to a school routine. She started yesterday and the first thing she said when I picked her up was, "Mommy, I didn't learn anything new today!" Oh well. I asked her what she did and she said they had lunch, played outside, had a snack and played some more. Ok then! Again, I have to remind myself that she isn't home on the couch. Her teacher was impressed with her when Lucia wrote her name and could draw very detailed people. So that's good! I guess she's on the right track.

Good-bye Cousins!

It's only been a week, but it has been a long one since Tami, Dan, Noelle and Corom left for Utah. With sick kids here, it's been especially long. We miss them and hope they're getting settled into their new home. It is awfully quiet around here with no neighbors...

36 weeks and counting!

I had my 36 week check-up today and the baby is in position-40% effaced and I am dilated to 1 cm! The end is in sight. Now I just have to wash her clothes and blankets, get a new carseat, (don't have to, but want to) diaper bag and infant tub, set up the pack 'n play. But, I've been sick with a cold and Marco has pneumonia! Ugh! When will I get anything done??? Plus, depression-Tami and Dan left this morning for UT and I've been really depressed. I wish them the best, but as the old saying goes, it's the end of an era. I'll post some pictures of the cousins' and their last playdates together as soon as I've got them uploaded. Julio was nice enough to take the three kids to Chuck E Cheese the other night-by himself! What a brave guy. I guess they had an adventure.
That's all for now! Hope you're all surviving the heat!

Happy Birthday Marco!

Our boy is 2 years old today! I can't believe how fast the time has gone. He is such a fun kid. He loves to ham it up for anyone who will laugh at him. He has his "silly face" he does with his thumbs up sign and it makes us all laugh every time. It's hard to get a good picture of this boy because he's always on the move. He loves to dance and run and can hardly sit still for long. He is a lot like his Daddy too because he's always got scrapes somewhere on his body. Right now it's both knees and his forehead! He loves to play with his sister and cousin Noelle, and even gets dressed up in princess costumes with them, but he loves to do boy stuff too-throw balls, play cars, trains, pirates, destroy stuff. He is also wanting to go potty like the girls, but I'm not ready for that yet.

He is very vocal and has no volume control. He is at the point where he says "No, I do it!" but he will say "Help me!" if he needs it. He is very much a mommy's boy and it is going to be hard in a couple of weeks when his baby sister comes. But, what else can I say? We love our Marco.

We are going to Chuck E Cheese tonight, so there will be more pictures to post tomorrow.

We survived!

The week we all dreaded is finally over! Julio left early Monday morning to go to LA to take the Bar. Marco had a doctor appt. that day to check out an enlarged lymphnode he's had for a long time. The doctor didn't seem concerned but put him on antibiotics to shrink it. If that didn't do anything, then he said he could remove it. It doesn't have to be removed if it doesn't bother him or swell up, so it is optional. Marco was good for the appointment, but then we had to wait for some prescriptions and he went crazy-wanting to run around and go up and down the escalator. I thought I was going to die! I ordered pizza that night and we ate on paper plates. I didn't bathe the kids that day.
Tuesday-we went to the park for our ward playgroup. The weather was nice and the kids had fun. We went to Grandma's house in the late afternoon to swim and have dinner. Grandma gave the kids a bath. We came home and then it was a battle to get the kids to bed. I survived it though.
Wednesday-we took it easy in the morning. Then Grandma came to watch the kids while I ran some errands. Tami came over that night to watch the kids play outside and gave them a bath.
Thursday-we went to the library for storytime in the morning with Tami and the kids. We had lunch and played a little bit before naptime. I did hotdogs and paperplates that night and put the kids to bed early.
Friday-Julio came home!
I know that everyone's help and prayers got me through it (Thank you Mom and Tami) As soon as we got back from the airport on Friday, my body just gave out on me. I started getting severe pain in my lower back and legs and having contractions. I went to bed for the rest of the day. I'll let Julio write about his experience. But, it was funny because he admitted "I had a point about LA" that it is crowded, too much traffic and crazy. He also said more than once that he wished he would have stayed home to take the Bar-that it would have been less stressful for him. He missed us and we missed him. I'm glad it did give him a chance to reevaluate wanting to move back to LA. He sees the light! Now we just have to wait until November for the results. I feel confident that he passed.