The Inner Loop . . .

Dedication

2011-01-18T16:25:00.004-05:00

My daughter is one dedicated Toy Story fan. After many days of requesting for me to write "Andy" on the bottom of her foot I pulled out the good ole washable crayola marker. I'm thinking maybe of using a sharpie instead of the washable so I won't have to keep rewriting it after every bath!

Little Red Wagon

2010-12-20T23:14:00.005-05:00

Lucia was playing with the little red wagon. Putting various toys in and out of it, pusing and pulling it around, as well as crawling in and out of it herself. As she was sitting in it, she got an unexpected ride from her brother.

Lucia & Emilio squeezed in the wagon for a tandem ride from mama.

Lucia returned the favor & gave Emilio a ride down the hallway too.

Who would have thought our little red wagon, bought on Target clearance for $3.48 over 2-years ago, would have brought us so much fun.

REALLY on the Move

2010-09-30T21:20:00.004-04:00

Just a day shy of Emilio turning 7-months old, he started to crawl.

. . . hope Lucia is ready for this!

While chopping an onion & pepper . . .

2010-09-25T22:28:00.003-04:00

Annie was making dinner. The kids were playing in the living room; Lucia with Mr. Potato Head & Emilio various rattles & toys that were scattered about. In between chopping an onion & pepper, Annie peeked into the living to check up on the kids. Lucia was giving Potato Head some eyes; Emilio was on his tummy reaching for Potato Head's hat. After chopping up the pepper Annie peeked in the living room again. Lucia was looking for a nose for Potato Head; Emilio was sitting up with the green Potato Head hat. Annie ducked back into the kitchen to continue with dinner . . . wait a minute . . . Emilio was sitting up now . . . huh . . . that's strange. Annie didn't sit him up . . . and Lucia . . . don't think she helped either. That only left Emilio to do it on his own. Annie peeked back in the living room. Emilio was back on his tummy. Huh. Once dinner was cooking, Annie joined the kids. Emilio was sitting again.

This was the start of Emilio going from sitting to tummy to sitting to tummy . . . all night long.

I Like Cookies

2010-09-20T00:20:00.003-04:00

Emilio has gotten rather accomplished at independently eating his Mum-Mums.

Pedal Pusher

2010-09-19T23:36:00.007-04:00

Today Lucia coordinated pedaling & steering on her tricycle for the first time. It was very exciting.

She was going so fast it was hard to get a clear picture. Lucia was all smiles while riding. You could tell she was really proud of her accomplishment.

Hopefully we'll still have some nice weather so we can get a little more trike riding in.

Toward the end of the trike ride the kids needed a little PAPA POWER to make it back up the hill.

Jessie & Bullseye

2010-09-14T23:13:00.005-04:00

. . . sigh . . .

YEE-HAW!

That's Bananas

2010-09-10T16:05:00.008-04:00

Though it's not really very efficient, I think it's pretty cute when Lucia feeds Emilio. The other morning she was feeding him some mashed up banana. I don't think she was scooping much on the spoon, but I guess it was enough to keep Emilio happy.

Now we just need to work on Lucia using a spoon to feed herself!

Thumper

2010-09-10T15:52:00.009-04:00

thump . . . thump . . . thump . . .

One of Emilio's favorite things to do in his bed. When he throws his legs & thumps, his bed sways side-to-side. I think he may be a little disappointed when we move him to the crib & this swaying motion doesn't happen when he thumps.

(I'm not sure why but lately I've been having trouble uploading videos, for some reason the sound doesn't show up. This video is actually a little more effective with the sound. Sorry.)

Maybe we should have named him Thumper. It's not too late. The State Department still doesn't have his name corrected on his birth certificate.

Bottoms Up

2010-09-04T17:22:00.003-04:00

We made the switch to cloth diapers. So far it has been a great experience. In the long run this will save us a lot of money & decrease the amount of waste our household produces. Thanks to our clothing diapering friends, Kelly & Cindy, for guiding us through this new adventure.

Lucia's favorite diaper to wear is the bright key lime pie one, she picks it every time. Emilio is in sherbet. All the diaper covers in this line are named after ice cream flavors (blue moon, mint chocolate chip, vanilla, chunky monkey, strawberry shortcake, cookies n cream, double fudge).

Bottoms up!

Rock n' Roll

2010-09-04T17:11:00.010-04:00

Emilio is on the move. It's getting hard to keep track of him these days. Based on his current performance he'll be crawling in no time.

Emilio rockin' . . .

. . . and rollin'

Cut Curls

2010-09-02T17:51:00.003-04:00

Well it was time for Lucia first professional hair cut.

We set out to Cartoon Cuts.

The plan was to get some sweet pictures of the cut in action. Lucia didn't want anything to do with sitting in the chair so she sat on mama's lap. Mama gave the camera to Emilio so he could take some sweet shots, but everything she looked over he was just sucking on the lens. Well so much for taking pictures during the haircut. Here's some after shots at home.

It's a cute little bob cut. Nothing too different than how her hair was, just shorter I guess.

Cool Pool

2010-09-02T17:00:00.008-04:00

It has been a VERY hot summer.

Glad we found some time to cool off in our pool.

Emilio's first time in the pool. He enjoyed splashing around.

Pool & bubbles. A toddler's day couldn't get any better!

Super Sitter

2010-09-02T16:36:00.005-04:00

Emilio started sitting independently at 5-months; anything he could do to keep his eyes on the happenings of the house.

Emilio sitting in his play gym with Lucia joining him for some morning play.

"I kinda like this sitting gig!"

Sitting in the shopping cart for the first time. This is a rare moment in his life. Usually Lucia is with us in the cart while he enjoys riding in the Moby.

Enjoying cooling off & sitting in the pool.

Sitting in a restaurant highchair for the first time.

Sitting in the bathtub.

Sitting up in the stroller.

Emilio sitting in the bedroom.

Though he can sit, Lucia still makes sure Emilio knows where he ranks in the house!

Lucia's Beat of the Day

2010-07-19T23:39:00.005-04:00

Lucia broke out into an awesome spontaneous beatbox this afternoon.

She says she learned it from Yo Gabba Gabba. I assume from Biz Markie's Beat of the Day segment. Thank you Biz.

Babysitting

2010-07-19T23:35:00.004-04:00

Lucia took the term babysitting literally.

Don't worry Emilio, you'll be bigger than Lucia soon enough.

Pull Me

2010-07-19T23:24:00.003-04:00

Emilio needed someone to pull him in the wagon.

Lucia to the rescue.

PHEW . . . survived yet another activity in the hands of big sister.

Mama's Helper

2010-07-19T22:54:00.011-04:00

Lucia has become quite the mama's little helper. She suggested it would be a good idea for her to help feed Emilio some rice cereal. I enjoyed watching the interaction. Lucia enjoyed helping feed her brother. Emilio enjoyed . . . well, I'm not so sure Emilio enjoyed it too much. He loves his big sister & food, but maybe not the combination of them together.
I survived. Food is good.

Love at First Bite

2010-07-12T00:10:00.005-04:00

Lucia was excited to share this milestone with her brother.

Emilio, about to get his first taste of rice cereal.

He very much enjoyed his first taste. What can we say, he's a natural.

He's been waiting for this day all his life!

He ate all the cereal, than asked for more please! Surprisingly, or not surprisingly, his bib is awfully clean for a first meal.

Way to go Emilio!

Tiny Tot Investments

2010-07-06T13:40:00.013-04:00

Lucia recently made a real estate investment. It seems to have been a very wise decision, especially since it's currently a buyers market. She found her Step 2 Neat n' Tidy Cottage via craigslist.com. Mama helped her set up the financing & Papa help with the moving & handy work.

Lucia enjoying her large picture window in the front of her house.

Making sure the door is secure to keep out any little brother intruders!

Moving days are always exhausting. Lucia decided to order some takeout.

Lucia's house has a working door bell, mailbox, windows with shutters on each side, large picture windows in the front & back, a door & a little kitchen nook to include 2 stools, a table, sink, & a single stove burner.

Lucia enjoys sitting at her little built in kitchen nook.

Peeking through the kitchen window.Cooling off in the lagoon at the side of her house.What better first company than having your Papa over for a visit.Lucia's take out she ordered was finally delivered.A few days after investing in her house, Lucia acquired a blue mini van. We just happened to be driving by & Mama spotted this at the curb on the side of the road. We took a couple passes by to try & determine if it was a poor parking job or actually being abandoned by the previous owner. After getting out & looking at it Papa determined that it indeed was abandoned. After Papa straightened out the axle on one of the front wheels & took it to the car wash it was ready to go! Lucia's mini van features: steering wheel, horn, exterior wood paneling, two working doors each with a manual window crank & mirrors, radio controls, a cell phone cradle, a large backseat for baby dolls & groceries, a sunroof & roof rack to transport the kayak.

180s

2010-06-12T23:18:00.003-04:00

Emilio is able to maneuver himself 180-degrees while on his back. I put him down one way & before I know it he's facing a totally different direction. It sure is fun to see his motor skills developing.

He just loves to be in his play gym. Kicking, grabbing at the toys & doing180s.

For some reason whenever my kids see me with the camera they totally stop whatever they were doing that I wanted to get on video. Videoing from a distance without being seen seems to be my only hope. If that doesn't work then my next step might have to be camouflage.

Rolly Polly Ollie

2010-06-12T22:30:00.004-04:00

The other day Annie brought up the inflatable bouncer.

It's always a special treat since we don't have the space to keep it up all the time.

After over a year of gymnastics classes, Lucia was doing front rolls (somersaults) left and right. She's a real pro!

Foward March

2010-06-10T15:44:00.004-04:00

Emilio is now officially able to forward face in the moby. Hooray for head control!

Forward facing in the saddle too.

Once we got Cloud 9 we switched Lucia's car seat around to forward facing.

New car, seat turned around, all this change got to be a little too much for this little girl.

Though after her first forward facing ride she realized all the good stuff she had been missing. Lucia had a great view and enjoyed pointing out all the cars, trucks, and buses on the journey.

Emilio also began sitting up in the bumbo. Another milestone thanks to head control. Hooray!

How great it is to not always see the world horizontally.

Lucia & Emilio playing pat-a-cake.

Occupied

2010-05-28T13:06:00.005-04:00

Lucia wanted to sit in the swing . . . though there was a problem . . .

. . . it was already occupied.
I was glad to hear giggles rather than tears.

Emilio seemed to actually enjoy his sister sitting on him.
He's still all in one piece.
We're having a silly little Lulu day!

Monkeying Around

2010-05-14T12:47:00.004-04:00

We did a little monkeying around this morning in the spirit of attending the Guppy Gala at the National Zoo tonight.

OOO OOO AHH AHH!

Jabber Jaws

2010-05-03T22:26:00.002-04:00

Emilio has become quite vocal in the last week.

Creative Genius

2010-05-03T15:17:00.004-04:00

Sister's Furry by Lucia

finger paint

April 29, 2010

Thunderstorm Scribbles by Lucia

pip squeak markers

May 1, 2010

creative genius at work
Spring Scribbles by Lucia
pip squeak markers
May 1, 2010
Face It by Lucia
pip squeak markers
May 1, 2010
brown=hair, blue=eyes, orange=nose & ears, red=mouth
Mama drew the orange circle for the head & helped change colors, Lucia drew in the features on her own. When she was doing it our jaws dropped. We couldn't believe she had just turned 2 and was able to put the facial features in so well. It actually looks like a face!

admiring her work

Face Too by Lucia

pip squeak markers

May 1, 2010
brown=hair, blue=eyes, yellow=nose, red=mouth, pink=ears

Another masterpiece. Her second face picture. Mama drew the head & Lucia filled in the rest.

Lu is Two

2010-05-02T13:15:00.007-04:00

Lucia had a great second birthday.

It was an excellent day. In the morning we were off to a Tiny Tots Puppet show, then we had lunch at Silver Diner, followed by some good time spent at the bookstore. After nap we had dinner, cake, presents & skyped with gammy, gamps & aunt Mary.

As Annie was getting Emilio ready for the day she heard Lucia grunting in the hallway. She didn't think too much of it, but then she heard Lucia say, "heavy." After getting Emilio dressed Annie stepped out into the hallway to find that Lucia had discovered her birthday present (which was stashed away in the other bedroom). She was carrying it down the hallway saying, "heavy." It had yet to be wrapped. Not to disappoint the birthday girl she was able to hold on to her new possession.

Waiting for the puppet show to start. Hugging the penguin puppet after the show. Enjoying her very own special strawberry milkshake at Silver Diner. Lucia finally got to play with her Sesame Street playhouse after her nap. Birthday cake time!
Emilio got Lucia a present. An Elmo search & find book. Two of Lucia's favorite things wrapped up into one. Reading the Abby Cabby card from gammy & gamps.Happy 2nd Birthday Lucia.
It was a GREAT day!

Batting Practice

2010-05-02T13:04:00.003-04:00

Emilio is 2-months old.

He seems to have fancied a toy that we call Scribbles in our house.

Twinkle Twinkle Twinkle

2010-05-02T12:45:00.003-04:00

Such a pretty song, pretty voice & pretty girl.

She said . . . yes!

2010-04-23T22:12:00.008-04:00

Annie would ask Lucia daily if she wanted to hold Emilio. Her reply thus far had been either, "No" or "No way!" But the other day she replied with a "Yes." Much to Annie's shock, Lucia not only said yes, but she meant yes.

She climbed up on the couch and out stretched her arms for her brother.

Here's Lucia wanting & willingly holding Emilio.

She even got fancy & added a few pats to his tummy.

And she finished it off with a kiss!

Later that same day she wanted to hold him again. This time not on the couch, but on her Brobee chair. A little bit more of a challenge since she didn't have the support of the couch & pillow helping her. But as you can see she did a great job of actually holding him. Emilio was a real trooper!

Lucia is being a wonderful big sister & really taking "ownership" of her little brother.

4-weeks

2010-03-29T18:37:00.003-04:00

Emilio is 4-weeks old.

He's been spending his days doing the typical baby activities; eating, sleeping, & pooping.

We also have worked in tummy time, a few trips to the park & running errands with mom & big sister.

Bittersweet

2010-03-29T18:27:00.002-04:00

At Lucia's latest opthamologist visit we found out that she no longer needs to wear her glasses.

It was a bittersweet moment when we found out. Of course we were so happy her eye has improved so much she no longer needs the glasses, but at the same time she's had them her whole life (since she was 3-months old) and they had become a part of how everyone knows her. Glasses or no glasses, so still the cutest girl we know!

El Rey

2010-03-15T16:11:00.007-04:00

Annie, Rojelio & Lucia are proud to announce the arrival of

Emilio Rey

Born March 1, 2010 at 11:41am

8lbs 3oz, 21.75inches

Getting a kiss from papa.First bath at the hospital.Bathed, feed & cuddling with mama.Gammy visiting at the hospital.Getting ready to go home to met his big sister.

Emilio wore the some outfit home as Lucia, with the added touch of an original Gammy knitted hat.Heading home from the hospital.The new family of 4.Lucia wondering what to do with this new brother of hers.Papa time.Lucia doing a good job of sharing her toys with Emilio.Emilio all snug as a bug in his woombie.Big sister watching over her brother.Lucia giving Emilio his beebee.Emilio with Aunt Mary.Emilio with Gamps.Mama & her babies.Emilio's first bath at home.Sharing the chair.Lulu holding her brother for the first time.Sweet kisses!

Welcome home Emilio!

Snip Snip

2010-03-15T15:51:00.006-04:00

Well the time had come. Lucia's hair was becoming more uncontrollable by the day. Her first haircut was in order. Mama's job was to cut, papa's job was to entertain & gammy's job was to capture the special occasion on film.

Before the cut.

Papa was a little nervous that we were doing it ourselves without involving a professional.

The first snip.

Her curly hair is deceivingly long.

Books & the DS kept Lucia busy the whole time. Great job papa.

It took a little longer than expected, but turned out well.

A happy experience for all!

I Heart Letters

2010-02-01T10:31:00.007-05:00

Lucia LOVES letters. She notices them everywhere in her environment.

She's able to identify many of the letters by name.

Numbers are another hit. She usually is able to count up to 10.

Show Week

2010-01-26T12:44:00.014-05:00

This week was show week at The Little Gym.

It was Lucia's last class as a Bird. She'll be moving up to the next level, Beasts.

Warming up with the opening song & egg shakers.The rings are one of Lucia's absolute favorites.

The bars are another one of her favorites.P - U - L - LTA-DA!Her beam routine. A front roll followed by walking backwards with the help of her instructor.Back to the bars.A clean dismount.Playing in the donut

Walking between the parallel bars.Doing the bar routine with her instructor.So much to do at the gym.Another swing on the rings for this little monkey.

Cooling down with balls & bubbles.Helping clean up the balls. The whole class is really good at cleaning up.Receiving her award ribbon on the podium.The whole class.Lucia was very proud of her award.

Photos by Renae

2010-01-04T22:03:00.030-05:00

Lucia & Annie surprised Rojelio for Christmas by having some professional photographs taken while in Michigan. Here's just a handful of the pictures we got from the photo session. It was hard to narrow it down. Luckily we got a digital frame for Christmas so we can display them all!

Spelling Bee Champion

2009-12-23T11:38:00.005-05:00

Though our Lulu can't quite say "Lucia" yet, she sure can spell it!

L-U-C-I-A

...must be Santa, Santa Claus.

2009-12-12T18:11:00.003-05:00

After looking at pictures of Santa, talking about him, watching him on TV, and passing by him & waving a few times at the mall within the last several weeks, Lucia was ready for her visit. She was a little shy with this stranger, though she didn't cry or fuss a bit. Santa was very kind & gentle. Papa was there to help her tell Santa that she has been a good girl & what she wanted for Christmas.

Merry Christmas Santa!

Jolly Old St. Nicholas

2009-12-06T16:36:00.005-05:00

We put our shoes out last night for St. Nicholas to fill up.

Lucia must have been a real good girl this year, she had 3 presents in her shoes.A book, a pair of owl pajamas, & an Abby Cadabby doll.

Abby Cadabby got a big kiss!

Those are some big girl pajamas!

Lucia took Abby on walks around the house all morning.

Thank you St. Nicholas.

Sledding . . . WHOA

2009-12-05T16:29:00.005-05:00

Today we had our first snowfall of the year. It was a heavy wet snow.

3 pairs of pants, a pair of leg warmers, 2 pair of socks, a long sleeve body suit, turtle neck, fleece, winter coat, a pair of mittens, an Oscar mask and we were ready to go outside for some sledding.

Lucia was all smiles when papa was pulling her on the sled.

Pulling Lucia up the little hill.

Getting ready to go down the hill.

Papa pulling Lucia around on the sled.Lucia got daring and wanted to kneel while riding."WHOA WHOA"

The Tablecloth

2009-12-05T16:01:00.005-05:00

Annie's family has a Thanksgiving tradition. Whom ever is present for the Thanksgiving feast signs the tablecloth following the meal. Annie's mom then embroiders over the signature so it will be everlasting. Each year is color coded to the corresponding date, the attendance history of Thanksgiving to forever be preserved.

Annie's mom embroidering the tablecloth.
Before a child can write her own name her hand print is traced and name put within.
Lucia's "signature" from last year.

With the passing down of the tablecloth will also have to come the passing of the art of embroidery.

Play-Doh in Pajamas

2009-11-26T13:14:00.006-05:00

We took advantage of a relaxing Thanksgiving morning and dabbled into the Play-Doh while wearing our pajamas. There's nothing like opening a can of fresh Play-Doh.

Lucia's first touch of Play-Doh.

pound. pound.

Using the crinkle cut wheel, complete with sound effects.

Rojelio with his bear of a creation.

roll. roll. roll.

Lucia making marks with the knife on her giraffe.

Putting her "cookies" in the bowl.

Annie is sure glad she kept all her Play-Doh equipment from therapy.

Stirring the pot.

Rojelio with his Play-Doh house, tree, and boy (Brian).

Our first Play-Doh session was a huge success!

Finger Painting 101

2009-11-25T09:18:00.011-05:00

Lucia's first finger painting session.

Setting up to paint.

Let the painting begin!
Lucia really enjoyed finger painting.
She stayed amazingly clean. Her smock was barley messy.
Her first finished finger painting project.

A November Afternoon

2009-11-10T13:47:00.010-05:00

A beautiful November afternoon.

We enjoyed playing in the leaves . . .

. . . playing with our balloon-ball . . .

(oops,it got stuck in the tree!) . . . and riding in the dump truck.

Lucia is now old enough to hold her own baby cam. We laughed so much when we played this one back. Enjoy!

Jammin'

2009-11-10T13:15:00.004-05:00

Lucia started practicing for her next jam session with gamps.

Playing the harmonica & singing the blues.

Rule #1 for harmonica players:

Always keep your mouth harp close by, you never know when you may need it.

Philadelphia Highlights

2009-11-09T14:39:00.006-05:00

We took advantage of Rojelio's professional conference and turned it into a mini family vacation.

We ate breakfast at Reading Terminal Market, which was right next to our hotel.They had the best fresh squeezed orange juice!While Rojelio was busy at his conferences, Annie & Lucia had time to enjoy the pool.

Swimming really knocked Lucia out!

A post swimming & nap snack in the hotel.

At Franklin Square there was a giant sand sculpture to cheer on the Phillies in the World Series.Rojelio & Lucia with Independence Hall in the background.Annie & Lucia in front of the Liberty Bell.After a long day of swimming, trick-or-treating & site seeing Lucia was pooped.Rojelio wouldn't let us leave Philadelphia before having a Philly cheese steak.We went to the famous Pat's.

Rojelio was so excited!Riding back to the hotel with a belly full of cheese steak & fries.Lucia with her souvenirs.Goodnight Philadelphia, thanks for a wonderful time.

Halloween in Philadelphia

2009-11-09T13:41:00.004-05:00

This year we happened to be in Philadelphia during Halloween.

Lucia sported her lovely Halloween striped cat shirt.

Demonstrating her cat, monster & witch sound effects.

In the afternoon Lucia was happy to get dressed up in her turtle costume.

We walked over to the historic district in downtown Philadelphia.

Franklin Square had a children's treat-or-treating event.

Lucia got to decorate her own goodie bag.

After her bag was done, she was ready to go off to the stations.

Getting some candy from the goose & lady.

Lucia enjoyed conversing with the frog.

We had a great time trick-or-treating at Franklin Square.

We made sure to stop & get a Tastykake milkshake for the walk back to the hotel.

Our Halloween night ended with one of Lucia's favorite stories, Five Little Pumpkins.

Children's Museum in Philadelphia

2009-11-02T13:35:00.013-05:00

While Rojelio was busy at conferences all day in Philadelphia, Annie & Lucia met up with some friends and went to the children's museum.

Lucia was just a little too short to fully enjoy the giant water tables.

Lucia & Stella playing in the nature center.
Sitting on a swan in the nature center.
Playing with the bendable cat tails.
When the lily pads are stepped on a pond noise plays. Lucia found the lily pad that had a thunderstorm sound & vibrated when stepped on.
A giant floor piano, just like in the movie Big. Lucia loved dancing on it.

She sat and played the toy piano so nicely.

Moving her little fingers up & down the keys.

There was a whole section dedicated to The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland.

Lucia had tea with some new friends.

She was a very good hostess & went to Alice's kitchen to get more tea for her guests.

A hidden slide in Wonderland.

Moving on to another area Lucia found one of her favorite animals.

She wasn't quite expecting the cow to talk to her.

Captain Lucia took Stella for a boat ride.

When Lucia turned the wheel the front of the boat moved up & down.

Lucia took care of the babies in the Medical Center.

I think she was trying to get a urine sample.

So many babies to take care of.

After her shift at the Medical Center Lucia went to the McDonald's.

Then it was off to grocery shopping at the Shop Rite.

We were at the museum over 5-hours & had so much fun. There was a lot to do. We saw a black light puppet show, rode the carousel & had lunch there too. Annie took so many pictures that her camera battery died before we were done. Lucia was asleep in the car before we left the parking lot! Thank you Billy & Stella for sharing a great day with us.

Boo at the Zoo

2009-11-02T13:09:00.005-05:00

The weekend before Halloween we went to Boo at the Zoo, which was at the National Zoo in Washington, DC.

Lucia was a turtle.

Annie went as a frog (it's kinda hard to see, but she is wearing a frog hat).

Rojelio was a puppy dog.

We were lucky it stopped raining just as we got to the zoo.

Lucia really enjoyed trick-or-treating.

Towards the end of the night she started saying trick-or-treat after the treat was dropped into her bag.

The Whole Foods stand gave out organic apples.

There were grave stones around the zoo that represented extinct animals.

Getting ready to dump our loot.

Lucia went through all her goodies.

We had a great time trick-or-treating at the zoo.

Halloween Lexicon

2009-10-18T21:50:00.005-04:00

We did some Halloween decorating today.

Window markers & our plexi-glass safety wall make a great combination.

Lucia quickly picked up on the holiday vocabulary.

Some of our spooky decor up close.

It's going to be an EERIE night!

Wee Wii

2009-10-18T21:36:00.004-04:00

We played a little wee Wii today.Lucia really enjoyed heading the soccer ball on the Wii Fit.

She couldn't stop giggling.

Now where's that cat!?

2009-10-14T15:27:00.004-04:00

It's about time we let the cat out of the bag. Come February Lucia will officially be a big sister.

Look at that smile on Papa's face. We just found out it's a . . .
. . . boy!
Lucia needed a closer look & asked the doctor for a second opinion.

Lucia had the honor of telling gammy, gamps & aunt Mary.

The arrival of baby boy is expected to be around February 23, 2010.

Pumpkin Festival

2009-10-14T14:32:00.007-04:00

We made our second annual trip to the pumpkin festival at Butler's Orchard. Lucia really enjoyed playing in the hay loft.

The tractors were another new favorite of hers.

Lucia & Papa made it through the baby tunnel of terror.

Playing in the schoolhouse. Rubber duck races.

"Chicken" is one of Lucia's latest words.

Lucia navigated through the maze all by herself. We were so proud!

Playing in the pumpkin patch.

We are excited for Halloween to come!

Air Mail Express

2009-10-14T13:51:00.006-04:00

Annie walked into the bedroom the other day to find that her baby had crawled into a box.

A snug fit, though the baby was very happy to have found a new haven.

Rojelio got involved. The snug fitting box evolved into a snug fitting cockpit.
Getting acquainted with the controls.
Getting ready for take off with her co-pilot Mr. Bump.

A successful take off and flight!

Gaining altitude.

Landing is always the hardest part.

Later the stewardess came by.

Hangin' Around

2009-10-14T13:30:00.005-04:00

We've been continuing to hang around the Little Gym.

Lucia just loves gymnastics.

She's doing the wheelbarrow walk.

Participating in group parachute play.

Hanging on the rings and bars are Lucia's absolute favorite!

Walking on the balance beam.

Lucia has finally mastered walking up and down the incline ramps.

Climbing the rock wall. Maybe she needs a steeper incline so she has to actually use the grips.

Chompa

2009-10-14T13:09:00.007-04:00

After seeing her cousin, Willow, with her new pet hedgehog, Thistle, Lucia was really into playing with her pet weasel Chompa.

Toddling

2009-08-11T16:47:00.006-04:00

Lucia took her first steps on August 10, 2009.

Walking has not yet become her preferred mode of transportation, though she gets better with each attempt.

Luckily, we managed to catch some of her first steps on camera.

Thank you to Jane, the wonderful PT, for her suggestions.

Peek-A-BOOO

2009-06-30T19:40:00.007-04:00

The game of peek-a-boo.

Lucia had a little more trouble covering her eyes with her glasses on. If you listen real close you can hear a faint little "boo" from her.

Budding Artist

2009-06-30T15:18:00.009-04:00

One of Lucia's first attempts at the Magna Doodle.

A week later her skills have developed to an even greater doodle.

And after a couple weeks . . . well, she must be some kind of Magna Doodle prodigy.

Gymnastics Award Ceremony

2009-06-30T14:39:00.006-04:00

Since the beginning of the year, Lucia & Annie have been taking a gymnastics class together at The Little Gym. After 20-weeks we had a Hawaiian themed award ceremony to commemorate the end of the semester.
Lucia always loves crawling through the tunnel.

Get ready to use the parallel bars.

Climbing down with ease.

The tumbling routine, consisting of a forward roll, donkey kick, & back flip over a hotdog.

Doing the bar routine with her instructor, Miss Amanda.

Balloon play to practice hand-eye coordination.

Going up to the podium to receive her Hawaiian lei & ribbon.

Checking out her ribbon a little closer.

The kids always got a stamp at the end of each class.

HOORAY for gymnastics fun!

Step by Step

2009-06-13T11:12:00.006-04:00

Every day Lucia seems to be getting closer & closer to walking.
No independent steps yet, though she is doing her fair share of pulling to stand & cruising. She has stood independently several times for a number of seconds. Each time she has a huge grin on her face as if she knows she is doing something monumental.

Seating for One

2009-06-13T10:28:00.007-04:00

We put the couch pillows together to form a chair.

A comfortable spot to chill out with an afternoon snack . . .

. . . at first anyway . . .

. . . but then it just became more difficult to get comfortable.

While at Meijer, Annie's eyes happen to glance toward a low lying shelf. Did her eyes deceive her? No it couldn't be! The perfect solution to our comfortable afternoon snack dilemma. A chair, but not just any chair, a BROBEE CHAIR. A once in a lifetime opportunity Annie thought. She had to get it. But what about the plane, how would she get it back home? A minor detail when you've found the perfect chair.

No worries, the Brobee chair made it home safely in the over head bin.

Lucia has been enjoying exploring her new chair.

Lucia is trying very hard to balance her snack on the slanted nursing stool. I suppose that will be part two of the comfortable afternoon snack dilemma.

Afternoon snacks have never been so comfortable and tasted so good!

click click smack

2009-06-13T10:16:00.006-04:00

A sophisticated taste of early oral motor imitation.

Now if only papa could teach Lucia the art of the trill she'll be all set.

A Mother's Delight

2009-05-10T23:07:00.021-04:00

We celebrated our family's second annual mother's day.

Lucia made Annie a wonderful sign and put in on her bedroom door.We spent the afternoon at Wheaton Regional Park.We took a picnic lunch and ate under a nice shade tree in the park.After we ate we walked over the the playground.Lucia enjoyed turning the steering wheel in the car.She needed a little coaxing to go through the tunnel. WEE! Going down the covered slide with papa.Rojelio demonstrating his skills, showing off to all the 6-year olds.Lucia loving the swings.The park has on old fashioned carousel . . .. . . and a train that takes you on a ride throughout the park.
Lucia was very relaxed during the train ride.What a great way to end the day.

"mamamamamama"
Music to my ears.

Lucia's Birthday Bash!

2009-05-10T23:07:00.019-04:00

Lucia had an awesome birthday bash back with our friends in Charlottesville.
Lucia is sporting her ladybug party hat while checking out her new baby doll, Hayesy.

Rojelio's mom taught Annie's mom how to make authentic Mexican pinatas.
Gammy made Lucia a pinata for her birthday party.
It's the colors of Lucia's favorite Yo Gabba Gabba! character, Brobee.
All the kids took turns trying to break open the pinata.
The order goes: birthday girl, then youngest to oldest.
Hooray! The pinata has been defeated.
Now it's a mad dash for the goods. Singing happy birthday to Lucia.
Lucia digging into her personalized custom made cupcake from . . .
. . . the fabulous cupcake buffet.There were some great cupcake creations.Rojelio with his colleagues in goofy party hats.It was a funfilled first birthday party.

Happy Birthday Lucia

2009-05-06T18:19:00.011-04:00

Happy Birthday Lucia.

Lucia turned 1 on April 24. On her birthday we had a little celebration at home with a few presents, not to mention a few cupcakes.
Strawberry cupcakes are delicious.

There are some big boxes for such a little girl. Lucia loved spinning the beads on her abacus.

A Wheely Bee . . .

. . . buzz . . . buzz . . .

What's a party without a dancing Brobee!?

GO BROBEE. GO LUCIA. GO GO GO!

Birthday Celebration #1

2009-05-03T17:05:00.006-04:00

When Gammy, Gamps, & Aunt Mary were here we had a birthday celebration for Lucia. Which would be her first celebration of three.

Papa's got the pizza!

Lucia's first birthday cake. Oh how sweet it is. Hooray for cake! Gammy & Gamps gave Lucia an awesome water table. She was so excited to see what was in it. Lucia instantly became attached to the penguin. The table is a perfect height for her. Aunt Mary gave Lucia a set of Yo Gabba Gabba! characters. The table was even more fun with water in it. Brobee needed a bath.Birthdays are so great.

Adventures with Gammy, Gamps & Aunt Mary

2009-05-03T14:41:00.016-04:00

Our first adventure was at Georgetown.

After working up an appetite walking around, we ended up at Z Burger.

We all enjoyed our shakes. There were over 50 flavors to choose from.

Peanut butter & jelly shake . . . yum! Our next adventure took us to Hagerstown, MD for some outlet shopping. Though we had an unexpected incident. Poor Gamps. He had to go shopping for a new tire while us girls enjoyed shopping. We had a great time at the National Zoo in DC. Gammy & Gamps bought Lucia a bike. Looks like more work for Gamps on his vacation. Thank you Gammy & Gamps. Lucia LOVES her bike. A bike ride to the park was in order. After 40-years working at ATT Gamps retired. Way to go Gamps. Thanks for all your hard work over the years.We presented him with an excellent grill/smoker . . . although he has to put it together . . . sorry about that Gamps . . . I guess a man's work is never done!

Easter 2009

2009-04-28T18:06:00.006-04:00

Lucia's first Easter.

Exploring her basket.

We set up a wild egg hunt for Aunt Mary! Lucia really enjoyed digging through her paper grass to find some goodies. . . . she really liked just playing with the grass too.

She was proud to have snatched gammy's Whoppers.

Gamps & Lucia before church.

Gammy, Lucia, Gamps & Aunt Mary

Lucia in her Easter outfit.

Rojelio & Lucia

Our family.

Rojelio making our traditional Easter paella.

This year we added a touch of Annie's heritage with some Polish kielbasa.

The chef reveals his creation.

Lucia enjoyed the paella too.

Eastered out!

Blossoming

2009-04-28T17:08:00.010-04:00

National Cherry Blossom Festival 2009

Washington, DC

We took the Metro down to the National Mall.

Lucia enjoyed seeing her reflection in the train window . . .
. . . though she wasn't quite sure what to think of the ride.

Once we got off the Metro, we decided to splurge and take a bicycle taxi to the Tidal Basin.

Lucia amongst the blossoms.The cherry blossoms are always a beautiful sight.

Georgetown Cupcake!

2009-04-26T23:20:00.011-04:00

We were so excited to get to Georgetown Cupcake . . .

. . . though there was quite a line . . . . . . enough time for a snack . . . . . . and to ponder what flavor cupcake to get . . . . . . after 30-minutes we finally made it to the door . . . . . . they all looked so good . . . . . . it was hard to narrow it down . . . . . . we managed to narrowed it down to six . . . . . . they all looked so so delicious . . . . . . Lucia can't wait to dig in . . . . . . papa serving up the cakes . . . . . . they met all of our expectations . . . . . . thank goodness for bibs & wipes . . .. . . a great day with some great cupcakes.

Reuse, Reduce . . . Shake!

2009-04-01T18:04:00.018-04:00

Annie was going through Lucia's closet.

What to do with all those milk storage bottles we got from the hospital when Lucia was in the NICU . . .

Throw them away? Recycle them? Reuse them?
After a scavenger hunt for shakables throughout the house, homemade shakers were born. Introducing beans, rocks, rice, couscous, green water & oil, buttons, & kosher salt. The green water & oil seems to be Lucia's favorite.They are the perfect size for her little hands.

These have quickly become some of Lucia's most played with toys. The lids were affixed with loctite glue for added safety.
Lesson: You don't have to spend any money to make a baby happy.

Rainy Day Practice

2009-03-26T17:28:00.013-04:00

Well it wasn't a rainy day though we thought we would practice for one.
Annie set up a tent, she used for therapy in her previous life, in the living room for Lucia to explore.

Lucia was also introduced to Annie's rattlesnake, another former therapy tool.

So now that we have some practice under our belts, let the rain come down!

Etiology

2009-03-18T22:14:00.005-04:00

Why does Lucia have bruises on her shins?
From crawling?
No they are on her shins, she couldn't get bruise there from crawling.
What could they be from?
Mystery solved.
Lucia loves her Muno & Brobee so much.
When she bangs them they shake & sing.
Well she plays with them a lot.
Usually hitting her legs instead of the floor.

She plays with them so much Rojelio has empowered his fatherly role by having to fix Brobee on multiple occasions. Poor Brobee. At least he is well loved.

Chiclet

2009-03-18T17:48:00.006-04:00

Four teeth popped up within 10 days. No more gummy smiles.Lucia is our little Chiclet.

While on the phone . . .

2009-03-09T23:28:00.005-04:00

Why do things always happen while the mom is on the phone? Annie does not usually talk on the phone too often or for too long. But by chance when she was on the phone, catching up with a friend, a magical moment happened. Lucia started crawling.

Annie was in shock. She had seen Lucia up on her knees rocking many times, but never to where her arms and legs were coordinated together and moving forward over a distance.

She exclaimed to her friend, "Oh my God, Lucia is crawling!" and grabbed the camera to capture the moment.

Lucia seemed to be so proud of herself. She was smiling the whole time, as if she knew she accomplished a great milestone.

It's been a busy couple weeks for this little baby. Four teeth popped up, she started crawling . . . and the great adventure continues . . .

Park It!

2009-03-09T22:44:00.010-04:00

Such a warm sunny day. A trip to the park was in order.

We discovered a great park. It's about a 20-minute walk, but well worth it. It has baby swings and these great bouncy cars to ride in.

Lucia on her first bouncy car ride.

The motorcycle was fun too.

Trying out a big girl swing for the first time.

Getting ready to take the plunge.

There she goes!Lucia's trying to figure out how this whole gravity thing works.A new day and a new park to discover.Going down a fat slippery slide was tricky.It was VERY slippery.Pooped out. Time for a ride back home.