9 Months + 2 days

The nine-month milestone is a little special because now it means that Baby Sis has been living on this earth just as long as she was living inside of me:-) She is 16.4 lbs (10% group) and 27.5" (50% group). The ped wants her to gain more weight but with her chunky little rolls, I don't see why. It may just be that she was sick for the last 10 days with a bad cold/cough and she lost a little. Hmm. Oh well. She's definitely more vocal about her likes/dislikes and I will soon be weaning her as she's almost lost interest in breastfeeding unless it's a random 2am wake-up or her first morning feed. Once she's ten months, I'll start feeding her whole milk.

She's not crawling yet but she rolls around the house like a champ and loves to pull up on her toys with some assistance. The big difference from Russell is her love of swings. Even now, he's not a fan of them. Her, on the other hand, is just thrilled with the motion. Ah... our wild child;-)

Perfection

This Blueberry Tart is perfection. Every berry was worth the 1200 mile roadtrip.

To Oregon for friends and berries

We left last Friday, the 2nd, on our 600+ mile roadtrip to Oregon to visit two very dear friend-families. It is a gorgeous drive in the summer but during the winter, the Oregon-California pass is a safety hazard. It's been three years (Aug. '07) since we drove up. Not much has changed with exception of the two little people in the back seat. Russell is old enough to be excited for the trip and Camille is young enough not to know better;-)

Strawberry picking in the U-pick farms. Russell and his friend did just great:-)

 Outdoors is a perfect place for small children to play. I wish we had this opportunity close by!

Our '10 Christmas picture...

During our infertility struggles, Anne was one ear that was always willing to listen and cry and pray. Both our girls are miracles babies (as each child is!) and it was so sweet to have a picture with all FOUR of us!!!

On Sunday morning- after a dead-battery-jump-start (thanks!!), we headed a little farther north and landed at the home of our other Oregonian friends. We enjoyed their hometown parade and the heat was enough to rival California's. Again, we were assisted with another jump-start and headed back to the farm. Dan and Jeff then headed off to WalMart for a new battery. Gotta love vehicle maintance!

The Cabbage-Patch doll I never had;-)

Two beautiful princesses...

... and their prince! Baby Rem is an amazing army-style crawler. I think Camille was a little envious of his freedom but she wasn't too jealous and gave his a huge smile whenever they were together. Rem is older by 17 days. Alysun was the (crazy) pregnant friend who flew down last August to take my maternity shots at the beach.

Thank-you to our gracious hosts who loved on us while we visited. I know it isn't easy to have more people in the house but Russell enjoyed the playmates and we're all looking foward to a visit in the future.

On Wednesday, we loaded up the van once again (including 5 pints of Alsyun-assisted fresh blueberry jam, 20+ lbs of freshly picked Oregon blueberries, and 5 lbs of u-pick strawberries) and in 11 hr and 52 minutes, we were home;-)

8 Months

Baby Sis will be eight months old on Tuesday. I'm blogging now since the house is quiet... Camille's napping and Dan has taken Russell for their first overnight camping (tent) trip to Half Moon Bay. What to do... what to do... a little unnerving to have just us girls home tonight;-)

 

Camille's feeding herself her Gerber 'puffs' now. She can't get enough of them. I added blueberries to her tray this week and those disappeared quickly as well. Such the perfect fruit. I can't wait until the Purewal season starts and we get crates of them from B.C.!

Andrea & Kris' Wedding

We arrived on Wednesday, with a few days to spend with the family before the wedding. On Friday, we set up for the wedding (my sisters helped with the reception location) and had the rehersal in the early evening, followed by a Chinese-food dinner at Kris' parents house. Saturday morning, we all dressed for the wedding at 1pm. After the ceremony, the family pictures were taken and we left to take the kids back to our host home for naps. The reception was at 6pm and we stayed until 9pm with the kiddos. The bride and groom were so happy and relaxed and it showed:-)

We took 28lbs of Jelly Bellies (the 'belly flops') with us to Edmonton. We packed one very full suitcase and used our car-seat bag to store the candy and other over-sized/bulky items. Thankfully, we only had to check one bag on the way home since all the bulky items were left in Edmonton:-) Yes, ALL the candy was needed!

Very cute picture of my sister Candice and Camille (two C's!) at the rehersal dinner. It is about 9:30pm in this picture. I LOVE the long/bright evenings in the North during the summer!!

The second bowl of ice-cream & sprinkles. This kid can consume the sugar! It was a special weekend so I didn't mind;-)

 

Awww. Saturday morning and the blushing bride. Why do churches insist on using the play-room for the bridal parties? Hmm. Andrea used my vail:-) Very sweet.

The kiss...

"Man and wife!"

My brother Chad flew in late on Friday evening and we left first thing on Sunday, so we didn't get to spend much time together. (Yes, that is an iPod which is a wonderful tool to keep a 4-yr-old quiet for a 45-minute ceremony!)

My men...

Two beautiful ladies...

No, he didn't touch it. Yes, he did want to!

 

We had a smooth flight home and only Camille caught a cold due to the airplane air. One out of four isn't bad:-) Russell loved taking pictures at the airport and he decided he needed one of himself... (upside down, of course).

I love this kid!

Andrea and Kris are spending three weeks in the Dominacan Republic. Andrea still had one more year until she graduates with her undergrad degree and Kris is starting the three year process of getting his real-estate certificates. He has to jump through more hoops since he's not 25yrs old yet. They have a basement suite that Kris is renovating for their home. It will be wonderful to see their marriage blossom as the years pass:-)

Congrats, Andrea & Kris. Can't wait to see you at Christmas!

Still here

I'm still here, just haven't blogged lately. My camera is full of pictures but the battery always seems to be dead at the wrong moments. I seriously need an assistant to keep up with these little things in life that catch me by surprise.

Camille's seven months old now. She sits like a champ and doesn't like to be laying down if she's awake. She loves pears w/ oatmeal and cinnamon. She HATES peas. Her mouth is like a vice grip when she gets a wiff of those;-) I'm sure she'll loves them once they aren't pureed. Poor kid!

Russell is now the very proud owner of a brand new, bright yellow 16" bicycle. He rides it every day in the driveway or park if it isn't raining... of which we've had a lot (too much!) this spring. It's almost June and it feels like February. Russell is a sweet older brother and Camille can do no wrong in his eyes.

My youngest sister Andrea is getting married next Saturday, June 5th, in Edmonton, Alberta. We're packing four people's worth of clothing/items into ONE suitcase. It's getting expensive to check luggage. We usually overpack anyway, so this will be a challenge I'm willing to fight;-)

Off once again. Dinner for us, purees for baby sis!

Mother's Day

An early morning breakfast at Mimi's Cafe with my three biggest fans:-)

A warm and special Mother's Day to all moms with children in their arms and in their hearts. It is an honor to be called "mom."

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength... Impress these commmandments on your children. Talk to them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."
Deuteronomy 6:5-7

Loving Gilroy Gardens

Today was our first day of many this year at Gilroy Gardens since we bought the season pass (tax deductible!). It's an amusement park for younger children (3yrs-12yrs) and the 75F weather was perfect. It's been a cool spring in the Bay Area and the sun felt good for us all. The last time we had gone to G.G. it was the fall of 2008 and Russell was 2.5yrs old. He didn't have fun and neither did we. This time, he was all gusto for each ride! Camille just chilled in the stroller and enjoyed the day out. She is a very content baby.

Russell even did the Farris wheel:-)

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Camille had a costume change half-way through the day due to her diaper blow-out. Times have changed in comparison to my visits of old at Six Flag Parks in California and Texas, but that's okay;-)

Happy Sixth Month Birthday, Little Sis!

 

Little Sister turned six months old today (Happy Earth Day, too, to those that do all the small things to take care of our beautiful planet!).

Camille recently found her feet and she is often in this position when she is laying down. She rolls over from tummy-to-back, now, and I'm helping her learn to sit up. Russell was sitting up by six months so I figure she can learn, too:-) The back of her head still has a bald spot from sleeping so it would be nice for her to sit up when she can. Last Thursday, one little tooth started poking through her bottom gums. Time for Tylenol and
Orajel!

Her six-month stats are: 15 lb 5 oz, 25" in length, and 50% percentile.

She loves to be held. I'm sure she'd be thrilled if I put her in the Bjorn and carried her all day.

Camille isn't the big eater that Russell was at six months. She'll eat two pear ice-cubes for breakfast and one yam ice-cube for supper. No more than that for now.

 

We celebrated today with Martha Stewart's "Glazed chocolate cake." Shall I say INCREDIBLE? Yum. We sang to Camille and she reached out to receive the cake/plate. I know when she's my daughter when she envies chocolate (I did give her a lick of icing).

She is enamored with Russell. Every day, every moment. He can make her laugh more than anybody.

Happy half-birthday, Baby Girl. You are the light of our lives.

Money Saving (okay, Spending) Mom

Our marriage has flowed easily when it comes to finances... it's quite easy, actually... Dan earns, I spend. Kidding aside, that is just how it works since I'm the one to buy groceries, pay bills online, and keep us clothed and clean. Our 'big ticket' items we spend on are airfare and vacations (hotel rooms, restaurants).

In an attempt to cut our monthly spending on incidentals down, I've always used coupons from the Sunday paper inserts but recently, I found myself linked to MoneySavingMom. Her site includes links to other bloggers that are highly dedicated to getting many items for little/no money. I don't have the time (so how do they?) to do all the work to figure out the deals but MSM compiles the coupons and I save $$$. I only frequent Target and Safeway, with visits to Trader Joe's and Walgreens as secondary, but for the last few visits to my stores, I've certainly enjoyed the extra savings. Also, I recently learned about e-coupons online that can be added to a stores' membership card (i.e. Safeway, Vons, Albertsons) so that the savings are automatically deducted at the till.

I know I won't ever be one of the women who can get $150 worth of groceries for $15 but that's okay. A few saved dollars here and there will help.

***sorry to my Canadian friends and family. These sites are for American stores and companies:-(

It's April 2nd today. Where is time going? Two months until my youngest sister's wedding. I remember seeing her swaddled in the hospital bassinet when she was only a day old... but that's been over 20 years now. I think the last time I was in Edmonton was 1993? I am thankful we were able to book a direct flight (3 hrs) to Edmonton from San Francisco. God bless Air Canada.

Russell continues with swim classes. He's doing well (i.e. no crying, he obeys his teacher, and looks forward to each week's class). We went to Stanford's campus last weekend for an hour while Dan went into work to fix something, and while we waited, we watched the lane swimmers at the pool (all the pools are outdoors). Russell was so excited and asked if he could swim at that pool:-) I told him if he kept up his classes with Teacher Diana that someday he might. It was sweet to see him so enthused.

We don't really have plans for Easter this year. Dan doesn't have either Friday or Monday off (boo). We'll give Russell his Easter basket on Saturday morning since Sunday morning Dan will be out the door early to help at church and the kids and I will leave soon after. I bought all the ingredients to make hot-cross buns and a broccoli/white-cheddar side dish. Throw in some chicken, and we'll do dinner on Sunday night.

I got my capris and my new denim skirt in the mail last week. I love each item and they fit nicely. Ahh. The little things that make such a huge difference in life. I had ordered a dress as well but I returned that and instead, found a Jones New York dress at my thrift store for $8. I love the dress and the price. I think the dry-cleaning will cost more;-)

Happy Spring to you all. Now, for some warm weather??

Trip to the Mall

I haven't been to our indoor mall since before Camille was born. I think I was there for a hair-cut in August? Hmm. It's been awhile at least. Today I landed there with the two kiddos in tow for a 10am appointment with the Picture People. I waited until we were in the studio to put on Camille's dress (over her onesie/leggings) as I wanted to avoid any last minutes spit-ups and Russell changed into his collared shirt to avoid the wrinkles that come from his continual movement;-)

Short story: good photos and happy children= happy mama. While waiting for our photos to be uploaded/edited for viewing, we detoured over to See's Candies for a sample and then to the Lego store for a prize. Without Russell's co-operation, I wouldn't have been able to get a picture of the two kids together (and happy). I bought him a new Lego kit for $12 and the fun he's had with it in the last few hours has been worth the money. I have a feeling that the two little Lego kits he has will only multiply in the years to come.

We have to wait to receive our prints since their printers weren't working. The Picture People reps asked if I could return at a later date to pick up the prints. With a smile and a firm 'no' I suggested kindly that the package be mailed to me. For the few dollars I dropped in their cash register, it wouldn't hurt them.

Next wonderful expensive gift? A lovely camera. Suggestions welcome.

5 Months

Five months of this little woman's life has passed already. It has gone so quickly. She's no longer an infant but a delicious baby. I often hear, "she looks just like Russell" and "look at those cheeks!"

She loves to babble, kick her feet, and when I pull her forward, she bends her knees and stands up on her own. She does not roll over, crawl, or sit. She sounds as athletic as me;-)

New Season, new clothes

If I were to chose my favorite item of clothing to wear indefinitely, it would be a denim skirt. Last year, I looked high and low for a nice denim maternity skirt and there was none to be found (stylish, not Amish) except for one at the Gap for $40. I ordered it online and proceeded to wear it until I was almost 9 months pregnant. That's what I call "getting your money's worth."

This year, I'm still post-baby body and my regular denim skirts don't fit. I checked out Gap.com and they had a pencil-skirt for $60. Old-Navy had more than a few mini-skirts (which only look good on nobody, so why do they sell them??) and this one with a draw-string. Since this skirt was only available online, I didn't mind buying it sight-unseen, otherwise it would have been nice to take an hour or two and shop inside of a store.

I also bought a pair of capris. This is a leap of faith for me. Again, the pair I ordered was available 'online only' so let's hope for the best! I've only owned one pair of capris in my lifetime and every time I wore them, I just felt like I was wearing shrunken pants.

So, here's to spring and longer days and sunnier days! I've been waiting for this since last fall;-)