Fun with the Kids

Time passes so quickly. It seems like every day I'm just trying to do things like get the kids dressed and fed, then taking Elena to do one of her activities, and then it's practically time for bed. And these little things make me so busy that I haven't had time to post. But I've been taking lots of pictures.

We made some brownies and Elena wanted to stir. She loves to help stir when we're baking. Then when the batter was done she told me it wasn't ready, and that she needed to keep stirring it. She told me she would let me know when it was ready, so she was stirring it for quite a while.

At the Gymboree art class they were clowns. Here's my little clown.

She was playing with foam shapes and Jorge started sticking them on her face. All over her face.

Then she went on a licking attack.

I found her like this one day.

Samuel is getting more and more curious about things, and he can be amused for a little while.

 

I put him on a little play mat so I could do something, and when I went back a couple minutes later I found him near the bottom, almost off the mat.

Jorge has fun with him now that he sees him as more "durable." He's getting so big!

 

I mean, really, is this the same kid I delivered less than 4 months ago?

 
We went to the park and had lunch, then Elena played. She ran around, then she held onto Charlie's leash and he pulled her along . . . she liked that. She got to play on the playground, too.

By the time we left the little guy was exhausted.

The other day Elena said "I'm a princess!" We've tried to shield her from the whole princess theme, but the commercials before Mickey Mouse Clubhouse have undermined that. Her statement caught us off guard. Then Jorge said, "We don't have princesses here. We have presidents." I have a feeling the whole princess thing is going to blow up at some point, no matter how much we try to prevent it.

I'm just trying to cherish my time with them while they're small because they're growing so fast.  

 

 

 

 

 

Silly Fun

We get pretty silly in our house. Here's Elena doing her elephant.

And eating her ice cream cone

Dance time before going to bed

Then she decided to march instead

 

 Elena painted with shaving cream again.

And then we moved the activity to the bathtub.

 

Our little guy is always around.

And he's getting some personality.

 

Samuel's already 3 months old. I've been waiting for him to reach this point because babies tend to become more easygoing and are amused by things (even though he's been a pretty easygoing baby from the beginning). But there are things I will miss about the newborn stage: the delicious smell of a new baby, the way their bodies curl up so small, the cute little noises they make, the expressions they practice while they're sleeping, the soft cry, and first smiles. I can't believe that stage has already passed!

3 Months Old

I am 3 months old today!

I weigh 13 pounds, 12 ounces, and I'm 24.5 inches long.

I love to make bashful faces, batting my eyes with my hands at my chin.

I like to hold my hands together in front of my chest.

I grabbed my feet for the first time today.

 I wake my mama up with my babbling every morning.

I'm getting better at grabbing things.

I'm babbling more and more, I like to be held, I've had my first giggles, and I love my bathtime.

Busy in the New Year

Having two kids is definitely different than having one. Less breaks, a lot more to do, and errands are difficult to get done. On the days Jorge works late, I usually don't bathe the kids, but this day I did. You can see Samuel hanging out on the floor.

I try to go somewhere every day, but we were all sick with a cold for a week (Jorge was pretty sick for almost 2 weeks). By the time we were getting better, Elena was so desperate to go out that she was asking to go to the store. Poor thing. I'm just now trying to get back into the routine of taking them out every day, but it's so much harder when I have to drag the carseat/carrier around with Samuel. And getting places on time is always a challenge. But then I look at their sweet, little, angelic faces, and it makes it all worth it.

 

 

Elena still loves to play with babies and her "food stuff." Lately she also likes to build a lot with her magneatos and mega bloks. 

I dyed some shaving cream for her to paint with and she loved it. She said "This is my favorite!" She was amused for a long time.

 

My dad came to visit today. After he left I was kicking myself for not getting a picture of him with the kids. He saw Samuel for just a few minutes after he was born, and then he had to leave because it was late and they were moving me to a different hospital room. Then not even a week later he had his heart surgery, so he's been at home recovering. Anyway, he came to see us today and he brought a doll for Elena (in the picture below). He got to hold Samuel and spend time with Elena, then Samuel got fussy and we were trying to get him to sleep for a long time, so it didn't cross my mind to grab my camera. Next time I'll take pictures at the beginning of a visit. 

 

 

In an effort to eat healthier we are getting a weekly box of organic produce from local farms. It's forcing me to try new things, and hopefully we'll eat a lot more vegetables.

A couple cute things Elena said that I want to remember:

She told me she was "giant hungry" when it was time for lunch.

Jorge and I were cuddling and she said "Ooooohhhhh, loving on each other."

Samuel found his hands a couple of days ago. He holds them together in front of his face and stares at them. So adorable.