christmas 2009

Ok I’m a week behind on the Christmas day post, but here it is.
We had a great time for Christmas we were able to see all our family in NJ and Mia had a blast opening all the presents, we spent Christmas Eve at Josie’s house, have dinner with Josie, Keith and Fernando, Mia opened her first presents that night. On Christmas day Mia wake up at 6:40 am like she knew what was waiting for her, so we started to opening the Christmas present and them get ready to go to Garfield for breakfast.
After breakfast we went to Jenn’s parents to have dinner with their family. We had a great time, we were super tire it was a lot of driving around. We didn’t get back to Bordentown until 9:00 pm.
Mia got spoiled this year, a few of the presents that she got are:

Dora sleeping doll http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-L7298-Sleepy-Dreams-Dora/dp/B000VZXSGM
Baby and bath doll
Kitchen (step 2) http://www.step2.com/product.cfm?product_id=1299
Food for the kitchen (2 sets)
Fisher-Price Elmo Live Encore http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=12016710
An electric keyboard (piano)
A baby alive http://www.hasbro.com/babyalive/en_US/
Play doh
Finger paint
Bubble machine
Books (in English and Spanish)
A princess castle
Pajamas
Clothing
Fridge alphabet set Fridge Phonics® Magnetic Alphabet Set
M & M’s candy
Toys R us gift cards
a nativity set
a Doctor's kit
and much more, these are only the ones that I can think of.

I hope everybody had a great and safe Christmas and thank you everyone for your generosity, Mia love every single one of her toys she is having lots of fun.

Mia and Santa pictures

21 Months

Mia turned 21 months today. Today she finally witnessed what a real snow storm is. She has really progressed with her speaking skills. She is now using a few words in a row. Things such as "Mommy I am falling", "Daddy sit down", "It is raining out", "I have to go pee-pee". This past month seems to have been a little more hectic than others, i assume from the terrible twos, but that is off and on. There are times when Mia will be sitting with me, and we will look at each other and just start cracking up. Neither of us have an idea why we crack up, we just do, and it completely acceptable because to see Mia laugh is a prize in itself. I really like when Mia wants to snuggle with the three of us. This month Mia also caught the RSV virus. The easiest way to explain what it is, is to imagine your lungs as normal tree branches with leaves, however with the RSV virus, the branches become thinned out leaving the leaves with little oxygen. In essence Mia's lungs were not getting the appropriate oxygen, causing her to cough very badly at night. The doctor put her on a nubulizer which is actually used for people with asthma, however they have realized that it also helps with RSV because the the effects of asthma are very similar. She is now doing much better, and is running around all over again. Mia now knows my other name is Shaun and Mommy's other name is Karina. She can also say 1 to 10 in English and Spanish. She also knows that credit cards are used for shopping, and uses our old cards to pretend she is shopping. She knows when mommy is not here that she is working. She also likes to pretend I am a horse and give her horsey rides. We are blessed and we will continue to cherish each moment we possibly can with Mia. I love you Mia, love your daddy.

YOU ARE 20 MONTH OLD

You are growing up fast – 20 months old today. I can hardly believe it. You really seem like you are becoming a big girl, more so every day and it is so fun to see the world through your eyes.
I think every day you learn new words – lately there has been: thank you, please, hurry, shoe off, fork and you are trying to sing songs as well. You ask us to sing ABCD, old Mcdonald had a farm and one in Spanish a, e, i, o, u. you favorite toys are legos and play doh. You also like to play ring around the rosy, hide and seek, horse (go on daddy’s back while he crawl around the living room).
We love you very much baby girl. Happy 20 Months Birthday!

Baby Momma

Aunt Tracy's time with Mia

This past weekend was such a nice weekend. I got to spend it with you, Mommy and Daddy for Mommy's birthday. And to my surprise, you asked for me all weekend long. When we went out to dinner at Ikea, we ate together and I helped feed you. Then we played walked half of the store and you played in the children's area. I kept you occupied while Mommy and Daddy looked at big girl beds for you. That was a great night. Then the next morning, Daddy brought you downstairs when you first woke up and you cuddled with me on the couch for about a second and then as soon as you realized Codie was right there, you got down and hugged and kissed Codie all morning and afternoon long. You asked me to sit down on the floor to play "Yego Yego", which means Lego's. I loved every moment I got to spend with you this weekend. It's amazing how quickly you are growing and each time I see you, Mommy and Daddy taught you something new. For example, ever since you got bit is school, Daddy has been very upset and decided to teach you to talk back. So when I asked you if I could bite you, you said "NO NO". Or when I asked how old you were, you said "Uno". That was a big surprise. I think what surprised me the most is when you pointed to your diaper and said, "Pee Pee". Mommy and Daddy explained to me that you now pee pee on the potty when you say that. So I brought you upstairs to go and you said "Tacy pee pee", and you meant that you wanted me to go too. And as soon as I started going, I heard funny noises. And come to find out, you don't only know how to pee pee on the toilet, apparently Mommy and Daddy taught you how to poo poo too!! Of course, I had no idea what to do, so Daddy had to show me. Sunday morning was the best. Daddy brought you downstairs again, when you first woke, and shortly after that, we all went to Walmart so Mommy and Daddy could go food shopping. Almost the entire time we were there, you asked for me. So I decided to walk you over to the toys department and ride on what you call a "bikey". You loved it. Then we looked at Elmo dolls and eventually Mommy and Daddy came over to join us. I love spending time with you Mia and can't wait to see you again so you can surprise me with something new that Mommy and Daddy taught you!!

HALLOWEEN

This last weekend was Halloween and it seems that you liked it. You still go around the house with you basket trick or treating giving candy to daddy and me.
You’ve been sick for over a week now, you first had a sinus infection and now you have a cold, which is why you couldn’t go to the school harvest because instead you went to the doctor’s office.
On Saturday we took you to Michael’s for a Halloween event that they had. You got a purple bucket with a black witch on it, a balloon, a Halloween frame (that we have to make) and a pencil with a play-doh monster (that daddy made for you). Then we took you for lunch at Friendly’s. We went home for a nap and in the afternoon we took you to the mall for trick or treating. You look so beautiful on you ladybug outfit. Afterwards you did a few stores of trick or treating definitely got the concept. We haven’t let you eat any of the candy yet. I’ll probably let you eat the lollipops.
Mia it is so much fun watching you grow up. I can’t wait for Christmas.

19 months old

Today you are 19 months old. It seems like just yesterday I was writing your 18 month old post – time really is flying by these days.
My favorite thing of you is how loving you are – I’ve mentioned it before, but this month you have bloomed even more, wanting to hug everyone and you give us the sweetest cuddles and tell us ‘I L’ You’ – which just melts my heart every time.
I think every day you learn new words, your vocabulary is increasing everyday, mostly because you try to copy everything we say, but a special toddler dictionary is required to decipher most of what you say – lately there has been: Shhhhh...Noise, sit down, Papas (potatoes), play doh, bed, shoe, sock, hair, pee pee, potty, and cookie. You started to sing the ABC’s. You can say a, b, c, d. I think my favorite word is when you say I love you. You called Aunt Tracy sisi. When we ask you: how old are you? You say: UNO. When we ask you: how do you say Daddy in Spanish? You say: papi.
You like to talk on the phone. You ask us all the time to call Nina (Aunt Patricia) and Aiden.
Today at the daycare you are going to start to transition to another room (18 to 24 month); they will start taking you for an hour or two so you can get used to the new room, the kids and the providers.

You’ve been sick for the last week, you have a sinus infection, but you are a champ. You’ve been taking you antibiotics like we are giving you candy, you even ask for more.
You are such a joy and so much fun to watch you play around the house and help us clean and fold the laundry.
We love you very much baby girl, and I know I can’t call you baby girl much longer – I’m still clinging on tight.

POTTY TRAINING

Mia will be 19 months old in 5 days, I never thought that she was ready for Potty train yet, but back is July she started to be interested on what Shaun and I were doing in the bathroom so Shaun went to babies r us and got her a potty. We thought that it will be a good idea to just get her use to the potty. Must of the time that we go to the bathroom we take her with us, she sat on the potty while I sat on the toilet but she never did anything until yesterday.

Yesterday went I came back form work Shaun called me upstairs were he was with Mia and told Mia: Show mommy. Mia went to the bathroom and I followed her and I asked her: what happened Mia, what do you want to show me? She sat on the potty and Shaun told her: Mia don’t see there, show mommy, so when I looked on the potty there it was “pee pee”. Mia peed on the potty for the first time.

Here is the story:
Shaun was getting her ready for her bath when Mia took her diaper off, so he told her: Mia sit on the potty and do pee pee until I come back with you towel, Shaun went to her room and got her stuffs together and went back to the bathroom and asked her: did you pee? And Mia said yes. He didn’t believe her but them he saw it in the potty.

Congrats to you Baby girl in this new achievement.

This Weekend

A lot had happened this last weekend; first on Friday Shaun got a phone call from the CDC (Child Development Center) Mia got bitten by one of the other toddlers, they did not want to disclosed any information with Shaun of who was the kid, they give us an accident report where it says that miss Carmen was the provider in charge at the moment, the time, that it did not break the skin and that they clean her arm with soap and water.
When I got home we took Mia to the store and got her a stuff animal (a pink pig)
And took her to Chick-fil-a for dinner and to play and ended the night with an ice cream cone.

On Saturday we took Mia to Michael’s craft store for a pumpkin craft day, we (Shaun and I) help Mia to decorate the pumpkin. After that we went to cicis pizza for lunch since grandma Linda was with us and she never been to a pizza buffet.
In the afternoon Aunt Tracy, aunt Jen and Cody came to visit form NJ and we went out for dinner to celebrate aunt Tracy’s birthday at Duclaw. On Sunday we went Pumpkin and Apple picking at Baugher’s in Westminster, MD.
We had a great time Mia pick up her first apple from a tree and eat it right away. We took lots of pictures; walk around for a while, them we went back to the store to pay for the apples and to take a Hyde ride to the pumpkin patch.

Mia pick up her own pumpkin, she play on the Hyde and walked around the field. The weather was really nice. After that we went to the Baugher’s restaurant for lunch and of course we had to have some pie and ice cream.

Them we went home to bake some cookies. Aunt Tracy wanted to this with Mia and they both had a great time doing it.

Cheers to a great weekend with the family and for many more to come!!!

OCTOBER FACTS

Here are a few fun things about Mia for October.

She is 23 lbs.
She is getting pretty good at running and it is so cute.
She is very loving, and is giving great hugs right now. And she will give kisses when asked.
Her language is definitely progressing, with her adding words like mama (grandma), cold, ice, I L’ ou – I love you and a whole bunch more. I thought I was behind on keeping track last month but now it’s impossible. She constantly amazes me by knowing words and she is also very good at parroting.
If you ask her how old she is she will say: “Uno”.
Mia has her first pony ride on Saturday at the cranberry festival in Bordentown.
She loves the playground at the mall and the pretzels sticks after she played.
We can now do two pony tails on her hair instead of to pigtails.
She loves to dance to any song.
She likes to take care of her cousin Aiden. She likes to feed him and burp him.


This is a really fun age, but I’m sure each month will bring even more fun as Mia continues to grow.

Love,
Mommy.

18 months old

On Saturday you became 1 1/2. Eighteen months have passed since you were born. It’s hard to imagine you not being in our lives, which on the one hand seems like you’ve been here for so much longer than 18 months. On the other, I remember you being so tiny and unable to even sit-up and that wasn’t that long ago.
We aren’t going to get your 18 month appointment until next month due to scheduling & shots.
Every day it seems you surprise me with something you know. I just can’t keep track of the words you know anymore. I’m happy to say you are still very loving, and give great hugs. I hope this doesn’t ever change.
You have gotten to really know who everybody is, when we mention the names you look around to see where they are, including all your teachers. You call Nina all the time, coco (codie) and Aiden (Ian).
Probably your favorite foods right now are potatoes, strawberries and bananas are always a big hit as well (they have probably surpassed mandarin oranges even).
You wear 12 to 18 month clothing; you are around 22 lbs and 32 inches tall.
You love to dance, we were talking about taking you to dance classes, you are very active, you on the move all day, I think that is why you don’t get too much weight, you know how to get off the couch without any help, you climb on the dishwasher door, at the mall play ground you climb the bridge like a pro, you love to play pretend with daddy.
I love you baby girl, and you bring me so much joy in my life. I love seeing you grow and learn.
Love,
Momma

Teacher Parents Meeting

Today we had a parent’s teacher meeting at the CDC (Child Development Center). Mia is doing very well; she likes to get her hands dirty, she love to paint and play in the sand and digs. I’m so glad that she likes to play in the sand; she will have lots of fun at the beach.
She is really independent and she likes the wonder around and explore on her own. Mia has a best friend, his name is Gavin, and they get along pretty well and hold hands.
She knows all the providers by their names, well she can’t say their names but if you ask her where is Miss Linda or where is Miss Tracy she will point at them.
Here are a few pictures that I took while she was sleeping:

Mia is 17 months old

My baby Mia – you are growing up so fast. Today you are 17 months old and I don’t know where the time is flying. You are at an age where you pick up new things every day.
You really understand everything of what we say – we need to be more careful now what we say around impressionable ears since you often try and repeat words.
You love to help around the house, you even help bring laundry to the couch and it’s great! You then throw the sock everywhere on the floor, but it’s a start. You probably say 20 words well, but I’m having trouble keeping count. Your newest one are: open, up, down and teeth. You repeat a lot of words now but I’m not sure you know them on your own, but you constantly surprise me. Also you talk a lot, usually at bed time you have a whole conversation with us before going to bed. (Video coming soon).
You know your head, eyes, ears, nose, feet, mouth, hair, hands, cheeks, chest, and my favorite – belly!!! She lifts her shirt, too cute.
You sleep well as long as you aren’t sick –you go to bed by 7-7:30 and you sleep until 6:00 am. Sometimes I still have to wake you up for the daycare.
You love to dress up and wear mommy’s jewelry; you love to carry purses, you are great at taking care of you dolls and stuffs animal, you like to play with them and daddy, but you don’t like when I tried to play with you two, you push me out of the circle, I guess is daddy’s time.
Mia loves to climb. She really loves to climb on the things she's not supposed to climb on, too. Like the coffee table.
Probably the best part of this age is that you are very loving – your hugs and kisses melt my heart – and you melt the hearts of others as you are very giving of your hugs. You give the best hugs. I hope you keep that spirit throughout your life.
I love you baby girl – you make my heart feel full of joy and happiness.
Love,
Momma

NO MORE BOTTLES

We finally broke you of your bottles, it has been 2 weeks since we stop giving you the bottles, actually when you started to go to FT. Meade they give you only sippy cups, no bottles were allowed, but we used to give you two bottles at day at home, one in the morning and one before night time. Now its 100% sippies, you have one 9 oz sippy in the morning before going to school, during the day at the CDC (Child Development center) you get milk with you breakfast at 8:00 AM; milk, juice or water at lunch and the afternoon snack at 2:30 pm and another 8-9 OZ of sippy at night before going to bed at home, you would think that is a lot of milk, but the truth is that she does not always drink it all and we are not sure how much she is drinking at school, since on the daily report they only put "some" of her milk. I have to admit that it was a little hard, even though the daycare routine helped, it was a challenge to get you to drink all the milk in your cup.
We still have the pacifier and potty training.

Tooth Paste and Potty

Ok, I know Mia is not ready for potty training yet, but every time Shaun and I go to the bathroom she is really curious of what we are doing. She wants to look down the toilet and I think she got the idea that pee-pee goes in there.
So we were talking to Kelly this past weekend and she gave us the idea of buying a potty just for her to sit while we are using the bathroom. So yesterday Shaun went to Babies R Us and got her a Disney princesses potty trainer, I think she likes it, she doesn’t do anything but at least she can sit and watch until she is ready. Shaun also got Mia a Fluoride free tooth paste, Mia loves to brush her teeth and she is really good at it. She only has 5 teeth, but she keeps asking to brush them over and over again. One of her favorite places to hang out now is the bathroom, because of the sink to brush her teeth. Daddy lets her stand on the toilet just as long as she holds on to the sink so that she can wash her hands and her teeth.

THIS PAST WEEKEND

This past weekend we went to NJ to see Shaun’s Mom; we get to meet Buster and Kelly at Tracy’s house and had lunch and caught up with them. At the beginning Mia wasn’t to thrilled and it took a little time to get friendly with them. But one thing that makes me laugh is when Mia and I were sitting at the couch next to Buster and I started playing with her, smelling her feet and telling her that she has stinky feet and she showed Buster her feet and wanted him to smell them too, it was so cute, that’s what happened when she gets comfortable. Also Aunt Kelly thought Mia how to drink out of the water bottle without using a straw.
Sometimes you just don't realize how much energy a toddler has, we couldn’t keep up with Mia; definitely Aunt Tracy’s house is not ready for a baby, yet. First Mia went to the kitchen and get the knifes, then she tried to get the cooking utensils were a scissors were, them she started to pull out the napkins and the solo cups., when she realized that we had put everything away she decided that she wanted to play with codie’s water bowl. Also she started to open the kitchen cabinets where cleaning supplies are. Then she moved to the next cabinet where the olive oil is. She was into everything in that house.

Then on Sunday I was trying to feed her lunch when she started to go to Codie’s bowl, again and Shaun tried to move her away and sat her down, she thought that he was playing and she started to jump and BOOM she goes forward and hit her head on the kitchen floor, she was crying, tears, bugers. Thank God it wasn’t that bad, nothing that a little ice and Tylenol couldn't cure.
After all the commotion we went over to Josie’s house to have lunch with her and with Keith's Family and of course she went strait to the kitchen for the vitamins, Tylenol, etc.
Also she had to get everything on the coffee table which was all glass, She also tried to eat candle wax, nice.
Overall we had a nice, but not so quiet weekend.
I just have to say, we are glad to be home.

Mia 16 months old

Now you are fully walking – and exploring and climbing and all the toddler activities that go with it – you have been picking up words fast over the last month, you can say avion (plane), mas (more), apple (you call apple to every fruit that is round oranges, peaches), mine, hot . You can also meow like a cat, you can ruff ruff like a dog.
You truly understand much of what we say, which makes is all the more frustrating when you knowingly do something to oppose it. Our biggest battle with you these days is while eating – you like to throw food that you aren’t interested in or sometimes just anything even if you would eat it – onto the ground. You find great delight in it. You also like to climb on your chair and start moving back and forth while you are standing on it. And even though we say no, and will give you time out if you do it again – you still do it. You know you aren’t supposed to – you look at us, make sure we are watching. It’s hard not to laugh at your persistence and your expressions – but we try to be consistent with you. Maybe it’ll sink in and you’ll move on to something else.
You try to copy a lot of what we say; you try to make all the noises that you hear, you recognized the sounds of the plane, motorcycles.
You eat well most of the time – but if you see bread or crackers you try to get those ahead of everything else, you love carbs (bread, pasta, potatoes). You still have your toddler days though when you just won’t try what is on your plate…. daddy is better at getting you to try things – he has the better patience of the two of us.
You biggest accomplish is that you climbed on the dishwasher door, where did you get the idea from? Who knows.
You also love your babies dolls, you take care of them like your babies, you feed them and change them, I think you copy this from Nina Patricia and Aiden.
You are so much fun and every day you amazed me.
I love you baby girl.

4th of July weekend

We had a nice and busy weekend! Thursday we took Mia for her 15 month doctor’s appointment and she wasn’t very happy when we walked in the office. She kept pointing a the front door like "ok we can leave now", but the crying didn’t start until we got called to one of the patient rooms for the check up. As soon as the doctor’s assistant walked in with the thermometer she started crying, but it got even worse when the Doctor walked in the room. Unfortunately for Mia, she got a vaccine shot. Mia is doing great, she is in the 43 percentile in height and 15 percentile in weight. As the doctor said she is going to be taller than mommy and skinnier than daddy.
Friday we had the day off, so it was cleaning day!!! (don’t you love to clean on your days off) actually we didn’t start to clean until Mia’s afternoon nap around 12:30. It took us about 4 hours to clean all 3 floors (basement, 1st and 2nd floor) after cleaning we took Mia outside on our patio for a water day, we got her a water sprinkler at target. I really wanted to get her a toy looking one, but we couldn’t find one, so we got her this regular $2.00 one. Who said that toddlers need expensive toys? This $2.00 sprinklers was a hit. Mia had so much fun with it, and she didn’t want to go back in the house. We took the chance to try her new water shoes, they worked perfectly, they held her feet and were not slippery.
On Saturday, 4th of July we went out in the morning to do some errands so went to FT. Meade in the afternoon. At this point Mia was not feeling well because she is teething, her fifth tooth is cutting and she had a really bad running nose. So we didn’t go to Ft. Meade until after 4:30 pm. When we got there she got so exited, she had a great time, and she ran on the grass through the people, we chased her around, she danced to the band that was playing, we got in the choo-choo train (she wasn’t to thrilled about that one, she didn’t cry, but she wasn’t to happy). Around 7:40 we headed home and Shaun lit some sparklers, Mia liked them, then we decide to go out to the parking lot to light the others fireworks, there were small but really nice, I don’t think Mia would agree with me, she didn’t like them and kept saying no to daddy.
Sunday we stayed home all day, except for Shaun, since our grill died, he went to Lowe’s to get a new one (you can’t end a 4th of July weekend without a BBQ).
I hope you had a great weekend. I’ll post some pictures later.

Karina

Miss Independent

Our little girl has become miss independent, when we took her to the Enchanted Forest/ petting zoo on Saturday she realized that she can climb up the stairs for the Mother goose slide and go down all by herself and from them she doesn’t want anybody to help her. The Mother goose slide was perfect for her size and age, but went we took her to the park the slides are a little more difficult to climb and to go down, but she keep telling us no, no, no don’t help me. She wanted to walk around and tried to climb running away form us.

Random pictures

Here are a few pictures from Father's day at home and at The Melting Pot