Sisters

Maybe one of these days, I'll be able to get both their faces in the shot. Miss Claire isn't good at following directions yet.

Christmas Morning Unwrapped

Merry Christmas!!

Christmas Caroling and Party at Mi Casita

Grace had her Christmas party at Mi Casita today. When I arrived, they were already singing and in the center of the crowd was Grace sitting with her teacher.



When we got home, she opened her presents. She'd decorated a brown grocery sack to carry all her goodies home in.



She also brought home her work she's been doing. When she saw this stocking, she said "I did that!"


Grace with her best friends at school that she comes home talking about.

Holiday Celebrations and Giving

I am so excited Grace is in school to be able to participate in school holiday parties. I loved the excitement, food and special things my classmates' moms made for us.

This Friday is Grace's party and they are keeping things pretty simple with the food. There won't be any special baking around here. But they are going caroling around the school and asked the children to wear hats, scarves, and gloves for a true experience of winter caroling. Here is Grace showing off her new hat. Ironically, she loves wearing it!


I embroidered her classmates these aprons with their names for their gift. They can use them for art or for cooking since these montessori taught children are active in the kitchen.


Finally, as a lesson on gift giving, Grace is having a book exchange with her classmates. She loves books, so will love giving and receiving one from her classmate.

Funny Faces

Grace picked up this funny face somehow where she tightens all the muscles in her face, neck and arms??

Christmas Traditions...and Lessons

Last weekend, we went to pick out our Christmas tree. Grace loved running through the aisles of trees and especially loved jumping in the puddles. Claire, I'm sure, enjoyed it too.



It took us several days to decorate it. But Grace got into that as well. She knows which ornaments are hers and will take them off at least once a day.

She was so excited!

Daddy held her up to put the angel on top. I told Steve he better start working out now to be able to hold both girls up next year!


Our lesson to be learned was once something goes through your mind as a parent as something that could happen, address it right then. We were putting the stocking on the mantle hung by the stocking holders and I remembered my niece or nephew pulling the stocking and the holder falling down on them. I mentioned this to Steve and before we could do anything about it, Grace pulled on hers and got pounded in the forehead!

Here is her injury the next morning at breakfast. It could have been worse.


We've also had so much fun with the Elf on the Shelf. Grace is too young to understand him watching to see if she's naughty or nice. But we...or should I say Steve has had so much fun hiding him for her to find.

Claire's One Month Check Up

Claire had her one month check up at the doctor this morning. It's funny with #2 because I really haven't had any questions or concerns for the doctor. By this time with Grace, her reflux and spit up was so bad that I had tons of questions. But with Claire, nothing has seemed worth asking about.

She was 10 pounds 10 ounces (75%) - that is 10 ounces more than Grace! And she was 21.5 inches long (50%) with a head circumference of 38.75 cm (75%). Overall, she is growing beautifully. The pediatrician said I should be seeing her sleep for longer periods - something I'm thrilled about!

So Much To Be Thankful For

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving in San Antonio. This year, we're very thankful that Claire arrived safely and is a healthy, beautiful addition to our family.

Claire got to meet more family members including Aunt Leann


Grace enjoying a predinner tootsie roll pop


Checking to make sure Claire didn't overeat


But her favorite spot was right on Daddy's chest


And thanks to Uncle Phil for helping with Grace. She made it through lunch but didn't last much longer than that.




Happy Birthday to our wonderful, loving Da Da

Claire is 4 Weeks Old!!

Claire is 4 weeks old today. I know with the holidays approaching, I'm going to blink and she'll be 2 months old.

She pretty much just eats and sleeps these days. She's also still taking a beating from Big Sis. It's pretty heart wrenching, but everything we've read online says that it is completely normal.

Helping the Food Bank

Grace did her part today to support the local Food Bank. Her school held a Trike-A-Thon - for every lap around, she donates a canned good to the food bank. Grace went around 4 times (with her teacher's help ie pushing). We're off to the store this weekend to let her pick out the food she'd like to donate.

Snug As A Bug in a ...Boppy

Claire still likes tight places and sleeps best with her head nuzzled in the Boppy.

Claire's One Week Pictures

When Grace was 1 week old, we took pictures on her red shaggy, raggy rug in honor of Valentine's Day. I decided to take Claire's 1 week pictures on her pink shaggy, raggy rug. She's so different than Grace, yet so much alike. She continues to be a sweet, laid back baby. I feel like this week, I'm having to adjust her schedule around ours and she's just gone with it.

Unfortunately on top of all the hits/slaps/whacks she's gotten from Grace, she also now has Grace's cold!

Halloween Fun and Games

Grace had a great Halloween weekend. Friday, she had a circus themed carnival at school. Steve was off work so took her and after feeding Claire, I joined them.

Their day started out with a parade which she wanted no part of. Steve said she came out crying. She also wouldn't stand on the stage and show off her costume. But she did participate in all the activities they had for them.





By Saturday night, you would have thought she'd been trick or treating for years. We let her go to a few houses around us and she acted like a pro. The one hard thing she needs to learn is that she doesn't have to eat each piece as she gets it. She'd get back in her car and want us to open what she'd just received. She'd had 4 or 5 pieces before bed - could have been worse.


Claire's been a sweet baby. She basically just eats and sleeps. We'll see her awake a few times during the day, but not for very long. She continues to be a trooper as Grace learns to be gentle.

Introducing Claire Brennan Vela

Claire arrived at 11:38 am on Monday, October 26, 2009. She weighed 7 pounds and 9 ounces and was 20 inches long.

I arrived at Labor and Delivery Monday morning at 5 am. They started the pitocin around 6:45 or so. Luckily I was about 2 cm dilated and 50% effaced when they started. The pain got pretty ugly about 9:30 so I asked for the epidural. Because of the problems with my heart, they didn't put me on the slow drip like usual. Instead, the CRNA stayed in the room with me. With each contraction, she would monitor the pain and manually give me a boost. Because of this, I felt so much more than when I had Grace - I could always feel my legs whereas I couldn't with Grace. At 11:00, I was between 4 and 5 cm then quickly progressed from there. Such that the OB had to run from her office in the connecting building.

My heart held up during the labor. I follow up with another echocardiogram next week to see if things have returned to a comfortable, normal level. If not, no more nursing and on the meds we go.

Claire has been a wonderful baby so far. She cried more than Grace when she first arrived, but hasn't been terribly fussy at all since then. She has even gotten 3 slaps on the head from You Know Who.

Grace loved Claire at first. Wanted to hold her and kiss her. But within the hour, I heard her crying. She was wanting to put Claire in the back of the car and have her go away. Today has been better, she hasn't asked for her to be shipped off. She has wanted her famous bathing suit to be put on her as well as wanted her to eat her sandwich and drink her agua.

We knew Claire was going to have a lot of hair from the sonogram. However, we joked about, but never anticipated that it would be dark! Aside from the dark hair, they really do favor each other.

Grace

Claire

Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater

Yes, Grace did try to take a bite out of the pumpkins on our trip to the pumpkin patch. But she also wanted to give it a kiss.






Look how much my little pumpkin has changed in a year!


But there's just something about loving on those pumpkins!