*hermanitas

Vera and Stella have gone through many phases of getting along - good and bad.  We're in a really good one right now.  They totally act like siblings, slyly pushing each other over in the stroller, telling me "she looked at me/she touched me!" etc., usual problems with wanting the toy the other one has, etc.  In between the minimal sibling-like drama they have so much fun together, loving to make silly faces + noises, dancing, singing, hugging each other [mostly Vera trying to see if she can make them fall down] and lately some pretend play together [Stella is still a lot younger, but still tries her best.  Have I mentioned that she is quite the precocious child?  She knows ALL the words to Sound of Music, Annie, and countless other songs.  It's crazy].  It's been a great experience watching another child, having the opportunity for Vera to learn to share her things and her time as well as just developing a solid little friendship.

::little doctors::

"lipips"

::falling down::

::some halloween costumes we had in the closet::

*sprout

I was eating my muffin this morning and looked over and noticed this adorable little sprout!  I'm so excited!!  I saved the seeds from this really cool heirloom pumpkin my sister had at Thanksgiving and wasn't sure if it would work.  I guess this still doesn't necessarily mean it will produce pumpkins right?  Anyway I haven't planted seeds indoors since like 4th grade science, so this was really exciting :)

*25%

I love to think in terms of percents - and today I'm at 10 weeks which means I'm 25% through this pregnancy!  Thank you all for your sweet congratulatory comments :)

Some [honest] thoughts on it all:

::I feel very lucky in that I haven't been that sick - just a little bit here and there if I need to eat something.  Also super-tired in the afternoons, but I've even seen a lot of increase in energy in the last week.  I have had a bit of insomnia, lying awake for a couple hours in the early morning which isn't fun.

::At first, though I was excited, I was actually more anxious than anything.  Anxious because I'm afraid of the end of pregnancy when things are hurting and miserable, anxious about how I've already gained a ton of weight, anxious because I will probably have another enormous baby (V was 9lb 5oz), anxious about the delivery which did not go as I'd hoped, really anxious about the recovery - last time it was a literal war zone down there, and especially anxious about where this baby will sleep/nap in this small house and how it will affect Vera's sleep.  How's that for being positive?  :)

::Ben finally got through to me one day when he put his head down on my tummy and said "hi!" - wait a minute, this isn't a pregnancy, a birth, a hundred or so stitches, this is another CHILD. of OURS. that as hard as it is to fathom, we will love just as much as we do his/her big sister.  And so I started to get more excited and started to let some of the anxiety go.  I'm trying to pray a lot and think very positively, know that everything will be ok - that my feet won't stay swollen, that the pain will go away, that our kids will learn to sleep, etc. [tho I would appreciate any advice from any of you moms of 2!] 

*a first

Just like Mimi!

She's come a long way - you might remember this video

*sueños

I've overheard Vera talking/yelling in her sleep 3 different times.  How funny it would be to see inside her 2 year old little psyche :)

1. "noooo, puppies, nooooooo!!!!!"  

2. "no, my cookie!  myyyyy coooookiieeee!!!"

3. "read THIS!"

*springish

As much as I miss and love San Diego's perfect-all-the-time weather, there is nothing like the pure joy and happiness at the beginnings of Spring.  Seriously you just feel so HAPPY to be out in the warm sunshine, watching the tulips creep higher and higher, the grass get greener and greener... I LOVE IT.  It's been perfect timing too - 3 days ago in the afternoon I realized hey... I'm not tired!  and I'm not having to eat every 20 minutes!  Looking forward to getting off the couch and outside :)

*biggirl

Ben and I are in awe and in love with our ever-growing and changing little girl who dresses herself, goes to the bathroom by herself [we're trying underwear tonight!! fingers crossed] and is able to talk and reason more every day. My goodness she loves to remind us that she's a big girl.  She'll even tell me that I am - wow, Mom, you did the dishes??  That's a big girl!   

The last couple weeks she's starting going to the big kid Sunday school at church all by herself.  The pastor has the kids all sit on the steps for a mini sermon [really deep, of course] before they head off to their classes.  The first time she did it by herself was when there was a baptism - all the kids watched the new baby welcomed as part of the church.  I specifically remember when she was baptized, thinking how one day she would be big enough to sit there on those steps.  And now she is!!  It blows my mind.  Our hearts just swelled with adoration this morning as the pastor called the kids forward and she jumped up and ran down the aisle by herself, and then later on to class among all the older kids - looking a little lost and overwhelmed but confident at the same time.  A month ago she would be hysterical if I attempted to leave her in the nursery during church, now she does it all my by self.  Just a little moment I want to remember.

*dip

I keep wanting to share my hummus recipe because, well, I think it's pretty amazing :)  It's basically Ina Garten's with a few changes to my liking:

1 can garbanzo beans [don't buy yucky cheap ones, it makes a difference!]

3 Tbs water from the beans

1/3 cup tahini

1.5 tsp kosher salt

juice of 1 lemon

8 *dashes* tabasco or other hot sauce

2 cloves garlic [or more if you love it, I don't]

Blend all the above in a Cuisinart and then add a stream of olive oil with the machine on, like with pesto.   Add just as much as you want to make the consistency you like.  Yummmm...

...she loves it, I promise...

*little bead

I heard a little heartbeat loud and clear yesterday!
8 weeks along: due October 16

*cinderelly

Vera often lives in a bit of a fantasy world inspired by her books and movies - Cinderella being one of her favorites.  She's always talking about dancing with princes and her fairy godmother giving her a beauuuuu-ful new dress because her stepsisters 'grabbed' hers. This little scene was cuter/less show-offy the first time she did it, but of course I didn't have the camera handy.

*divertida

We're in such a fun, great stage right now.  The daily tantrums of January were I think her just getting used to not napping and now she *usually* makes it to her 7:30 bedtime without an out-of-nowhere meltdown.  Seriously it is so much fun having a little pal who I can talk and joke and reason and play with.  I love you sooo much Vera!

*inspirada

Sighhhh I just found another blog with totally amazing ideas: 

madebyjoel.com  

I have too many running lists both on paper and in my head of things I want to do - how do I organize it all and how do I remember before it's too late??  Anyone really good at this and want to share?

*silly faces

at breakfast:

and then at dinner:

...and one grumpy face:

*feliz!

Happy Birthday Stella!

We can't believe you're TWO! 

*tijeras

Playing with scissors is Vera's new favorite activity.  I like it because it keeps her occupied for a loooong time :)

*la biblioteca

We go to the library a lot.  It's a perfect walk a mile away, it's free, it's lively, there's people watching, it's cultured [ :) ], we come home with a load of new reading material and DVDs, and it's just a nice way to spend an hour or two.  

 

...she loves to give books back to the libary...

...the glass elevator is always a hit...

..."the attic" reading room...

...we always have to touch the water on our way out and...

...hug each and every pole.  she definitely exhibits some OCD behavior :)

***

*postre

There's a new pinkberry inspired yogurt place near our house!  We got semi-addicted while in California over Christmas and just tried this one out tonight.  Mmmm I just love the plain tart with a couple blueberries on top.  I have a feeling we'll be going there quite a bit, especially as the weather warms up - which it hasn't.

*cantando

It's hard to get her to sing in front of the camera, but I got it tonight. It's crazy how much her speaking improves every day. Just here she says "Lord Jesus" instead of "more Jesus" for the first time and she's remembering more of the words every time. I wish I would have got videos of her singing earlier!

*amiguito

Vera's new imaginary friend is "little mousie" - and sometimes his whole family too. It started one day when we noticed a little house formed out of blocks and I put my finger in and said "hi Vera" in a little voice. It is so funny and bizarre - we don't even have to use a different voice, just give her our attention. It's definitely odd and hopefully short-lived :) Sometimes you just have to tell her mousie went to sleep or is outside or something.

*eggy soup

[they "improved" the exterior which I find a pity - I loved this old kitschy one]

I can imagine how much we'll miss this place when we move.  We've been regulars since our first months here and they know us - such a good feeling in a place that we have struggled to really love.  It's always been one of Vera's favorites too - eggy soup [egg drop soup] was at one time her primary topic of conversation.

  

*la visita

It was a wonderful, special, great, fun, comforting,

exciting and much-needed visit from an old friend!

(Make new friends, but keep the o-old: one is silver and the other gold :)

*♥

♥♥♥

♥♥♥

We had a little pink tea party yesterday afternoon - curled our hair, put on pink lipstick and everything. I had thought she'd be a little more into it, but she was a little grumpy all weekend with a bad cold or something. On a normal day she'd love to pretend to be Fancy Nancy and practice her manners. Instead....

here she is stuffing her face with cookie while eyeing the rest of mine:

and here she is drinking her tea straight from the pot:

She also belched and slouched in her chair and hardly said a word.

Anyway, Sarah and I had a lovely time.

♥♥♥

*el pan

I was looking at the recipe for last night's dinner and it called for 3 slices of bread which we didn't have and I'd already gone to the store.  Isn't that the worst?  One ingredient.  I finally decided to just make some.  It seems like I always make such a big deal about it, like it's going to take up my whole day or something, but I really need/want to make it part of our daily lives.  Not like, ok next Tuesday I am going to need to set aside the whole afternoon and have Ben take Vera to the park and bake some bread.  Seriously it was so easy!  I mixed the ingredients in 10 minutes before our friends arrived, it rose while we played and I put it in the oven when they left.  I need to take some lessons from my mom and just do it.  This recipe is the Light Wheat Bread from Smitten Kitchen - it's not the most amazingly tasty bread, but it's good, decent sandwich or toast bread.  There you go.

*

We had a mini snow day today [nowhere near DC's 3' but enough so we weren't up for playing outside like we'd planned] so Jenny, Sam and Amelia came over to play.  Oh my goodness they had so much fun!!   As much as Vera loves princesses and dancing and dressing up, she also loves to run and jump and be crazy.   It was so cute to see how she and Sam get along so well in this way - which they always have.  Cutie pie Amelia joins in on the running or jumping for a minute or so, but is usually content to do her own thing :)

*el lunes

I got this idea for "Muffin Tin Monday" from this blog. It's a fun little diversion and gets them to a variety of things - Stella even thought her dried apricot was candy :)

I can't resist the temptation to sarcastically remark on how exciting my life is :)