Babies, Babies, Babies

Shout outs to new babies. There are quite a few. In order of birth.

My cousin Nicolas and his wife had Adrian on June 17.

My cousin Veronica and her husband welcomed Mia just two days later on June 19.

Friends Elizabeth and Jason (and big sister Alaina) just met little Gina last week. I think I have a picture of Alaina when she was a newborn somewhere on the blog...around January 2006. She's turning three soon! OMG! So is Xavi!

We also just found out that friends Max and Julie are expecting! YAY, congrats! Sorry I wasn't there to hear the news in person! Hope to see you soon! Holy Moly Macaroni (with cheese) as Xavi would say. lots of babes arriving this fall and winter. Two co-workers are due in September and another one in late December/early January - Same as Max and Julie! Very exciting. Can't wait to hold a few newborns. Caro was weighed this am on our scale (not always accurate, but close enough) and she's a few ounces from 18lbs!!!! EEEEK! She's come a long way from 7/11.

My sister pointed out that my mom's parents now have 10 great grandchildren all but one under 3yrs! The first one is 6 (?) now!! Yup, I'm pretty sure Sammy is 6.

The case for kids

Earlier this week I was sitting in a doctor's waiting room reading an article (in NY Times magazine or Time magazine?) called "The Case Against Kids". First I read the one about how much the next president could actually influence our economy in the short term -apparently neither candidate really can. They can make decisions to impact long term change but gas prices this winter - oh well. Still waiting so I move on to the kid article. It's about how much happier childless couples are than couples with children. Studies showed that couples with children were happiest before they had children and right after the last one left the proverbial nest. Couples were most unhappy right after the birth of the first child...hmmm, wonder why? and got (a little) happier when more children were added. Well, frankly, duh! It's stressful and a complete change in lifestyle. My cousin and his wife just had their first and were asking why nobody told them just how hard it would be? I don't think you can manage to exlain that to a first time parent. However it's also difficult to convey how much satisfaction and JOY you get from seeing your children smile at you for the first time and laugh out loud and play in a playground, with friends or with new sisters. Their baby is a few weeks old so they haven't seen this stuff yet, but it's coming. Anyway, the article never mentioned the words satisfication or contentment. I guess I could easily say I would enjoy myself more, in a very self absorbed way, if I was on a beach somewhere in the caribbean with just Daniel. Kids are tough but oh so much more rewarding than a day at the beach or spa even! Here's my case for kids.

I'll post about my (unhappy) trip to the zoo with Xavi and his school later this weekend. Actually it was miserably hot and humid day but we had a blast.

Sibling Rivalry? It's Complicated

Lots to update. Where to begin? One child at a time? Let me start with Caro since her new developments are affecting Xavi some. She is sitting up and rolling over, plus she "squeals in delight" - a phrase borrowed from "What to Expect the First Year". I mention this because a few months ago it caught my eye while skimming the book and squeals (much less sitting!) seemed eons away, yet here we are. She usually practices sitting up in her stroller, but sometimes tries it elsewhere, like the beach...This is her first outing to the beach and our first for the summer. Not very warm this summer.

She has trouble staying up but she does manage it for a few seconds. When she hangs on to the stroller she stays up for entire strolls.

She responds to Xavi very well...usually with lots of laughter. Here's a brief video to demonstrate. Please don't mind our Saturday morning mess!!!

He loves it but some days seems more jealous of her than ever before. Someone suggested that now that she is becoming a real person (and not sleeping as much?) he feels more threatened by her presence. So he's been acting up in school (and at home). I got my very first call from his teacher to go in in the middle of the day. He bit two kids and I had to have a conversation with him. One more time and he would have been sent home! Don't want to head down that road! He was fine the rest of the day and seemed to feel sorry about it, but he did keep pointing out that someone else had hit him...

Fortunately, since he is seeking our attention he has been willing to use the potty - there is a whole song and dance for that and he loves it! How did we get there? His friend Aqeel's mom suggested we follow him around with the potty chair. She said it's gross but it worked when it came down to the wire - Aqeel turns three next week and was not responding well before they thought up this new technique (after he turns three he moves to the 3-5yr old classroom where there is NO potty training). We've done well by it (except for poos). He goes pretty regularly (after waking up, before and after naps, before bath and so on) but still doesn't really tell us he has to go. We just tell him it's time to sit on the potty. Why didn't someone tell us that potty training has very little to do with training him!?? Parents have to be trained first! Now that we have the hang of getting him on the potty the next step (for HIM to tell US) seems more natural. Here he is looking for some attention by throwing himself on the floor. And look there's his potty! Yuck!

Ok and the clear winner on the nickname front is Caro - unless someone is voting multiple times??? The issue was that so many people were having trouble pronouncing it. Carolina seemed hard enough...some people would say oh, Catalina what a pretty name! NO CAROLINA, as in Carolina Herrera...(that didn't work on men). Not like the states! I think people tend to want to roll the R and when there is one R it's a soft R...Only the double R's are rolled. Maybe saying Caro as in the italian phrase "cara mia" might help? Let them in on the secret, ok?

Here is Caro sleeping with a blanket on her face - she puts it there and won't let it go.

while in the wc

"Mami, the baby has a new hat! Come see."

Good lord! Can't I have one minute!?