The Best Big Sister

Giuliana, my number 1 girl, the girl who made me a mom...where do I start? I am so proud of you in all you've done in the past three, almost four years. You are incredibly independent, smart, and have the biggest personality. You keep us on our toes with the attitude, sass, and ability to have full on conversations! You have embraced your role as big sister in the best way possible and we couldn't be more proud of you and so happy that you will have a sister to share your life with. The bond you'll have is like no other and I hope you cherish every second of it.

You helped me so much while I was pregnant and loved to kiss my belly, rub lotion on me, and give kisses to your sister. Now that she's here you want to help with everything. You like watching diaper changes ("let's see what kind of stuff we got in there!"), washing bottles, and singing your own songs to her. She's so lucky to have you!

You've been doing great in school and love to talk about your friends and pretend you're the teacher with all of your toys. It's hard to believe you will be four in just a couple of months. I have no idea where the years have gone. I want you to stay little forever and I wish I could freeze time. Your imagination and your innocence are something I never want you to lose. The world is a tough and crazy place and I'm not ready for you to grow up so fast. Thank you for being the best big sister to Ava, we love you so much!

Disney on Ice

We did it! We went to see Disney on Ice with you and it couldn't have been more perfect. You wore your princess Anna dress and were immediately in awe as soon as we walked into the venue. It was like Disney overload with characters, toys, cotton candy and a million kids all dressed up. We got your pictures taken with a Toy Story background and Queen Elsa before we sat down in our seats. The show itself was so much fun and kept you interested the whole time. The first part was Toy Story 3 and as all the characters were being introduced you would scream as each of them came out. We were dying!! It was so cute to see you so excited. They did a small skit of Little Mermaid and Cars and then it was the big Frozen finale which was a hit also. Overall it was a really great show and I think we will definitely take you again.

Christmas 2016

What another wonderful Christmas season! This year, you were a little more into the Christmas spirit and got the idea that Santa was coming. Every time anyone asked you what you told Santa you wanted, you said a lolly pop. Well that would have been good to know before you received a TON of gifts! All through the month, we set up the tree and went back and forth between the white lights (that I liked), and the colored lights (that you liked). It was the funniest thing because you would immediately change the color on the lights if they happened to be on the white light setting. We went and looked and light displays in Clairemont and on Garrison Street in Point Loma. We went on a Saturday night and although Garrison Street is pretty small, it is over the top decorated. One house was having a fundraiser and selling hot chocolate and baked goods, in addition to a DJ and dance floor. You immediately went right out there and started dancing. You're at a great age where the lights are fascinating and you take an interest to the holiday decor.

We baked plenty of cookies and made our first gingerbread house--all while eating half the candy as we were putting it on. Christmas Eve we set out the cookies and milk and when you woke up you were disappointed that Santa left a crumb on the plate! But then you remembered you got a scooter and all was well. You hopped right on and started riding it like you were a pro, it was the cutest thing! You also got a remote control Lightning McQueen car, an easel, a TON of Trolls dolls, animals, blankets, etc. art stuff, clothes, kitchen sets, Hunter boots (I'm so jealous, I don't even have any!!) and so many cool gifts. We literally had to reorganize the little storage we have in this house just to fit everything. It is insanity how much stuff you have gotten over the years! Opening gifts got old pretty quickly and you just wanted to play with a few things you liked. I'm sure that will change in a few years. We did the typical holiday visiting, eating, eating, and more eating and everything was fabulous as usual. We are so blessed to be a part of a big, loving, and fun family who really know how to make the most of any get together. I hope you get to grow up with lots of cousins just like we did because that is what I remember most when I think back to my childhood.

It is almost time to welcome a new year and it is always something I look forward to. Even though life really does stay the same, sometimes it is good to reflect and reevaluate your current situation and think of ways to improve areas of life or make necessary changes. Even if the thought is temporary I always like to embrace moments that make you stop and think. I'm looking forward to another year of more firsts for you and making more memories as our family grows. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, baby!

Bye Bye October

Well there you have it. October and Halloween are in the past. If I could stop time for, like, two years I think that would really benefit us all. You're growing faster than I could ever try and keep up with. It is so true, as the saying goes, that the days are long but the years are short. I really thought that in this three year timespan I would have had more of my shit together. But, here we are. Most days are filled with running around just trying to keep food in the fridge and the house somewhat presentable. There are days where I/we thrive and there are others where we struggle and I wish I could clone myself three times over just so one of us could take a nap. At the same time, it's the best ever and the life I always knew I wanted. Well, a version of that if we're being honest, haha. I've had some really tough days lately, struggling with the emotions and guilt of being a working mom and spending so much of my time away from you. Not that staying home with you would be any walk in the park compared to going to work, but I long for the days where I could wake up before you and sip a cup of coffee as I prepare your breakfast before dropping you off at school and you knowing I will be back to pick you up. We are so lucky for one, that your dad and I have opposite schedules, and two that we have an amazing family who is able to join us in taking care of you. But most days, as I'm sitting at my desk during a slow time of the day, I just wish so badly that our situation could be different. Working part time or not at all until you and your future sibling(s) are in school full time and then go back to work. It doesn't make it any easier that school schedules don't necessarily work so well with working parents. I mean, school starting at 9am and getting out at 3pm with a half-day in the middle of the week? I mean, come on. I think it would just be a lot less stress for all of us if I were able to accommodate the schedules and just be with you. I miss you so much by the end of the day I can barely stop myself from running out of work. I hope as you grow up with two working parents you are able to understand how much we love you and how important it is to work hard at what we do to be able to have the life we are living. 

Okay, in less emotional news we managed to have a pretty festive month given the downside that you've been sick for the past week. It started with a fever and now its extreme congestion. BUT, we made it to the pumpkin patch and took you on the big slide--which was AMAZING! It was so fun and you could not get enough. I love that you have no fear and are always up for an adventure. We also carved a pumpkin! We meaning your dad. You sat there and squished all the guts while I separated the pumpkin seeds. We made it into a G and it actually came out pretty good. On Halloween we went to Nani and Nanu's for the annual chili and candy in the driveway and it was fun as usual. You wore your Princess Anna dress from Frozen and I braided your hair. It couldn't have been cuter! If you were feeling better maybe, but it was so stinkin' cute. You loved handing out candy to all the kids and were very generous. We had to start handing you the candy so we didn't run out in 10 minutes. When it came time to trick-or-treat you walked up to the door but instead of saying 'trick-or-treat' you said, 'candy please!' and we were dying. At least you didn't try to walk inside anyone's house this year. Since you weren't feeling very well we left soon after to get snuggled in our bed and watch Hocus Pocus, or as you called it, 'Pocus Pocus.' Gotta love it. You ended up falling asleep only to wake up shortly after trying to cough up the nasty stuff you have inside. We figured you were going to vomit, so as your dad was getting you out of bed, you let it go all over him, the window curtain, wall, and floor. Poor baby. So we all got showered up again and spent the rest of the night cleaning it up and keeping an eye on you. We are hoping you feel better soon because it is so heartbreaking to see you this way. I guess it was bound to happen with preschool, the weather change, and all that but man it always seems to stick around forever. 

Now that the fun is over, for now, we will focus on laying low and getting you better so we can prepare for the next round of holiday excitement...Thanksgiving! Which will be here in no time.

Fall is Here?!

Gigi bear!! Can you believe it is finally Fall and already October? I sure cannot, I'll tell you that much. And by the weather we've had the past couple of weeks it doesn't feel like it either. BUT good news, the mornings and evenings have been substantially cooler so I see a light at the end of the tunnel. Time to dress you in matching boots and scarves, my favorite!

School has been going well for you so far, I think you are finally adjusting to being on more of a schedule even though you are enrolled in a pretty short program. You've had reading assignments in your little Bible for the past few weeks and you have loved reading new stories every night. You also have a new library of songs you sing which is, of course, adorable. Last week your homework was to memorize the Pledge of Allegiance by the end of the week. I picked you up on Friday and you were so excited to show me your special soccer ball toy you received because you recited the whole thing, all by yourself. Can you say #proudmommy!! Your little hand over your heart, OMG. Next week is picture week and I'm wondering if you're going to take after me and have one with tears streaming down your face. I hope not. Your teacher also goes over the letters and basic words in Spanish which is really cool. Even if they are just basic words I'm hoping you catch on and develop a knack for picking it up. I try to practice with you at home also.

Other than that, you're still rough and tough and have more energy than we could have ever imagined. You would run all day and night in Auntie Charline's backyard if we let you. But the good thing is you always sleep like a rock after a day like that. Oh and you still love to walk around in my high heels. You are so my child. :)

Happy 3rd Birthday Giuliana!

Well I'm sure you can imagine that I am a wreck over here. Just trying to figure out how it is possible I now have a 3 year-old daughter. I'll say that every year but it is like...whoa. We have been celebrating the last few days and have had so much fun. We started off at Nani and Nanu's for the usual poolside Labor Day activities. You got your Dory cake you've been talking about and spent four straight hours in the pool. You love to jump in when no one is looking (not funny) and you especially love jumping off the top edge which is pretty cool to watch. I'm so glad you have no fear but at the same time it does give me a slight heart attack. The sha-cuzzi is one of your favorite places to splash around and we only made you say it 9,000 times :) it is just too cute!!

The next day we went up to the Disneyland area and checked into our hotel right across the street from the park. We walked through Downtown Disney and then bought a cheap ticket into Disneyland. It was really busy because it was the holiday but we managed to get on quite a few rides considering we were only there for a few hours. We went on Pirate's of the Caribbean, It's a Small World, Dumbo, Autopia, and your very first roller coaster in Toon Town! It was pretty fast and actually a real roller coaster. You loved it and wanted to do it again and again. We saw glimpses of the parade and fireworks so that was also really fun to see. You're finally at a point where you can understand and appreciate all of the fun and characters. You were asleep before we made it out of the park.

The next morning we went to breakfast at your favorite, IHOP, and then walked over to California Adventure. This is a much smaller park so it is easier to get around and make it to most of the attractions. However, I didn't realize that most of the rides have a 40 inch height requirement and you are about 39 inches tall right now. So in about a month you can ride the majority of the rides. You wanted to go on the Cars ride and the big roller coaster but weren't tall enough. We still got to do everything in A Bug's Land and all of the other Cars Land rides. It looks exactly like it does in the movie, really incredible how they bring all of these themes to life. Our favorite though, was the Toy Story ride where we got to shoot at targets and score points. It may have been more fun for your dad and I. We went on twice because it we had to compete. And you know it, I won both times. Overall you lasted really well over both days but it is tough to do it all. I'm glad we were able to stay overnight. We definitely plan to do more trips up there and can't wait for more fun times.

Today is your birthday and another big milestone, your first day of preschool. I can't believe the day has come my love. You are growing up so fast and I want time to just pump the brakes a bit. I can't handle it! We walked you up to the playground where the rest of your class was and you just ran on in and didn't look back. We were able to get a kiss before we went and hid behind the gates to watch. Don't judge me, we weren't the only ones. We watched you walk with the rest of your class into the classroom and went on our way. I may have shed a few tears but I know this is going to be such a great experience for you. We picked you up a few hours later and you said you had so much fun. They even made you a birthday crown and sang to you. So cute! I just can't believe what a week its been celebrating you my baby love. I love you so much babe, happy 3rd birthday!!

Preschool Prep

So tonight I went to Parent's Night at Horizon for your preschool orientation. I was just sitting there the whole time thinking to myself how I still can't believe this is my life. It seems like one of those far off events that you never really think of how it will actually be, it is merely just the idea and thought of it. And then there I was, sitting in an auditorium full of other preschool parents and how crazy fast the last three years have gone by. I swear just yesterday you were my tiny little baby who depended on me for everything. Then we went into your classroom and it really hit me. The bulletin boards were all updated with the kids' names, I saw your cubby and all of the different stations. Your teacher Mrs. Jones seems really enthusiastic and that makes me happy. The parents sat in kid sized chairs and that was pretty funny too. I'm going crazy thinking how you are going to adjust and how I am going to handle knowing that you will be in a real school program like such a big girl. Ugh. I'm going to be such a wreck. On one hand I want you to miss me as much as I will miss you, but really I hope you love it so much that you can't wait to go. The struggle life I tell ya.

Tomorrow I will take you for your meet and greet with the teacher and hopefully you can meet a couple of the kids. So excited for this next chapter of your precious young life!!

How Is It September???

Well hello there! My its been a long time has it not?! This is an update I planned to post in May, but you know how that goes. Anywho...

**Since the last post, we have done so much! Your cousins came from Boston to visit for a week and you had so much fun with the boys. You and Jacob are two peas in a pod and I think we will have to keep a close eye on you both. You're little ninjas and act like brother and sister. You also started soccer lessons, which is kind of like an outdoor Gymboree class with a soccer ball but you are so good! You've got a mean kick and pretty good control of the ball, when you're not trying to pick it up and run with it, of course. I took you to Seattle last month for a little getaway with Nani, Nanu and Auntie Dre. We explored the city and ate so much. You especially loved the macaroons we got from a popular bakery. You ate an entire chocolate one yourself and you are still talking about how you want macaroons now.

We are now into May and I cannot believe it. This year has gone by especially fast so far and it's really sad! We've been looking for a preschool for you for so long but haven't gotten into one yet. You are more than ready for interaction with kids and a structured learning environment and I think you will really like it. Not to mention you already look like you could fit in with 4 year-olds! You're so tall that everyone assumes you are older than you are. Your vast vocabulary helps with that too. We can have a full conversation with you and your imagination runs wild with the stories you tell. You also don't skip a beat or forget anything! Your memory is better than mine, it's incredible! If we are driving around the city you know who's house we're going to, if we pass IHOP, or a shopping store. You rarely stop moving or talking at all throughout the day and do not like sitting still one bit! Your favorite movies these days include Cars, Minions, and Ice Age although Toy Story will always be your favorite and we cannot go anywhere without taking Woody, Jesse, or Buzz. You are so much fun and such a little sour patch. Super sweet but also super sassy. You're going to be a fierce, independent little girl. We've got lots of trips to Sea World and the Zoo planned any maybe even Disneyland again. We would love to take you to Cars Land!**

Now we are literally days away from your third birthday and starting preschool at Horizon on that day too. Prepare all the tears. It is a three day a week program, only for three hours but I think it will be great for you. I wish that I was able to be home with you every day or at least drop you off and pick you up from school. Being able to be a part of your day would really be so amazing for both of us. But I will be extra grateful for our Friday's together.We are planning on going to Disneyland to celebrate your birthday and hopefully seeing all of your favorite characters! I also want to take you to get your first manicure and pedicure at the nail salon. Ahhh!!! We are officially out of baby and toddler land, you are a little person with a lot of personality. You are wise beyond your years my love.

We have been taking advantage of summer and going to Sea World, the pool, the park and running around all over town. You have been loving all the fresh fruit and eating and playing outside. We got you a little paint set and that seems to be a hit lately too. The days go by so fast and before you know it our weekends are over. We tried taking you to the movie theater to see Finding Dory when it came out in June but that lasted all of about 40 minutes. A few weeks ago I took you back and we saw The Secret Life of Pets. You got antsy for the last 20-30 minutes but between my snacks and little tickles, we made it through the whole movie. Score! So many firsts and so many milestones to come!

And now, look at how much you have grown this year!