My Baby This Week: 11 Weeks

Your baby, just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig, is now almost fully formed. Her hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under her gums, and some of her bones are beginning to harden.

She's already busy kicking and stretching, and her tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. These movements will become more frequent as her body grows and becomes more developed and functional. You won't feel your baby's acrobatics for another month or two — nor will you notice the hiccupping that may be happening now that her diaphragm is forming.

-BabyCenter.com

Music Together Class

We love our music class!

Mila's favorite are the egg shakers!

Happy Birthday to Grammy!

Happy birthday to Grammy! Mila made this birthday card for you today. Hope you're doing well and we send you great big hugs! We think of you often! Much love! 

Mila's video for Grammy! :)

My Baby This Week: 10 Weeks

Though he's barely the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, your baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in his body rapidly grow and mature.

He's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy.

If you could take a peek inside your womb, you'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.

In other developments: Your baby's limbs can bend now. His hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body. The outline of his spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from his spinal cord. Your baby's forehead temporarily bulges with his developing brain and sits very high on his head, which measures half the length of his body. From crown to rump, he's about 1 1/4 inches long. In the coming weeks, your baby will again double in size — to nearly 3 inches.

- BabyCenter.com

New Discovery

Mila has found her nostrils and now spends the day with her finger up her nose! Ahhhh!

Toddler This Week: 14 Months, Week 4

Does your toddler sometimes hurt other children? It's not surprising — many toddlers act out in this way. The good news is that he doesn't mean to inflict pain on his playmates. When he pulls another child's hair, he's either fascinated by the reaction it provokes or copying another child's behavior. Making a fellow child yell or cry seems like great fun at this age. The best response is to gently but firmly stop the hurtful behavior and redirect his attention. The more he gets a rise out of you, the more likely he is to repeat the behavior.

We've all seen them: the out-of-control toddler hurling handfuls of sand at the park; the whiny-voiced 3-year-old begging for candy in the grocery line; the sassy 7-year-old yelling "you can't make me!" at the restaurant.

And we've privately dissed their parents, reassuring ourselves that we'd never be such a wimp if our child was terrorizing the playground or disrupting everyone's dinner.

But then it happens: the massive meltdown that takes you completely by surprise. And suddenly you are that parent — the one flailing to figure out what to do. The truth is, every child presents discipline challenges at every age, and it's up to us to figure out how to handle them.

Why is discipline such a big dilemma? Because it feels like a tightrope act. On one side there's the peril of permissiveness — no one wants to raise a brat. On the other side there's the fear of over-control — who wants to be the hardliner raising cowed, sullen kids?

What we need is a comfortable middle ground to ensure that our little ones grow up to be respectful, caring, and well behaved.

To set the stage for discipline success, here are the bottom-line rules many experts agree on:



1. We're all in this together. Right from the start, teach your kids that your family is a mutual support system, meaning that everyone pitches in. Even a baby can learn to "help" you lift her by reaching out her arms, says Madelyn Swift, founder and director of Childright and author of Discipline for Life, Getting It Right With Children.

2. Respect is mutual. One of the most common complaints parents and kids have about each other is "You're not listening." Set a good example early on: When your child tries to tell you something, stop what you're doing, focus your attention, and listen. Later you can require the same courtesy from her.



3. Consistency is king. One good way to raise a child with emotional strength? Be consistent and unwavering about rules and chores, says Harvard professor Dan Kindlon, author of Too Much of a Good Thing. Even if you pick just one chore to insist on, your child will be better off, Kindlon says. "Being firm and consistent teaches your child that you care enough about him to expect responsible behavior."

4. Life's not always fair. We're so afraid of disappointing or upsetting our kids — too afraid, say some discipline pros. "If a child never experiences the pain of frustration — of having to share a toy or wait their turn in line — or if they're never sad or disappointed, they won't develop psychological skills that are crucial for their future happiness," says Kindlon. So if your child's upset because a younger sibling got a different punishment, for example, it's okay to say "I understand that this seems unfair to you, and I'm sorry you're upset, but life isn't always fair."

-BabyCenter.com

Baby G2 Belly Picture: 9 Weeks

I was hoping to take a belly picture earlier, but hadn't gotten around to it! Not that there's much to see yet. Our midwife said this time around I'll probably start showing sooner, so we'll see. Apparently things change after you've had your first! She also said that the pain and uncomfortableness that I felt at 40 weeks, I'd start feeling at 28 weeks!!

So far, things have been... ehhhh. I've had lots of nausea and icky tummy feeling, a lot of burping (ick! just thinking about it makes me sick!) and just overall exhaustion. I find that I need to take a nap in the afternoon when Mila naps (which I never do!) and that by the end of the day, I'm crashing. I'm at least thankful that I haven't thrown up yet. By the time I was 8 weeks with Mila, I started throwing up a lot. Sometimes as much as 4 or 5 times a day. It was brutal. I'm 9 weeks now, and thankfully, it hasn't gotten that bad.

Music Together Class

After having been here last week for the free Mommy and Me class, we decided to sign up for a music class. Mila loves music, so I know she'll love it. Today we sang songs and played with instruments.

My Baby This Week: 9 Weeks

Your new resident is nearly an inch long — about the size of a grape — and weighs just a fraction of an ounce. She's starting to look more and more human. Her essential body parts are accounted for, though they'll go through plenty of fine-tuning in the coming months. Other changes abound: Your baby's heart finishes dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form — as do her tiny teeth. The embryonic "tail" is completely gone. Your baby's organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear. The external sex organs are there but won't be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks. Her eyes are fully formed, but her eyelids are fused shut and won't open until 27 weeks. She has tiny earlobes, and her mouth, nose, and nostrils are more distinct. The placenta is developed enough now to take over most of the critical job of producing hormones. Now that your baby's basic physiology is in place, she's poised for rapid weight gain.

-BabyCenter.com

Baby G2: First Ultrasound!

8 weeks, 5 days pregnant

Today we had our first prenatal appointment with our midwife. We are so happy to be using her again for our second pregnancy. She was so helpful and knowledgeable the first time around, and at the birth, she was so calming and reassuring. She was completely supportive our birth plan and our desire to have a medication-free and intervention-free childbirth. I can't say enough great things about her!

Jorge, being the ever wonderful husband he is, always wants to go to all my appointments with me, so we decided to make the earliest appointment possible and leave Mila home with Blanca. Our appointment was for 8:15 in the morning and she usually wakes up between 9:00 and 9:30am. Our plan was to leave the house by 7:15 (the midwife's office is about 40 minutes away) and Blanca would come over and Mila would sleep in. Well, I think she knew something was up - imagine our surprise when she wakes up right before we were supposed to leave the house! Jorge tried getting her back to sleep, but she was up. So much for our plan! Ultimately, he just had to take her out and give her to Blanca so she could give her breakfast and we could leave. That made us leave the house late and we rushed to the appointment. I was so embarrassed we got there 15 minutes late! But Terry - love her - was not bothered one bit. She never rushed us or made us feel bad. She took her time with us, talked us through the next steps and answered all our questions.

Then came a big surprise - we had an ultrasound! I didn't know we'd have one today! So... without further ado... here's our little Baby G 2.0!

Right now he or she is the size of a kidney bean. Everything looks healthy and the size is right on track. I'm about 8 weeks and 5 days pregnant. We saw the little kidney bean wiggling around its little arm buds, it looked like it was facing us. We saw it's little heart flickering... so unbelievable! There's a baby in there!! I still can't believe we're doing this again!

Toddler This Week: 14 Months, Week 3

"Ball," "dog," and "bye" may be your child's favorite — and only — words at this point, though some early talkers may have as many as 20 words in their vocabulary. Maybe she uses the words at the right time for the right things, or maybe she says "dog" when she sees other furry animals with tails. Don't be discouraged — that's an indication that she's learning to group things together. Just say the correct word in a matter-of-fact tone ("That's a horse, honey; horses are bigger than dogs"), and she'll soon pick it up.

At 14 months, your toddler understands many more words than she can say. Her spoken vocabulary likely consists of about three to five words, typically "Mama," "Dada," and one other simple word such as "ball" or "dog," but she learns the meanings of new words every day. As she starts to add words to her vocabulary, you'll notice that she looks for opportunities to practice them. Once she can say "dog," for instance, she'll look for dogs everywhere — in books, outside, on videos — just so she can point and say the word over and over again.

Rhymes, jingles, and silly songs are big hits with toddlers. If your 14-month-old is already speaking several words, encourage her willingness to repeat after you by singing silly or repetitive songs, such as "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." As she becomes familiar with the refrains she'll chime in one word at a time and before you know it she'll be singing the whole song right along with you.

If your 14-month-old isn't speaking many words at this point, you can help her with the other two elements of language acquisition. When talking to your child, vary your tone, facial expressions, and hand gestures, all of which will help her understand the meanings of your words. Maintain eye contact when you talk to her so she learns to listen to you. And don't rush her when she is trying to use words — listen patiently and look her in the eye.

Now that your toddler can indicate her needs with actions and some words, expect her to use "tools" to help her communicate. She'll bring you her jacket to let you know she wants to go outside. Or she'll point to a CD that she would like to hear. She is trying hard to make you understand what she wants. And you can expect her to repeat many words she hears even though she doesn't know their meaning (so starting now you need to watch what you say, lest your little parrot repeat any swear words!).

Her ability to remember people, places, and events gets stronger every day. This month she may even be able to respond to two-part requests, such as to go to her room and fetch her shoes or a toy, or retrieve a lost pacifier.

Hide-and-seek is still very entertaining, especially if your 14-month-old gets to do the seeking. Here's a variation that's sure to evoke lots of laughter: Show your toddler a toy and then stash it in your pocket and ask her where it went. She has the cognitive power to realize that just because the toy is out of sight doesn't mean it's gone. She'll giggle as she searches your pocket, purse, or backpack to see where you've hidden the toy. You can also hide little toys in her own pockets and see how much fun she has trying to get them out.

- BabyCenter.com

Mommy and Me Class

We'd taken a break from our Mommy and Me classes since the holidays, but there was a free class today, and thought Mila might enjoy it. It was so nice that the three of us could all go together! It was so much fun. After class, we went to the playground and met up with our Mommy friends, Claudia and Nikki!

Happy Birthday to Daddy!

Happy birthday to my wonderful, sweet, amazing husband! I love you with all my heart!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for being such a loving and caring partner and a fun and adoring father! Mila and I could not ask for more. We love you!

Daddy's Birthday Art

Mila made her Daddy a birthday card!

My Baby This Week: 8 Weeks

New this week: Webbed fingers and toes are poking out from your baby's hands and feet, his eyelids practically cover his eyes, breathing tubes extend from his throat to the branches of his developing lungs, and his "tail" is just about gone. In his brain, nerve cells are branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways. You may be daydreaming about your baby as one sex or the other, but the external genitals still haven't developed enough to reveal whether you're having a boy or a girl. Either way, your baby — about the size of a kidney bean — is constantly moving and shifting, though you still can't feel it.

-BabyCenter.com

Playdate at Heather's

Heather invited us over for some lunch and playtime with the kiddos. We played in her awesome backyard. Jayden has a Power Wheel - how cool is that?!! And all the kids loved playing on it!

Benjamin and Porter

Joseph

Jayden

Mila

B

Audrey and her mommy Heike

Mila loved playing catch with herself!

Mila and Audrey

She started collecting balls! She loves playing! 

My girl is playing hoops!!

Audrey's First Birthday

Happy first birthday, Audrey!!! We were so happy to celebrate with you!!

Audrey with her Mommy and Daddy

Audrey and her Mommy, Heike

Joseph and his Mommy, Pamela

Julian

Audrey

B and her Mommy, Spencer

Mila

Jayden

Mila

Audrey

Audrey

Liam

Toddler This Week: 14 Months, Week 2

Observe a group of 14-month-olds at the park and you'll note that they're basically loners. Socializing isn't really toddlers' thing, and at this age your child is unlikely to do anything more than engage in parallel play, during which he and his companions play side by side but don't interact — unless it's to grab whatever object another child is playing with.

While this may be frustrating for you, it's completely normal behavior. At this age your child doesn't think of his playmates as friends, or even people; they're objects. Since a 14-month-old is very much the center of his own universe, he thinks other children can be pushed, pulled, and poked the way a toy can. The only thing that really matters — to him — is what he wants. It's not selfishness — it's just the way everyone sees the world at this age.
What you can do
If your child doesn't interact very often with other children, either siblings or friends, this may be a good time to join a playgroup, or sign up for a fun activity such as a tumbling or music class. Exposing your toddler to a variety of social situations will help him become more comfortable interacting with others as he approaches preschool age.

The next time you go to a playground, look for places that your toddler can interact with other children. Here the "toys" belong to everyone, so taking turns is a must. Yes, toddlers may bicker over who gets to go down the slide first or who gets the first turn on the swing, but they'll quickly realize that there's plenty of fun to go around. Or, if you have a friend with a child who's about the same age as yours, you might put the kids into a bathtub or crib together (supervised, of course). In no time, they'll see how much fun it can be to play together.

Have you ever sat and watched a puppy? A puppy will run and roll around willy-nilly, sniff whatever it can, paw or lick anything that comes close. The puppy is playing, but it's also learning about its environment. Toddlers are sort of like puppies in that way. Play is a much more important learning tool than flashcards, "get smart" videos, computer games, and the like. Through play, toddlers learn about shapes, colors, the spaces around them, relationships with siblings and peers. They practice interactive skills with their stuffed dolls and animals. They learn new words (up, down, swing, mine), learn to exercise their imaginations, and get a chance to work out feelings they can't yet verbalize. They learn about fear, for instance, when climbing on a playground structure, or they learn about excitement the when they go down a slide. Play is a toddler's job, and the more yours can do it, the better.

Still afraid of strangers? Being suspicious of anyone who isn't Mom or Dad is fairly common for children this age. With time, your child will likely outgrow this fear (though being cautious around unfamiliar people isn't necessarily a bad thing), but in the meantime, here are a few tips for easing the anxiety:

When your child shies away from a well-meaning "stranger" who wants to give him a hug or a kiss, simply explain to the friend that your child is more comfortable if he's approached slowly.

Hold your child if he seems nervous in the company of unfamiliar people. Your comfort will reassure him that he's in a safe environment.

Expose your child to a variety of people in different situations. Let him see how you talk to strangers at the zoo, the park, the grocery store, etc. It will help him overcome his fears if he sees that sometimes you're comfortable around unfamiliar people.

Never force it. Whenever your child appears fearful around another person, don't push it, even though it may hurt your Great-Aunt Sue's feelings. He'll feel more secure if you comfort him rather than force him to interact. It will also help him learn to trust his own instincts if he is faced with a dangerous situation at some point.

- BabyCenter.com

Telling My Grandmother About #2

7 weeks, 3 days pregnant

Today we told my grandmother, my uncle Ricky (Mila's Godfather), his wife Martha, and my aunt Martha about Baby G2 on the way!

My mom mentioned she was going to stop by my uncle's house with my grandmother this weekend, so we called to see if we could stop by and say hi too... heehee! So we drove down to Miami "just for a visit." I told them the same way I told my parents and friends, with the iron-on shirt I made that said "Hermana mayor" (big sister). This time, I had Mila wearing a sweater over the shirt and I took it off while we were there. There was a moment of confusion... my grandmother was like, "I don't get it. She's who's sister?" Hahahahaha! Finally, she and everyone understood, and they were all thrilled!