Poor Dr. Ernie

This is Julia's first doctor's visit when she was a week old. Big sister Olivia is absolutely in love with her pediatrician, Dr. Ernie (what's not to love, right?) Unfortunately, it took about two years for her to get to that point. We would take a picture of Olivia with Dr. Ernie at each office visit for the first year, and they are all the same; Dr. Ernie is smiling, Olivia is sobbing. Now it's Julia's turn. Poor Dr. Ernie....

Olivia's First Theatre Experience

Olivia and I went with Mimi to the Miracle Theatre in downtown Coral Gables to see the Actors' Playhouse production of "Alice in Wonderland". It was Olivia's first theatre show; she was very good and only got a little antsy the last ten minutes of the show. I love that I can take her to the Miracle Theatre because I used to go there all the time as a kid to see movies (back when the movie screens were REALLY big because there were only two or three theatres!) I remember going there to see "Grease" with my best friend Elizabeth Vance when it came out in 1978. Thank goodness the City of Coral Gables is so committed to preserving its cultural and historic places because the theatre had fallen onto hard times and at one point was so dilapidated that nobody thought it would ever be brought back.

Olivia with the Queen of Hearts and the Caterpillar after the show

Our Neighborhood Block Party

This was the second year that our neighborhood had a Halloween block party, and it will probably be an annual event for many years to come. We have wonderful neighbors, young and old, and there are so many kids that live here and will grow up together. We got a permit from the County to block off one street, put up a couple of bounce houses, and everyone brought food. It's a great time for us adults to get to know each other better and the kids had a blast doing those time-tested traditional activities kids love; running around in the street and playing in the sprinklers!

 Me with my neighbor Kim.  Maria served up some Witches Brew..... and she made a mean lechon asado! (or roasted pork, Cuban style, for you non-Miamians!)

The kids played some games, while Tony was the master of the Cotton Candy machine.

Emmy and Finley stopped by to hang out with Olivia, and I got in on the sprinkler action...

Katie, Brette and Addie came over, but Julia was too tired to play.

Last year we had a really cute "parade" down the street for the kids in their Halloween costumes. We had every intention of doing that again this year, but because it was 90 degrees, the kids took off all their costumes within the first few minutes of the party!

Olivia Climbs a Tree

When I was a kid, I used to love climbing the trees at our house on Sevilla. We had a good climbing Avocado tree in the backyard, and a great tree in the front yard (that the current owners took down so they could put in a circular driveway. UGHH.) My brother and I would stay up in the trees for hours, taking books and toys up there with us. It finally felt like Olivia could handle it, so I encouraged her to try climbing this little tree in our front yard. Granted, she was only about a foot off the ground, but it's a start!!

Being a Baby Is Hard Work

Up All Night

So Julia is now four weeks old, and is still getting up to eat every three hours. If you were to say to me, "You do look a little tired," I would have to retort, "Gee, but aren't you Master of the Obvious!" Sorry, the sleep deprivation instigates the sarcasm. However, tonight she last ate at 9:30 p.m. and it is now 2:00 a.m. A four and a half hour cycle!!!!! Is this the light at the end of the tunnel? I've been afraid to go to sleep because I know that as soon as I do, she will get up. (I know, it's not at all logical, is it??)

Mommy and Julia

I've noticed that there aren't very many photos of me with Olivia when she was an infant. I think that's because I was so busy taking everyone else's picture with her, that I forgot to get people to take pictures of me with her! So I'm making an effort to get more pictures with Julia...

Olivia Warms Up to Her Little Sister

We've been real careful about making sure Olivia feels included in the endless day to day tasks that involve taking care of the baby, but haven't wanted to "push" the baby onto her. We casually ask her if she wants to hold the baby, and she always says no. Finally, after 4 weeks, Julia got to have a bath with her sister, and yesterday, Olivia actually asked to hold the baby, so I sat them on my bed together. Olivia would caress Julia's fine, black hair, smoothing it down, and told me, "She's OK Mommy, you can go now. She's fine." Olivia's on her way to being a great big sister.

Babo and Julia

My dad (who Olivia calls Babo, which is actually the nickname he had given to his own grandfather) is resistant to holding newborns... he was like that with Olivia too. Didn't he have two children of his own?? You're not going to break her, I swear! At any rate, I plopped Julia in his lap and started taking pictures, because she will never be this small again and is already visibly bigger, even at just 4 weeks old. Kind of looks like another baby he was holding in 1973, don't you think?

Olivia the Photographer

It is really interesting to see what pictures a three year old takes when you let her have the digital camera. It's wonderful not having to worry about wasting the film. We can let her go nuts! Naturally, she is going to take pictures of the things that are important to her: her playroom, the dog, and of course, "B," her trusty blanket!! It's fascinating to see how everything looks from her perspective.... like when she took a picture of the microwave. I've never had to "look up" at the microwave!! And no wonder she sometimes shies away from Marley; Olivia's face is right in Marley's licking range, isn't she!

The Many Moods of Olivia

We have been pleasantly surprised at how well Olivia has handled having a new baby in her life. She loves to say "Mommy, the baby is so cuuuuute!" and she will kiss and rub Julia's head. However, Olivia has been a little more needy, wanting us to hold her and pick her up more, but that's to be expected. But she is also going through a sassy phase. I understand this particular phase will last approximately 15 more years. Recently, we were able to catch a glimpse of the bi-polar nature of a three year old on film.... I promise these pictures were posted in the order in which they were taken. She can switch the moods faster than you can say "Drama Queen."

Julia's Slideshow

We previously posted a couple of photos from Julia's first photo shoot. If you'd like to view the slideshow that was created from this photo shoot, click here.

Julia's 2nd Week

Got Diapers?? I had forgotten how many diapers an infant can go through in one day. The trash bag Lamar is holding is about 4 or 5 days worth of dirty diapers.

Tia Ceci and CoCo (Ceci's mom) came to visit Julia the other day. Look at her long legs and feet! No wonder she kept hitting my rib cage.

Tonight Ana H. saw Julia and said "wow, she's a really pensive baby..." and it's true! She hardly cries compared to Olivia, and when she's awake and alert she's very reflective, don't you think?

Which is Which?

Marley seems to be doing fine with the new addition to the family. Actually, she pretty much ignores the new baby. Perhaps it's the lingering effect of the Post Traumatic Stress she encountered when we brought home Olivia. Can you guess which picture is Marley with Julia, and which one is Marley with Olivia three years ago?? Remember, you can click on the pictures if you want to see a larger version.

Who's the Cow Now?

So this is my typical day with Julia, who is now two weeks old. Baby cries. Blindly reach for cell phone next to bed to see what time it is. It is 2:00 a.m. Grope in the dark to find baby squirming in the bassinet. Feed her. Burp her. Change her. Feed her some more because when I changed her, she became more awake and realized she was still hungry. Almost an hour later, she goes back to sleep. Since baby has the most efficient internal clock, she wakes to eat every 2.5 hours. And since the feeding and burping cycle takes almost an hour, I really only get about 1.5 hours of sleep between feeds. So there I am, sleeping..... baby cries... blindly reach for cell phone to check time... it is 4:30 a.m.... repeat this exercise all day long.