Arianna has been home for a year!

Arianna can home on July 16th, 2008. By the time Miss Arianna came home, we had a routine established with the other two. It was VERY difficult to adjust our routine to add one more baby, particularly because Arianna was eating every 2 hours while Alea and Armando were eating every 3 hours. Arianna's first night at home was bizarre! She cried (maybe screamed is more acquired) ALL night long! That night Grandma took care of Alea's and Armando's night feedings and I was devoted to Arianna. I didn’t sleep at all that night. Thank goodness that the following night went a lot better.

I have to admit that I have a soft spot for Arianna. This miracle little girl was the most in distressed in utero, coming home last with an apnea monitor and thickener to be added to her formula. Arianna is tough little cookie, after being home for a month, she was done with the thickener and two months later with the apnea monitor. Miss Arianna was the first one to seat up on her own, but the last one to crawl. It might take her a little longer to reach some of her milestones, but she always does it :) That’s why I have a soft spot for this sweet little girly, not to mention that she has been a Mama’s girl since the get go.

Arianna is what you will call a true sweet heart, giving kisses and hugs any time she has the chance. She loves to be tickled and to be put up side down. She is a giggly lovely little girl, but lately she has been having some serious tantrums (at this point, they all are). It’s so funny to see her get upset and through herself on the floor and make funny movements to express her frustration. I’m sure she doesn’t think is funny, but I sure do, ha.

Arianna is walking around with her push toy. She knows how to steer it, allowing her to go all over the house making engine noises. But, she much rather walk holding on to somebody’s finger. That’s her favorite thing to do in the whole world. She loves to play peek-A-Boo, Pot-A-Cake, so big, wave bye-bye, shake her head saying “no, no, no,” stock blocks on top of each other, put things in and out of a box, crawl into the toy plastic box. She is also saying ma-ma, da-da and uh-oh. I’m sure I’m forgetting a few things, but we’ll leave it at that.

Then there were Three :)

From left to right Arianna, Armando and Alea

July 2009 (3 months old)

Finally Arianna is coming home :)

Napping in the way home:)

Not too happy about her first bath.

Sweet dreams...

Smiling in her sleep:) Loving the swing.

Do I look cute or what in this tea cup?!

August 2008 (4 months old) Napping with Daddy:)

Reading with Grandma. "This is a very intense book."

" Practicing the pouty face that my sister taught me."

Tasty thumb.

September 2008 (5 months old)" This swing is something else, I love it."

when the paci felt out of her mouth, it was a clear sign that she was in deep sleep, LOL.

Tummy time!

October 2008 (6 months old) "No matter what's in the way, I'll find my thumb."

Princess hat for Halloween.

November 2008 (7 months old) Look at me! I can sit up :)

"I'm a big girl, I can hold my bottle."

December 2008, (8 months old)"Really?! There is a fat guy dressed in red that will come and bring toys for all of us?!"

Just hanging out :)

"Mommy if I have to wear this darn three peas in a pod outfit again, I won't be happy."

Merry Christmas everybody :)

January 2009 (9 months old) "I don't like it. Take it away."

Yeap, Miss Arianna is the messiest eater of the three, hahahahaha.

Helping Mommy fold the laundry.

February 2009 (10 months old)" Summer clothes on winter time, yay! Good idea Mommy."

" I'm a pro with the sippy cup."

"I love Cheerios!"

"Frankie is my friend."

March 2009 (11months old) "Are we done with the pictures?!"

April 2009 (12 months old)"It's almost my birthday."

"Happy birthday to me."

"Hello!" Arianna loves to play phone :)

"This tunnel is wicket! thanks Mary"

Arianna in the middle. "Nothing like going on a wagon ride and using my brother as a pillow."

"Don't know what to think of this new car seats."

One year picture.

May 2009 (13 months old) Loves stroller rides

Her best grin

Loves going to the park and swiging:)

Loves to shake things (see the plastic bag in her hand?)

June 2009 (14 months old) Having a picnic at the park.

This is what I see when I look down between my legs.

Loves the pool!

July 2009 (15 months old)

Yummy cracker!

She loves to play her boom box and dance to the music.

Her favorite spot to "read" books.

"Look at me! I can stand on my own."

Arianna mi niña linda, tu eres un milagro doble de nuestro Dios. Me siento tan bendecida de tenerte:) Le pido a Dios que me ayude a siempre guiarte por el buen camino y darte todo el apoyo que necesites para que te conviertas en una persona de bien y provecho para la humanidad. Te amo y te adoro con todo mi corazón. Iluminas mis dias con tu be lla sonrisa:) Qeu Dios continue bendiciente grandemente:) Te quiero muchisimo mi corazon de melon!

tu Mami :)

15 months check up

Maybe I should have tittled this post "triple ear infection" because that was the result of our visit. All three kids have ear infections (Armando hasn't gotten over his yet). I'm not feeling well either, I turned up with strep throat. We suspect that Daddy has it too. As a result, we are ALL on antibiotic! Yuck! Other than crabby sick kids and sick parents, we are doing well.

Here are their 15 months stats:
Arianna 19lbs 8oz & 29 inches long
Alea 20lbs 3oz & 29 inches long
Armando 21lbs & 30 & 1/4 inches long

Teeth count:
Arianna: 7 teeth + 2 top molars
Alea: 6 teeth + 2 top molars
Armando: 7 teeth + 2 top molars

They are cutting the two bottom molars, but the molars aren't through yet.

The girls love to get on this toy on their own and try to push it with their feet. The funny thing is that they get on it at the same time. I swear to you that I did not seat them in there for the picture. I found them like this last morning and last night;) Silly girlies, Ha (thanks Mary for this awesome toy).

Arianna in front and Alea in back

Alea in front and Arianna in back

Arianna got on the toy and Armando just started pushing! I thought that was funny:)

Molars galore!

It's been a CrAzY last 4 weeks! They kids have been cutting molars left and right. Just to give you an idea in the last 3 weeks we got 6 molars! They all have their top first molars. Of course, they are cutting both bottom molars now. I was hoping for a break between the top ones and the bottom ones, Grrrrrrrrrr. On the bright side, it will be great to be done with the first molars. I just hope that the second molars will take a several months before they start popping in. Besides molars, they are also cutting more teeth, they have runny noses, runny stools and to top it all Armando has his first ear infection (BOTH ears). It's been chaos around here.

On a more exciting note, Armando did his first TWO steps on his own! Yay!

Arianna standing and being silly:)

Alea didn't want to stand without the help of the couch, that silly girly:)

Armando standing without the help of the couch (Arianna right beside him crawling).

I finally figured out a way to take a picture of all three;) From left to right Armando, Arianna, and Alea.

This is their favorite hang out place;) I have books there and they love to seat there and flip through the books or bite each other. LOL

Armando has been home for a year!

Armando came home on July 5th, 2008. It was very easy to add Armando to the routine that we had established with Alea. He is our laid back, easy going baby:) He only fussed if he was hungry; otherwise he would just hang out on the floor taking it all in. Today is a different story, he still doesn't fuss, but he "runs" all over the house with his push toy. He is a maniac behind the wheel, Hahahahaha. He has gotten very loud as well. He likes to babble all day long and sometimes at night too. Because of that, he got his own room so that he can "sing" and "talk" as much as he wants without waking up his sisters.

Armando is the most ticklish of the three, laughing from just looking at my finger mimic the tickling movements. Armando is doing so much these days, that it's hard to recall everything. Things that he is doing are: pushing his toy everywhere, playing I'm going to get ya (he crawls as fast as he can and squeals when I'm chasing him), sooooooooo big, pat-a-cake, peek-a-boo, looking for Frankie, waving bye-bye, saying Da-da, Ma-ma, Uh-Oh, putting things in and out, pushing toy tractors, kissing (He lovesssssssss to kiss), climbing on things, standing without holding on to anything, etc.

Daddy and I think that if we only had Armando, we would think that Parenthood is a piece of cake and that we were the best parents ever, ha. We wouldn't know that we just got lucky with an easy going baby. Armando is our cuddly bug and he will go to anybody that wants to hold him. He isn't shy at all. Armando is a good balance to the chaos in this house:) We love him to pieces:)

As I said in Alea's post, pictures speak louder than words.

July 2008 (3 months old)
And then there were two! Armando on the left chilling and Alea on the right going bonkers! This was the typical case, Ha.

Armando on the left and Alea on the right.

Enjoying the glider for the first time:)

First bath. "Not bad, Mommy. I like it better than those sponge baths that I had at the NICU."

Just hanging out in his car seat (I don't have pictures of the first day because my batteries were dead, :(

Hanging out with Mommy:)

August, 2008 (4 months old)Reading with Mommy

Playing in the bouncie

September, 2008 (5 months old) Loving the swing

Hey! This is a cool chair for me:o) Love it!

October, 2008 (6 months old) Do you like my pirate facial expression?

Brrrrrrrrr, it's cold here! I'm keeping toasty warm under this blankie:)

That's funny Mommy, tell me again:)

November, 2008 (7 months old) Saying goodbye to Auntie Alpha:( Can't wait to see you again:)

December, 2008 (8 months old) Look I can sit on my own now:) Cool!

Christmas 2008. I'm ready to party! Bring it on:)

January, 2009 (9 months old) Hmmmm, I don't know what to think of this baby rice.

Butter nut squash is A LOT tastier than that rice;) Love it!

February, 2009 (10 months old)Hanging out at Grandma's for her birthday:)

Hey, I can get under the couch. Love it down here:)

March, 2009 (11 months old)Look at me, standing in my crib:)

My favorite place to hang out:)

April 2009 (12 months old) Uh-Oh, I guess that mobile got to go;)

Love the new car seats:)

Pooped after his birthday party:)

Say cheeeeeeeeeese

Tasty cracker! Yum!

It's so bright! But I love it outside:)

Birthday picture:)

May 2009 (13 months old) Love hanging out outside with Frankie:)

Refreshing juice after enjoying the swings at the park.

Hey, I'm a little scared, but I love to swing:)

June, 2009 (14 months old) This is wicked! At lot bigger than our kiddy pool at home:oP

Do we have to leave the pool?!

It's so sunny that I need my beach hat:)

I'm the coolest kid on the block, just check me out with my sun glasses:)

Armandito mi amor, este año junto a ti ha sido increiblemente maravilloso:) Tú llenas nuestros dias de sonrisas, carcajadas con todas tus ocurrencias. Al refleccionar sobre este año me parece increible lo bien que estas y que gracias a Dios no te has enfermado con nada serio. No me imagino mi vida sin ti, mi muchachito precioso. Eres tan dulce y especial! Mi corazón rebosa de alegria con solo verte y oirte "hablar." Le pido a Dios que continue bendiciendote con mucha salud y felicidad:) Asi como también, que me ayude a criarte conciendolo y que cuando seas un adulto seas un hombre de bien y provecho para la sociedad:) Te amo mi amor! Tu mami:)

Arianna "walking" ;)

Leti, my niece

She is a courageous young lady, traveling to the US for the first time alone. She came to meet and spend time with her cousins this summer. It has been an adjustment for our family to have a pre-teen in the house:) She loves hanging out with the babies, but like all 12 year olds, she loves TV, sleeping in, the pool, relaxing, etc. Even though she is bold enough to travel alone, she tends to be shy.

It's been fun to have her try and do things that are so common in America, but not so much back home (Dominican Republic). I've been cooking American foods for her to try. So far so good in that department:) Also, she has been helping with things around the farm. Here are some pictures:
We went fishing. It was the first time for the both of us. We didn't catch any fish, but we at least learned how to cast the fishing pole;)

Having a picnic at the park, after visiting the zoo.

Mowing for the first time ever (this is her favorite thing to do as far as chores go).

She even rode in the tractor with uncle Mike.

Lot's of laughs with the kids:)

Before coming to the rural part of the country, she spent a week with my aunt (her great aunt) in Orlando. She got to go to Disney world almost every day. I'm wondering how rural US compares to Orlando? Hahahahaha