Month: September 2010

Labor Day Weekend 2010

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Our Labor Day weekend was extremely mild. I think we were still trying to decompress and get back into a normal pattern. Rest and relaxation were the key words for the weekend. And we certainly did try to stick with it.

On Saturday we slept in and all snuggled in bed watching a movie. It was nice to just be there together as a family. Around 11 or so we decided to get up and out of the house… take a drive and get away. I think we really would have enjoyed taking Abby to the park again, but the 100 degree heat made that nearly impossible. Oh well, there are many other weekends.
We decided to drive out to Montrose, La Canada/Flintridge and then Pasadena. I got the chance to see where Shaun spent time as a kid with his dad and Fiona, before they moved into their house in Reseda. From there we drove through La Canada/Flintridge and into Pasadena admiring all of the beautiful homes along the way. Boy would I love to live in one of those homes! Maybe one day… although if I had that kind of money I would have a home in Santa Barbara or Montecito. When then visited with Grandpa and Nana for a bit and then headed home. Like I said, it was a quiet weekend.




On Sunday we decided to head up to Santa Barbara. We didn’t have much planned up there, but figured we could enjoy the drive up, stop by the zoo to renew our memberships and maybe hang out for a bit. However, before we headed up the coast I was able to stop by and visit my dear friend Allyson who had just given birth to her first baby… a handsome little boy!

Nathan Dean Vargas was born Saturday September 4th at 3:25am. He was 5 pounds 12 ounces and 18 inches long. Allyson did a great job and when I came to visit looked great! She was tired, as every mom who just went through labor would be, but there was definitely a glow to her. I could tell through the sleepiness that she was so excited and in love with her little boy. Andy was holding him when I came in and I could certainly tell he was a proud daddy. Such a cute family. Thank you Allyson for letting me come to visit! It meant so much!



The drive up to Santa Barbara after my visit with Allyson was eventful. It was Labor Day weekend and who could have a holiday weekend without traffic?! I knew there would be some, but good grief! Despite the frustration of traffic we made the best of it and enjoyed the drive up. When we finally made it up to Santa Barbara we headed straight for the zoo. We renewed our memberships and then spent the next hour and a half hitting up the favorite spots. When we asked Abby what she wanted to see, her immediate response was “Monkeys!” So we headed over to see the Gibbons first. From there we walked past the elephants, who can miss them, and over to see the Gorillas. Lucky for Abby one of them walked right past the glass! After the Gorillas we headed straight to the giraffes, Abby’s other favorite animal at the zoo. She loves watching them and really did not want to leave. That was made very clear by the near meltdown.





When we left we decided to go for a drive through Hope Ranch. This area was once owned by Fess Parker (Disney’s Davey Crockett) who just recently passed away. It now is a secluded area of homes that are beyond amazing… if only I was filthy rich. Its nice to look though. I had hoped to enjoy a cone of soft serve ice cream from a nearby Foster’s Freeze as we drove through, but it was gone. That place had been there since I was a kid and I am sure before that… and now its gone! I hate change… I really do.

We drove all over Santa Barbara and Montecito mostly to enjoy the scenery but also to get around traffic on our way home. Our drive home once we ran out of alternate routes was a mess. Traffic was a nightmare and Ellie was fussy beyond belief. She was great up until that point but then as we hit traffic and just wanted to get home, she turned up the volume. From Ventura to Westlake Village she screamed and howled. I tried to feed her but nothing. She just wanted to cry and cry and cry and… you get my point. By the time we got home we were exhausted and went to bed right away.

Because of the long ride home, Monday was completely uneventful. We literally did nothing all day. Had breakfast, slept, watched movies with Abby and Ellie, napped while the girls napped. Ran to Target to get some needed supplies and then got dinner on the way home.

Like I said… easy going holiday weekend =)

ABC’s

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Abby has learned her ABC song. Most of the time she gets it all except for TUV… for some reason that one seems a bit hard to remember. But, every now and then she gets it all. Day by day it sounds better and I can understand more of it. Here is a video of her singing for me…

Two Months and One Month Shy of Two…

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And another month has passed by quickly, although August flew even faster due to Ellie’s time in the hospital. It has barely been a week since she left, but she is doing very well. She continues to cough but they are shorter episodes and she never seems to have a problem catching her breath. At night she will cough in her sleep and it never seems to wake her up. That is a huge deal not just for her but for us.

Ellie, with the exception of a few nights here and there, is starting to sleep completely through the night. Often times she sleeps about 9 hours which is heavenly for us. It feels like those nights of barely two hour stretches are so far behind us. She is growing an changing each and every day. She smiles a lot now and is trying to coo and talk to us. She even tries to mimic Shaun when he sticks his tongue out at her. Its pretty funny if you ask me.

Ellie’s 2 month check up was today. Dr. Calig checked her lungs and so far so good… they sound clear. She is definitely on the mend. Everything else checked out with flying colors. Once again, she is a healthy baby. She received her DTaP vaccine as well as two others, so there was some crying involved and I am sure some crankiness to follow, but I am prepared. Its al worth it for a happy and healthy little girl.

Two Month Stats
Weight: 11 Pounds 4 Ounces
Length: 24 Inches
(Ellie has gained nearly 2 pounds since her last check up and grown almost 3 inches in length. She has now hit the 95th percentile for length… There must be miracle grow in my milk.)

This month also brings something special for Abby as well… Her LAST month as a one year old! This I really cannot believe and almost feel as though I am in a bit of denial. Next month Abby turns 2! Has it really been a year already?! Looking back at pictures from her first birthday and even from this past spring makes me realize how much she has grown and changed. She has changed more from one to two then she did from birth to one. Her looks, features, personality, mannerisms, and more. Abby can speak in nearly full sentences, she learns and understands things even without mommy or daddy teaching them, she is a parrot and says anything she hears and she definitely knows how to test our patience. Its those terrible twos! She isn’t too bad though and most tantrums only last a minute or two when she actually has them.

Abby has adapted well to having a sister and while there are moments of jealousy, they are short lived and Abby is on to kissing and loving her little sister. She tells mommy when Ellie is crying, gets concerned when Ellie is upset, laughs at her when she has the hiccups and likes to play with Ellie’s little toes. Ellie seems enamored with Abby too and often calms down and talks when she sees Abby. They have a bond already and that makes Shaun and I so very proud. Even though it can be tough at times having two little ones, watching them and knowing the special bond sisters can have makes all the difficult times melt away.