Neuby News

Diabolical Plan

2011-10-01T20:03:00.003-05:00

Of all the words people have used to describe me, diabolical is not one that has come up. However last night, Mary found out about a diabolical plan than I have been working on for the last 3 1/2 months.
On July 1 when Mary went on bed rest I started putting Mia to bed every night. I still put her to bed most nights as currently Mary has Jude duty.
My bedtime routine for Mia is that I give her a bath, then get her dressed, then I read her a story while she drinks milk. After that I take her in the bathroom to brush her teeth. THEN I take Mia out of the bathroom and I have trained her to put one hand on my shoulder and her other hand in my hand, and we 2-step from the bathroom to her room, I spin her twice, I kiss her on the cheek then dip her into her crib. Sounds sweet, right?
Here is the diabolical part. When dancing, a guy usually leads with the left hand and put his right hand on the hip. With Mia, I have done the opposite. I lead with my right hand, so Mia holds my hand with her left hand, and puts her right hand on my shoulder. Essentially, I am 2 stepping with her backwards. Additionally, I tell her while we are dancing that any boy who doesn't know how to 2 step correctly is an idiot.
By the time Mia is old enough to go to dances, I will have completely trained her to 2 step backwards. Then every time some dopey kid tries to dance with her, she is going to think he is an idiot, and the only guy in the world who knows how to 2 step correctly is her Daddy.

Mickey Mouse Club House

2011-09-01T20:07:00.004-05:00

Every afternoon after school Mia watches a program on TV called Micky Mouse Clubhouse. It is that TV show that makes the following blog so funny to me. Within the show a couple things happen in every episode.

1. In order to make the club house appear, Micky says "Mishka Mooska Mickey Mouse"
2. Whenever Mickey reaches a point where he doesn't know what to do, he says "Oh, toodles" and this little balloon thing comes down with a variety of different tools that Mickey can use to solve problems.

A couple days ago, Mia walked over to me while I was in the kitchen. She said "Dada, I wanna snack." I said "Mia, what is the magic word?" The magic word in my house growing up was Please. Mia, stopped, thought about it, looked at me and said "Mishka, Mooska, Mickey Mouse" then she said "can I have a snack?" How do you say no to that?

A few days later Mary was sitting on the couch feeding Jude. Mary has a pink cup with a straw she usually drinks water out of while feeding him. Mia frequently comes by and gets a sip of water from the cup while Mia is feeding him. Mia came by this time and grabbed the straw and pulled it out of the cup and threw it on the ground. She then asked Mary for water. Mary looked at her and said "Mia, you pulled the straw out, you can't drink water without a straw. What are you going to do now?" Mia stopped, looked at her, paused and said "Oh, toodles" hoping a little balloon would come down to give her a tool to help her.
Mary and I were laughing so hard I had to put the straw back in.

Jude 1 Month Old

2011-09-01T13:55:00.009-05:00

Weight: 8 pounds 13 ounces. Jude's gained 3 pounds his first month!

Height: 19.5 inches. We're waiting for the height to kick in

We just moved from the newborn diapers to size 1. The new diapers are HUGE!

Jude is on such a great schedule. He eats every 2-3 hours during the day and every 3-4 hours during the night. When he's not eating, he's usually sleeping (after he gets his issues worked out). But towards the end of his first month, he's started to have more awake and alert playing time which has been so much fun. We finally get to see his eyes!

The issues I'm referring to with Jude is reflux. So frustrating. In the early days of life, we noticed that he was having trouble with latching and control the milk flow. A breast shield helped to resolve the milk flow issue. However, he was still having issues with burping and spitting up. It wasn't until this week that I was fairly certain he had reflux. He would want to eat, but then he'd arch his back and constantly push back from the breast while he was eating. It threw him AND me into a frenzy every time. It's frustrating and painful when you're trying to feed a child who wants to eat, but can't and your milk has already let down. The pediatrician prescribed some Axid for him and we're waiting to see how it works out.

Jude is my noisy baby. He's not really all that loud and fussy. But there's almost always a stream of sound coming from him. Whether it's a soft hum, a whimper, groaning, squeal or cry, he's hardly ever just quiet. It's funny at times. And reassuring at night. But when it's the sound of discomfort, it gets the milk going!

Credits:

Quilt by Barbara Nedwick
Personalized diaper cover by Courtney Rozada

Smurfs

2011-09-01T13:39:00.006-05:00

I came to pick up Mia after school and was greeted with this yesterday:

Her teacher, knowing how much she loves to draw, had gotten her her very own journal to draw in at school. Yesterday, she was drawing with (you guessed it) a blue marker (WHY?? I do not know). But her teacher turned her attention for a few minutes. When she looked back at Mia, she was greeted with a Smurf.

She was astonished and asked her, "Mia! What have you done???" To which Mia's response was:

"I coloring!"

*** For those who are concerned, her mouth is not blue because she sucked on the marker. It is blue because she sucked on her fingers after she colored her hands. The markers are non-toxic. This picture was after much scrubbing by her teacher and a deep cleansing by mom before snack time. Her dress and legs did not fair much better...***

Mia: 22 Months, Jude: 3 Weeks

2011-08-31T21:35:00.018-05:00

August 22, 2011: 2 Milestones for our 2 little ones.

Mia Update:

Mia not only likes school now, she kind of runs the show in the 1 year old class room. She says, "story time" and the teacher sits down and reads with her and gradually the other kids follow suit. Before they head out of the room to go to lunch or the playground, the teacher will usually peak her head out of the classroom to check to see if it's their turn to head out. If it's not, she tells them, "one more minute, kids." Mia gets in front of all the other kids and also tells them, "One more minute!"
She is still not potty trained, but consistently tells her teacher when she has pee-peed or poo-pood. Now the trick is for her to tell us when she has to go as opposed to when she's already gone!
Mia has gotten a lot pickier about what she wants to eat. There is still plenty that she will eat, but she doesn't always eat everything on her plate any more. Some days she's a big meat eater and other days it's carbs. Some days it's vegetables. Right now she's really big into ham, cheese, mushrooms and noodles.
Since forever Mia has loved to draw and doodle. But recently, she comes home from school, has a snack, asks for her Mickey Mouse show and proceeds to plop down on the floor with her drawing book and special markers and declare, "I do my HOMEwork!"
Since she turned 20 months, Mia has been taking swim classes at Aqua Tots. She loves it there. We started her out on Wednesday evenings and quickly realized that she was too tired for an after school activity. When we moved her to the Saturday morning class, she's all about it. She just finished her last class for this season last Saturday. Here is a clip of her swimming around with Daddy!

One of Mia's favorite activities these days (besides drawing) is playing pretend. She's pretty good at it. She's pretty established at playing kitchen and baby. She's just now starting on dress up... if you don't count her get-up's everyday as dress up =) Here she is as Tinker Bell

I'll wait to do the Jude update at his 1 Month entry. For now, I will leave you with his newborn photos done at 3 weeks old.

A Sleepy Jude Morning

2011-08-31T21:24:00.005-05:00

He looked so precious sleeping away this morning, I just had to grab the camera and capture. No special occasion today.

1 Week Old

2011-08-31T21:15:00.006-05:00

Can you really use the word "old" with someone so new?

One week ago today, we went to the hospital not know what to expect. And we were right.

Everything about Jude so far is different than Mia.

From the bedrest to the quick labor and delivery to the almost immediate discharge (we only spent one night in the hospital).

But there are more. Jude is already proving to be much more laid back than Mia. But while he fusses less and sleeps better, Mia nursed with much less issues.

At his 5 day check up he was down to 5 pounds 13 ounces and so we kept having to go back to the doctor every day for a weight check. The milk flow is too much for his immature system to handle. He has latching issues. And so on and so on...

He's a little small now, but we have no doubt he will catch up in due time.

(Note how absolutely loose his little newborn socks hang on his ankles!)

Sibling Love

2011-08-31T21:04:00.006-05:00

Despite all her angst before his arrival, Mia just can't get enough of her Baby Jude.

Well.

To an extent.

She says things like, "I want to hode it!"

... and "I kiss Baby Jude."

But what she really means is, "Plop him in my lap while I watch my TV shows, please."

Birthday Movie

2011-08-31T20:56:00.002-05:00

Jude's Birth Video lovingly created by Daddy

Monday August 1, 2011

2011-08-29T09:53:00.025-05:00

37 weeks + 5 days.

Jude just couldn't wait any longer.

Since I was sick the day before and labor started in the early morning hours, the first I felt I might be in labor was about 5 o'clock on Monday morning. I was rolling around in bed and noticed stronger contractions. They were persistent and by 5:30, I started noticing they were also consistent. The difference between these contractions and pre-term labor contractions were that they were actually painful as opposed to just the feeling of pressure. Instead of just practicing my relaxation breathing techniques during each contraction, I found myself really trying to ride the waves.

Just before 6AM, I decided to crawl out of bed and get into the shower for 2 reasons. The first was to help determine if this was true labor contractions. If they were, the contractions would continue even if I changed my position and environment. In the shower, I noticed that contractions were coming every THREE minutes and lasting about 40 seconds. I stayed in the shower a bit longer because it was comfortable and because I feared if it was another long labor like Mia's, it would be a while before I got another shower!

After getting out of the shower and getting dressed, I ran another labor test while calling the doctor's after-hour number. I got a glass of water. Since I was sick yesterday, I thought there might be a chance I was having more than normal contractions due to dehydration. That didn't help, but the midwife did suggest eating something small to run another test. By now it was about 6:45. Nothing was slowing this down, but I was on the sofa having snacks and getting through each contraction. Shortly after, Mia appeared downstairs with Mark dressed and ready for school. I remember heaving myself off the sofa, going to the pantry and getting her a morning snack. She happily plopped herself down on the pallet I made on the floor eating her snack and watching Sesame Street. Mark loaded her up for school about 7:05 and promised he'd be back in just a few minutes (school is only 2 miles from the house).

I was waiting for 8AM so that we could go to the doctor's office and get confirmation I was in labor. Due to preterm labor contractions, I didn't want to go to the hospital prematurely. But by 7:40, I knew that this was no false labor. I had been experiencing 40 second contractions every 3 minutes for the last 2 1/2 hours. And now the contractions were getting so much stronger, my breathing was more of a groan through the contractions. It was time to go to the hospital. From talking to my midwife, I already knew that my primary doctor was on-call that morning. So I felt reassured as we left the house. Everything was going to be fine and I would be home shortly with our new addition!

We arrived at the hospital just after 8AM. Mark oddly suggested that he pull up to the front, drop me off and go park the car. I freaked. Are you nuts?! Park the car and grab a wheelchair to get me! I'm past the point of walking through these contractions. =) Pregnant woman.

As soon as the nurses set eyes on me, they knew that we were not messing around. Instead of waiting at the counter to check in, they immediately lead me to my L&D room and did admissions there. In between contractions. When they finally got around to checking me at8:30, I was already 5cm dilated. Shortly after, Dr. Sebestyn appeared, ready to rock.

I don't know how the times worked after that, but it was just a mere 90 minutes from when they first checked me to Jude's arrival. Mark said it was rocket fast. Looking back on it, I guess it was. But being in it, living each individual contraction, it felt like it would never end. At one point, I had to ask. Are we getting close? Because if we have a ways more to go, I'm not going to make it. As soon as I said that, I knew I was in transition. The hesitation stage.

Then I remember thinking, I know they're gonna tell me it's not time to push yet, but I HAVE to. They're going to have to figure something out to give me clearance soon because like it or not, I'm going to start pushing. I told Dr. S, I have to push. Really. I do. She told me I had to hold on just a little while longer, I looked to be about 9cm. But I couldn't. So she told me to go ahead and get a practice push in. I don't think it did much physically for the baby, but it made me feel SO much better. Another push or five and I heard a HUGE pop, felt a huge relief and then a lot of laughter. WHAT? Was the baby already here? I opened my eyes. No. What I saw was my little doctor drenched. As if someone has doused her in a giant Big Gulp. My water broke =) She was covered from head to waist. Nurses ran to wipe her glasses down and she was good to go. The laughter helped me more than I knew.

Another 5 pushes, lots of intense pain and burning and Jude was born.

Jude Anthony Xuan Neuabuer
Birthday: August 1, 2011 @ 9:55AM (1st 107 degree day of MANY in 2011 summer!)
Weight: 6 pounds 5 ounces

Length: 19 inches

Birth Place: St. David's North Austin Medical Center, Austin, TX

You were happily welcomed by your parents

Mia came to visit later in the afternoon and was so excited to see her Baby Jude!

Daddy thought way ahead and special ordered your first birthday cake from Ms. Natalie

Jude's Prelude

2011-08-26T10:46:00.008-05:00

In my last entry, I mentioned that labor had to be getting close. I was right. And now I have a sure fire way to bring on labor. But I'm not sure anyone wants to replicate it on their own free will. Let me back up to the weekend leading up to Monday morning to begin Jude's birth story.

Since I reached 37 weeks and the doctors have cleared me for my regular routine, as much as possible, I decided I'd start taking back some of my responsibilities to give Mark a much needed break. So I woke up early on Saturday morning when I heard Mia stirring. I went up and got her some milk and played with her, same as normal. Then we came downstairs right about 7AM, just in time for Sesame Street. We snuggled in on the sofa and watched quietly. SO NICE. Mark woke up a little later around 7:30 and Mia was so excited to see him. She ran over with her arms outstretched and gave him a big hug. He picked her up, sat on the loveseat and said, "Lay your head on my chest and snuggle with me." But she fought him a bit. He insisted and as soon as her head hit his chest, it was like Old Faithful. She started vomiting like we haven't ever seen from he before. Four giant heaves. Mark was frozen in place just trying to contain everything as I ran for the paper towels in the kitchen. WHOA. Where did that come from??? As soon as she stopped, she was fine. Same as before. A little tired, but no other signs of illness. Freak incidence. We sent her to swim class (fine) and she came home and took a nice long nap.

After her nap, we packed it up for our weekly "bakery surprise" trip. We were headed back to Hyde Park and just as we were approaching our destination, I heard the dreaded heave-ho in the back seat. Oh no. Not again. Yes. Again. In her only outfit we had on hand, in her plush carseat in 100+ degree weather. Great. We will never get this smell out of the car and our child has no clothes. We quickly pull over, remove her and her clothing and I proceed to scrub with what wet wipes we stashed in our diaper bag. We run over to Walgreens in search of some temporary clothing and wet wipes. Wouldn't you know it. The only Walgreens in town without onesies. I tell Mark to head over to the Hancock center. There's a Sears over there and I know we can find inexpensive children's clothing. Score. An entire outfit (dress and bloomers) for $3.25 including tax. And we're back in business. Again, Mia shows no signs of being worn down with the exception of a lack of appetite. That's ok, I'm a little weary of feeding her too much anyways.

She is a little fatigued that evening and on Sunday morning, but other than that, she seems absolutely normal. But by lunchtime on Sunday, I'm starting to feel a little nauseous myself. Maybe it's just gassiness from the pregnancy. But it continues. And by 2pm, I'm running for the toilets. But nothing. I lay down for a nap, yuck. Wooziness. Yup, I'm going to be sick. Now, not only am I having contractions, but my stomach is doing flips from this 24 hour stomach bug which only brings on MORE contractions which only makes me MORE nauseous! OMG, will this cycle ever end??? I remember saying to Mark, I know something that's worse than having a stomach bug, going into labor while having this bug. Thank goodness we're NOT!

I sleep most of the day away trying to recuperate while Mark keeps an eye on Mia. Fortunately, she's still pretty groggy herself. By the time bedtime rolls around, about 10pm, I'm starting to feel a little stronger. I make my way to the kitchen and get some fresh fruit and dry cereal into my system.

Before closing my eyes, I pray that I make it through the night.

37 Weeks

2011-07-28T13:13:00.004-05:00

In two words: FULL TERM.

YAY!

Bad news: Back to work. At least part time until baby comes.

Week: 37
Weight gained to-date: 35 lbs
Belly measurement: 40 inches
Estimated Baby size: 5 lbs 9 oz
Swelling: NONE!
Stretch Marks: NONE!

How Mommy's feeling: Lots of contractions. More powerful and longer than they were a few weeks ago. It probably has to do with the stress of work. And that I'm now 37 weeks! There's also a lot more pressure presenting itself in my tail bone. Signs of impending labor!

Happenings: Tommy and Stephanie are getting set up in CA this week. Tommy starts work on Monday Aug. 1. So excited for them, but we're so going to miss having them here... at our fingertips!

36 Weeks

2011-07-20T09:16:00.007-05:00

Week: 36
Weight gained to-date: 35 lbs
Belly measurement: 40 inches
Estimated Baby size: 5 lbs 9 oz
Swelling: Not yet
Stretch Marks: None yet

How Mommy's feeling: On the first day of the 36th week, I literally woke up and realized that you had dropped overnight! Suddenly, there was more space between my breasts and my belly. My diaphragm felt like it had more space. But sitting for any period of time is a bit painful now. I have a good bit more back pain due to your low position and my bladder is even more squished! The important part is that you're still in there. We've had enough scares to be thankful for that!

Happenings: Daddy has installed a new incentive. Every week that you and I are able to keep you in utero, he will take us to a surprise bakery on Sunday! So far, we've been to Quack's and 1886 Cafe. Work with me, Jude... I want more surprise bakeries!

Struggling to Do it All

2011-07-14T20:02:00.005-05:00

The last few weeks have been rather stressful Ever since Mary went to the hospital our little world has been a little roller coaster. Mary's parents came up to visit us the weekend that Mary got out and filled our fridge and freezer with homemade food.
Jenni, Embrey and my Dad came in town the next weekend to keep us company and help us in any way that they could.
With Mary on bed rest, I have been taking over most of the other responsibilities around the house. Taking Mia to and from school, grocery shopping, laundry etc. while still handling my job has been challenging.
The biggest frustration I am running into right now is that I feel like I am trying to juggle so many things that I really don't feel like I am doing any of them well. The frustrating part about it is not the fact that I am too busy, or that I have too much on my plate.
It bothers me that I see 5 or 6 things that I could do really really well if I had more time to actually do it. My workouts, when I have time to workout, are pretty pathetic. I realized yesterday that I hadn't taken Stoli for a walk in 2 days. It is so hot that if I don't wake up at 5:30 to get Mia out of bed, then run downstairs to take Stoli for a walk first thing in the morning, the odds of me taking him for a walk after work is slim. I rarely have time to cook outside of the weekend.
I shouldn't complain as I know that I am really lucky in that the doctors were able to work their magic to keep Jude from coming out too early, and when he gets here my schedule is going to be even more restrictive. It just feels like right now I am not able to do anything as good as I potentially could.
The heat of summer is probably driving some of this irritability in that I can't get outside much and when I get home with Mia in the afternoon I am rather restricted to staying in the house with her as it is too hot to take her and Stoli outside.

34 Weeks

2011-07-06T12:13:00.004-05:00

Week: 34
Weight gained to-date: 29 lbs
Belly measurement: 38 1/2 inches
Estimated Baby size: 3 lbs
Swelling: None yet
Stretch Marks: None yet

How Mommy's feeling: Rested. I was going to say bored, but I'm not completely yet. I still have lots that needs to get done that I still haven't gotten to. I'm adjusting to the speed of life that I now have to live.

Happenings: I know that everything happens for a reason. And although we had quite a little scare last week, things are coming into perspective. For weeks now, I've wondered how I was going to get through this hot summer, quarter close and a toddler just before a newborn was to arrive. I was already so tired and the worst was yet to come. The afternoon after I discussed with my manager all my desk responsibilities and reassured him that I still had almost 2 months before Baby would arrive, I got admitted to the hospital. God has impeccable timing, doesn't he? So here I am. Rested and resting. And spending quality time with Jude. I use to say that I didn't think he moved as much as Mia. I'm rethinking that! Now that I'm sitting still enough to focus, Jude moves plenty! And when he does, he kicks really hard, too. For months, Mark and I have been concerned about Mia's attachment to Mommy and how we would work to develop the bond between her and Daddy so to make her transition easier. Here we are. Mommy can no longer lift and chase Mia. She can't take her take her to or pick her up from school much less participate in extracurricular activities with her. And so she's come to rely on and trust in Daddy. I must say, I love seeing her run to him and bury her head in his chest. It makes me feel so much better when I see that she can seek refuge in someone other than me. She may be our oldest, but she's still just a baby after all.

Happy Day

2011-07-01T18:25:00.002-05:00

Friday:

You know you need more activity when you sleep from 4AM - 7AM and you feel well rested all day. But for good or bad, I do!

Breakfast and then a long chat with my sweet sister-in-law Jenni was a wonderful way to start out the day. Shortly after the phone call, Tommy came to visit. Mark showed up 2 minutes before the ultrasound technician came by. So all 3 of us got to see baby Jude again... in 3D! So very sweet. They were impressed with the clarity. Most importantly, everything looked good and the cervix was measuring 1.2 cm. Same as Wed! No shortening!!!

About an hour after the ultrasound, my midwife Lisa and nurse came in. They took me off the magnesium sulfate, penicillin and IV. This meant I could shower!!! I ordered lunch at noon. And waited. I didn't want to jump into the shower before the lunch came... it gets so cold so quickly.

2:30, Mark leaves to go get Mia from school. And here comes lunch. Along with my wonderful in-laws! With fresh fruit, a book and a beautiful little arrangement! My room is all spruced up =) Kathie Quinn was right on their tails with some seriously delicious cupcakes. How do I know? Mia dug right into one as soon as she got here. As did Papa =) We had ourselves a regular little party.

Everyone had to leave for Friday engagements which left just the 3 Neubauers in the room. Mark was crashed out on the sofa bed. Mia attempted to rest in my belly, but kept saying, hurt Mama! The fetal monitors =) She finally settle down between my legs for about 10 minutes. We wrestled around for about an hour or so before it got to be a little too intense for Mama. Mia & Mark headed home for some dinner and much needed sleep.

Shooooower time! Fresh sheets. And Food Network. Life is starting to feel a little more normal. I can't wait to get home tomorrow. It will be tough for the first few days as we learn how to transition, but it will be nice to be in the comforts of home.

Man of the Year Award

2011-07-01T02:55:00.004-05:00

Must go to my loving husband this week.

You've kept our home and our family running while I sit here a lump on this bed.

You've taken over all the middle of the night cries. The morning wake up calls. Getting Mia breakfast and ready for school. Dropping her off, taking Stoli for a run. Working, house chores, playing operator all while taking random calls from the hospital-nut inquiring about how her family is doing. And of course, driving back and forth so that I can see this aforementioned family.

As far as hospital stays go, I guess we're fortunate that this is on the shorter end. But I know it is still so very exhausting for you. And yet you're such a trooper. Continuing to do it all. Well.

I could never thank you enough. But I love you forever.

PS - This is a "hospital" Not a "hotel"

PPS - At least I waited a week for this to happen. If it was a week earlier you would've been in the midst of packing for boy's trip! That would've been a real party pooper!

Day #2

2011-07-01T02:33:00.002-05:00

Thursday:

As of this morning, we were down to 1 contraction every 30 min or so. I also received 1 of 2 steroid shots to help baby's lungs mature faster in the event that Jude does decide to come earlier. No reactions to that shot that I can tell. I have to wait 24 hours before the next one.

Our on call doctor came by to visit and give her recommendations. After my 2nd steroid shot at mid night, I will continue on with the mag sulfate drip. There are still more contractions than she wants to see with me being on the medication. They ordered a followup ultrasound for Friday to measure the length of the cervix again. If it's maintaining it's length, then she'll take me off the mag sulfate. Then they'll monitor me for another 24 hours without the medication before considering a discharge. That puts me home on Saturday at best.

She also noted that once discharged, she's going to prescribe modified bed rest. Which means I'm allowed to get up from a resting position to shower, potty and make a light meal. No picking up Mia, no walking Stoli, no swimming, no laundry, no..... working.

Tomorrow is July 1st which means quarter close starts. I've stressed about it all day. Despite my team and management's insistence that everything will be ok. I spent all night pulling together all my files and documents so that they can at least step in without missing too much of a beat. But I know it will still be tough on them. My lead has technically already transitioned to a new role. So they'll be pulling her back in to do the job that she's been training me the last 3 months to do. One of my peers has been working remotely from South Africa to care for her terminally ill (cancer) mother. We only have but a few other members on our team, but they are all new IBMers from our most recent acquisitions. So the load will fall upon these 2 ladies and my manager. I hate being a burden.

The highlight of my day was this evening when Mark, Mia and Tommy were all here. Surprisingly, Mia was in a fantastic mood! She was totally into playing with all 3 of us and not totally partial to any one. This was great because Mark was exhausted and I have very limited mobility. She ate Chik-fil-a nuggets, fries, pieces of hospital brownie, pudding, grapes and crackers. She played nappy time with the chuk pads and danced around the wood and linoleum floors. She had a generally good time. I was so happy to see her and the boys.

I was pooped when they left, but I had just a few more hours of work left. I neglected returning a few calls because I was too tired. I hope they forgive me. I'll get to all of them tomorrow.

I need to sleep. But I can't. I haven't moved enough today to build up fatigue or exhaustion. I'm just kind of, here. Not tired, not energized, not motivated. Just here. Feeling quite useless. Not certain about the future. I want to disregard their conservative recommendations and get on with life. But I don't want to be wreckless and risk the life of my unborn love. So here I sit. Maybe my outlook will be better in the morning. Maybe things will be just fine when I get home. So this is what it's like to be bored. Finally, I accomplished something on my New Year's resolution.

Break time

2011-07-01T02:32:00.002-05:00

Wednesday:

Mia's been having a difficult time sleeping through the night due to her congestion. After 2 visits upstairs last night, I called her pediatrician first thing in the morning and took her in. She has developed a slight infection in one ear. They put her on amoxycillan.

Then I went to my own primary doc for the same problem later in the afternoon. Before leaving the house, I made sure to go to the bathroom when I noticed a slight bloody show.

Doc diagnosed upper respiratory infection with some pressure behind the ears, but no ear infection yet. Gave me some nasal spray to clear things up.

On the way home, I called the OB about what I saw. They had me come in for a check up. Exams and fetal monitoring. I showed 3 contractions in 20 min on the monitor. They decided to wheel me across the street to the hospital for more testing. It was now about 6'ish anyways.

After more tests, ultrasound and monitoring, the tests all came back negative. But the contractions were still coming 5 min apart for the 4 hours they had been monitoring despite my attempts at over hydrating. And the ultrasound measured my cervix length at 1.2 cm. Apparently the cervix shortens before it starts opening (dilating) for labor. At this stage in the pregnancy, they were expecting the length to be 3-4 cm. So I was only 25-50% of where I should be. That test and the contractions pretty much bought me a ticket to an overnight stay at the hospital

Around 11:30pm, I started IV's and magnesium sulfate drip. The mag sulfate helps to relax the smooth muscles to reduce the contractions. The initial dosage was terrible and made me lose my dinner, but it worked.

Good news is that Jude looks very healthy in there. He's moving around a ton. He keeps trying to grab his feet. Which is probably why I feel him so much!!! Also, they were able to get a few 3D shots while they worked. To me, he looks like a splitting image of his sister. He is for sure a Jr. as he is already trying to get places FAR too early. I'm trying to make him understand that it is a party foul to show up this early. Hopefully he is not as stubborn as his old man =) We feel he's doing this in part to spite his sister already. She says, "no Jude, go away!" He says, "I'll show you!" Sigh, sibling rivalry will not be lost on these two!

32 Weeks

2011-06-23T09:59:00.006-05:00

Week: 32
Weight gained to-date: 30 lbs
Belly measurement: 38 1/2 inches
Estimated Baby size: 16.7 inches, 3.75 lbs
Swelling: Still hanging in there!
Stretch Marks: None yet

How Mommy's feeling: Today I spent another 3 hours of my life at CPL doing the dreaded glucose test. I was tired and hungry and the orange syrup just made me nauseous for the 3 hours I was there. Immediately after leaving the lab, I ran straight over to Chik-fil-A and devoured a chicken biscuit before heading home, taking Stoli for a nap and finally pulling myself out of my coma for my afternoon meetings. UPDATE: I've passed! Bring on the goodies!

Happenings: We've finally finished all our childbirth classes. Now it's time to put the book studies to practice! We've only got 6-8 weeks to get our routine down before Jude makes his grand entrance! In other good news... Uncle Tommy got a job offer with Apple Computers! Bad news... he'll be moving to Cupertino, CA in about a month =( We're so happy and proud, but very very sad that he'll be far far away.

I saved the most fun for last. We did our maternity shoot as I previously mentioned and Leah got the shoot on her blog. YAY! There are a few other shots that she sent us that didn't make the blog so I'll share those on our blog at a later date. But until then, you can head over to Mary's Maternity to see the wonderful job Leah did.

20 Months

2011-06-23T08:20:00.009-05:00

Photo Credits: The Life You Love Photography

Dear Mia,

You are a crazy crazy child these days. You are quite the communicator. There isn't much that you can't express in words. You're not speaking in complete sentences yet, but you are now speaking in phrases. For example, if you see someone with something you'd like, you say, "I want some!" Though it sounds more like, "awe-some!" If you're eating something and would like to share with Mommy & Daddy, you kindly offer, "Have some!" You invite others to share a seat with you, "Nana, sit here!" But your favorite phrase, unfortunately, is still, "No. Go Away."

You're picking up that Jude is not just a body part. Another word for "belly." The other day, when we went into the nursery to pick out a book to read, you told me, "Jude's room." I was so completely caught off guard. We've been trying to express to you for weeks the idea of Jude being a person. "Mia, when Jude gets here, will you share you toys with him?" Mia: No, Go Away. "Mia, when Jude gets here, will you sing and dance to make him laugh?" At which point you go into your rendition of 'Itsy Bitsy Spider' and twirl around the living room.

You know so many more animals and their sounds now. You still love drawing and coloring. You love playing pretend and are just getting the hang of dress up. You are getting better acquainted with school and today, you started swimming lessons! You were not a huge fan of kicking and flipping over in the water. But reaching for floating toys and climbing out of the pool (exiting the water area) were 2 of your favorite activities. You have absolutely no fear of the water... which is part of Mommy and Daddy's concern.

You are a pro at expressing emotions such as "sad" and "happy." You very dramatically throw your head into your hands and cry, "sad, I'm so saaaaad!" whenever you don't get your way. You dance around singing, "happy happy" when you're in a good mood. If ever you make someone else sad (ie, telling Ba to go away which makes her cry), you quickly run over, extend your arms and say, "hug, Ba!" and after you give her a kiss on the cheek, she smiles and you walk away with a big smile on your face.

In a few short months when you become a big sister, I suspect that you will be so very helpful. You love to feed Stoli and Diesel. You good at calling Bubba into the house when it's too hot outside. You bring us your shoes and bows when it's time to go somewhere. And you always come when it's dinner time.

There's nothing more we can ask from our beautiful, precocious first child. Well, besides that you PLEASE stop spitting. That's not moisturizer you're rubbing on your body, baby girl.

Pflugerville Triathalon

2011-06-19T20:33:00.009-05:00

Last August when Mary did her triathlon I thought it looked much more interesting and fun than running a 1/2 or full marathon. I got a bike back in December of last year, and have been training for the Pflugerville tri for the last 6 months.

My training had been going pretty well throughout the spring, however a combination of traveling for vacations, traveling for work and higher than normal summer heat really started impacting the quality and consistency of my training. Either way, the triathlon was today, so the quality of my training was over.

Mary's Parents and my parents all came over on Saturday for a father's day weekend. I made pesto linguine from scratch to carb load and wehad a big family meal the night before.

We arrived at Lake Pf early to get ready for the morning. I was disappointed to see that when we got out to the lake there were 35 mph gusts which made small whitecaps in water and was going to make the entire event challenging.

Being my first triathlon, like most people I was the most concerned about the swim. I swam a decent amount in the pool, however only swam twice in open water in training and swimming in open water with people around you is a totally different game. I had a game plan of slow and steady in the water with a strategy that I would push hard on the ride and try to hold a 10 minute mile in the run.

My time in the swim was really really bad, however as it was my 3rd time swimming in open water and it was really windy, I am ok with it.

My support crew

Immediate transition into the ride. Unfortunately, the chip timing company hired to do the race messed up and the splits/transition times were not captured correctly so I don't know my specific swim time, transition 1 time, ride time, transition 2 time and run time. All I know is my final time. It felt like I took forever in the transition area, however it must have been pretty fast because I was done before Mary or Joe could make it over to take pictures. On to my strongest category (due to I have trained the m

ost on the bike and have a really nice bike)

I have done the Pf Tri loop many times in training,

so I was very familiar with every hill and turn which I think was very helpful as I knew when to push and when not to.

I finished the ride faster than everybody thought because I had rode back into the transition area and ran out before any of my family noticed a

s they were still waiting for me to finish the ride whe

n I was running out of the transition area.

Ran out of the transition area, uphill and into 35 mph gusts. The run was very hard, however I was able to run the entire leg without stoppin

g to walk and finished it in about 30 minutes.

Overall, my final time was 1:46, not exactly outstanding, however it was my first tri, I finished strong. I never walked and I kept a consistent pace the entire time. I will do more in the future and hopefully improve my times.

My #1 fan

My favorite girls meeting me at the finish line

Sneak Peaks

2011-06-13T21:29:00.006-05:00

How sweet is this baby boy going to be?!

Can't wait to see all the magic that Leah Muse of The Life You Love Photography created for us yesterday. It was sweltering hot and I had a fussy toddler past her bedtime and a husband on the verge of meltdown from heat exhaustion. But I tell you, there were some magical shots in there. Hope she was able to photoshop out all the sweat (or at least make it look like a glow)!

School Progress

2011-06-09T12:05:00.002-05:00

Day 2:

less crying, but still lots of whimpering
napped 20 minutes, up from 10 minutes the previous day
still walking around with blankie unless being held by Miss Jocelyn
Miss Jocelyn's assessment: Mia communicates very well. 2-3 word sentences. She is very kind to the other children. She plays well when sitting in Miss Jocelyn's lap. Enjoys reading time. Mia needs to work on sharing caregiver's time and sleeping in her cot while the other children are sleeping
Yikes. Right on point. She's always had 2-5 adults to herself. And she's never had to sleep in a room with other children. Both things she will have to learn as her family grows.
Came home and ate a big bowl of blueberries and drank a full glass of milk. Napped 40 minutes, woke up and went to a library event where she danced and played. Was a little fussy, but I think that was more because she wanted to be in the middle of the room with the other kids and not on the side where we were sitting. She had fun once we moved, though she was very tired.

Day 3:

did not cry when I dropped her off, but only slightly whimpered
the morning attendant greeted her by name and immediately held out her arms to hold her. Mia did not refuse, though still whimpering. the attendant said that they'll go ahead and get Mia's blankie out right away. It's one of her comfort items.
Geez, does she carry her blankie with her to lunch, too???
napped 40 minutes, quadrupling the first day's nap time.
ate a little on her own
Mark picked her up and said that she was found playing in the middle of the room on a rocking horse with some kids standing around her, but not being held. She was VERY happy to see him and told him to grab her bag. LOL. She also told me that everyday. As if to say, "Grab my $hit, let's get the hell outta here"
Came home and snacked on watermelon and played. I was working when she got home. When I got done, I came into the kitchen to put the watermelon tub in the fridge and she got upset. She told me, "Mama feed baby!" Wow. Long sentence
She did not nap after school. Was very excited to see her entire Nanny team (Michelle, Chrissy, Mayra, Kurt, Jasmine) for the evening while Mark and I had to go to birthing class. Michelle reported she was very tired but didn't fuss. She went to bed early.

Which brings us to Day 4... today.

She is making very fast progress and I project that by next Friday, she will have gotten a hold of this new routine. Hopefully by next month she will actually be excited about going to school!

Week 30

2011-06-08T10:23:00.003-05:00

Holy cow. I cannot believe it is time for the 10 week count down!

Week: 30

Weight gained to-date: 28 lbs (oops. 5 lbs ahead of schedule)

Belly measurement: 38 inches

Estimated Baby size: 15.7 inches, 3 lbs

Swelling: Not yet. But I'm bracing myself

Stretch Marks: Not yet. I didn't get any with my first pregnancy so I'm crossing my fingers

How Mommy's feeling: Just starting to get achy back. But if you consider the weight gain and constantly lugging Mia around, it's not so bad! Last pregnancy was definitely much worse with the back pains. I flip flop between being very tired some days and full of energy the next. Work has been very hectic so I try to take advantage of those energized days when I can. The good news is that I seem to be doing much better emotionally. That might be in part due to calming hormones, but mostly because Mark is finally back from a 2 week assignment in Scotland. That was rough because of the time difference, we only got to talk about 5 minutes in the morning (middle of the workday for Mark) and about 10 minutes after work (very late for him right before bed).

Happenings: This week, we completed week 11 of our childbirth classes. We only have 1 more to go! Unlike the first pregnancy where we only took the hospital and doctor offered classes, this time we signed up for the Bradley method classes which we started back in March. Our hope and desire is for a quick, healthy and natural childbirth. The classes have been good as it's working with us on what to expect and how to deal with the different stages of labor. It's also been a great time for Mark and I to bond and have some alone time with Jude. That's rare these days. Even though it's early June, the highs have already approached 99. I'm certain by the time Jude gets here we will have been well over 110 for many many days! Other big news... our 5 year wedding anniversary is this Friday! Already! And our baby bump session is this coming Sunday evening. So excited!

Mia Goes to School

2011-06-06T20:44:00.006-05:00

Beautiful school, beautiful girl, beautiful day. Oh wait. 2 out of 3 ain't bad.

Today was Mia's first day at school. Montessori. She's about 19 1/2 months old and communicates really well. We all know she's ready physically, mentally.

Emotionally, that's another story.

After a big dinner and a good night's rest, Mia woke up smiling and ready for the day. Mark and I decided to tag team it this morning and both took her to school. When we got there, we continued to try to talk her up to it. We've been doing it for weeks now. As have the Nanny team. We knew this was our last shot because last night's conversation did not go well:

Mommy: Mia, you're going to start school tomorrow. Will you be good for your teacher at school?

Mia: School! Ja-ja school!

Mommy: That's right, Mia. Ja-ja goes to school! But now Mia will go to school, too! And you will have lots of new friends to play with!

Mia: NO! No, GO AWAY!

Daddy: *sigh*

We manage to walk into the school without too much commotion. And enter into the cafeteria area. There are about 6 other kids already there this morning and at the table closest to us are 2 of the younger children. They appear to be about Mia's age and are quietly playing with a toy each. Mark tries to let her down and introduce her to them, but she won't have any of it. She immediately attaches to my legs. Quickly racking my brain, I see that there are more little chairs stacked against the wall, so I grab one and set it down at the little table for Mia. Knowing that's one of her favorite things to do. Sit on a chair at a table. I was right, she can't resist.

She walks up to the chair, pulls it out, smiles at each of the 2 kids as if to say, "Hi. Mind if I sit here?" And then proceeds to sit down. Miss Kim, the director brings her a ducky toy and she's interested. After a few quiet seconds, Mark and I quickly excuse ourselves without announcing.

We disappear behind the front wall and I ask Mark to peek back in and snap a picture. She's quietly sitting and observing:

Before we can even get out the front door though, we hear wailing. We expected this. We've been here before. We've prepared ourselves. We stop for one second and both know that it's better if we just keep going and not go back.

And Mia is at school.

After a super busy morning at work, I finally get a chance to check in after her lunch time since I hadn't heard from the school. This was a first. Every nursery she's ever been in, we've been paged. Miss Kim reports that Mia nibbled on some Cheerios at breakfast. Didn't want her milk (why didn't remember to tell them that she just drank 8 oz at home???). Her crying had subsided to whimpering for Mommy and Daddy. And that she had managed to eat 1 chicken nugget at lunch after her teacher Miss Jocelyn held her and fed it to her. Otherwise, she was not interested. It was now nap time, but she was not napping. She was walking around the classroom with her blankie. I told her, that was not good! She must be very tired as she usually has 2 naps a day! Let me call back after 3 to see if she had either crashed or snacked. If neither, I would come get her and she could do both at home without completely ruining her dinner or bedtime.

3:30 rolls around and I finally finish my last set of meetings. I call, and as I had feared, Mia is on strike. Still no nap and only nibbles on the PM snack. I'm on my way!

When I enter the school, I run into her teacher in the cafeteria getting art supplies. I introduce myself and immediately apologize =/. It is her bathroom break time and I hear Mia crying from the classroom. Miss Jocelyn explains that Mia has had a tough day. But that she has had vast improvements from the morning to the afternoon. She started the day crying and would only mildly calm down when held by her. After an hour or so, she was able to hold a conversation with Mia and was impressed that she understood what was going on. Mia told her, "Mama working." Yes. "Mama coming back?" Yes! "MY Mama." Yes! "Daddy working." Yes. "Daddy back!" Yes... good girl!

When it was diaper changing time, it was a little more difficult. She changed Mia first since she already had her in her arms. Then she had to set her down in a chair to change the others. Mia cried. As she was changing the next child, she noticed that Mia's crying had slowed down. When she turned around, another student, Emma, was trying to sooth Mia by rubbing her arm. That took Mia by surprise. Sweet sweet babies.

At lunch time, Mia was totally distracted by all the kids in the room eating. She was not interested in eating, she was so upset. So she just sat there. After 15 minutes, Miss Jocelyn came over and asked her if she would take a few bites for her. She took one. And then declined another. After a few more offers, she said she needed to get up and clean up Mia's plate if she wasn't going to eat it. Mia started crying. She told her, if you're eating, then I can sit here with you, but if you're done, then we need to get up. Mia understood. She ate another nugget while her teacher held her in her lap. Ugh.

Naptime came and Mia was utterly confused. She sleeps exclusively in cribs and pack and plays. So a cot? Totally new concept. Miss Jocelyn introduced her. Mia, this is a cot! This is Mia cot. This one is Jacob cot. Again, she was very surprised when Mia immediately pointed and repeated, "Mia cot." But that didn't mean that she knew or wanted to stay in it. Her teacher said she'd stay in it as long as she was there to rub her back. But she really wanted to get down and play. The first time she wanted to play all day. Of course! All the other kids were sleeping! She had the whole room to herself. So when another kid started to get out of their cot and her teacher went to that child, Mia immediately sprang and ran to the rocking horse. Or to the play kitchen. She slept less than 10 minutes.

At reading time, her teacher said she was totally engaged. Sat very quietly and followed every word. Yes, she loves books. At afternoon play time, she actually got up and played independently for a little while with cars. But as soon as her teacher was out of sight, she started crying. Which brought us to the present.

We walked over to the classroom and there was Mia. Standing about 3 feet from the door with her back to us. Holding her blankie to her chest and sucking on her fingers. Crying. No Mommy. No Miss Jocelyn. We open the door and she mad rushes me. Crying, smiling, screaming, "MAMA! MAMA! MAMA! MY BAG! MY BAG!" Yes, apparently, she was ready to go.

I apologized again and thanked her for her patience. We'd be back in the morning to try again.

Mia came home and laughed when she saw Bubba. Ate a huge bowl of turkey-roni and drank half a glass of milk. Cuddled with Mommy for about 15 minutes before crashing out in her crib for a little over an hour. She was cranky and still tired when she woke up, but at least she'd gotten in some food and sleep. She had no interest or patience for dinner. Daddy bathed her and set her down for bed and she was out by 7:45.

Hopefully tomorrow won't be too much worse. The saga continues...

Lasts and Firsts

2011-05-31T07:20:00.007-05:00

This is the face of a HAPPY girl

This is the face of a SAD girl

Why is she sad, you ask?

With good reason. On the day this picture was taken, Friday, May 27, 2011, it was her last day to go to Nanny's house. And she didn't even know it.

She was actually upset because I was taking so long in starting our walk to Nanny's house =)

Mia has been going to Nanny's house since January 2010. She was just a few days short of being 3 months old. And with the exception of a few vacation days here and there, she had been there almost every work day.

In Mia's vocabulary, "Nanny" does not equal "care giver." It's a family member. Probably something along the lines of "Aunt" or even "Second Mommy." Nanny's house is Mia's house. Nanny's Kurt is Mia's Kurt. Nanny's mommy is Mia's Mimi. And of course she has her very own Gigi and Jaja over there. Along with an entire zoo of animals.

In the time that we've been taking Mia over to Nanny's, there might have been a handful of times 16 months where she fussed about us leaving. But never more than a few seconds. And hardly ever a tear. I know this will not be the case when it comes time for school. I know she will have a difficult time. I wish she could stay at Nanny's forever.

But Mia is not going to be an only child forever. She is going to have a sibling and one day she will go to real school. We've decided that even though she is still young, she needs to start socializing with other children her age. Even more so, it's time she start to learn how to share attention with other children. I know it will be tough on her (and therefore on us) in the beginning. But I have no doubt it's the right decision. And that very soon, she will be very good at it!

And so with a tear in our eye, we must say good-bye to an era.

But Nanny won't be far! She's still our good neighbor. And she's still our #1 go to. In fact, she's already scheduled to watch Mia the next 2 weeks after we get back from vacation so that Mommy & Daddy can finish the last 2 childbirth classes. Nanny's also offered to pick her up from school a few hours early every so often so that Mia can come over and play with Jazzi before having to head home. God bless her. How did we ever get so lucky???

To make up for taking Mia from her happy place, I finally introduced her to the beach on Memorial day! It was loooooooong over due. I'm sorry it took us so long baby girl. We promise we'll take you more often! Because... YOU LOVED IT!

Please disregard the nastiness of Galveston beach. It was a beautiful morning, the air was breezy and there was a slight overcast. Mommy & Ba had a wonderful time with you!

Walburg

2011-05-02T20:55:00.004-05:00

Saturday Night my Grandparents and Parents were in town and stayed with us. My grandparents have always enjoyed German food, so Mary and I decided to take them to a little German town north of Austin called Walburg. Walburg has a cool little Biergarten. After dinner, we all went to the biergarten to have a couple beers. Mary being very pregnant clearly could not have beer, so she ordered a non alcoholic beer. Mia was very curious, and since it was non alcoholic, we decided to let her have a sip.

Again, this was non alcoholic beer.

Mia enjoyed this a little too much.

GREAT. GRAND. Parents.

2011-05-02T09:03:00.008-05:00

This past weekend, Mia got a visit from her Great and Grand parents. Papa Dick and Mama Pat flew all the way down from Raleigh to visit Embrey and Mia. Lucky rotten girls =p.

They spoiled her with new clothes, anything she wanted to eat or drink and most of all with tons and tons of attention, hugs and kisses. They rolled around on the floor in her room with her. And crammed themselves into *tiny* little tea table chairs.

Is there any wonder why she wanted to give them so many kisses by the time it was time to go?

We can't wait to get her and Jude up to their place one of these days. They will run amuck. I just hope it's not encouraged!

Cousins

2011-04-28T21:39:00.004-05:00

First Mia got a little girl cousin.

They will grow up so princess-y. We already know.

Today, we found out that Baby Dos will get a little boy cousin to do whatever it is boys do together!

I feel better knowing he won't be outnumbered by all his girl counterparts.

Birthday Dinner

2011-04-28T14:21:00.011-05:00

Yesterday, Mark and Mia took me out for my birthday dinner. My favorite... Texan Cafe up in Hutto, TX. There's not much in Hutto to write home about, but the food at Texan, and more importantly, the pie selection, is enough to bring me back at least once a month. If you'll recall, that's where I had my last meal before Mia came into this world. It's also the first restaurant she went to after she was born. We've been here a few times =)

We introduced Mia to fried pickles... and she loved them! Kept wanting to dip them in ranch. They weren't quite sour enough for her taste so she followed them up by sucking on a lemon. She is Mark's daughter =/. I had my favorite meal: fried green tomato BLT with sweet potato fries. We ended the dinner with a slice of Almond Joy pie. That was a new one for me. It was great, but there are others I've had that still top the list.

Last night, we brought our camera along to keep her entertained until our food arrived, as well as take some shots of the belly since it was 24 weeks.

I tell you, this girl is a natural in front of the camera. You don't have to do anything, but let her do her thing and just snap away.

Here's my birthday evening in pictures:

Mama imitating Mia smelling flowers

Going for a stroll down Hutto main street

Found a place to park it

Trying out mama's shades

My 2 favorite people

Time to "eat FOOD!"

24 Weeks

2011-04-27T16:06:00.004-05:00

As we wrap up the second trimester, I look back and can proudly say that we are making a good amount of progress.

The big girl is moved out of the "nursery" to make room for the newest baby in the family
New glider has been purchased in anticipation of many early mornings and late night feedings
New crib has been picked out (though not yet ordered)
Mommy & Daddy are more than half way through their natural childbirth course and are finally starting to get it
Mommy is gaining weight... and fast. Yesterday I had my 24 week appointment and was astonished to find out I had gained 21 lbs. Though this morning when I weighed myself, I was only at +18 lbs. The weekend must've really gotten me!
Babymoon is all set for less than 2 weeks from now. Cooler temps of Denver, CO, here we come!
And my favorite piece of news, the maternity shoot has been booked. So excited to work with the ultra-talented Leah Muse

Cannot wait to get a shot with these all filled out

And in case you were wondering. Yes, I did get 8 inches chopped off my hair. It's already getting very warm here in Austin, TX. Going to be a LONG summer.

Happy Birthday Mama!

2011-04-26T15:41:00.004-05:00

Mia decided to get down to her birthday suit in honor of her Mama's birthday.

Hanging out at Nanny's with Jazzi, drawing on her Elmo sketch pad

Thx for the smile Michelle!!!

Happy Easter + The Big Reveal!

2011-04-24T14:57:00.033-05:00

The Lord has risen! Let us rejoice and celebrate!!!

And celebrate we did.

Mia started with a big neighborhood egg hunt on Saturday morning.

YAY! "Ecks!"

Hmmm... I don't see many more "ecks"

Maybe they can tell me where I can find more

Toot, we're all done.

Didn't get enough of Mia's first egghunt?

Check out this diddy Mark put together for her:

She was not a huge fan of the Easter Bunny this year and would not take a pic by herself with him!

The baby goat she loved. It had a pretty bow on.

The bunny had very soft ears.

Not very sure about the chicks. They moved a lot!

Then on Easter Sunday, we had a family brunch at the house.

Little Miss Mia received the most precious Easter gift from Nini and Papa. Here she is showing it off

Come, everyone! Eat at my restaurant!

The little chef taking a much needed gummy bear break =)

Uncle Tommy and Aunt Stephanie also joined in Mia's party and brought her a sweet Peter Rabbit book. Yes, that is being enjoyed at bedtime now =)

Lots and lots of goodies, but these were probably my favorite.

My classic velveteen cake (white velvet cake recipe)

And these little guys remind me of bunny noses!

And here was Mark's favorite. Fruit pizza. With a surprise twist. Everyone was anxiously awaiting the announcement of Baby Dos' gender. Only knowing that it would be revealed at Easter, not knowing when or how. How else, but via Mark's all-time favorite dessert!

Blue = Boy!!!

1 + 1/2 Year

2011-04-22T20:05:00.019-05:00

I can't believe it. Our baby girl is 18 months old today. Thank goodness she still doesn't have much hair or I'd be forced to believe that she really is growing up.

Here she is asking daddy "peas" for some cereal

giving me a BIG "CHEEEEZ" for the camera and then running away

Mia is moved into her big girl room now and loves it. Though it's not quite complete, most of the components are there.

One of her favorite things about her new room is that she has a table and some chairs just her size. She is constantly climbing in and out of the chairs and telling us, "eat food!"

Mia got into her Easter basket. Can you guess what her favorite thing was in it?

The maracas? No.
The tambourine stick? No.
The bumble bee bath mitt? No.
Give up?

Her Easter window clings!!!

She played with these for almost 40 minutes

A little pooped, but this was the man that made that room possible. Thanks Daddy!!!
{P.S. - love the ballerina slipper pink paint =) }

Here is the monthly Mia update:

Stats: Weight - 23 lbs 2oz (25-50%), Height - 31 1/4 inches (50%), Head 31 cm (75%!) Head continues to be well ahead of the rest of her!
She has all her teeth in, including her incisors. She won't be getting any new ones until her secondary molars come in at 2 years.
At 18 months old, Mia still fits into most all of her 12-18 month clothing. She can wear some of her 18-24 month clothing, but mostly that's just pj's. She's still got so much in the 12-18 month range that she hasn't worn that we haven't moved her up. She's also pretty much into a solid toddler size 5 now. Her diaper is still a size 3 and it seems like her cloth diapers are starting to fit better around the waist (she's less chunky)
She's adding onto her family vocabulary. She can clearly say Nini, Papa, Ba and Ong now. I've also heard her say Dean and some contorted version of Jenni and Jonathan.
Some of Mia's favorite phrases this past month:
Oh shoot. As in, "Oh shoot, gotta go get my shoes." Or "Oh shoot, I dropped it" Though those are just scenarios she uses the phrases in, she can't actually say all that yet.
This one, I really don't like: "Go Away." I think she was originally taught that phrase to tell the dogs and cats at Nanny's house when they begged her for snacks. Now she's learn the full usage of this phrase and uses it on people. As in, when daddy messes with her in the afternoon for hugs and kisses, "GO AWAY DADDY." Or when I have to wipe her running nose, "NO MOMMY! GO AWAY!" =(
She likes to play pretend a lot. Most of it has to do with food. So she uses the phrases, "eat food!" and "NACK!" (snack) a LOT.
Whenever she hears or sees that someone is sleeping, she puts her index finger over her mouth and says, "shhh" Very smart. Hopefully that carries over to when she has her baby.
She likes to tell us when to take "walks". "Momma, Bubba walk?" Which means I need to take her and Stoli for a walk. She goes, pulls out her stroller and climbs in. And waits for us there.
Mia really enjoys her sweets. She can say, "cake" and "cupcake". When she hears the Happy Birthday song, she makes a beeline to where the singing is happening. She knows that where there's that song being sung, there is sure to be cake. She's been right every time.
She's learning how to sing the Happy Birthday song. It's not really recognizable yet, but it is hilarious to listen to.
She loves to blow "bubbles" every evening after dinner. This involves her dipping the wand into the giant jug of solution and waving it around like a maniac in the backyard.
She's also been heard saying things like, "wipe", "Oy", "Wow", and "Yeah!"
Mia knows so so many of her body parts now. In addition to belly ("benny"), nose, eyes, ears and teeth, she knows: hair, toes, tongue (can't say that one yet) and hiney. She knows you're suppose to wipe your hiney after you go potty.
Speaking of potty, she's getting much better at telling us when she's gone pee pee or poo poo in her diaper. She still cries wolf a lot though.
Her favorite show is still "Buh-Bomb". I don't know how that translates to "Spongebob" but it does. She asks for it all day long. And will sit in her chair (little leather chair) and put her blanket on her lap and hold her remote for an episode at a time. The other thing she asks for is "Yo!" as in "Yo Gabba Gabba" but I don't think we have that on our TV.
One of her other favorite activities is, "drawing". She gets a book and a writing utensil (no preference) and starts "drawing". She can sit there and do this for 15 minutes at a time. Most of the time, she is very good at keeping it in her book or on her paper. But sometimes she gets a bug and will throw a tantrum when we tell her not on the wall or furniture. Who knows... maybe she's going to take after her Aunt Cathy!
On that note... tantrums. They have certainly arrived. We get at minimum 2 a day now. 2 is a good day. I'm hoping that as her language and communications skills improve, the number of tantrums will inversely decrease.
Mia hasn't really learned the art of playing dress up yet. But she loves getting dressed up. Every morning, sometimes as early as 5AM, she'll wake up asking for her bow and shoes. Don't wear pretty things like bracelets and necklaces around her unless you're willing to share. She asks for them all the time and will run around the house wearing them... until they fall off or she gets tired of it.
She is learning the magic word, "Please" ("peas"). One day at Olive Garden, they brought out our dinner and Mark had gotten a pizza. Evidently, this looked good to her. She picked up her little plate, reached it across the table and said, "Daddy! Peas!" She still won't say thank you.
Mia is so very interested in babies. She loves touching and caressing their skin. She is amazingly gentle with them when she wants to be. But, you have to watch her. She is a baby herself and sometimes does get irritable that you're holding them and not her. Yikes.

One parting last shot as we look forward to the second half of this year

MS150

2011-04-21T14:48:00.019-05:00

Back in November, I decided that it was about time that I move from the football fields over to sports that were more conducive with a person in their mid thirties who wanted to keep his weight under control and strengthen his heart. This was obviously distance sports such as running and biking.

I knew I wanted to do triathalons in the summer. Tommy mentioned to all of us the MS150 (bike ride from Houston to Austin. Seemed like a good idea at the time, and it was a charity ride, so it sounded good all around. 5 of us signed up (Me, Tommy, Stephanie, Tracy and Kevin). Mary would have signed up, but being pregnant riding like that is not a good idea.

The race started early on Saturday morning. We got to the starting point with little real idea what we had in store. We were not riding with a big team, so Tommy had rented a tent and Tommy, Steph and I were planning on camping Saturday night.

The race started around 6:45 AM and we started at a starting point with about 300 other riders. The entire race had about 13,000 riders so this was a very small starting point.We cruised as a group for the first leg and made our first stop at the 20 mile mark. The great thing about large rides such as this one is that there are organized stops about every 8-20 miles. Each of the stops had water, snacks,bathrooms etc.

About 4o miles into race on Saturday we stopped for lunch. Riding with 13K riders is actually a lot of fun and it makes the ride much easier. There are always people to chase and people to draft off of.
Around 70 miles into day one I started having pretty significant knee pain. It was bad enough that from miles 70-93 on almost every downhill stretch I would have to unclip my shoes and stick my leg straight out to try to get more blo

od flow through my leg.

Picture of me riding on day one stretched out on my aero bars.

Around 3:00 I arrived at the camp site. I realized at this time why joining a big group is so beneficial. I got to the camp site and had to check my bike. We then had to get our tent, set it up, wait in line for showers, wait in line for food. The big teams had giant tents that contained their bike, beds, their luggage, food drinks etc. If we decide to do this next year, I definitely will find a way to join a large group. The TacoDeli group is sounding pretty attractive for next year.

Riding solo somewhere along the road on day 2

I woke up early on Sunday morning feeling pretty sore and slightly unmotivated. I wasn't sure if I would finish on Sunday when I started, but I was determined to get started and get at least 20 miles in before I made a decision. Luckily, the weather was good and after about 5-10 miles I felt really really good.

Another picture riding on Sunday

I was able to ride pretty well all day on Sunday and I was able to finish pretty strong. Over all I enjoyed the experience. I definitely would join a big team next year to have a big tent and food available etc next year. I am proud that I was able to take on 167 mile race for my first ever organized bike race and finish.

I am still having some lingering knee trouble since the race ended. I went to the doctor earlier this week and I may have some nerve damage that we have to fix, but I won't know the answer to that until I see an orthopedist.

Mary and Mia were waiting for me at the finish line

After the race was over we went to Players for lunch. Mia decided she wants to go next year and sit on the back of the Vespa

Mia at Giggle n Jump

2011-04-11T07:13:00.003-05:00

This weekend I took Mia over to my parents since it was quarter close for Mary and she had to spend the weekend working. Me taking Mia and Stoli over to my parents usually helps Mary as she can totally relax when her work is finished because there is no baby or Stoli trying to get her attention.

The weather was hot in the afternoon, so I took Mia over to Giggle n Jump, a little inflatable play area for kids in the area. Mia loves it here and plays like a champ. This time, she displayed her new climbing and sliding skills. She climbed and did the slide around 12-15 times.

Baby Dos: 20 Weeks - Halfway Point

2011-03-30T08:41:00.006-05:00

As with everything else related to children, I've found that sayings are not just sayings. They are based on tried and true reality. The one I'm referring to in this entry is, "Subsequent pregnancies go by in a flash."

When I was pregnant the first time, I couldn't wait for the next "phase" to come. And it always seemed like it took an eternity to get there.

With this one, knowing it just might be my last one, I had hoped that I could bask in it and take the time to enjoy it more. Having a toddler does not allow you much leisurely time to contemplate what you are fixing for dinner much less the future. And as nature would have it (nature and God are so brilliant), the second pregnancy has gone even easier than the first (which is saying a lot since Mia's pregnancy was quite easy). Combine the fact that I have little free time with the fact that this pregnancy has not been very demanding and most of the time, I forget (or am not allowed to think about) the fact that I am in deed pregnant.

And so here we are. At the halfway point. And I barely feel like I've gotten to know how this body even got here. I must make an earnest effort to slow down. To take more pictures. To revel in this (possibly) last pregnancy. I am sure no matter how quickly it goes by, the last 2 months will, of course, feel like an eternity =)

In other notes, crazy Braxton hicks contractions happening this week. I'm not sure if it was brought on by the ultrasound or not, but they are certainly here. And if I recall, I had similar issues with contractions right around this time with Mia also and then it kind of died off. I bet it was the ultrasound!

Nurseries

2011-03-29T08:38:00.008-05:00

Ever since Mia was 3 months old and I went returned to work, she's been staying with Michelle aka Nanny. Nanny, her family and her home are so much a part of Mia's life, I think she thinks it's just her 2nd home. I know she thinks of Michelle's daughter Jazzi as her own big sister.

The last few months, as we became aware that Mia needs to experience new environments and socialize more with children her own age, we've started to introduce her to nurseries. Twice at my parents' church in Houston and once yesterday at our new gym.

We're 0-3. All 3 times, she had a melt down as soon as we left. All 3 times they called or came looking for us.

Never mind that we got there at 5:55 and I waited in line until 6:15 to drop her off. That I warned them she's not very good with these scenarios and to feel free to page/call me if she cried too much for them to handle. I would come get her right away. That I was careful to take my phone with me the whole time I left her and that I was too afraid to waste my time getting on a machine in fear that the call or page would come at any time. Or that I'd miss it if a machine was too loud. That Mark and I returned to the childcare line at 6:45 to wait another 15 minutes to pick Mia up. When we got there, they told us they had paged us but couldn't get a hold of us. Yup. She was in the back in a care giver's lap with tears coming down her eyes. What the heck??? Never mind all that. Because I know it's just logistics. That although it's not a perfect process, that the people there were taking the best care of her they could. She was not being neglected.

But how do I get her to get more comfortable with this process. To actually enjoy going somewhere and making friends sans Mommy and Daddy in the room? Our hope is to transition Mia to daycare later this year. Our greatest fear is that we end up losing a lot of work time due to tantrums at drop off.

So back to Mia and the gym experience yesterday...

When we picked her up, she came out sobbing to us. Fingers in the mouth, tears and boogies streaming down her face. Mark had grabbed her shoes, jacket and bag while I carried her. As we left the child care area, she whimpered for her shoes. Of all things. So we stopped at a table in the gym to put her shoes on. Then her jacket. At which point she demanded that her jacket be buttoned up and her "bow" (hood) be put on. Yes. We were still inside the building. As soon as I did all those things, she stuck her fingers back in her mouth and layed her head on my shoulders. Whimpering. Poor baby.

Going outside, I asked Mark to hold Mia while I put my sweat shirt on. She immediately broke into tears but Mark was determined that he had her and that she would be fine. She cried a little but then settled down when I asked her if she wanted to go home to see Bubba. She smiled when I told her she could have fruit salad when she got home.

When I unloaded her from the car, she was hanging onto this baby doll and did not want to let it go from her grip. So I let her take it in the house with her. This was the picture of a girl after a rough evening with all her soothing items about her. Jacket with hoodie on. Baby in one arm. Bib on, fruit salad. All was well in her world again.

The Business of Growing Things

2011-03-28T13:11:00.021-05:00

Spring is in the air and we have LOTS growing here at the Neubauer house!

I am now into the mid-way mark. I can't believe how fast Baby Dos is growing in there. We had our 20-week ultrasound today and yes, I have another super active one in there. Legs were swinging, arms were pumping. At one point, there was a hand over the forehead and a giant (Stoli-esque) yawn. It was so adorable. It's quite incredible that something 0.5 lbs can be so developed. God is Great!

The interesting thing about the visit was how baby was measuring. Based on my cycles, Baby's due date is August 17th and should have been measuring 19 weeks and 5 days today. However, based on the ultrasound and their estimate of Baby, it was measuring only 18 weeks and 4 days today. A whole week and day behind and measuring in the 25th percentile. At this point, we aren't concerned because I'm obviously a smaller mommy and Mia was born slightly smaller (but still normal) and is now in the 5oth percentile. Still interesting to note, nonetheless.

I finally realized that we need to start documenting this pregnancy for Baby Dos. Aye! Here I am in Week 19. And look who snuck into our baby shot with their fruit snacks... =)

The other big thing we're working on growing is a garden! As an early birthday present, Mark built me a family garden box. It's a HUGE box! Saturday he set it up in the backyard, we went to the nursery to get plants and seeds and here we are trying to get things going

The hope is that we can have something resembling produce by my birthday!

Hopefully with all of Mia's experience in gardening (she's been helping Nanny set up their gardens this year), we'll be harvesting by the bushel soon!

She's very serious about her work

Cheese!

Down right silly

Zilker Park

2011-03-28T08:08:00.010-05:00

Mia's favorite thing these days: PARKS. Everyday after she gets home from Nanny's, 20 minutes later she tells us it's time to "walk." She goes and pulls out her stroller and proceeds to try to climb in on her own. So you know she was super stoked when she arrived at Zilker Park on Saturday and it was a beautiful day! Sorry about the flooding of pictures in this post. Usually we just have our little camera or Mark's iphone camera on us. With Mia being so squirrel-ie these days, it's hard to get one, much less a few, good shots. Saturday we remembered our good camera however. So many good shots I couldn't decide which to cut. So lucky you... here are most of them!

Mia's favorite things at the park were swings and slides. Until she discovered rocks.

Getting ready to go on the Zephyr with Daddy

Mark looks happy, Mia looks confused and Mary looks REALLY excited

17 Months (Going on 17 Years)

2011-03-22T13:34:00.010-05:00

More than before, I'm starting to notice that Mia is moving away from being an infant and definitely knee-deep in toddler-hood. Some key notes:

She loves wearing shoes. One Saturday, she woke up and immediately insisted on putting shoes (pink flip flop sandals) on. She was still wearing pj's.
And she calls them "shoes" now. Not so much "jews" any more.
She still eats most everything on her plate. But instead of starting from closest to furthest away from her (I put the things I want her to eat first closest), she starts with what she likes most first. When that's all gone, she demands more. If you're a sucker and give her more, she'll continue eating that item (usually cottage cheese). If you don't give her more, she'll move on to the next items in order of favorite. Eventually she'll finish her plate.
Now that the sun is making a comeback, she'll wear her shades when we go out. But only when it's sunny. If the sun happens to duck behind a cloud, she pushes her shades onto her forehead. When it comes back out, she pulls them back down.
She's learned to ask for things like cookies ("kickies") and ice cream ("eye-dy") and blanket ("badgie")

She sits on chairs at tables, even when she can't reach. She cleans up her moutn and the table after she's done eating (not necessarily in that order). And she likes to throw away trash. Over the weekend, I found her wiping her mouth after lunch on a wet wipe - that she had dug out of Embrey's trash. Ewwweee.
She likes to exercise. Mia frequently makes an appearance at bootcamp and has picked up a few things. She comes home, lays down on her yoga mat, picks up her legs, puts them down while chanting, "UP! DOWN. UP! DOWN." She gets bored after about 5 reps.
She is obsessed with walks and parks. She knows to go get her stroller and Bubba when it's time for a walk. At the park, the kids are ok. But her primary focus are the swings and slides.
She knows quite a number of animals and their sounds now. Daddy's favorite game to play with her is animal sounds. They rattle them off really fast.
I didn't know this, but squatting is a major milestone. Mia is a squatting expert now.

But she's still mostly a baby. And I love that.

Her thighs, wrists, hands, ankles and feet are a dead give away that this is still a baby.
One day last month, Mia got mistaken for a 5 month old. Probably has to do with the fact that she still has very little hair. But 5 months? Really? She was running around, sitting in a booster seat and nawing on a crab leg at a restaurant.
Her growth seems to be slowing down a bit. She's weighing in about 22.5 lbs. Though her pants were getting short, last we checked. Haven't measured her height since her last appointment. She's outgrowing most of her size 4 shoes and getting more comfortable in her 5's.
She mostly baby talks.
She still loves her morning and night milk "ba-ba's". She still loves her "froggy" and she still cuddles like a champ.
She runs, but still like a baby. With one chicken wing swinging and stomping her feet.

March Madness HIGH Stakes!

2011-03-17T13:08:00.007-05:00

Life has been pretty crazy recently. Between Mark working many many extra hours to get through the madness of work AND delivering performance reviews to his entire team, we have my work, childbirth classes, bootcamps, training sessions, special events, and of course, Stoli and Mia.

Somehow, March Madness snuck up on us and Mark didn't get his usual Pick 'Em group done in a timely manner. Driving home from class last night, I was just thinking to myself, March Madness is not the same without Pick 'Em. And we do it EVERY year! So I told Mark, since the tournament already starts tomorrow, we should do one with just the 2 of us. And make the stakes something non-monetary. The first thing to pop in my head was loser has to wash winner's car.

Mark thought the concept was a good idea, but he said he wanted to think of something MORE interesting to bet on. After a few minutes, I got the ingenious idea. Poor Baby Dos will hear this story one day... Just for the record, everyone else thinks this is a good idea, too.

On March 28th, we have our 20 week anatomy ultrasound where we will have the opportunity to find out the gender of Baby Dos. I suggested that the winner will find out the gender either at the appointment (if they are so far in the lead) or find out as soon as the tournament ends. The loser has to wait almost a month later, Easter, to find out the news. The catch is that the winner gets that time to find out a creative way to announce the news to the loser and the rest of our family and friends!

Let the games begin.

Look! Hair!

2011-03-17T10:14:00.005-05:00

Mark and I are in the midst of a 12 week childbirth course. Every Wednesday evening, we attend a 2 hour class. During that time, Mia usually gets to play with Miss Stephanie (my best friend's sister). This week, however, her usual sitter is away for Spring Break and so Nini and Papa came to fill-in.

Mia enjoyed a big dinner with them and then headed outside to show off her bubble skills. It was a beautiful afternoon and we were able to capture just a few with her wearing a hair clip for the first time.

New Bows

2011-03-15T15:38:00.006-05:00

Mia is starting to show an interest in dressing herself.

She's not "quite" there yet, but is on the right track.

Here's one Nanny Michelle snapped of her wearing her bloomers on her head.

Here's one I snapped of her insisting this is how PJ tops are worn.

Mia Goes to Brunch

2011-03-15T14:53:00.006-05:00

We've had such a busy few weeks, I forgot we snapped a few shots a few Sundays ago when Nini was here visiting.

Nini came by on Saturday afternoon to play with and watch after Mia so that Mark and I could attend a wedding of a very dear friend. She was so very good with Nini that we took them both out to brunch Sunday morning.

Mia was excited. I picked out her outfit for her and was about to put on her adorable sneakers with the little bling on it. But she felt that they weren't sufficiently "posh" for the occassion. So she asked (demanded) to wear her boots.

What Mia's Been Up To...

2011-03-14T21:24:00.031-05:00

T.R.O.U.B.L.E.

That's what Mia's been up to.

Shortly after Mia learned how to pull up and walk along walls and furniture, she no longer wanted to be restrained to her walker. So since about early September, her walker has been on lone to one of Mark's co-workers. It recently came back as the little one has learned how to walk.

Not surprisingly, now that Mia is a seasoned walker/runner, she finds her walker very intriguing.

She takes it upon herself to create entertainment.

Mia loves her ice cream

2011-03-08T19:45:00.002-06:00

Mia is definitley her mother's daughter.

On Sunday we decided to go out for ice cream since Mary will be giving up sweets for lent. When we got to Baskin Robbins, they didn't have any high chairs or booster chairs, however that didn't stop Mia. She popped up in a regular chair and ate a big bowl of ice cream (after picking off all of the sprinkles and eating them individually)

Spring is in the Air

2011-03-04T15:00:00.007-06:00

OK, so the last post I did had the cutest pair of cowgirl boots. Right?

Well, I've found something to top them.

Are you ready?

YEAH! Baby flip flops!

I'm addicted to baby feet. The way the puffy way they look. The soft way they feel. And even the way only baby feet can smell. Love everything about them.

Especially in these flip flops! Hilarious.

Guess I know why they're called "little piggies" now!

Spring is almost here in Austin!

Rodeo

2011-02-27T21:09:00.003-06:00

Mia first trip to the rodeo was a total success. Granted, it was only the BBQ cookoff portion of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, but she did it in grand fashion.

As you can see above, she took every site and sound in. The first 20 minutes or so there, her eyes were big and round and the mouth was slightly agap as she looked around in amazement.

After a big meal of baked beans, potato salad and bread, Mia was ready to dance and throw down some salt shakers =) She did this for a good while, never complaining, while waiting for the rest of her family to finish.

By then, it was nightfall and Mia happily put on her jacket and moved to her stroller. Waving at everyone that passed and asking for a sip of margarita whenever it came close enough.

Thank you Aunt Lori for the most adorable little cowgirl boots! She got rave review. Almost makes me wish I could pull of pink cowgirl boots!

Raindrops

2011-02-24T12:46:00.011-06:00

Raindrops keep fallin' on my head

And just like the guy whose feet are too big for his bed

Nothin' seems to fit

Those raindrops are fallin' on my head, they keep fallin'

16 Months Old

2011-02-22T09:56:00.011-06:00

New favorite word, "ewwww" She uses it when she gets something dirty on her hand. She uses it when she smells her poo poo diaper. Ewww is right, baby girl!

Mia has learned the proper use of the word "go" She commonly uses it as a command. As in "GO AWAY!" telling the dogs when they get too close to her snacks. Or "Go pee Bubba!" when we get home. Her favorite way to use it is "GO GO GO!" She says this when she wants you to take her some where or if she is getting ready to run some where. She'll run across the field screaming "GO GO GO!"

Mia loves to watch Sponge Bob. And will ask (tell) you to put it on for her. But Sponge Bob comes out sounding like "Bu-Bob" Which can easily be mistaken for Bubba. One day I kept asking her if she was saying Bubba (knowing that she just wasn't enunciating). She finally got fed up and lined her hands in front of her face, started making her fingers go up and down like she was pressing buttons and said "doo doo doo doo". We were over at Nanny's house. I was like, WTH? They started laughing. She had never done that before, but she was imitating Sponge Bob playing the horn on his nose. Clever.

Mia added Nini to her list of family members that she can say!

Mia likes to put her head on the ground and look through her legs. Might be ready for tumbling class soon!

Mia has discovered the amazingness of ice cream. She points at every picture of it. And Lord help us when it's served at a party. She won't stop until it's everywhere. Ice cream runs a close race with cake.

Mia loves to eat. When we set her down for meal time (especially dinner) she can sometimes sit with us for 30-45 minutes! She'll eat her plate of food, sometimes feeding herself with her spoon, talk to you and laugh whenever the rest of the table is laughing. She really likes to "be a part." Some of her current favorites include tomatoes, cottage cheese, cheese in general, fruit and polenta.

With all the birthday parties that she's been going to recently, she's picked up a piece of the song. At first, it was just Happy. She would run around saying Happy. Then when I would sing Happy Birthday, she'd finish with "to you!" Now she makes sounds that sound like the whole phrase all mushed together, "Appy-Butdy-to-do!"

Mia created a new routine for herself right before bed and first thing in the morning. When we sit in her glider with her to have that last/first cup of milk, she demands her "brinket" (blanket) and "bok" (book). She utilizes both to their max capacity.

Mark's been working with Mia on giving knuckles. She learned it but was a bit inconsistent with it. Last weekend I added the word "Boom" to it and now she's all about it! When you hold out our fist, she'll push hers up against yours and say "Boom!" She'll also reach out with her fist and offer "Boom" The funniest was when she had boomed both Mark and I at the table and then put her own 2 fists together and said "Boom!"

Mia's animal sounds are expanding. So much so that sometimes they get a little mixed up. But for the most part, she knows: dog, cat, cow, bird, sheep, chicken and bear.

Birthday Parties

2011-02-21T10:23:00.007-06:00

Mia's favorite new past time. Crashing birthday parties!

What's not to like really?

Games. Play. Cake. Ice cream. Juice. Repeat.

She REALLY loves the cake & icecream time.

At the last 2 parties, she was the last kid standing.

We had 2 in late January and 2 in February. I think we get a little bit of a break now. But I wouldn't be surprised if she randomly brought home an invitation one day that she fabricated.

Josh's 2nd Birthday Party @ Hoppin' Hippo

Lily's 3rd Birthday Party @ Gymboree

Spring Training

2011-02-18T21:26:00.005-06:00

We're a little bit competitive.

We don't believe in good luck. We believe in hard training.

Last year, Mia was just under 6 months old when Easter came around. She sat in her stroller and watched the bigger kids hunt Easter eggs.

This year, she will be 18 months old. Running, willing and ready. Maybe. =)

Whatever happens, she'll be our little champion! (And really, probably won't care much yet this year)

But get a load of Daddy training her!

Valentine's Day Surprise!

2011-02-15T12:42:00.013-06:00

Mia and Stoli are both so happy to announce that there will be a new addition to the Neuabuer family!

Mia is just sad that she won't get to meet her baby until August =(

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-15T12:42:00.010-06:00

This Valentine's Day, Mia was busy making a FEAST for her family. It's a lot of work to put a big party together all by yourself.

It starts with grocery shopping

Then setting the table

With the help of your kitty cat (thanks Nini!)

Gotta hit the pantry for more supplies

Time to finally get things going on the stove

And try a little bit...

Dessert's in the oven

Try a little bit more...

Happy Valentine's Day from Mia! (and the Neubauer's)

Embarassing

2011-02-08T21:11:00.003-06:00

Mary and I drove to Houston last weekend to visit her family. During the road trip, we started talking about how old Mia will be when she starts thinking we are embarrassing or things we did would embarrass her. We started talking about things our parents did to embarrass us when we were growing up. I was telling Mary 2 stories and she was laughing so hard that she said I needed to blog about them.
Both of the things things my parents really did to embarrass me occurred in middle school.
The first was in 6th grade. In 6th grade, a band named Kriss Kross was very popular. Kriss Kross's thing was that they would wear their clothes backwards. Frequently, they would wear overalls backwards. This being the case, it became very popular for kids in middle school to wear overalls.
Jenni and I both wanted overalls. Mom decided that she would get us one pair of overalls to share. I was a really really skinny kid growing up. Simply because Jenni was 2 years older than me, she was a lot bigger than me. In order to get us a pair of overalls we could "share" meant that they were way too big for me. However that wasn't the only thing. The fashion at the time was for people to wear acid washed overalls that were full length. I don't think Mom understood the fashion. Mom bought us dark blue, non acid washed overall shorts.
I was then presented with a problem. Mom had bought us these overalls. Middle school fashion is very specific. Acid washed, full length overalls. I had dark blue, overall shorts that were WAY too big for me. Mom was indicating that she spent a lot of money on them and that I had to wear them.
I figured that spring break was coming up. The Friday before Spring break a lot of people are out of school as they start their vacations early. I figured I could wear the overalls on that Friday, then I could tuck them into the back of closet and Mom would forget about them.
I wore them to school one Friday. Unknown to me, there was a DARE rally in the cafeteria that afternoon. Every student was given a raffle ticket at the rally. I still wasn't worried, I mean really what are the odds I would be picked out of 500+ students to win the raffle. Apparently, the odds are good. My ticket was called, and I had to go on stage, in dark blue, overall shorts that were far too big for me to collect my prize. The prize was a 15 pizza party. Winning pizza was great, however I distinctly remember being on stage hearing somebody ask "why is a boy wearing overall shorts?" I was not able to live this down through the rest of the year. It wasn't until summer break that people forgot about it.
Mary laughed so hard when I told her this story. I told her to wait, because the next year in 7th grade, there was an incident that topped that one by a large margin. I will blog that one tomorrow.

Happy

2011-01-31T08:58:00.009-06:00

This weekend was quite eventful. Usually, when we say that, we're traveling back and forth somewhere. But this weekend, we were actually here in town.

Started out with a quiet Friday afternoon. A walk to the park and Mia and Stoli playing until the sun started to set. Saturday morning, we woke up and all had breakfast together before Mark & Mia headed to the grocery while Stoli & I met up with Leslie for a morning run. Perfect weather, perfect activities, perfect company. After the morning's activities, some went down for naps while others quickly cleaned up and got ready. We had an 11AM 1st birthday party to attend!

Mia's nap ran a little long, but I was not about to wake a sleeping baby. As soon as she got up, I got her dressed and loaded up. We showed up to the party right as Uncle Tommy & Aunt Stephanie were walking up and the party was just getting into full swing. The birthday boy was happily eating chicken nuggets and Mia quickly joined him. With so many kids, toys and people she knew around her, Mark and I could actually enjoy ourselves! And I helped myself to 2 cupcakes =)

Another nap after the party before meeting up with the Martinez' for dinner. We went to Sunflower, one of my favorite Vietnamese restaurants in Austin. Did you know that Mia can hold chopsticks??? Yeah, me neither. She's not bad. She also loves spring rolls. Just like Dad.

Sunday morning she spent with Stoli & me. After a bowl of cereal, bananas and milk and a few segments of Sponge Bob, she ran upstairs to get dressed to "play" outside. A hike on the trail and then crazy squealing time at the park. She really does love it out there. When she got home, she proceeded to tear up her room before walking over to me, tugging on my pants and saying, "Mama, nigh nigh?" LOL. Yes, you may go take a nap.

After Mark got back from his tour of Pflugerville bike ride, he was starved. We hit up a new restaurant for us. Good Luck Grill. Holy fried heavens. The name is a little deceiving. We did not actually have anything on our table that was grilled. Chili cheese fries, steak fingers, fried catfish and shrimp. Mia went to town on some chili cheese fries and mashers. She really enjoys sitting in a booster chair at the table with us now. Sweet little thing ate her lunch, pushed her plate away when she was finished, layed her head on the table and smiled. Ahhhh... guess she was full. The restaurant has this great outdoor area that has washers and tricycles, picnic tables and benches. I went outside to meet up with Mark and Mia after I refreshed our drinks. I found Mark throwing washer and Mia picking them up =) Then Mia and I had a tricycle race, but seriously, mine was bummed. It kept rolling off to the left. I nearly fell over like 10 times. Oh how we love the city/country living.

When we got home, Mark and I were pretty tired. Food coma. We were laying in bed with Mia running around and Stoli trying to stay out of her way. She found a hand towel in the bathroom and decided to play peek-a-boo. She came out carrying the towel, put it on her head and then quickly pulled it off to BOO Mark. It was really rather funny. Until she was walking around the bathroom with the towel over her head and ran into a wall. Mark jumped out of bed when she was wailing and found her sitting on the floor where she'd fallen with the towel still over her head. Sorry. We had to laugh.

Mia was pooped again after lunch and her romping. Took another nap. This time I did have to wake her up. We had to get over to Nanny Michele's for Jasmine's 10th birthday party at 2pm, it was now 3:15 and she was still sleeping! OK, we're gonna miss out on everything if we didn't get a move on. Fortunately, Nanny knows Mia's schedule so when we arrived, she was holding off the natives and had not started dinner. For Jasmine's 10th birthday, she wanted an old fashioned Family Dinner. How sweet. For Michele, this meant a family of about 40 adults and another 20 children! Insantiy. But those guys are troopers and took it all in stride. The food was delicious (all home made). The party was fun. And Mia LOVED it. She got to be with Gigi the whole time. Except for when it was cake time. And she magically made her way over to Jaja. (Yes, she knows the birthday girl is commonly found closest to the birthday cake. That girl is smart). And did you know that she really DID want a cupcake? I ran over there shortly after the cupcakes were handed out so that the older girls could enjoy themselves. And Mia was insistent that she wanted one. So I grabbed one of the mini's (Michele's so prepared) and gave it to Mia. She very expertly chomped off all the yellow frosting. Then peeled the paper (seriously, who taught her this???) and finished the cupcake in about 3 bites. She wanted another. As much as I wanted to let her (I mean, I did have 2 cupcakes the day before...) I knew I shouldn't.

She played downstairs with some game the kids had out while I looked at Jasmine's baby book. Then Mark said he was tired and we should start heading out. We looked around for Mia, but didn't see her. She was around somewhere. Mark looked outside and all downstairs. I straight upstairs to Jasmine's closed door. "Is Mia playing in there with you?" "Yes." smile. Three other girls came out with her.

When we got home, Mark took Stoli out for a walk while I got Mia cleaned up. She found her cowboy boots from her Aunt Lori, sat down on the floor and tried to put her "jdews" on over her squeak shoes. I laughed, but she was insistent. So after the diaper change, she put on her boots and went to meet Stoli at the park. And didn't you know, she ran around on the trail wearing those things for a good 15 minutes. Until it was time to go home. And the whole time she was running around? She kept saying "HAPPY." Mama, "HAPPY."

How can you argue with that? It was a very "HAPPY" weekend indeed.

And we didn't get a single picture.

15 Months Old

2011-01-22T11:59:00.012-06:00

I'm sure I'll be saying this again at 18 months, but 15 months feels so different than 12 months (which in retrospect, wasn't all that long ago)!

This morning, Mia slept until almost 7AM before waking up hungry as usual. She quickly downed her 7 oz of milk and but was still a little cranky. She held onto me and wanted to be rocked in the glider longer than normal. Which was fine with me. But it felt like she was still sleepy and she wasn't able to get comfortable sitting in my arms, as much as she wanted to be there. I finally bit the bullet and laid her back down in her crib. I don't think she ever really went back to sleep, but she laid there happily sucking on her fingers and resting.

When she was finally ready to get out of bed, we did the morning routine and then loaded up to go get some breakfast. I feel like I rarely get to have morning outings with Mia and was really looking forward to one! We headed over to Wholefoods where I had a breakfast bagel and coffee and Mia had a blueberry muffin and strawberry milk. When we went to sit in the dining area, there was apparently only 1 high chair and it was already utilized by a younger child. So I just grabbed the only booster seat and decided it will just have to do. And wouldn't you know it, she did just fine! She was able to reach the table and eat comfortably. In fact, I think she must've felt a little extra grown up in it because she acted a little extra grown up! She neatly ate her blueberry muffin and would set it down on her wax paper after every bite. Then pick up her box of milk and take a sip (refusing my assistance) and then setting the box down deliberately right next to the muffin, also on the wax paper before moving back to the muffin. Wow. Mommy is easily impressed!

After breakfast, we went for a quick loop around the grocery store. Mommy pushing the special cart while Mia drove the special car below. Waving and screaming HI to everyone we passed. Mia, I mean. Not me. They loved it especially since she was wearing her monkey knit cap with the bow. Who wouldn't be happy to get a hello from something that special??? =)

After the grocery, we stopped into the Learning Express toy store to find a birthday present for cousin Megan. I LOVE that place. It's not a big box store and the people in there genuinely like kids and know their toys. They give you informed advice and then leave you to it. Mia loved the place as they have all their toys out for her to experience. She pushed vanilla smelling baby dolls in strollers and the pushed dump trucks across tables. She sorted out all the farm animals before moving over to organizing the super bounce balls. She had such a blast. And now is such a great age because she can experience everything and still doesn't ASK for anything!

One last stop after the toy store. We hopped over to Crate N Barrel to see if they had any must have's (they didn't). So Mia had a good time riding up and down the escalator (one of her favorites).

As soon as we got in the car, she conked out. Mission accomplished. She slept for an extra 30 minutes or so when we got home. When she woke up, she asked for some milk and a cereal snack. She sat in her little girl leather chair juggling both her snacks and her milk while wearing house slippers and watching Finding Nemo. I couldn't believe she was sitting still watching TV. So this only lasted about 15-20 minutes. But that's about 10 minutes longer than I've ever seen her sit under her own free will!

Intently watching her movie

Taking a breather from her snack break

The afternoon was complete after a long walk with Daddy and Stoli around the trail and playing at the park and a 2 hour nap. We woke up from our naps refreshed and headed to a friends housewarming party. Mia was one of the last babies to head home tonight! YAY party animal in the making! =)

Posing for a pic with Mommy before the party

So that wraps up Mia's 15 month birthday. Here are some interesting facts about her from the last month:

Stats: Weight 22 lbs 4 oz. Height 30 inches. Head 46.5. Right on track!
Mia has learned to kiss really well. Before, she was blowing kisses, but now she leans up to you and pecks you really loudly on either the cheeks or lips. Whatever you prefer =) Daddy still can't get over it when she does this for Stoli. Sweetest ever.
Mia can pick out many of her facial features, when she wants to. She knows nose, eyes, ears and she really likes teeth for some reason. She still likes the belly button a lot.
We're learning that she knows much more than we realized. For example, she has a wooden puzzle with farm animals. When asked for a cow, she will correctly pick out the animal and hand it to you. When asked to put it back, she will look at the puzzle piece and then at the puzzle and put the cow over the picture of the cow. She can do this with all the animals in the puzzle! She isn't quite coordinated enough to actually fit the animal into the slot, but she's moving in the right direction!
She also loves to play with her kitchen and toy foods. Frequently, she can be found in her playroom cooking and having a meal at her picnic table. She sits and pours tea and stirs it with a spoon. Then she drinks it and gets a fork and proceeds to "eat" her food. Seriously hilarious.
When Ba and Aunt Stephanie came over to play, we found out that she not only knows how to play with these toys, but she has a good idea of what they are as well! Stephanie asked her for corn and wouldn't you know it, she brought her an ear! I asked for a cup of coffee and she went over to the coffee pot. Not the tea pot. To pour me a cup. And when Ba asked for ice cream, yup, she went over to her cabinet and picked out 4 matching ice creams to share with everyone (even though she had 3 different types to choose from)
One night, our Mia was being not so good. She was pulling out DVDs from the cabinet, which is fine since they are in their case. But then she started throwing the cases at me and Stoli and then stomping on them. I told her to stop a few times without success. Finally, I held her by the shoulders and said to her, "Mia, if you don't stop being a bad girl, you WILL get a pow pow." Then I released her and asked, "You don't want a pow pow, do you?" She looked at me, put up her dukes and said, "pow pow pow" Just like her Aunt Cathy taught her to do (fake punching). It took all our will power to not laugh in front of her. I think Mark ran out of the room.

What fun times we're having right now.

A New House

2011-01-10T13:54:00.004-06:00

As of 11AM today, the Neubauers are the proud owners of TWO mortgages. Yes! We've sprung for a new home.

We've been searching for the last few years for a just right next home since the market has been so good for buyers. But visits after visit have turned up nothing. Not the right neighborhood. Not the right house. Generally, not the right price! But when we found this gem, I knew immediately that it had major potential. I was so excited, I called Mark on the way home and told him I found us a good one. The next day, we were headed down to San Antonio for our marathon and on the way I asked if he would like to swing by and take a look at the house from the outside since we didn't have an appointment. He was game. So we swung by and he was instantly in love. The front is nice and sprawling. We were able to go around back since it's a golf course home and doesn't have privacy fence (we'll have to put in some type of fence when we move in). What greeted him was this giant concrete patio and another big yard in the back.
Looking from the patio out, the house backs directly up to a beautiful golf course... something he's always wanted. We were sold on the outside. We stopped at a nearby gas station and called our agent scheduling a visit at lunch time on Monday. One step inside and I knew we were on the same page. We decided right then and there to make an offer.
These were probably the best sellers one could possibly work with. They were a retired couple, but from our initial transaction to final transaction with them, I would have to say that this man was probably a very successful businessman during his career. He made very sharp and decisive decisions. They even countered our offer with a slightly better deal and good logic before we had time to put in our initial offer. The did not meet all our requests for cash and home improvements following the inspection, but gave us what they thought was fair and fixed what would have been difficult for us without all the proper documentation. In fact, this fix (rerunning a propane gas line) was what delayed our closing a week. Prior to closing this morning, Mark did a final walk through with our agent and found that the home was in great condition and in addition to that, they left behind their stainless steel refrigerator, microwave and washer and dryer that are nicer than ours! We need to confirm that these are in fact staying since they were not in the original contract. But wouldn't that be nice?

Anyways. This post is entitled "A New House." Not a new "Home" intentionally. Although we've purchased this perfect house for our next home, we do not have plans to move into it. Yet. We will continue to live in our current home (which suits us perfectly) until Mia is ready to start school in 5 years. We just love this new neighborhood, the schools and the location and knew NOW was the time to move on it. Until then, we plan on renting it out. So if you know of anyone looking for a beautiful ready to move in home, let us know!

More debt. That IS the American way, isn't it?

YTY

2011-01-07T14:41:00.009-06:00

I work in Finance. Every performance metric I have involves YTY. How did you do year-to-year? Have you grown? Have you increased? I thought I'd put Mia into the same YTY metric.

OH. MY. What a difference a year makes when you put it into this perspective!

Both pictures she's getting ready to go to Nanny's house. She was just shy of 3 months old last year. This year, she's almost 15 months old. Same backpack, same lunchbox =)

Over the holiday break, I noticed that Mia's really started liking to carry things around in bags. A plastic produce bag, a tiny clutch used as a purse, boxes, laundry baskets. Basically anything she could put something else into. So on Tuesday when I took her to Michelle's I decided to try to put her backpack on and handed her her lunchbox. She happily took everything and started running up the walkway. Halfway there, she had a sudden meltdown and started stomping her feet and screaming something at me. Since my hands were full with her milk for the week, I just stooped down to ask her what was the matter. Not much. Maybe she just wanted me to slow down. We continued on without incidence and she smiled BIG when Michelle opened the door. Michelle offered to take her load off her and she happily gave it over and ran to see the dogs.

The next day, I tried the same thing. This time, she knew what to expect. She got out of the car, waited for her backpack and lunch box. Ran up the walkway (all the way this time) and again, was all smiles when Michelle answered the door. This time, she walked in, right up to Michelle and handed her her lunchbox. Then deposited her backpack before being asked. This girl has a good memory. I told Mark all about it that evening and asked him to do the same when he dropped her off on Thursday for him to see. I think he was quite amused. Today, following the same routine, he was finally able to capture it for the rest of us.

She is like a sponge these days; learning so so fast.

2011 - Mark's Version

2011-01-04T17:55:00.004-06:00

2010 was an awesome year for me.

My daughter, wife and myself had a very healthy year with no major issues. We were able to take some great vacations (with the help of our parents) and do some pretty significant house projects.

Personally I completed my first 1/2 marathon. (time sucked, but since I really only put in a limited amount of training, I can't really complain). I continued to play in my flag football league and be pretty productive. I do however see that my performance is starting to drop out there even though I trained harder in the off season than ever before. Partly this is due to my age, and partly this is due to the fact that we got some new, younger players out there. Overall, I still did good, however I recognize that I have a shelf life and this year is probably the last year I can stay productive out there. I have to say however that I am disappointed that my time playing football is coming to an end. I have really enjoyed playing out there for the last 4 or 5 years. I am going to be really disappointed when I have to hang up my cleats for the last time.

I received a major promotion in January at work. I was extremely effective at work for the first 9 months of the year and in November I moved into a new role at work managing a large team with some pretty lofty goals. Once I got the new role in November, I started working much longer hours and honestly had a huge spike in personal stress as I was immediately not only responsible for my work, but for the work of 18 other people as well.

Also, in late November, Mary found a new house in the Balcones area of Austin. We have been looking in this area of Austin for a new home for the last 3 years as the schools there are very strong. That is the area we really want to raise Mia in. Unfortunately, many other people have this same idea, and houses are few and far between out there. We looked for 3 years and finally found what we were looking for. We are set to close on the new house on Thursday. The tentative plan is to rent out the new house in Balcones for the new few years, then move into it when Mia is school age and lease out our Pflugerville house.

Again, all of these things are great, however I have noticed and Mary has told me that I am way more stressed now than I used to be. I have noticed that I have way more headaches, and that I find it difficult to unwind after work. With that, I announce my new year's resolutions for 2011 as well as New Year's goals.

New Year's Resolution 1: Stop playing video games. I actually don't play much as I simply don't have time, but any time I do play is wasted. I put my PS3 on Craigslist over the weekend. I want to sell it for enough to buy 2 internet ready Blue Ray players so we can stream Netflix into the living room and bedroom.

New Year's Resolution 2: Stop stressing about little things. There are a lot of big things for me to stress about. I am a father, a husband, a manager to 18 people. I have 2 mortgages, a dog and a arm length list of responsibilities. There is enough stress on me with big things, without stressing about little things. So, I am going to try my best to stop doing little things that stress me out (AKA BBQ cookoffs) and not to get stressed about the little things. This is a major mindset change for me. It is going to take some work as you just can't wake up one day and change your personality. You can fake it for a while, but I want to make a real change. I am not really sure how. Any suggestions are appreciated.

2011 Goal 1: Complete a Triathalon
2011 Goal 2: Make something for Mia she can keep for a long time that I make with my own 2 hands.
2011 Goal 3: Make at least 4 legit home movies this year (I usually only do 1 a year)

I really don't know how I am going to stop stressing. I am stressed about that one. I don't really know how to function when I am not going with my hair on fire. I will have to google it

Happy 2011!!!

2011-01-02T20:32:00.002-06:00

I can't believe that 201o is now in our past. History. What a year it was. And I have a feeling 2011 will bring even more to the table. It already promises to!

To ring in the new year, here are my new year's resolutions:

1) Put into practice letting go and letting God.
2) Make love and romance a center piece of our marriage. It is not enough to just be content.
3) Create an environment that is conducive to raising a happy, healthy, active and creative family. This primarily includes a lot of patience on Mommy's part.

I think that's more than enough to keep me on my toes. I asked Mia what her resolutions were. We came up with these together:

1) Cry less, Laugh more
2) Talk in complete sentences so my point gets across loud and clear
3) Get potty trained
4) Grow hair

I think they're all achievable. Well, jury's still out on #4. Let's keep our fingers crossed! =)

For Dada

2010-12-29T20:42:00.013-06:00

This is what you would normally see first thing in the morning. Staring you in the face. She's got two new bottom teeth coming in.

Every morning when she comes into the bedroom, she says Dada and Bubba. Expecting to find both of you in the bed. But since you're not here, she settled for calling you. Even though it's 6:30 in the morning.

After she catches me taking pictures, she wants to use the camera, too!

These are the contents of Mia's purse.

These are the contents spread out all around her.

This evening, Gracie came over to play with Mia. They had a tea party, caught imaginary butterflies and then settled in to watch a portion of Ice Age. Mia LOVED hanging out with Gracie.

As the cherry on the cupcake, Mia & Gracie finished off the evening with a bed jumping marathon. Thanks Aunt Cathy & Uncle Adam!!!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-26T23:03:00.007-06:00

Sometimes Santa can't get around to all the houses fast enough. So he sends an elf with all the gifts. This was one of those years we got an elf. But heck, she was so cute and she brought so many presents that we could hardly complain!

This Christmas was better than last Christmas on quite a few accounts. To begin with, Mia slept through the night and woke up at a normal 6:30AM. She got dressed and went to church with the family. Although she is far too mobile and her attention is far too short. So she would not and could not sit still. I spent the better part of Christmas mass running around outside and hanging out in the bathroom lobby with her while she played with the other wild children. She was exhausted when we got home, but a nap, she did not take. We still left her in the crib to rest for about an hour before we got her out for the evening festivities.

The family quickly organized for family photos before Mia went into complete meltdown. Not too bad (even though I never got a chance to freshen my lipstick!)

I need to mention these were the pics BEFORE drinks officially started.

Stephanie had to run to church with her family. I guess Tommy didn't want to scoot too close to Adam.

After pictures, we did presents for Mia and Megan. Mia spent dinner time playing with all her new toys. What a blessing THAT was!

And finally, the best part about Christmas this year was that she again, slept through the night.

Merry Christmas! We hope that yours was as blessed as ours.

Cousins

2010-12-26T22:49:00.004-06:00

I forgot to mention that Mia got to meet her very first first cousin Embrey Catherine the first day she arrived home from the hospital. She really loves the "bubby" and was not at all jealous of either Mama or Dada holding bubby. On Sunday, the last day we were there, she came over and give Embrey a kiss and then turned her back to her and laid her cheek back against Embrey's head. Mia's version of a hug/lean. To use a quote I once over heard, to it was so sweet it almost "made my ovaries hurt!" hahaha

14 Months Old

2010-12-22T21:15:00.012-06:00

This month, for Mia's 14 month birthday, she got to spend it at the Houston Galleria with Mama, Dada and Ba. This was kind of a big deal as it was 3 days before Christmas and Dada hates shopping. But really. How could he turn down a little girl dressed like that? So so sweet.

As I previously mentioned, Mia is learning much more about Christmas this year. She definitely doesn't "get" it yet, but she does thing Christmas ornaments are pretty. For the most part, she keeps her hands off of the tree, but every now and then, she gets an itch and really just wants to touch and play. She broke one at Aunt Jenni's house, but she's learning. And so are we. Non-breakables within Mia's reach and she likes to "ooo" and "aah" at them.

When she gets told that she's a good girl for not smashing the ornament, she's quite proud of herself.

Mia's still a big fan of her Bubba. Maybe even more so now. When she hangs out with him, she wants to be as close to him as possible. Many times sitting within his front paws. Recently, picking up his front paws and setting them in her lap. As if she's being held by him. I'm really so happy that she's loves him and is so comfortable with him. But I don't know that Stoli wants to wrap his arms around her (???) Mia's almost always smiling in every picture of her with Bubba.

Later that evening, Mia joined the rest of the Tran and Kouloumoundras family at Uncle D's restaurant in Kemah. She enjoyed her usual Bakhus fries along with her very first grilled cheese sandwich. Somehow we managed to keep this adorable hat on most of the day. Someone at the restaurant commented, "wow, she is like Christmas wrapped up in a little package." I think that about says it for Mama.

Some notes:

Mia has increased her speaking vocabulary to include bow, Papa and Ba
Even though she can't speak it, she can identify alot of people in her family after spending a few days with them. Aunt Jenni, Uncle Cade, Nini, Papa, Uncle Tommy, Aunt Stephanie, Aunt Cathy, Ong, Ba. She can even pick out Uncle Adam from his 2 older brothers! Sometimes Mama still gets confused!
Something just turned on in Mia's head. She is all of a sudden more welcoming about meeting and playing with new people. Before, she had such stranger aversion that sometimes we'd go a whole visit without Mia ever warming up to her extended family. Now she'll immediately go to some people. Or give her about 15 minutes and she'll play with most anyone!
Mia is now completely off her bottle. But she doesn't prefer the sippy cup. She likes the straw cups. I think it has to do with the fact that she's lazy and doesn't want to tip her head back to drink.
Mia can now show you her belly button on demand. She can also show you YOUR belly button! We were all surprised when she could also pick out her nose, eyes and ears. Sometimes when she points to her nose though, her finger starts riding up the nostril =) Not only can she identify her nose, she's *discovered* it.
On our road trips across the state of Texas to visit family, we frequently have to take pit stops at gas stations and convenient stores to stretch our (Mia's) legs. Her favorite thing to do on these stops are to stand in the candy isle and smile. She likes the bright shiny colors of the candy wrappers!
She has an obsession with her bows these days. There was a week when she was waking up at 3-4AM for a bottle. Every time I went in to feed her in the middle of the night she would pat her head and tell me "bow." haha... no baby girl, you don't need a bow at 3AM. Go back to sleep. Also, everything that goes on the head is a bow. A headband, a hat, a helmet. It's funny when she tells Uncle Tommy that he's wearing a "bow" when he goes for a bike ride.
Mia really enjoys playing tea party right now. She got a set from Nanny for her birthday and she knows how to pour from the pot into the cup and drink. Sometimes from the cup, sometimes from the pot =)
For an early Christmas present, Mia received a new kitchen from Nini. She LOVES it. She moves things around on the cook top. Puts things into the oven. Stirs the pot WHILE talking on the phone that came with the kitchen. Wow. Where did she learn that???
She also received a grocery cart from Aunt Jenni. She pushes that thing around all over the house. She picks random things up and throws it in. If you're missing something, start with the grocery cart. Hmmm... kinda like that cart woman...
Mia loves to dig through my little clutch. So a few months ago, I got an old one out of my closet and filled it up with similar things for her. An old cell phone, an old tube of lip gloss, a used Macy's gift card and some other misc toys of hers. It's entertained her for short periods of time in the past. But now. She really gets it. She wears it on the crook of her arm with her hand up in the air. She takes it off, pulls things out and puts them back in, puts the purse back on and takes off. She takes her phone out and talks while she walks and then puts the phone back in. Hysterical.

Embrey Catherine

2010-12-15T13:39:00.004-06:00

Embrey Catherine Lovelace

On this day, our beautiful Embrey joined our family. Perfect and pink. The Neubauers are so excited to welcome little Embrey and the prospect of many playdates and slumber parties to come. More updates to come once we finally get to meet her. In the meantime, here are the stats:

Birthday: Wednesday December 15, 2010
Time: 7:59AM (Jenni was in labor for a mere 6 hours!)
Weight: 7 lbs, 12 oz
Length: 20.5 in

December Update

2010-12-14T14:54:00.008-06:00

Wow. After Thanksgiving, the Christmas holidays really go into full swing. Especially when you have kids. I guess I didn't notice it last year because we were still dilirious from our lack of sleep and Mia was all of 10 weeks old. This year, she is older and starting to enjoy it much more. And so are we!

We kicked things off on December 4th with a family holiday party at IBM. She thought the music was loud, but the hot dog buns and the ice cream were good. She wanted to climb into the jumpy things, but is still too small. She was big enough to pet the baby goats and Christmas lamb.

Following the party, we headed over to the Domain to see the big Christmas tree outside of Macy's. She thought that was pretty cool.

But when we headed to the kids section of Border's, she really tore it up! Loved looking (read: tearing) through all the books, pulling all the toys off the shelves and hugging every stuffed animal in sight. After Borders, over to Viva Chocolat for more gelato and probably a little belly ache.

Hanging out upside down with Dadda

This past weekend, the city of Pflugerville upped the anty and held their annual Old Town Christmas Stroll and Parade. We decided to take Mia and Stoli to check it out. We couldn't have planned it out better as we were getting out of the car, our good friends and neighbors were unloading in the car next to us. Mia was so very happy to see her friend Hailey. Of course Mia had to try fair food. She had no interest in Mama's favorite, the corndog. She thought the potato ribbons were edible. And she dug the funnel cake when I gave her bites with her milk. But by and far, her favorite part was the Parade. It was lead by Pflugerville's finest in their cars with lights and sirens going. As soon as they got in sight, Mia's mouth dropped and her eyes got wide as golf balls. She was in awe. She stayed this way through the highschool marching band's performance as it was pretty loud. This whole time, she was sitting in my lap with her fingers in her mouth watching intently. She started to get a little antsy as the other floats passed. Not understanding Hailey's obsession with the candy being thrown. I did however catch a dum-dum for her at one point. She liked holding it and sucking on the wrapper. I felt bad for the poor kid who is now almost 14 months and has never had candy. So I wrangled the lollipop out of her hands (which was a feat in itself), took the wrapper off and gave it back to her. She stuck it tentatively into her mouth without ever taking her eyes off me. Once her taste buds hit it, it was all over. Her face lit up, her smile went from ear to ear and her hand started twirling that dum-dum around in her mouth. She was quiet the rest of the night.

The next evening, we had the Martinez' over for an evening playdate. Kettle corn, hot chocolate, beer and wine (last 2 for the parents). It was a fun evening catching up with Leslie and Jacob. And the girls had a blast playing in Mia's playroom. Here's a better picture of the 3 than the last one taken at the Martinez house =) It was getting late in the evening so excuse Mia's sloppiness. Also, we just got done with a walk so she had been wearing her winter hat and didn't feel a need to switch back to her bow. She was so wired that night. Running around the house swinging her legs and laughing hysterically. It was so funny to watch her. She went to bed that night at 9pm. One whole hour past her normal bedtime.

But when she finally did, this is how we found her. Leg up in the air and all.

Yesterday was bootcamp day for Mama. This means that Daddy takes Mia and Stoli for a walk. However, Mark reported back that he took Mia for a walk. And MIA took Stoli for a walk. This is what it looks like from Mark's angle.

And that's what we've been up to in December up to this point. Holiday vacations start shortly so we'll have lots more to talk about soon!

The Day Life Changed. Again.

2010-12-13T11:32:00.003-06:00

Today I found out that when I say time for change, God tells me to be careful what I wish for. Today I found out that our little family of 3 +1 will soon be 4 +1.

Now why I waited until lunch time to take the test, I do not know! Even Mark's not around for me to share the news with!

Conversations

2010-12-01T12:39:00.003-06:00

Last night, as Mark was brushing Mia's teeth and getting her ready for bed, he had this conversation with her.

Mark: Mia, who do you love more than Mama?

Mia: (without hesitation) Bubba

Mark: Bubba? What about Dada?

Mia: (waving her hand rapidly) no no no no no

13 Months and Counting

2010-11-22T11:04:00.013-06:00

This little one has no intentions of stopping at 12 months. She just keeps growing and growing and making us laugh all along the way.

After we cleaned up from Mia's birthday party, we decided to not bring back in the dining room table. Instead, we converted the dining room into Mia's downstairs playroom. She's got a new (to her) picnic table in there, so it counts as a dining room, sorta, right?

Mia having her afternoon snack in her new playroom

We're starting to get more serious with her about her sippy cup transitioning. Mia has had absolutely no problems drinking from a sippy cup OR a straw since she was about 9 months old. The problem lies in the fact that she thinks only liquids from her bottle should be swallowed. Liquids, including her formula/milk, from anyhing other than her bottle is for play. She'll suck it up and then just open her mouth and let the water/milk fall out of her mouth. Lately, she's taken it a step further and started to spew it across the room. But I think she's finally starting to get it. Milk. Drink. Swallow. She's funny how she throws her head back to drink it

Mia occassionally has playdates with our good friends the Martinez'. I run with the Mom, Leslie and they have two little girls Emma (4) and Lily (2) who just adore Mia. However, we happen to catch Mia at her "Witching Hour" today! This picture is for my friend Melanie who believes that Mia possibly never cries because she has yet to see a single picture of her doing so.

Here you go!
This is a shot from her baby monitor. Still sleeping like a baby. And since she is old enough now, crib is dressed with bumpers and she's all tucked in with her quilt. I love looking at this before falling asleep myself.

San Antonio Rock 'n Roll

2010-11-15T14:07:00.010-06:00

It's getting close to Thanksgiving week. Looking back on 2010, we have a LOT to be thankful for. First and foremost, the continued growth of our healthy and happy baby girl. Followed closely by our own health.

Yesterday, Mark and I participated in the San Antonio half marathon. Mark's first and my second. Somehow, between work, Mia, house and our social calendars, we were able to squeeze in sufficient training to run a half marathon this year. Yeah, we're proud. But we also know how blessed we are. 2 healthy parents make it a lot easier to schedule runs. 2 strong incomes make it possible to have TIME to run.

We were also fortunate enough to have a set of grandparents step up when the first set became incapable of watching Mia for the weekend. Making our half marathon weekend like a mini getaway.

"Elvis" rocking it out at the Expo

Excited to be running a half one more time!

Enjoying a little getaway. This is at the Alamo compound. 10 steps from our hotel front door

My dedicated running partner. Without Leslie, I would probably never run before 7AM

Smiling and not sore since we haven't started yet

YEAH! I did it! Shaved off almost 19 minutes from my first time.

2 hours after the first one finished, Spartans finally gather for a group picture. Not because anyone was slow... we couldn't find Mark!

So happy to have done a distance race with my husband. Looking forward to another year of tackling challenges and making new memories.

Adorable Art and Contest!

2010-11-01T10:43:00.022-05:00

I'm so fortunate to have such creative talent in my family. I have a mother in law that has filled my home with beautiful pottery even before I was married. I now have a sister who has discovered her love and talent for painting!

Cathy started her career in Mississippi as a kindergarten teacher at a small private school in Meridian where her husband Adam, a Navy pilot, was stationed and training. After their orders came in for them to relocate to Washington state on short notice, Cathy was left wondering what she would be doing with all her free time until a teaching job became available again. This is when she started putting her painting hobby to real use and recently opened her etsy store! What you'll see in her artwork is her love of children. Even though she is not currently teaching, I see her little kindergarteners in alot of her work. The colors, the whimisical style, the laidback friendliness of each piece.

Whimsical Birds on Stripes

Mia has been the lucky recipient of many of these pieces. But she's not the only one! Cathy has generously created pieces for Adam's nieces, our families as they get married and even extended extended family. And now she's ready to share her artwork with the rest of the world!

As creative as Cathy is, she is also ultrabusy! She's filled her etsy store with adorable paintings, but still hasn't come up with a name to fit her and her store. So she's running a contest to get a little help with this "minor" detail. The person that comes up with that winning name will win something for themselves. An 8x10 custom painting of their child's (or family's) name. All you have to do is either comment on this post with a name suggestion (and your contact info if I don't already have it) or send Cathy Tran Kouloumoundras a message on Facebook with your ideas. Cathy will select the winner at the end of this month 11/30/2010 ... so hurry! There is no limit to how many suggestions you can give her!!!

Gorgeous Cherry Blossoms

And there's more... for those of us less creative types, Cathy is offering a Grand Opening 10% discount on all her artwork for the next 2 weeks (ending 11/14/2010). With a 3-4 week delivery time, your orders will be ready for Christmas shipping! Check your list and see if any teachers need a classroom sign? Any kids need a room sign? Any newborns need a birth announcement? Any newly weds need a new family painting? Oh and I love her idea of the "No Solicitation" signs that are so much prettier than the industrial ones you'll find at your local hardware store.

To receive your 10% discount at her etsy store:

First add an item(s) from her shop to your cart and start the checkout process
Enter the code GRANDOPENING into the 'notes to seller' and the email address where the revised invoice should be sent
Complete the order, but do NOT go to Paypal to pay
You will receive a revised invoice from Cathy and a link to complete payment, via email reflecting the discount

It's hard to find cute BOY stuff, but honestly, this is one of my favorites of hers!

Link to : Cathy's Etsy Store

Happy shopping!!!

Mia's 1st Birthday Party

2010-10-31T19:48:00.039-05:00

What a party it was. Like most first time Mom's, I've been thinking about my first child's birthday party ever since she turned 3 months old. Yes, January. In my defense, that was also when I returned to work so it was something pleasant for me to busy my mind with.

But the real party execution didn't go into effect until early September. Yes, about 2 months out, invitations were ordered so that I had to commit myself to this date. But even with all that planning and pre-planning, I still ended up staying up well past 2AM the night before the party putting finishing touches on the bigger stuff. And kept Ba (who usually goes to bed at 9PM) up with me!

Here we are decorating the cupcakes and party favor cookies

The theme as Rubber Ducky. As the invitations read, "Rubber Ducky, You're the 1... To Make Mia's 1st Birthday So Much FUN!"

Birthday Detail shots (thx Dean!)

We knew that there was no way Mia would sit through a long drawn out present opening period. So we just let her open them as she was in the mood. As it turns out, she is her mother's daughter. She LOVED presents!

Attacking the first batch

Hey! What's over there?

Yes, she is wearing double head accessories. Give the girl a break. Her birthday's a special occassion!

I think Mia's trying to trade her Papa a toy for some of his beer???

Explaining to her Godmother Terri how wonderful waffles are

Mia enjoying some time with her Papa!

The Party Girl indicating that it is time to open the food buffet!

some Birthday dinner

Her guests follow suite and enjoy some dinner and drinks

Round 2 of gift opening

I think of all the things she received that day, Mia's favorite was the card Uncle Tommy gave her. It played music.

Mia's Rubber Ducky themed party also highlighted a duck pond filled with balloons. She had a rockin time and so did her guests. Aunt Stephanie, especially!

Not too happy to be exiting the duck pond

Did you know that Mia has a big sister? She does! This is Nanny Michelle's daughter Jasmine. Mia's stand-in big sister.

It's cake time! Or rather, cupcakes.

Featuring... Mia's very own smash cake!

And here's how it all went down...

To the winner goes the spoils. Spoils. Not Spoiled.

One of my favorite snapshots of the day. Mia looks so surprised

Mia with Ong and Ba. Love the face she chose to display

Party favors for all our guests. Homemade, of course!

And, you know it's a good party when the guest of honor sheds her top and runs around the yard with her arms up in the air.

1st birthday party. Success.

Mia's 1st Birthday... Cont'd

2010-10-24T20:32:00.020-05:00

Same day, 2nd entry. Apparently blogspot only allows one video per entry. Imagine that...

I believe we left off with the feeding the goats??

Farmer Mia driving her tractor

We found someone nice enough who wasn't corralling their children to take the one picture of the 3 of us.

After some pumpkin icecream and the hayride, which she really loved, we finally headed out and just in time for the 2nd nap of the day.

We went straight from Marble Falls to her 1-year well visit. So if you're wondering... here's what Mia's been up to:

Stats: Weight: 19 lbs 11 oz (30th percentile. my arms lied. they told me she was about 21 lbs!), Height: 29 inches (50th percentile. almost half Mommy's height of 61 inches... btw, that means she's grown 8 1/2 inches in one year! that's from Daddy), Head: 45.7 cm (70th percentile. I think she got that from Mommy)
In 2 weeks, her walking has improved dramatically. She can walk across the room sometimes without falling. She can stop mid-walk if she's unstable and regain her balance and then keep going. She can also do a 180 and almost get back up from squatting position to standing. Her legs are so strong!
Here are some words in her vocabulary: Mama, Dada, baba (bottle), bubble, balloon, ball, bow, more, this, peace (please), uppa (up), nigh nigh (sleep), hi, buh-bye, Ja-ja (Jasmine), Gigi (Chrissy), Nha Nha (Nanny Michelle), Manny (Male Nanny aka Kurt) and doggy. She can also tell you that doggies go "woe woe woe"
She also does alot of motions and signing. She can wave high, give you a high-5, blow kissess and punch pow-pow-pow. She can sign "more", "eat", "milk" and her very own creation "waffle". She signs "waffle" by putting her hand to her mouth like "eat" but then she blows on her fingers like it's hot... cause that's what Gigi does when she feeds her waffles!
She wears 12-18 month old clothing although some 12 months still fit. Her shoe size is 4! Her diaper size is still 3.
Mia loves climbing. Stairs, chairs, Stoli, pumpkins, you name it, she wants to scale it.
She's also really into kicking. Balls are fine. But she also likes to stomp on things that aren't neccessarily meant to be played with the feet. Like her tea set.
When you give her a baby doll, she holds it over one shoulder and sways from side to side while patting it on the back.
Mommy is still Mia's person of choice. Although she now likes Daddy pretty good. Unless Daddy is standing next to Mommy and then he gets the cold shoulder. She still has a preference of female over male so maybe Nanny is still one step above Daddy.
Mia loves to read books. She loves turning the pages and pointing at things to show you. At bedtime, she has a preference for the books that play music. I have to sing them for her. Some reason she likes that... I have a terrible singing voice!
Oh, and balloons popping don't phase her. Though they scare the bejebees out of Stoli.

After the doctor's visit, we came home and were greeted by Uncle Tommy and cousin Diesel. Shortly thereafter, Ong and Ba arrived from Houston and they all took Mia out for her birthday dinner. We went to Mangu's here in Pflugerville... a Carribean style restaurant where Mia dined on tostones and mofongo. She loved it. To entertain her before dinner arrived, Uncle Tommy treated her to a wedge of lime. Why is it always the Uncle???

Oh Uncle. This is why you are NOT my favorite

After dinner, it was FINALLY bedtime for Mia. Outside of her original BIRTHday. This might've been the longest funnest day of Mia's little life.

Tomorrow... the PARTY!!!

Happy Birthday Mia

2010-10-22T10:12:00.027-05:00

What a huge-mung-ous weekend Mia had celebrating her 1st birthday. She started out the morning with a big morning welcome as her entire family entered her room... Mom, Dad & Stoli with cameras in hand.

After a little clowning around in the room, she quickly got dressed and went downstairs to take Stoli for a walk. As we walked out the door, Stoli and Dad (first outside) stopped dead in their tracks and said, "You've GOT to be kidding." Mom, still in the house was thinking, "Oh no! Is it raining???" Until she, too, stepped outside.

"AAACK! We've been BIRTHDAY WRAPPED!" But who could've done this? Mark was like, really?? Who else? Nanny Michelle. Oh yeah. Right. These birds gave it away

Turns out Nanny Michelle and Chrissy (AKA Gigi) snuck over to the house at 6:30AM to deck it out in BAlloons, streamers, birthday banners, signs and pink flamingos. What love! Mia had a ball laughing at it all. So did Mommy & Daddy.

So we changed the route of our walk to hike over to the Grady-Hausermann's to thank them for the lovely Pflugerville gesture. We had a good time hanging out and chatting in the front yard, but Mia was a bit confused when it came time to leave and we took her back home with us. She's use to staying with Nanny when we drop her off in the mornings.

After the walk, Daddy made homemade Belgian waffles for the entire family. Mia and Stoli gobbled them all up (so did Mommy *_*). And then after breakfast, it was finally time to load up and head out. By this time, it was high time for Mia's nap and she conked out within 10 minutes of getting in the car. Perfect. 1 1/2 hour drive out to the Sweet Berry farm which is just about the length of her nap.

When we finally got there, Mia was well rested and ready to go! And go she did. What a great place for her to burn lots and lots of energy. First, she discovered baby pumpkins and gourds... all of which she was a HUGE fan of. She carried baby pumpkins, she sorted baby pumpkins.

She walked from pumpkin patch to pumpkin patch, walk, crawling, walking, bear crawling. She climbed over, around and through giant pumpkins.

And when she was tired of pumpkins, she took a hay ride, fed goats and petted horsies.

To be continued...

Aunt Jenni's Baby Shower

2010-10-20T09:56:00.011-05:00

This past weekend we celebrated Jenni and the upcoming arrival of dear baby Embrey Catherine. The beautiful relaxing shower was held at the Ft Worth Club downtown and let me tell you, they did a fabulous job. We only had to mention that we needed something and it was taken care of. If you have the financial ability to have a shower at a location, that's the way to go. Jenni and Embrey scored the sweetest things, too!

Glowing mother-to-be and Nini
Fabulous spread!

The dessert table (yay, my cookies and candy buttons!)

The adorable candy buttons I made

Jenni and her girls

**** Pictures by Gara Hill****

Baby Birds

2010-10-20T09:55:00.003-05:00

For Jenni's baby shower, I decided to make some whimsical cookies for party favors. I finally settled on baby birds, just cause there's so much you could do with them. But wouldn't you know it... out of probably 200 cookie cutters, I didn't have a bird cutter that would work. So I improvised.

I used a paisely cutter and cut about 50 cookies. I made 25 of them pink and 25 of them a light aqua. After the cookies baked, I outlined them in heavy royal icing.

Then I went back in and colorflowed them with a thinner royal icing. But they still weren't looking quite like birds yet.

So I added some eyes (with eye lashes of course!), some rosy cheeks and with the left over royal icing, I added some wings. Whoa-la! Baby birds fit for Embrey Catherine.

2010-10-14T16:44:00.003-05:00

Mia on the MOVE!

2010-10-05T20:05:00.003-05:00

We interrupt this stream of post vacation blogs with some news breaking, uh, news!

Mia's been working on this for weeks. First, walking around the room holding onto furniture. Then walking around holding just one of our hands. Recently, she's taken to free standing for a second or two. Late last week and this weekend, she's been taking a step here a few steps there and getting really confident with her push toys.

Today, just shy of her 11 1/2 month old birthday we can say decidedly that she can walk! She must have done this 5 or 6 times in the front yard before we thought to run inside to get the video camera. So this wasn't a fluke.

Today, a step. Tomorrow, a marathon. haha. Mama & Dada are proud of you Baby Girl!

September 22-24, 2010: Leavenworth, WA

2010-09-29T10:21:00.018-05:00

Driving into Leavenworth

A few days after we arrived at Cathy & Adam's, we planned a trip out to Leavenworth, WA.

A little history on Leavenworth:
In the 1900's Leavenworth became a booming town with the arrival of the Great Northern rail line. The rail brought with it a sawmill and a healthy logging industry. When the railway re-routed and the sawmill subsequently closed, Leavenworth was transformed from the bustling town into a ghost town. It stayed this way for 30 years.

Then in 1960, in a last ditch effort, the towns people rallied. The leaders decided to change the town's appearance to draw in tourism. Utilizing the beautiful mountainous backdrop they chose to go with a Bavarian theme. But it's not just a facade. They also worked tirelessly to create festivals for their visitors.

Today, Leavenworth draws more than a million tourists each year. And after our visit, we'd say they did a DARN good job!

This was our scenery upon our arrival

Mia and Ba as we stopped for a late lunch at a brewery. The beer there was AWESOME

Mia hamming it up as usual for the camera
The next day we went out for a jog and Cathy and I came across the most beautiful clearing. The water was icy cold and crystal clear.

No Bavarian village would be complete without goats. Here were the 2 that resided at the putting green. We first encountered them at night and I thought it was some odd long haired dog. Then we got closer. Yowzers. Goats. Cathy tried to feed one of them a dog biscuit. Not so much. Apparently they have a preference for dinner rolls.

Meeting the goats

I kid you not, we stayed at the most amazing inn, the Enzian Inn. I would recommend them to anyone ten-fold. They were so kind, the hotel was so accessible and the breakfast buffet was more than accommodating. On top of it all, was Old Man Bob and his horn. Yes, he played this every morning outside the breakfast hall for the guests. The kids were enthralled.

Some more beautiful pics from the balcony of the breakfast hall

One parting shot of the family in the Inn before we left

September 22, 2010: 11 Months Old

2010-09-29T10:21:00.005-05:00

I know this is so late. But we were so so busy enjoying your birthday with you that Mommy didn't have time to write your 11 month update! So here's an adorable picture of you on your 11 month birthday. And here are some quick notes:

Stats: We don't even know for sure because we haven't been to the doctor! Guess we'll just have to wait for the big surprise on your birthday
Size: 12 months fits comfortably. You quickly ran through your size 2 shoes and are now onto 3's! My oh my.
You're starting to get picky about what you eat and when you eat. You use to eat anything we fed you. But now you are starting to spit things out and throw them back at us (bad girl!) I guess you're just starting to define yourself.
You're going through a phase of not sleeping straight through the night again. 5-6 times a week you wake up sometime between 2 and 5 AM for a bottle and go right back to bed.
Your favorite thing to sleep with us your frog Pillow Pal.
Aunt Cathy taught you pow-pow-pow. You swing your arms wildly as if you're punching
You're really getting the hang of your push toys. You can walk across the room pushing the parade bus before falling down!
Your favorite thing to say it OooOooo and Whoa. You can get anyone to repeat it =)

September 21, 2010: Seattle, WA

2010-09-29T08:37:00.018-05:00

On our way out to Seattle on Tuesday, we stopped by Deception Pass for a quick visit. It was about 10AM and still quite chilly. But the view was breathtaking.

Then it was finally time to head out for Seattle. We arrived close to noon and we were all pretty hungry. After a quick stop into the original Starbucks (which is like any other Starbucks I've been in, except it has really old hardwood floors), we found this little gem. Piroshky. Russian pastries. Sweet, savory, you name it. Of course we had to hit it up!

Happy happy girl

Mia, too, enjoyed Pike's farmers market. Snax everywhere we looked =)

I thought the fish market would be huge. It's only one counter!

Time for another break. This time a visit to the Pike Brewery!

Mia trying to decide what she's going to have

And then we head up to the street level. mmmm... apples just my style

They're having their own conversation =)

We came upon this arcade place and decided to check it out

It had a carousel which Mia just adored. She waved and sayed OooOoo every time we passed

We didn't know it before, but she's a race car FIEND! She likes to drive FAST! And laugh

She was also a big fan of the water fountains

Peace out Seattle. Until next time...

September 20, 2010: Anacortes, WA

2010-09-27T15:03:00.018-05:00

Our first day trip outside of Oak Harbor was to the adorable town of Anacortes. Anacortes is just due north of Whidbey Island. Technically on the mainland, but there's a little strait that connects the area of Anacortes to the true mainland.

The weather was a little dreary, but that didn't stop us from noticing what a fun place this could be on a weekend.

Mia enjoyed cruising around in her stroller. For all of 20 minutes.

We found a store that sold Everything. So it claimed. We found Greek fishermen hats

Mia's preferred method of transportation. Using Mommy as a sherpa.

Dad found the most patriotic water fountain I've ever seen

We finally made our way to a late lunch at Rock Fish grill. mmmmm... rockin fish & chips. even more rockin fish tacos!

Mia hamming it up (as usual???)

We leave you with a toast from Rock Fish, Anacortes

Whidbey Island, WA

2010-09-27T15:01:00.012-05:00

What a magnificent state Washington is. At least it is in late September!

Cathy & Adam built a beautiful home in the city of Oak Harbor on Whidbey Island. About 2 hours west of Seattle. To get there from the mainland (and airport), you can drive there via Deception Pass. OMG. The views are amazing.

Cathy and Adam have been busy making their new house their new home in the short 2 months they've been there. Walls have been painted, rooms have been decorated, yard has been seeded and most importantly, firepit has been built.

We first arrived in Seattle around lunch time on Saturday. After a little confusion with the rental cars, we finally set our sights on Whidbey Island. Unfortunately, we had been up since 5AM (3AM PST) and were too pooped to enjoy the scenery. We all slept most of the way there and then crashed out pretty early that night.

The next morning, we woke up full of spunk! Mark and I hit the road for our long run of the week. Mark 6 miles, myself 8 miles.

Isn't something you commonly find on a leisurely Austin jog!

After our jog, we quickly got cleaned up and headed to church. Mia had a great time hopping from arm to arm and generally distracting those around us. We sat in the 2nd to last row, but nonetheless, the pastor showed up in our pew at the end of mass before we had even exited to say we must take her to the the parish hall to show her off and buy a homemade pie. We never disagree with pastors that speak this way and made our way over to do both =)

After church, we made our way home to have a huge Mom & Dad cooked pho meal. Cathy & Adam's friends joined us. Some had never had it, some were so excited to have it again. And it even helped soothe one morning sickened mommy-to-be. Mia couldn't be happier to be eating her pho with us.

Yes, you can see her happiness in her smile.

After lunch, Mia, and the rest of the crew was pretty spent. We all passed out for a little nap and when we woke up, it was time to hit that adorable icecream parlor I passed in downtown Oak Harbor for some goodies.

Again, all smiles after enjoying some icecream!

Aunt Cathy took us to a local park to get a closer view of the water. We had a good time taking in the scenery and letting Mia stretch her growing legs.

Her walking is getting so much better!

I'm afraid these headbands might be short lived...

September 18, 2010: Mia Goes Airborne!

2010-09-27T15:00:00.016-05:00

Just give me a bite of that stinkin muffin already!!!

So we stressed and stressed about flying with Mia. Have we booked the most optimal time for her sleep schedule? Would she do ok for hours on the plane? Would she be able to sleep? If not, how ever would we entertain her? Will the pressure hurt her ears? If so, would she or we be able to help relieve the pressure? Will she scream? Will the other passengers and pilots hate us? The questions just went on and on.

In the end, it worked out just fine. We went to spend the night before the flight at Tommy & Stephanie's which is only 15 minutes from the Austin airport. We woke up at 5AM for our 6:55AM flight. We arrived at the airport at 5:45 with just over an hour to get situated. Check in was easy with the assistance of the desk personel. Mia was enthralled with the entire airport experience that morning. She just kept smiling and waving at everyone that passed her.

After a quick bathroom break, I sat down to enjoy a banana. When she saw me eating, she immediately signed "more." Which to her means "eat", "drink", "more", etc. The people around us giggled at her signing.

We were hanging out at the gate for maybe 15 minutes before families traveling with children under 2 were called to board.

Mama & Mia going through the gate

As I carried her down the isle, she waved to every passenger as if she was the queen of the pageant and waving to everyone was her job. This, once again, solicited many giggles. The flight was sold out so Mia had to sit on my lap, which she had no problems with. She settled in and fell asleep... before we even taxied. Oh, how nice.

Mia daring someone to sit in our row

3 seconds later, fingers in mouth, too tired to mess with people

The flight was about 2 hours and she slept for a good 1 1/2 hours. Woke up and had a small snack before we landed and were in the Denver airport for a very brief layover. We had about 50 minutes. This was enough time for more bathroom breaks, purchasing of snacks and refilling of hot water (for her formula). We got to the gate and she even had enough time to get down and crawl around and make some new friends. She loved this part, too.

As we boarded the 2nd time, she had the routine down pat. Wave, wave, smile. Toothy laugh. Repeat. There was a 4 month old baby girl across the isle from us who was on her 8th plane trip. Wow. They are brave. There was an Aussie flight attendant who helped seat us. She was just so so sweet on Mia. She came back several times to play with her as she seated the other guests.

Unfortunately for us, the 2nd flight was a bit longer (and late in taking off!). AND... Mia was now well rested from her 1st flight and had no desire whatsoever to sleep. She was squirmy and antsy and nothing we had seemed to hold her attention. About an hour into the flight, that same attendant came back to play with Mia. She was quite alright with this. She then asked if it would be alright for her to hold her a bit? Let Mia stretch her legs? I was all for it as long as Mia was. And she totally was. She picked her up and Mia waved and said 'Hiii' (in her Paula Deen southern drawl) to the guests behind us. That got them laughing which made Mia very happy. She then reached past them to the passengers 2 rows behind us. She did the same thing for them. Next thing we know, we turn around and Mia is 3/4 of the way back on the plane. Still doing her same song and dance. Every now and then, we'd hear 3 or 4 people say 'ooOOoo' and we'd know that Mia had been there. That was her favorite thing to say for the week (just ask Uncle Adam). Eventually, we turned around and she was literally with the very last row of people by the rear bathrooms. Yup. That one is ours. The lady across the isle who Mia had befriended before we got on the plane told us, 'Enjoy. This must be the Southwest Deluxe service.' I couldn't agree more.

By the time she was delivered back to us, Mia finally realized that she couldn't see mama and dada any more and was in tears. LOL. It took her quite some time. She came back and those tears were dried up and she even earned her wings. Her experience left her exhausted and she slept for the next 1 1/2 hours in my lap. I love Southwest.

Mia proudly (and tiredly) displaying her well earned wings

We arrived in SEATAC without incident and by the time all our luggage came out, my parents had arrived from their Houston direct flight and both Adam and Cathy were in the airport. All the helping hands we could ask for.

And thus was Mia's 1st plane experience. Success. Majorly.

10 Month Old Videos

2010-09-17T13:05:00.005-05:00

A bit late, but still so fun to watch. Here's Mia playing and being her busy-bee self. Look for our (now also late) 11 Month Old posting coming soon!

10 Months Old

2010-08-22T19:31:00.013-05:00

Mia turned 10 months old today. And BOY has she been busy! I managed to snap some photos and capture some of her activities on video just so you can see how busy she is at any point in time. Warning, it might make you dizzy!

Stats: Weighed in at about 19.5lbs according to Daddy
Walking: Not yet. But she pulls up with confidence on almost anything. Including walls. And not so stable walls. Like the mesh walls of her tent. She also walks along the edges of things while holding on with ONE hand. She pushes her little scoot and push toy bus. When it rolls too fast, she falls down on her knees, but still keeps moving forward. Incredible. I thought she'd do a face plant.
Talking: Still really only saying Dada and Mama really clearly. Although she uses Dada 90% of the time and Mama only 10%. She has picked up other things such as Jaja for Jasmine and Gigi for Christy. But they aren't always as clear.
Eating: Still mostly everything. Though she is starting to develop a preference. She may eat something one day, but not feel in the mood for it the next. She favors sweeter things (yogurt, fruit) over savory.
Hand-eye: She is starting with the pincer grasp. She picks up things very easily now and transfers them from hand to hand. She can also stick her hand into her snack containers and pull her hand out with snacks inside. She also plays this game with an old tissue box with any random toy inside.
Games: Speaking of games. Her current favorite game is THROW IT. It being anything that is in her hands or with in reaching distance. Throw it on the floor and watch someone pick it up. She gets great joy out of that. I have a feeling that will go on for some time.

Like I said, she is a busy bee. All. The. Time. Here she is playing with her cowgirl boot from Aunt Lori and her wooden hippo from Aunt Jenni.
And here she is being silly with her all time favorite frog pillow. You can find her rubbing it before falling asleep at night.
Mia has discovered that she really likes bath time. Especially for all the toys.

Now she's beyond just looking in. She wants to CLIMB in! *sigh*

Happy 10 Months, Baby Girl!!!

TRI Athlete

2010-08-22T19:30:00.019-05:00

I never have really thought of myself as an "athlete." Much less a TRI "athlete." Yet that is what I have finally achieved today. Yes. Swim. Bike. Run. Survived.

Ideally, you want to spend the day before your race resting up. But my options for Saturday were toobing the Guadalupe or shopping the outlet malls during tax free shopping weekend. Due to the sun exposure and the massive amounts of alcohol consumption on the river, I chose Team Shop. Looking back, I don't know that I took it any easier =) But it was fun!

Fortunately, Tommy, Steph & Mark were pretty laid back about me having to cut out by 5:30 to get home. We actually didn't make it back to the house until after 7:30. I was shooting to go to bed by 8PM and I still hadn't packed my gear. My bike still had a flat, but I was going to leave that for Tommy since I don't know a thing about my bike. After much hussle and bussle, I finally got to bed at 9. An hour later than I had planned, but the sleep Gods were with me and I quickly fell asleep.

I don't know how 4AM crept up so quickly, but it did. Time to get the gears in motion! Starting with a strong breakfast. Peanut butter toast with bananas and a small glass of milk is always my go-to. After breakfast, get dressed and take the bike that Tommy & Steph spent getting ready for me last night while I was asleep out for a spin. Things feel and sound good! Good to have you back my old friend (I hadn't been on my bike in over 2 weeks!)

I'm the first one loaded up in the car and probably the first one asleep as well. No worries. I know Mark has the driving totally under control. Maps, directions and parking passes printed. We get there. An hour later. And. It's still DARK out! Yowzers! I had to borrow Tommy's bike light to see my way through the jungle.

7AM and I am body marked with all my gear finally set up in transition. Let me tell you, the hardest part for me about transition was determining where I should set up! I had no strategy except to put my bike somewhere I could find it again easily. Maybe next time I'll take into account accessibility to bike out/in. haha

7:15, nerves are starting to set in so I decide to join some of the ladies in the lake ahead of time. Good thing I did. I found out the water was really shallow in most parts (waist deep for me!) and there was not a wave in sight. Thank goodness. Feeling much better about things now. But still looking and acting like an uber-goober.

7:40, off on my swim! OK, although the water was shallow, this didn't prove to be nearly as easy as I thought it would be. It was hard to manuever through all these women! Fortunately, I could stand and walk when it got too thick, but unfortunately, I never really got into a good rhythm with my swimming. At the end, I was just happy to be done.

7:55AM, I am out of transition and on my bike. Cruising. Seriously. But I'm not suppose to be cruising. I'm suppose to be racing! Fortunately, the bike course was a 2 lap course. The first lap, I did FAR too slow. But I picked up the speed on the second lap, once I figured out what was going on. The bike course was a gorgeous ride through Pace Bend Park with a few long steady acends and some short steep decends. At one point, I was coming downhill and noticed that the posted speed limit was 20mph. I was pretty sure that we would be exceeding that today on our bikes! I was right. When I hit the bottom and was confident enough to take my eyes off the road and look at my bike computer, it read 30mph!!! I was probably going 32mph at the fastest point. Whoa! Wicked fast for me!

8:45, I've dismounted and running back into transition. What am I thinking at this point? OH. MY. GOSH. I've finished 2 legs of this thing. Only the run left! What am I feeling at this point? HOT. Why is it so hot already?? But my body, it felt fine.

8:50-somthing, out on the run. About 20 yards into this, I finally knew what it meant to be a triathlete. The TRI part is the part that REALLY gets you! UGH. I knew where the 1 mile marker was and that there was water there. But could it really be that far away? I'm running, I'm jogging, I'm walking. AND I'M STILL NOT THERE. 1 mile. 10 minutes normally. 9 minutes recently. But not today. Today, we're talking over 12 minute miles. My sides are cramping. My legs are tired. Every time I hit the ground, I hear my stomach gurgle like the friggin water tower. How is this possible??? I could count the sips of water I've had throughout the race on one hand. Apparently my body is well hydrated. Too well?? I just want to get out of this heat. Please! Fortunately, the race planners knew how bad we'd be feeling by this point. At the 2 mile marker, there was water (which I just threw on my chest) and ICE COLD towels. You, Mr. Volunteer, are a God send. Thank you and bless all your children for all eternity.

9:25, I couldn't care less what time it was. Besides that it was finally mimosa and beer drinking time. And that I was DONE. Limping and panting through the finish line, but done. All I could remember thinking as I finished the last half mile was that this might be the next hardest thing to giving birth to Mia. Thinking back, maybe it was the third. Those first 3 months after her arrival with no sleep was right up there.

I finsished. I'm happy I finished. I couldn't swim 50 meters without stopping 4 weeks ago. Before getting this bike, I hadn't ridden a bike in almost 10 years (I bought a mt bike after college and sold it to my cousin's girlfriend after riding 5 miles and not being able to walk). But I'm not completely satisfied with my performance. I know I can do better. So I'm not driven solely by the event's euphoria, but also my own desire to REALLY meet my expectations.

Tri Harder. Onward!

********** Special thanks to RTN photography (Raines Tran Neubauer) for providing me with my personal race pictures and videos. You guys are truly awesome. **********

Weekend in Pictures Cont'd

2010-08-22T19:29:00.005-05:00

Happy 1st Birthday Holden! Last weekend, Mia went to Holden's birthday party and really really enjoyed herself. There were only 3 babies there, including the birthday boy, so there were lots of people and toys for her to enjoy without being too overwhelmed.

Mia also got to meet 6o month old Kaylee for the first time. Her mommy works with Mark. Kaylee is half Taiwanese and half white, but she and Mia look nothing alike despite the similarities in their ethnicities. How funny. Mia is much more caucasian and her hair count is much more like a bald eagle. Kaylee on the other hand, is much more asian and has a thick mass of the most gorgeous soft black curls. Both are just adorable. You can see Mia sizing Kaylee up below =)

PS - Thank you Bac Dzung for the beautiful dress! Doesn't she look like a cabbage patch kid???

Weekend in Pictures

2010-08-19T14:57:00.004-05:00

Sunday we went out to dinner at Gloria's with friends. Mia accompanied us in her new sundress from her cousin Dean and his girlfriend Cathy. They got this for her as part of her baptism gift and I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it. I think she looks sweet in yellow.

Dada says, wow, the feather is a nice touch.

I will get more pics from a 1st bday party she went to posted as soon as I can get them off Mark's phone.

Ladies and Gentlemen

2010-08-10T15:46:00.005-05:00

I'd like to present to you the latest in Infant Girl Summer wear!

Modelling for us today is Mia Neubauer.

Dress and bloomers by Aunt Stephanie Raines.
Pink cowgirl steel tip boots care of Aunt Lori Barefoot!

Showing off her daring back and ruffled bottom

Little Monster

2010-08-05T14:42:00.006-05:00

One of the things we get to brag about recently is how well Mia eats. That girl will eat ANY.thing. And in massive quantities. You name it, she's probably tried it (as long as the doctor hasn't said it's a no-no). But just this week, she's decided food is not really all that interesting. To eat anyways. To play with... now that's another matter.

Check out all the stuff on her head

It should be noted that she will still eat stuff that she can feed to herself. So that's included strawberries, puff cereal, veggie puffs and white cheddar cheese. She still enjoys her yogurt and berries. So maybe it's just a phase... gaining more independence. Who knows. Eventually she'll want to start eating her food rather than wearing it again. I hope. =)

Hello? Can you hear me now?

2010-08-05T13:48:00.006-05:00

Mia's cell reception is not that great since she chose her phone on looks rather than function. But she has enough to talk for a minute or so at a time. If you get a call from her, be patient. She's trying her best.

Oh yes. That is a blowdryer that Dada is talking into.

Silliness at Nanny's

2010-07-27T15:44:00.001-05:00

Mia Montana

Birthday Eateries

2010-07-25T22:11:00.006-05:00

One last birthday blog for dear Mark. On Friday night, we made it downtown for dinner! Wow... it's been so so long. Yeah, probably since MY birthday long! We thought for sure that 9PM reservations would leave us with plenty of time to get downtown and maybe even have some drinks before our reservations came up.

Wrong. We arrived at valet at 9:02PM. HOW did that happen? But we still wanted drinks. The host was very understanding (probably because no one really NEEDS reservations for a dinner that late??) So we grabbed Tommy & Stephanie and hopped over to Sullivan's for martinis before going back to Trulucks for our dinner. What a great time we had that evening. Sullivan's runs a half price martinis at their reverse happy hour. (yes, $5 full size drinks) And Truluck's was truly outstanding. AND, the brought out 2 cupcakes each for Tommy & Mark so that we had 4 cupcakes, one for each of us, to celebrate their birthdays. Yay free!

On Saturday, we were out running errands and Mia decided she would take Dad out for lunch at Jason's Deli. We had just stopped in at Sprouts, so she got to try her new YoBaby yogurt (which she loved) and Daddy introduced her to.... soft serve! Yup, she still hasn't found anything she dislikes.

Challenges of Parenthood

2010-07-25T21:24:00.003-05:00

Nobody ever said that parenting is easy. I love being a parent, I love spending time with my daughter. The problem that I find is that the amount of time I have seems to be less and less every year. Mary and I are frequently mocked by our friends because they say we are always going somewhere to do something.

Right now, on a weekly basis, I am balancing being a good father, being a good husband, trying to advance my career, working out to stay healthy and try to become a better athlete, keeping track of an unplanned home kitchen remodel, a project of replacing the baseboards in the house, and of course trying to be fair to poor Stoli who seems to get less time than he deserves (especially because he never gives us any trouble). Of course somewhere in there is R&R.

I know Mary is always trying to balance being the perfect Mom, a wonderful wife, a demanding job, training for a triathalon, making most of Mia's food from scratch, scrapbooking, redoing a chair, etc.

Sometimes, it all just seems overwhelming. There is never enough time in the day to do everything. It seems frequently I go from 5:00 AM until 10:30 and go to bed disappointed that I did a whole lot of things ok, but nothing really really well. It is very frustrating. I find myself applying business school concepts and PMP organizational behavior to my personal life in order to be more efficient, however I am also finding with this that I am not enjoying many of the things that I used to as much.

I know I people have always told me how hard it is to fit everything in, I always thought that I had way of being more efficient or more prepared that other people, that allowed me to get more done than others. After becoming a parent, I just don't seem to have time to do everything anymore.

On Friday, while we were at Hamilton Pool, I found myself thinking about work and the remodeling project. I felt rushed getting ready for dinner so that we go there on time for our 9:00 reservations. At dinner I felt rushed the minute we walked in the door to make sure that we left early enough to get home, so we could get to sleep since Mia wakes up around 5:45. I know the correct thing to do is to back off some of the activities, so that I can focus on the ones that are the most important, rather than trying to fit in everything. I really need to sit down and prioritize what is the most important, what can I put off because I don't know if the current schedule or approach is sustainable or scalable (oops, there goes the business process thinking again)