Happy 1/2 Birthday!

Yesterday Lucia turned 6 months old. A half of a year has passed. I can't believe it. We've been going the rounds with dr. check-ups this last week. She now weighs 18.5 pounds and is 27 3/4 inches long. We went to the cardiologist on Monday and the two small holes in her heart she was born with have closed. YEAH! We're waiting for the results of her anemia studies to see how she's doing on that.

But whatever the studies say, she acts like a growing, thriving, funny, lovey baby. She loves to be in her "activity center" and won't even sit in the bouncer chair anymore. This girl wants to be up and on the move! She mumbles "mamamamamamama" all the time, so I'm guessing her first word is MA!

She wants to eat all the time. Not just nurse, although she would happily live doing nothing more, but she watches the food everyone else is eating so intently, and tries to grab at it. Her diet so far consist of: cereal/polenta - likes it, bananas - likes them but only room temperature, not cold, grated apples - not such a big fan, carrots - gobbled them up! Next we'll be introducing squash and sweet potatoes. With Gabe, I couldn't buy baby food in jars because it didn't exist here. Now I see it in some stores, but it seems so processed and gross compared to fresh food that I haven't even really considered it. Plus, I love that really quickly I just get to the stage that whatever we're eating goes in the food processor and she eats as well.

When she's on the floor she rolls and scoots all over the place, and she gnaws on everything. I'm guessing crawling and teeth aren't too far off. Man we love this little girl!

Cute new shirt I "made" sewing some flowes onto a onsie that I cut off into a t-shirt.

I seriously could spend all day making clothes for her!

chirlo...chino?

Esta no fue precisamente la escena, pero si', le di un chirlo en la cola a gabriel porque no se estaba portando bien a la hora de su siesta... horas ma's tarde hablo' con su abuela Annette y e'l le dijo que yo le habi'a dado un CHINO en la colita!!!! ja ja ja mario

orejas??!!! ears??!!!

estaba caminando con Gabriel (2 a. y 8 meses) cerca de la estacio'n de omnibus y senalando a un colectivo (bus) como el de la fotografia exclamo'!!!! MIRA PAPA: tiene orejas!!!!!! refirie'ndose a los espejos retrovisores.....muy gracioso

Easter Easter

I read a lot of party related blogs, and sometimes it makes me get crazy ideas and I start looking for reasons to have parties so I can use all the cute ideas I've seen. Thus the birth of an Easter party for Gabe and a few of his friends. Only a few, because the actual house-full-of-noisy-messy-toddlers is not the part I like. I like the prep. I kept it pretty simple, but still had fun.

A sampling: eggs made out of craft foam (can't buy plastic eggs here) finger puppet bunnies stuffed with candies and orange candies made into carrots.

Easter bags for all, little popcorn cups, and balloons strung with paper chain garland. All so cheap, easy and fun to do.

They decorated cookies with excess amounts of sprinkles. Gabe loves "cocinando/cooking".

Then we went to the lawn at the church where I had hid all the goodies and they had their Easter egg hunt.

Roque, Gabe and Felipe searching in the bushes.

All the kids with their goodies: Uli, Felipe, Roque, Gabe, Celeste.

Then we came back and they ate popcorn, had juice boxes and went home. Perfect length - fun party!

Then we went to Mario's sister's house for actual Easter, so I made more bags for the kids and just filled them this time. Gabe - Pilar - Franco

My cute babies on Easter Sunday, not in Easter outfits b/c we didn't go anywhere to show them off and I was lazy. I kind of regret it now.

With their cute dad. It's impossible to get Gabe with a clean face!
It wasn't a matchy-matchy Easter outfit, but I still thought Cia looked pretty stylish.