How to have a happy birthday

Last Saturday was my birthday and we had such a great weekend. First we went to a third birthday party for Liv's friend Ava Bella. Olivia really enjoyed playing with all her friends, and the weather turned out nice too.
Then on Saturday night Vaish and Jake came over and cooked us dinner. She made Pasta Bolonese, it was soooo good and we are still eating the leftovers. My Mom came over for dinner and so did our friends Dennis and Sara. We had a great time eating and drinking, and Liv loved showing off for everyone.
After dinner we played Trivial Pursuit, boys verses girls. Now I am not a competitive person at all, but you bring out a board game and put Vinay on the other team, and the horns come out. Now I am not gloating at all but yes the girls did win, fair and square I might add. We didn't get to bed till about 2 so we have been recovering all week. Thanks guys for making my birthday so fun. Sooooo much better than last year when I was missing my Liv and waiting in PGN.


Addie and Liv enjoying some food at the party.
Liv trying to feed Addie, If you don't eat the food, Liv will keep pushing it in your face. Sorry Addie!!
Of course she wasn't going to share any of her cupcake.

The best birthday present of all, having my Liv here with me.

They have a shot for that!

Yesterday was Olivia's 15 month Dr. appt. She is finally 20 pounds, yipppeeeeee. We are a month late in going because I didn't want her to get any shots before Vaishu's wedding. Which I still don't have any pictures of Liv or our family yet, but I will. Because I knew she would get sick from the shots, and she did. This month it was the chickenpox's vaccine. Were the chickenpox's really that bad that they need a vaccine. As I recall, besides the itching, they were not that bad, and hey you got a week or two off from school. I'm all for immunizing our children from dangerous illnesses, but have we gone too far?
Of course I complied and today my baby was out of sorts all day. Hope it doesn't last too long



Relaxing in Mommy's bed while I put some laundry away.
So sleepy and flush with fever, but yet she has been fighting sleep.
Look at her little legs, she is finally 29 and a half inches

Weekend at the beach

We spent one of our last weekends at the beach.It was such a nice weekend and Liv just loves to play down there. Even when it's cold. On Friday night we had such a bad night with Liv just being so cranky, and taking it out on everyone. I am dealing with it much better. I read in a book that at this age babies see us as objects. By just reminding myself of this I can better separate myself emotionally from the tantrum. It's amazing, I use to be able to control a room full of 30 kids and yet this one little girl can reduce me to tears. I guess both her and I are a work in progress.
All and all we had a good weekend and Olivia really enjoyed family time.
A special thank you to my bloggerfriends Kim and Alleen for all their words of encouragement. I feel like our children have so many similarities. You ladies always help me to feel like I am not going thru this alone. I really wish I could have met up with you guys in atlanta. Maybe next year!!!

Liv just playing on the beach. Or should I say running.
Liv would never leave on sunglasses, on Saturday night we put these on her and she would not take them off.
Cool rider!!!

Frustration!!!!

Not a day goes by that I don't ask myself, " Am I creating a brat?" Now let me just say that I love Olivia more than anything and I would do anything for her. Lately she has had this bad temper. It's almost like a frustration. She gets mad at her toys, mad at the carseat, mad at me. She will push and hit. All this coming from my sweet little girl, who always had the best temperament. My baby girl who use to laugh and dance all the time. When she goes to hit me I tell her no and then put her down, this usually begins a huge crying session and then I wind up picking her up. I keep thinking maybe she's getting sick or it's her teeth, she does have some big molars coming in. But am I just making excuses?
Could the terrible two's have started at 16 months?



"Mommy put the TV on, I want to watch wonder pets!!!!!!!!!!"
"What you won't put it on for me"
"Well I'll just do it myself"

Remembering

Today I took Liv to a memorial that was at a park by our house, set up for September 11. They had 2,974 pairs of shoes and a flag, one for each victim of the attacks.




So sad to see, in person, all the people who lost their lives
Having Liv there made me think of all the children who lost their parents.
Olivia kept going by these little shoes.

fun with hats and pigtails

Sorry still no pictures from the wedding, but these shots are just too funny not to post.

Liv wearing one of Daddy's visors, I hadn't done laundry in a long time so we were waiting for her pj top to come out of the dryer.

Work it girl!!!

I finally got some pigtails in her hair. I let her go thru my Mom's makeup bag at her house while I did the pigtails in her hair. I doubt she'll let me do them again tomorrow. They got a little messy on the ride home.

Cutielicious!!!!!!!

She did it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Just a quick update:
My Liv is amazing, at 15 months she walked down the isle all by herself. Now I don't mean to brag, but she did it and I am so proud of her.
She was just walking around as we were lining up and she was in an awesome mood, that helped, and Vinay was to hold her back as I walked down before her. So as I get to the alter and I hear these little feet running down behind me.
When Vinay let her go, she just took off and came barreling down the isle, she slowed up as she got closer and closer to the alter. Then I just took her hand and handed her off to my Mom. Unfortunately the basket didn't make it down with her, but hey who needs rose petals anyway.
I'll post pictures as soon as I get some, of course I left my camera at home all weekend

Just a reminder to all those prayer warriors out there to keep all those affected, especially in Guatemala, by Hurricane Felix, in our prayers today.

Will she or won't she

Friday is the big day. Vaish's wedding is finally here. The whole weekend is packed and Olivia will be carted back and forth by my Mom to each event. Friday the Catholic wedding, Saturday the henna party and Sunday the Indian wedding. This way I can focus on Vaish and Liv can sleep in her own bed. So the big question is, will Liv walk down the isle? The fact that she will endure 3 hours of pictures before the ceremony even begins, I don't think she will. The one good thing is that I will walk down, while Vinay holds her, he is walking Vaish, and then he will let Liv go and I will be waiting at the alter for her. Hopefully she will come. Now carrying the basket is another question.

So place your bets now, Will Liv fulfill her flower girl duties?


Last week I let her practice with the utensil basket from the dishwasher, she did good with that
Last night we broke out the real basket. She threw some petals around and then wanted to be picked up.
Then she dumped the basket on her doll house.
Today she did a bit better at least she carried it around.

One big playdate

After being stuck inside all week, because of rainy cold weather, we ended the week with a great playdate. Olivia had 8 friends over and their moms, and at one point it was complete chaos. But the kids all had so much fun, and Olivia loved playing with all those kids. I'm so glad we got to close out the summer with such a fun day.



Olivia was a little overwhelmed at first. she woke up from her nap to all these kids in the house, and they were playing with her toys!! After awhile she loosed up and she even shared a little. Here she is playing with Emily. Addison, in the front is thinking about taking the big step down to join them.
Tyler, loving on this pink bear. He is such a good boy he took a 2 hour nap in Liv's crib.

Liv and Addie dancing to some music.
Look at all the toys.
We went outside and the kids played in the pool and ran in the sprinkler. Just look at them go.
Liv and Nicholas wondering if there's any room in the pool for them.
Finally the girls relaxed with a piano sing along.

Blueberry beard

Once in a great while I will make my own puree of blueberries
First I smoosh some blueberries in a bowl
add some applesauce to make it more liquid
add a dash of Cinnamon, and stir
microwave for 1 minute
Let cool for 1 minute
Then I mix a little cooked Cream of wheat in and watch my Liv gobble it up



Olivia was helping to feed herself today, and this is what happened.
Can you tell I let her watch TV when she eats, I know, I know, It's a bad habit, but it makes it so much easier. Here she is zoning out watching "Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends".
When I ask Olivia where is daddy, she points to the couch. Here is a demonstration.
Pure cuteness!!!!!

Was that her first word?

I guess you would consider Liv a late talker. She really isn't saying much, she uses more of her own made up sign language to convey to me what she wants. Unfortunately only I can understand what she is saying so it can be frustrating to Vinay and my Mom. I try not to stress about it, I just figure with her hearing Spanish the first 5 months of her life, and then switching to English, she will eventually catch on, and she'll talk when she's ready.

Well yesterday morning Liv and I were playing outside, she saw her carriage outside the garage and wanted to go for a ride. I agreed since I could see a person from a certain religious group who go door to door, a few houses down. Now I have nothing against any religious groups. However This particular group in always in my neighborhood, in fact my Mom just answered the door for them on Saturday. So here they are again before I've had a chance to throw out the last pamphlet. So Liv and I head out in the opposite direction.
After about a half hour I look down my street and see that he has passed my house and the coast is clear. So quickly I steer her carriage on the opposite side of the street and head for home. Of course just as Liv and I are about to pass him, Liv from across the street, says "hi" and waves. Now I can't get this girl to say "Momma" "yes" "no" Bye", let alone "hi" to anyone she knows, but a perfect stranger, she says "hi". Of course the man then had to cross the street and come talk to me. I just pretended I didn't speak English, smiled, took the pamphlet, and went on our way. So I guess Liv uttered her first word and we have one heck of a story to tell her when she is older.


Here's a dose of cuteness for the week!!!



This is the last time she'll wear this dress, it was a bit snug getting on and off.
Running around when we went to visit my Mom at work one night.
Lately I will do anything to get this girl to eat, including letting some friends join her in the highchair.
"Can you believe I said my first word this week and I'm leaving this hairbow in? How good am I?"

There's no place like home.

What is the best cure for the stay at home mom crazies? A weekend away!!! It was nice to be away but it was even nicer to come home. Liv gave my mom a run for her money while I was away but they survived, and I think it may have made my little girl appreciate her Mommy just a little bit more. The look on Olivia's face when we walked in the door was so heartwarming. Then she would just stare at me and give me huge hugs. So sweet. Being away also gave me some perceptive. It gave me a chance to sleep in, ahhhhhh heaven, and a chance to miss my baby so that I could return fresh and ready to be a Mom 24/7 again.



Mom is that really you? Are you really home?
Ok now that your home again, let's see what trouble I can get into. Let's start with me finding this vitamin bottle and making you chase me to get away. Ready.. set.. go...

Testing, growing, and it's wedding season

Well this weekend begins the offical wedding season in our house. We have weddings every weekend for the rest of this month, including Vaishu's which entails us all being involved. The wedding this weekend is in PA and has events on both friday and Saturday, so my Mom is coming to watch Miss Liv. As much as I don't want to leave my baby, I must say I need a little break. She has been testing me to no end lately. Usually she would listen for the most part if I told her no, but lately she just looks at me and smiles and continues to do what she is not suppos to. I finally have to go and physically remove her from the situation, after the third no, and hope that I can get her interested in something else. I know this is just the toddler stage, but boy it does wear you down.
This week Liv finally moved up a shoe size. For the longest time she was in a size 3 and she finally moved up to a 4. I now realize how big she has gotten. I can't wait for her 15 month appt to see how much she's grown.

Look at how long she looks in this picture. She will always be tiny, but she did have a growth spurt.

She looks like such a big girl in her jean shorts. Oh and her hair is getting so long too.

Finally our Indian outfits for Vaishu's wedding arrived from India. Last weekend we went up to Vinay's Moms to try them on. Luckly they fit so we are all set for the big day.

Both our outfits were made from the same fabric. Look at Liv showing off her little belly.

Looking back

Wow I can't believe it's August 6 already. this summer has flown by, especially compared to last summer. I was looking back at my archives and I realized that August began my dive into a major depression. I know I tried to keep my blog positive at times but if I read between the lines I can hear the heartache in my tone. Last August my babyshower was over, the nursery complete, my agency would not let me go on a second visit trip, and I was facing going back to work in Sept. to that dreaded question "When is the baby coming home?". I still cringe at the thought of being asked that.
Last August Olivia was in the holding tank know as PGN. I had heard no news from my agency, and no one knew when she would be released. Of course everyone tells you not to pick a date you expect to have your child home by, because that date will come and go and you will just be miserable. I myself did pick a date, well a month. I expected Olivia to be home by September. Well she wasen't. If I really try I can still feel that pang in my stomach I carried around from missing holding my baby. The pictures and video's were so bittersweet. Of course I longed to see her, but yet they reminded me of all that I was missing. Mentally the waiting was just so hard. I still remeer waking up from a nightmare thinking I was hearing Liv crying, my arms cradling nothing but air. Or the feeling of this emptiness in your chest that hurts so bad it takes your breath away.
I do realize that there are so many women now living the summer I had last year. Missing their children. Dealing with the waiting for that phone call and clinging to the hope that their child will be home by the date they have secretly picked.These women are comparing time lines, glued to the forums, and sleeping next to the phone. I so wish I had some wisdom to share that would help, or had some magic words that would make them feel better. But I don't. I can say that the pang you feel in your stomach will be replaced with belly laughs from watching your child dance. And that emptiness in your chest will now be overflowing with love that it will sometimes choak you up. All I can say is they DO come home. Yes they do come home indeed

My own dinner tips

Thank you to everyone who emailed and commented on the meal tips for Liv. There were some great ideas that I will definitely try out. So since everyone else shared here are a few things I've learned.
-Nabisco and Frito Lay both make veggie chips. There is 1/2 serving of vegetables in each 1 ounce serving. The Frito Lay ones taste better and the brand is called Flat Earth, try the cheddar ones they are really good. Liv is a snacker and I don't feel bad giving her these.
-Motts makes individual flavored applesauce. They are called healthy harvest and they have no sugar added. There are about 5 different flavors. I always have 1 in my diaperbag, they are great for on the go.
Just some tips for everyone.


Now for some cuteness

Instead of the tub I put Liv in the sink to play after dinner. I also let the water run a little.
"Where is this water coming from?"
"Let me catch it with this cup"
"Hey a little privacy, I'm naked in here"