Holy Week Traditions

This week leads up to what has grown to be my favorite holiday -- this is mommy typing. We have several Holy Week traditions... some we hope to begin again next year (Seder dinner) and some we have continued... We color Easter eggs, we spend time with friends outside and playing in the grass at the park, and we will attend Good Friday services and Easter Vigil/Easter Celebrations. We enjoy a good 1 or 3 Easter egg hunts and J especially loves the eating of the candy. We also make Easter cookies... YUM! Who says baking cookies just has to be at Christmas? Not us!
Here are a couple pics from the fun we have had! J with buddies, Bella and Sebastian:

The babies!
Giules after one of our Springtime morning walks:
J at the Thunderbird Campus Easter Egg hunt:
And our two cuties!

Holy Week and Easter have become my favorite holiday because it is the crux of what we believe as followers of Jesus. He is God's Son, he gave up his kingship to be here on earth. He entered Jerusalem and was sentenced to death. On Friday we will reflect on his sacrifice.

14 Weeks and 14 Weeks

We thought it had been a little while since we had done a side by side comparison of the two Greto wee ones. I think these are a couple of the closest pics I can find of the two of them at about 13 weeks.

Do you think they are related?
Baby G #1:

Baby G #2:

The Weekend

The weather has officially become GORGEOUS here in the valley. We have been walking, hiking, and BBQing for about a week now. In fact, one day last week I actually got a bit of a sunburn on my shoulders (this is Meg, by the way, not J).

Weekends are great though because we get to spend time together all four of us! This past weekend, we went to Dim Sum with some friends:


We also love the weekends because we really enjoy our church. Gg went to the nursery too and had a great time. She was able to show off her new purple bow... mommy is trying to desensitize her to wearing bows since she is not really a huge fan:



And, since we are in the home stretch of time with many of our friends, we have started having weekly gatherings... here is a shot of the Daddies with all the kiddos:

Two Special Days in March

We know you have heard of St Patrick's Day but many people don't realize that similar to St Patrick's Day where the Irish (and those who wish they were) wear green, St. Joseph's day on March 19th is celebrated all over the world and folks wear red! Today is Joseph's Saint Day. In many cultures, your birthday is celebrated on this day and it is a holiday in Italy. And it is FEAST day!

Now, the second special event this week was Giules' 3 month birthday yesterday! Here she is! Growing like a weed as you can see next to her owlie toy:
We are pretty sure these baby eyes are staying BLUE!

Hello out there! Check out my crazy neck, tummy time skilz!
And lastly, here at 3 months, she loves to suck on her hands... we think she might eventually find the fingers she wants but we shall see

Big Brother and Little Sister hanging out

Here are a couple shots of the two of them. They have a lot of fun together and J really is a wonderful big brother! He is sweet with her and only when he hugs her too tightly do we have to intervene :-)


And watching Sesame Street together the other morning:



And lastly, J is developing a very sweet tenderness for friends when they get hurt. Just Sunday at the park his little friend got sand in his eyes and was crying. J stopped what he was doing and ran over to ask if Seb was OK? It was very sweet and melts our hearts to know that we have such a gentle souled little one. So, last night when he wanted to get his "owie star" for Thomas' friend I was a little puzzled. He ran to the fridge and grabbed his cold-pack star for a character in his Thomas the Train coloring book. Toby the Tram had a sad face because he derailed and J wanted to comfort him. Tooo funny and at the same time sooooo sweet!

Funny dinner conversation

Lately, in the evenings, Giules has been going to bed about 5:30. This means that dinner time with Joseph is quite a nice treat and we have many fun topics of conversation. It typically revolves around the construction site that is all around our apartment. The state is widening the highway right outside our complex... and there are many wonderful BOY things to watch. We have diggers, loaders, cranes, and all manners of construction going on outside our parking lot.

Our evening chats are usually about these things. However, the other night Mike made us a couple of Old Fashions (our "signata" drink), and Joseph said, "Mommy, I need some bourbon." Just as plain as day and as flat as if he had asked for a glass of milk.

He is funny...

P-Day!?! It's a BIG one!

We know you have heard of D-Day and V-Day but have you heard of P-Day? P-Day like these other two days, is riddled with tears and small victories. You are probably really curious to know what we are writing about... well ...

We are an officially toddler-pacifier-free home now! On Saturday, Feb. 20, the "last" paci broke at bedtime. The little comforting tool was on it's last plastic thread. Mike came in and we had a quick chat about how we worried if he sucked it off he could choke. So, at story time, when Joseph was asking for his pacie, we explained that it was broken and we didn't want him to choke. We said it was time to throw the broken part away and he pulled it off. He put it in the trash can, but then walked toward his door. I asked where are you going? He said, "Mommy, I have to go to the store to buy more pacies for me. They have them at the store." We tried really HARD not to laugh! But, he was so serious and intent on just walking out to the store. Well, we talked how it was late and stores were closed. We explained that he could still sleep with his pacie handle - only in that moment the only name for that part of the pacie that came to me was "pacie stump".

A few minutes later, he was in his bed with his usual suspects - Elmo, Stutsey (a bear from Stuttgart), Cookie Monster and his Panda (Tian Tian from National Zoo) AND the now named pacie stump! The stump made a couple tumbles off the bed while he was trying to sleep. At one point, we heard his bedroom door open, he didn't say anything. Mike peaked in the hallway and he was under his toddler bed searching for his pacie stump. He had opened the door for some light to get his new little comforty. We went in the room and got his stump from under the bed, got back in bed and redid prayers, songs, and cuddles. By 8PM he was asleep, soundly and didn't wake up once!

Here are a couple images of the new "pacie stump". Here it is waiting in bed like a good pacie:
Just waiting for Joseph to come to bed...


The stump:

One more closing note of how J has been handling this BIG CHANGE! At naptime on Sunday, Feb 21, I was laying with him and we were reading stories and singing... he had his stump and would lay on his back, place the pacie stump on his mouth, and just lay there really still, feeling the pacie on his mouth. Poor guy... but we are SO PROUD of him! He went to bed with no issues and not once has he asked to go to the store for more pacies!

Now, the next challenge, POTTY training. I think it will take more than one day to get that feat accomplished. But, you never know. I really thought getting rid of the pacie would take a long time.

2 months old today!

Hi everyone!

We cannot really believe that it is February 18th! Not only does it mean that we are now into counting the number of weeks Mike has left in his program on two hands, but it also means that Giuliana is 2 months old. It is so hard to grasp how quickly time seems to be passing. But, we are living up our time here in the desert in February with many walks, lots of time with friends, and just plain having fun in the sun.

But we digress... what you all really want to see are pictures of Giules and how much she is growing! And, growing she is!
These days I am really full of smiles! I am taking a couple naps a day but I really enjoy being awake and playing on the floor. My big brother makes me smile and coo a lot too... See how long I am getting?


I am also learning that my hands are mine... I like to play with them...


See you next time! Smiles and hugs until then...

A new "DO", 7 Weeks, and smiles!

We have been pretty busy the past couple of weeks. We have had quite a few visitors too. Thanks to Aunt Ali and Uncle PW! We had a wonderful time with you and Joseph is still talking about the train park adventure and feeding the ducks.

Then, we had mom-mom and pop-pop to come and visit! We had a wonderful time with them too and Joseph, especially, loved the trip! He is still talking about Transportation Day with you guys at his school. And, he is also talking about his new haircut that you guys were able to see too.

Here are a couple of the pics :-) and, yes, mommy did shed a tear when he came home from the haircut... he looks so grown up! And, no sign of the curls yet and it's been 2.5 weeks...


So here we are in February, and all four of us are pretty much in shock that it's already FEBRUARY! Giuliana is growing like a weed but still pretty fussy a lot of the time. However, she especially loves to smile when she is not fussing. And she loves bathtime! She is 7 weeks already and holding herself up like such a big girl. She is sleeping well at night and eating like a champ (well, when mommy remembers NOT TO EAT COW'S MILK PRODUCTS). Here are some pics from the past few weeks:



I like the colors on Joseph's soccer ball too:

4 Weeks Old Today

Hello everyone! We are here! It's been a few weeks since we have written but we have been pretty busy bees!

First, update on Joseph: He is back at school. He is talking up a storm and just amazes us daily with his vocabulary and thought-processes. And, just in case you were wondering... he is still the most amazing child-eater we know of! Just the other day, he put down his ice-cream and wanted our edamame that Mike had picked up with our Thai dinner. Really just too funny! He is also making up all sorts of songs; everything can be a song. And we love it!

Next update: The GIG! She is growing like a weed! When she was born, she weighed 6.12. She came home weighing 6.3. By the next week she weighed 7.9!!! And by Jan. 7 she weighed in at 8.6! So, needless to say, mommy is making lots of yummy milk and Giuliana loves it. She is sleeping better... we are up to about 3-4 hour pattern (we shy away from the word "schedule" in our house.

Now... for some pics!
3 Weeks Old, Giuliana and her impression of Munch's The Scream
4 Weeks and a big girl
Me with my new Owlie
Me with my Biggest Brother (who makes me smile)