Gym and Birthday Time

A priority in our life right now is to maintain some type of normalcy/routine for Bubeaner amid the chaos of a new baby joining our family and family guests visiting.  As part of the plan, Bubeaner has returned to gym class.  We have also seen drastic improvements in his interaction with other children and in his playing.  One of the main changes: he no longer needs Momma with him to feel comfortable.  The last two times Meme'Licia has gone with him without any issues.  Today he even played, actually played, with one of the little girls.  And then he played a little with the teacher tossing the ball back and forth and following her instructions... in English nonetheless.

Our big boy now faces forward in his car seat.

He really enjoys the new view. 

Today was also Bubita's first visit to gym class.  OK, so she was just "observing" with Momma.  But her conveniently her class would be right after Bubeaner's if we decide to enroll her at a later time.  Surely 3 weeks is a little too young.  And yes, Bubita is 3 weeks old today!  We can't believe how fast/slow time has passed.  It feels like just yesterday when we first got to see her little chubby cheeks and heard her angry cries at being "disturbed" by the surgeons.  And yet, she's become such an integral part of our life we can't even really remember a time without her.  Our lives are so intertwined.  And we wouldn't have it any other way. 

Beautiful Baby Girl

She continues to amuse us with shows of what promises to be a strong personality.  But Bubita also shows some of her softer side too.  She smiles (yes, it's not gas) whenever Momma or Dad will kiss her on the cheek.  And she also smiles (actually he was the first to get her smile) at Bubeaner when he talks to her.  Bubeaner continues to dote and be fascinated by his Bebe.  But it's a fascination shared by Bubita.  She will turn her head and look for him at the sound of his voice. 

And, of course, she continues to eat, and eat, and eat.  The girl eats ALL THE TIME!  OK, so maybe it really is only every 2-3 hours during the day.  But it takes her 30-45 minutes to eat and eating time is counted from the beginning of the feeding.  Well, it feels like she's always eating.  But she also continues to sleep peacefully for 6+ hours every night!  Now, if Momma would only go to sleep at the same time....

Momma did place a call to Bita today.  Bubita has developed some little "bumps" on her little forehead.  According to Bita, and the other mothers at the gym class, they are a combination of heat rash and infant acne.  Momma was worried it was something else.  We didn't have to deal with it with Bubeaner so this was new to us.  But don't worry; she's still adorable.

Looking in on his sleeping baby sister

We joined the girls (aunts Lari, Banni, and Mariana) at a store around the corner from the gym after class.  They originally had joined Bubeaner in his class.  However, Bubeaner was too busy playing with his classmates to pay any attention to them.  He actually ignored them completely.  They were pretty disappointed, but a little back-to-school clothes shopping fixed it all up.

He barely reaches but he checks in on her 

often to make sure she's OK. 

The afternoon was a little chaotic at home.  Even though both Bubita and Bubeaner took good afternoon naps, they were in a MOOD during the late afternoon and early evening.  Bubita only wanted to be held while she was rocked.  Otherwise, she cried.  And Bubeaner, just cried and screamed and pretty much was in a sour mood the entire time until Dad got home.  The combination of their tantrums was migraine inducing.  The girls were great help until they began preparing dinner.  At that point, Momma just had to lock herself with both of them in the playroom and let them go at it.  Bubita had to settle with being held (not rocked too), and Bubeaner had to get his frustration out on his ball pit.  Well, that and making Momma sit on the floor because he needed to sit in his rocking chair.

A very upset little girl

Thankfully, they settled down in time for us to enjoy a delicious dinner.  The girls really did a great job with dinner: entomatadas (Momma's without cheese), refried beans and rice.  YUMMY!  They informed us that tomorrow they are making us spaghetti and meatballs.  And Thursday we will be eating enchiladas poblanas.  We could get used to having a full house. 

Lactose, Anyone?

We are getting into something resembling a routine.  Although, there are some days like today when things are a little bit off.  Dad and Bubeaner continue to sleep in the nursery for two reasons.  One, it's helping Bubeaner adjust to being back home and not having aunt Lari sleeping in the same room.  He's still waking up several times during the night, but at least, he's stopped having nightmares.  He just wakes up checks to see if Dad's there and goes back to sleep.  And two, it gets Dad a little more sleep than being woken up every 3-4 hours with Bubita for her feedings.

A little dark,

but we did not want to wake her. 

We hope it makes a difference.  Momma is still trying to get into the habit (again) of the night feedings.  Some nights are easier than others.  It mainly depends on taking naps during the day. Yesterday, unfortunately, there was no time for naps.  Last night was HARD.  Thankfully, Bubita is a little more forgiving about meal times than Bubeaner.

That also explains why we were running a little late this morning for a busy day of appointments.  Bubita had her two-week check up with Dr. Z.  Her stats:  weight - 7 lbs, 14 oz (up from 7lbs 7 oz at discharge); head circumference - 14.25"; and length - 21.25" (20" at discharge).  Her billirubin levels are normal.  Bubita no longer sports the yellow/orange tinge.  No more "tanning" sessions for her.  And since she has gained so much weight so fast, we no longer have to wake her up to eat every 3-4 hours at night.  We can let her decide how long to go between feedings.  We may even get to sleep longer than 4 hours tonight!!!

Dad is discovering teenage girls can eat as much as teen boys

despite how petite they look. 

However, there was one little drawback from today's appointment.  Momma mentioned to Dr. Z Bubita's change (color/consistency) in dirty diapers and the increase in gas and reflux.  So Dr. Z tested her poop and there was blood.  So, it appears that Bubita, like Bubeaner, has a lactose intolerance.  It's back to a dairy-free diet for Momma and the expensive formula if we decide to supplement.  We are not going as drastic as taking soy out too for now.  Hopefully, just eliminating dairy will make a big difference.  But, hey, we get to sleep longer through the night! (Must look at the positives.)

Bubeaner went to his gym class with Meme'Licia while Momma and Bubita were at the doctors.  He did really well playing with the other kids and even going under the parachute and staying there during the songs; he never liked going under before.  The week at Bita's playing and interacting with all his cousins appears to have eased his concerns.  There are definite benefits to large families.

Bubeaner continues to love and dote on his Bebe.  He still runs from wherever he is to Bubita's side when she cries.  And she's the first person he searches for when he gets up.  He is getting a little more comfortable around her, which raises another set of issues: protecting Bubita from the random and sometimes uncontrolled movements of a toddler.

Holding on to her sister....

And, yes, we did actually buy him the "jean" diapers.  

Today, we had to work with Bubeaner on not swinging his sister too hard when we put her on the swing.  We may not be using the swing as much with her as with Bubeaner...at least not while Bubeaner is awake. 

And we've learned that Bubita has an interesting sense of humor/timing.  She waits until Momma changes her diaper to poop.  It does not matter if the diaper is changed before, during or after eating.  It doesn't even matter if she's just pooped.  As soon as Momma changes her diaper, she poops.  EVERY TIME!  Newborns go through diapers fast, but at this new rate we really should be investing in the diaper company stock.

Bubeaner admiring the handsome boy in the mirror

while we shopped for Dad's clothes. 

But it's not all frustrating habits with Bubita.  Today, it almost sounded like she cooed and smiled with Meme'Licia.  She was also pretty cute at the doctor's office.  She "found" her hand and was enthralled by it.  She didn't know it was hers or that she could control it; but she was fascinated by this object so close to her face that kept moving.

Our four-legged baby Sandy also had a busy day today.  She was supposed to get groomed.  Poor Sandy was in a sad state of neglect.  She's still pretty spoiled, but with Bubita, Bubeaner and the girls, well she does not get the same level of attention.  Case in point, Momma forgot to mention to the new groomer that she's terrified of the kennel and that she will injure herself if left in there too long.  Pre-human-babies Momma would NEVER have forgotten to mention such an important thing.  So, in the afternoon we received a call that Sandy was at the vets (the groomer and vet are housed in the same building) getting treatment for two broken nails and a cut paw pad.  She had freaked out in the kennel and attempted to claw her way out.  The groomer was wonderful and gave Sandy extra love and attention until she was picked up.  Thankfully, she appears to not have been traumatized by the experience.  Her files (vet and groomer) have been flagged for future visits.

Some Good Firsts

Last night Bubita had her first bath at home.  We were definitely a lot better and more relaxed than when we first bathed Bubeaner by ourselves... and "by ourselves" is a loose term since it took 5 people.  This time it was only Momma and Dad.

Bubita getting her hair washed at home

Bubita appeared to really enjoy it.  Well, she enjoyed getting her hair washed; what girl doesn't?  She tolerated the rest.  On the bright side, she was so exhausted, or maybe just relaxed, from the bath that she fell asleep immediately.  We weren't even done dressing her when she had already dosed off. 

However, it did not last too long.  She was soon awake and demanding to be fed every 30-60 minutes.  By the time she was full, Momma was beyond exhausted.  We were afraid of letting her sleep in the bed.  So we decided to try the bassinet again. 

Ah, the joys of a sleepy and relaxed baby

Oh, my!  Bubita sure has a pair of healthy lungs, and she's not afraid of using them.  Dad ended up sleeping in the nursery in order to get a tiny bit of sleep before work.  Bubita is stubborn, but so far, Momma is more stubborn.  She slept in the bassinet for the majority of (what was left of ) the night.  YAY!  

The rest of the day was quiet and relaxed.  We were both so exhausted!  But the important thing is that she spent a night in her bassinet. We are trying it again tonight.  She's been crying again, but not as much as last night.

In any case, tomorrow will be an exciting day.  Bubeaner comes back home!!!  We have missed our boy terribly.  He has been enjoying spending some time with his grandparents and aunts/uncles.  And it has been wonderful to focus solely on Bubita as we learn to adjust to her.  But we are ready for our little family to be reunited.  We've missed our precious boy so much!

Bikini Ready Belly

Today was not as busy and long a day as yesterday.  Bubita continues to sleep in our bed.  Yes, we did try last night to have her in the bassinet, but, honestly, we are just too worn out and tired to really fight with a crying baby.  That is a battle for a later time when we are a little more rested.  For now, she wins. 

She continues to sleep well through the night.  Momma has to set an alarm and wake (or attempt to at least wake) her up.  We are looking forward to when we can just let her continue sleeping through the night.  We did have an interesting development during our 230a feeding; her umbilical cord fell off.  We are glad since it is undoubtedly one of the more disgusting things about new babies.  Y U C K!  The area of her future belly button still looks pretty raw and actually a little "unhealed".  We are not sure if that is normal or not since we did not have to deal with this with Bubeaner.  We continue to clean it with an alcohol swab.  If it does not improve soon, we may place a call to the pediatrician.  (She probably thought we would be better with a second child.  HA!)

Sleepy Baby Girl

Her dirty diapers are still the slimy consistency, but at least they are not as frequent as yesterday.  (Yes, still cannot believe we are blogging about dirty diapers....) We were starting to worry that she might dehydrate because it was looking like diarrhea.  Funny, we imagined we would be so much more comfortable and worry-free with the second child.  We are finding out there are just new and different things to worry about.

During the day, she was pretty good.  We even got Bubita to sleep in her bassinet during nap time several times.  She did quite well too.  However, we are noticing a trend that may prove troublesome in the future.  It appears she needs to "eat" in order to fall asleep.  We wonder if she may be associating Momma as her pacifier. 

Already Spoiled

Bubita is certainly letting us know who is boss: at night she refuses to sleep unless held (partly a reflux issue, partly a con). As evidence of her CHIPLE status I attach the following:

BUBITA! Day Three

Welcome Bubita!

Meet our beautiful Bubita baby daughter...8 pounds, 2 ounces and 20 inches of absolute cuteness!

BUBITA!

Bubita will arrive Tuesday June 29th!!! Daddy is very excited.

How Time Flies

John in June 2009 v. today

Baby Bubeaner intrigued by his aunt's computer.

(Man, he was tiny....)

Bubeaner in his Mexico jersey exhausted after

spending time in the mall play area.

Our baby boy is now 20 months old.  Twenty months old!!!  Where in the world did the time go?  And as much as we (OK, mainly Momma) want to see him as still a baby, he's now a little boy.  He's independent and active.  He really has blossomed in the last couple of weeks.  We've seen the changes in his gym class.  And this morning we noticed it more at the play area in the mall.  He was not shy about running around (cautiously, though) and climbing on and off everything he could find.  Of course, Momma Bear almost came out when children clearly too big/old to be kept bumping into him.  But Bubeaner did a good job of taking care of himself.
 

And though he's been more independent, recently he has had a strong attack of Mommitis.  We are not sure if it's because he senses he's soon going to be sharing his throne.  Either way Momma is LOVING it!  It just means more loving and cuddling time.  Momma is taking advantage of it now since in a couple of weeks, she won't be able to carry him.  (So sad about that....)  Dad's looking forward to that time.  That's when he became really attached to his father. 

 Aunt Lari on the way to driver's ed

Yes, time does fly indeed.  Today, we took aunt Lari to get her driving permit!  Momma still remembers changing her diapers and feeding her as a baby.  (Bubeaner's impatience with not getting his food fast enough as a baby was NOTHING compared to aunt Lari as a baby.)  And, yet, now she's going to be driving.  Oh, my!

Keep On Keeping On

Another hump day, and no Bubita yet.  We are continuing with the contractions at least one every 60-90 minutes on schedule.  Some are uncomfortable, but we have not had a repeat of the really painful ones from yesterday.  And Bubita is back to moving and wiggling as usual. 

Momma is still swelling though it's mainly concentrated on the legs and feet.  Momma jokes that she has now officially entered the Great Beluga Stage: Big, White, and Puffy.  On the bright side, beluga whales are quite beautiful.  And, though higher than ever before, Momma's blood pressure is still within the medically-accepted range.  Momma just normally (pre-pregnancy) has a really low blood pressure, so seeing these numbers is unusual.  So for now, we'll do as great-uncle Jeff advised, we'll just keep on keeping on.  And whatever Bubita's plans, we are going in to get her out on the 29th. 

Underwater view of the belly...

It's relaxing to soak in the pool for a little while.

This morning we all headed off to the mall again to drop off aunt Lari for her course.  Momma took the opportunity to get her hair done.  It's incredible how a hair cut and style can really improve a person's mood.  In the mean time, Meme'Licia and Bubeaner enjoyed power walking through the mall.  Bubeaner really enjoyed the walk.  He was leaning forward on the stroller enjoying people-watching.  There are so many more things and people to keep his interest at the mall.  Of course, the air conditioning probably does not hurt.  We have been having cooler than normal temperatures, but it's still pretty hot.

 Bubeaner enjoying his hamburger patty dipped in ketchup

Bubeaner's reaction when we refused to give him more ketchup

The afternoon was pretty calm and quiet.  Bubeaner did not eat much during lunch.  He actually only ate watermelon trying only a tiny bit of his pasta.  Meme'Licia is convinced he will grow up to be a fruitarian.  He LOVES his fruit.  Any fruit.  Any time.  At times, we have to hide the fruit until the end of the meal so that he will try the rest.  In any case, Bubeaner ended up taking his afternoon nap without eating much more.  But we are not really worried since he does end up making up for it at other meal or snack times.  And who can complain about a child loving (and preferring) to eat healthy fruit rather than junk food?

Bubeaner getting the hang of eating corn on the cob

We could not get it away from him.

There was almost nothing left on the cob.

Bubeaner's sleeping pattern has finally settled into a new routine.  He is now sleeping between 12-13 hours every night.  Part of the reason could be that he is now settling after the chaos of the move.  But a good part is probably due to our change in diapers.  We started using nighttime diapers which are bigger and more absorbent.  Almost immediately we noticed a difference.  And maybe due in part to this, he is now taking usually only one 2-3 hour, undisturbed nap in the afternoon.  This has greatly improved his mood and temperament.  Oh, he still throws his tantrums, but they are not as often and probably due to normal Terrible-Two's issues.  A rested Bubeaner is, indeed, a happier Bubeaner.

After our meals we always clean the eating area.

Gotta love this boy!

We were able to get to the pool a little earlier today since Dad came home from work a little earlier.  Bubeaner did a great job relaxing while "floating" on his back.  We are working on it.  His favorite part is still the splash area.  Dad and aunt Lari called it quits way before he was ready to go home.  At one point, we decided to just let him run in by himself.  Silly us, we thought it would be a deterrent.  Ha!  Bubeaner didn't even look back.  We had to take him to the car kicking and screaming.  We expect to be stopped and questioned one of these days from all his fussing and crying as we are leaving.  But then again, they are probably used to scenes like these.

False Alarms Stink

Aunt Lari helped out with Bubeaner in the morning again.  We were kept up once again with contractions during the night.  Sigh!  We did place a call to the nurse last night because we got to 5 contractions evenly spaced within 70 minutes.  But alas, they slowed down to every 30 minutes then every hour or so during the rest of the night.  Bubita was just practicing and toying with our feelings.

Bubeaner loves collecting the balls during gym class.

This morning we had to leave a little earlier in order to drop off aunt Lari at her driving class and give us enough time to get to gym class.  We actually made it on time.  And, although it was a little hectic in the morning, it was worth the effort.  Bubeaner did amazingly during class.  Half the kids were out probably due to summer vacations.  This may have been enough for Bubeaner to feel more confident; it is usually a little too chaotic and loud even for Momma.

 Bubeaner going down a slide after rescuing his favorite toy.

Bubeaner tried almost every single apparatus.  He went up the slides, across the bridges, through the tunnels and even actively participated in the group activities.  He even "rode" the parachute which he NEVER tries.  And he played under the parachute while the parents moved it up and down.  Bubeaner went almost all the way to the center.  Previously, he would only sit at the edge if he even allowed us to get him close to it.

Walking across a tall bridge after climbing up a slide

We were surprised and thrilled at his willingness to try all these different activities.  This also makes it harder to consider changing gyms for one closer to our new home.  He's now comfortable with his instructor and with the other kids.  We don't want him to have to get used to a new place and new people... at least not considering all the other changes he's had to face lately.

Bubeaner climbing through a tunnel

After picking up aunt Lari, we enjoyed a leisurely lunch.  Bubeaner ate like a little piggy.  He needed to replace all that energy he used during gym class.  One of the ladies at another table commented on his healthy appetite.  And, on how much she enjoyed watching him as he ate.  Bubeaner is pretty expressive and quite humorous to watch.

Bubeaner tried every single thing at the gym.

Unfortunately, Bubita decided to give Momma some pretty strong (and actually painful) contractions during lunch.  The contractions have not stopped since yesterday with one or two an hour.  But those actually made Momma's eyes water from the strength.  A good reminder that a scheduled c-section has its advantages.  After a couple more contractions, Momma placed another call to the MD.  (They must really love us by now.)  The doctor decided he wanted to see us after all considering the contractions and that Bubita had a noticeable decrease in movement/activity.

Bubeaner is easily amused.

Maybe he will like fencing when he grows up.

So, Meme'Licia drove Momma to the hospital while aunt Lari watched Bubeaner.  Dad met us there.  We were hooked up to a machine to monitor Bubita's activities and contractions.  Want to take a wild guess what happened immediately after the machine was turned on?  Bubita started moving like crazy.  And, there was absolutely no sign of a single contraction.  Not even a tiny little bit of tightening or pain... AT ALL!  It's great that she's well, but this is extremely frustrating too.  It's probably due to the extra stress of wondering if everything is OK, are we risking another abruption (or something worse) by continuing to wait, etc.  We are trying really hard to trust our doctor, but the stress is still there.  Of course, it does not help when he dismisses our concerns.  In any case, the c-section was moved up a couple of days.  We are now scheduled for 6/29 rather than 7/1.  Hopefully, we will be able to not stress too much during the next two weeks.

Bubeaner playing with new toys.

Driving Monday

Well, we now have been having contractions (Braxton Hick? maybe), pain and pelvic pressure since early Sunday morning after no activity (labor-wise) from Bubita for the last couple of weeks.  And last night Bubita decided to keep Momma and Dad up with some pretty strong, regular contractions.  It was not fun, but even less fun that it was just practice.  We did not get any closer than one or two an hour.  In any case, we got almost no sleep at all.

Thankfully, aunt Lari was kind enough to watch Bubeaner in the morning even feeding him breakfast.  It was wonderful to get even a tiny little more sleep.  However, we were not able to sleep too late.  Aunt Lari started her driving school classes this morning.  That, in itself, was a lesson in chaos and disorganization.  We hope that this is not a sign of how the classes are actually going to be taught.

In any case, we ended up walking (mainly Meme'Licia and Bubeaner) around the mall where the class is being taught while we waited for the class to be over.  Normally, we would have time to go back home, but so much time was wasted in registering everyone that it was easier to wait.

Bubeaner really appreciated the people watching opportunity.  He also took some pleasure walking around a children's store browsing for some Bubita clothes.  But he had the most fun stomping his feet around the store making lots of noise.

We spent the rest of the day resting and taking it easy at home.  And on a promising note, we found out there were already 3 showings of PiCasita with two possible offers.  We are hopeful that this will be worked out soon.

Family Fun Weekend

Bubeaner had an amazingly busy and fun weekend.  Well, at least, that is what it looked like from our perspective.

Belly Picture in (old) Mexico soccer team jersey.

(now we just need to see if the USA jersey also fits) 

We are working on getting Bubeaner a team USA jersey.

(Bita got him his own Mexico jersey already.)

Friday Dad was originally supposed to have a business dinner, but it was cancelled at the last minute.  We were thrilled.  The three of us headed of to the Town Center for dinner.  Bubeaner did not misbehave...much.  We are convinced he's reached the Terrible Twos.  It really should be renamed "I'm-frustrated-because-you-don't-understand-me-so-I-am-going-to-throw-a-fit."  He understands everything we say; he just can't understand why the reverse is not true.  In any case, Bubeaner really enjoyed the walk around the shops after dinner.  There were a few times when he was enjoying the walk so much that he wanted to just go off walking by himself.

Helping Momma clean the old house.

Bubeaner loves helping out with the daily activities.

Saturday we got up early and headed to our old home.  There were a few cabinets that needed a little more cleaning, the fridge to empty and clean and some other little things to touch up to make it as perfect as possible for sale.  Dad and Momma spent a few hours cleaning.  It took us longer than we expected because we had to take turns chasing after Bubeaner.  Bubeaner was just wanting to help out too.  Although his idea of help was not exactly helpful at times.  But it was so sweet to see him "cleaning" alongside us.   Bubeaner is such an amazing little boy!

Bubeaner and uncle Ivan at the pool

And there was a great surprise for Bubeaner when we got back home: uncle Ivan and uncle Tony!  Uncle Tony is back from Hawaii (for good) now that he's graduated.  And since he's taking some time before continuing with graduate school we might get to see more of him!  YAY!!!  Bubeaner was thrilled to rough house with his uncles.  He started playing with them almost immediately even though he had not seen uncle Tony in a year.  Aunt Pau came over towards the end of the day also to spend the night.

Bubeaner playing with his uncles at the restaurant

We spent a lot of time talking and catching up while also destroying Momma's closet.  Momma just needed the current base boards and hanging rods (etc.) in the master closet out to make room for a new closet organization system.  Uncle Tony and uncle Ivan were recruited for the demolition work.  "We" didn't get much work done mainly because we would get distracted talking.  It was a LONG and great night. 

Cool Shades Bubeaner with uncle Tony

In the morning, Momma, Dad and Bubeaner headed off to pick up aunt Lari from the airport.  We tricked her and told her the guys had left already.  She was pleasantly surprised when they were waiting for us at the restaurant.  We had a great lunch joking and catching up.  And Bubeaner really enjoyed goofing around with his uncles who insisted on sitting on either side of him.  We are not exactly sure what, and how much, he ate.  But he was happy and in one piece.

An exhausted Bubeaner after playing with his uncles

We continued catching up at home while Bubeaner napped and we watched some more of the World Cup.  Uncle Jeff was able to join us after Bubeaner's nap as we all headed out for some pool fun.  Bubeaner was thrilled to be the center of attention of the entire group.  We are so blessed he's so loved and treasured.  He loved being in the water too.  He now assumes pool time is part of his daily routine.  Lucky (and silly) little boy.  He really wanted to go off swimming by himself but settled for being carried.  Uncle Jeff did teach him to jump into the water from the pool edge.  OK, so there was really not much "jumping" going on as stepping into the water.  But it was still cute.  And even more adorable, Bubeaner insisted on only jumping to uncle Jeff... not even Dad was an acceptable replacement for this activity.

Bubeaner playing with Dad

After an hour we headed back home since Bubeaner was turning into a little pruny grape and his lips were blue.  He was so exhausted he did not even fight us when we got him out.  He calmly sat on Momma's lap in wrapped in his towel while we waited for everyone else to get out.  Bubeaner usually throws a fit when it's time to leave.  This did not last long.  Once at home and changed into his pajamas he was back up to speed playing with all his uncles and aunts.  And man was his appetite amazing.  The boy managed to eat 2 hot dogs plus chips and lots of fruit!!!  He asked for more, but we cut him off for fear he would end up with a tummy ache.  Sadly for Bubeaner, he had to go to bed and bid everyone goodnight/goodbye.

Two Weeks Already?

It's incredible that we have been at the new house almost 2 weeks!  And even more surprising is that the house is actually taking shape.  It took us at least a year (if not more) at PiCasita to get to this point.  Most things are still not in their final place, but at least they are in a place.

 Bubeaner and Dad playing in the pool

Working on floating on his back... some days it worked...

some days, not so much

Our life is still in complete chaos.  We spend most days running around to and from our old stomping grounds to our current area.  We have been going by to pick up items we had left there, do some touch ups, water the trees, along with our normal weekly activities such as church, physical therapy, and gym class.

Bubeaner shares a trait with his aunt Lari; he's insta-tan. 

The boy tans...fast, regardless of how much and how often we apply sunblock.

Trying out his new life jacket... did not work out too well

It has just meant we have been running around like crazy while still maintaining some semblance of a routine for Bubeaner.  However, it's not the same thing.  As a result, Bubeaner has had a few more incidents (tantrums) as of late.  They are understandable considering we have also felt like throwing a few tantrums ourselves.  Moving is stressful after all even with all the wonderful family and friends helping out.

Running around the splash park on his own

Thankfully, we have settled onto a wonderful and relaxing evening routine.  Dad leaves work at the same time but is now home in 15 minutes.  It did not take Bubeaner long to get used to seeing Dad every evening again.  As soon as he hears the door (alarm) chime, he runs to the mudroom waiting for Dad.  And as a bonus we have plenty of time to go to the splash park and pool every night.  Then it's back home for dinner and bedtime for an exhausted Bubeaner.  It's wonderful to have this extra family time to spend together.  This alone makes all the stress worth it.

Bubeaner's daily reaction to leaving the pool area.

Our normally cautious Bubeaner has surprised us at the pool.  He is fearless.  Seriously (and scarily), he is totally fearless of the pool.  We had scrapped the plans swimming classes for Bubeaner.  We were trying not to add anything more until we settled in at the new place.  We are reconsidering that now that we see Bubeaner's reaction to the water.

Chillin' in his shades before going for a walk with Meme'Licia

Bubeaner also demonstrated his observation skills.  For a week, we have been trying to figure out how to turn on some of the different "fountains" in the splash area to no avail.  Well, Bubeaner figured it out today.  There are two posts at the entrances.  They look like part of the design, but if the top is rubbed (must be rubbed) with the palm of the hand they control certain areas of the splash park.  When his favorite area shut down, Bubeaner just ran over to the post and started rubbing the top.  Sure made us feel silly for not figuring it out... and so proud that Bubeaner got it on his own.  Smart kid!

Latest Belly Picture

(Not getting a lot of sleep as of late, so a little tired looking)

 

Bubita continues to grow.  She's still pretty active.  Momma is convinced she has a few internal bruises from all of Bubita's kicks and punches.  Bubita does not appear to realize she's not supposed to have enough room for all that movement.  And, on an interesting note, now that we are closer to her due date we have ABSOLUTELY no contractions, Braxton Hicks, pain, etc.  Go figure! 

Water Fun

Bubeaner had a special surprise visit from one of his favorite people.  Uncle Ivan made the special trip to help us settle into the new house.  We did use the extra man force to get the study settled.

Bubeaner LOVES his new shades.

(Thanks Meme'Licia)

But more importantly he was able to spend lots of quality time with Bubeaner.  They both enjoyed rough housing all weekend long.  Bubeaner specially like to run up to uncle Ivan and ask to be tickled... then he would run away from him.  He actually will say "tickle, tickle, tickle" while tickling himself in the neck to let us know he wants to play. 

Not so sure about all this water splashing everywhere

We did take him to one of the community pools for the first time.  Bubeaner had to be coaxed to try out the splash area.  He was not so sure about the cold water splashing.  Dad coaxed him into walking through some of the areas while Momma and uncle Ivan took pictures and video.  Then Bubeaner got comfortable enough.  We were worn out, but he was ready for more play time.  Uncle Ivan played with him a little longer.

Uncle Ivan enticing Bubeaner into playing with a water gun

Soon the adults were ready for lunch and to get out of the oppressive heat.  Bubeaner had other plans.  The boy kept running back to the water giving Momma the slip while he was being dried.  The sneaky boy waited until uncle Ivan and Dad would turn away.  He knew Momma was not fast enough to catch him.

Bubeaner's reaction to leaving

Bubeaner immediately missed uncle Ivan after he left.  Thankfully, he will get more time with his uncle next weekend.  YAY!