Belated Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

We've had a busy holiday so far. Unfortunately, I'm back at work this week, even on New Years Eve (so sad!). Our Christmas was so much fun and relaxing! We drove to my brother's place in Pennsylvania to spend a week with them. It was nice seeing them and playing with the kids (however, Little Tom did try and send Bella home a few times in the beginning, but eventually they became best of friends).

Grandpa Tom followed a couple days later, so we were all together Christmas Eve and day. We went and saw Santa, which turned out well since Bella was sleeping so she just laid in Santa's arms.

We went to x-mas eve mass, which is interesting with Bella and Little Tom... surprisingly Little Tom was setting the better example, what a behaved boy when Grandpa is around! Then we went home when Maxine saw that Santa arrived!!! YEAH!!! We dressed the kids in matching pajamas and opened presents!

Bella opened each of her presents and before even knowing what it was she would scream, "Oh WOW!!!" We then ended the night with my first batch of leche flan, turned out ok.




The next day we went to take Bella to her first time on the ice!!! She LOVED IT!!! Thanks to Uncle Tom, the only other adult skater next to me in both of our familes, who took Bella out for her first time since I can't skate in my current condition. When we saw that Bella was tired, we took her off the ice, but she threw a fit and went back onto the ice. So she really LOVES it!!!
Anyways, will add more photos sometime. In the meantime, HAVE A WONDERFUL NEW YEAR!!! Should be a great 2008! Also, congratulations to all our newly engaged friends: Carmela and Brian, Girlie and Tony, Edwin and Jenny, and Kevin and Monica!!! We're SO excited for you guys! Will be an exciting year for you guys!!!

Maxine's Ice Show

Happy to be home!

So yesterday morning, I woke up with extremely sharp abdominal pains that wouldn't go away. After waiting about an hour and a half, I finally called the doctor who said to go to the hospital to get monitored just to make sure the baby was alright, etc. On the way there, got sicker, and not to mention the pain got worse probably cuz I was scared and Mark looked scared. When I got there, I had all these flashbacks of being pregnant with Bella. From 7 months and on, I had to go get monitored twice a week at the hospital because Bella didn't move. I was hoping this pregnancy would be different since this baby seems to be moving alot. But sure enough, my kids love dragging their mommy to the hospital, and this one seems to want to start earlier at 6 months. Anyways, after getting monitored, ultrasound, blood tests, and 2 bags of IV, turns out that Bella may have spread some G.I. cooties from school to her mommy. Thank goodness, I honestly was worried about pre-term labor, I swear those pains sure felt like I was in labor. Anyways, feeling better now, still weak and tired, and planning to sleep all day. Luckily, Mark's parents took Bella last night so Mark and I could rest, we were exhausted!!! I'm just happy to be home!!!

The Ice Skates have arrived!!!

I'm so excited! Her first pair of ice skates arrived just now! So here are some pictures of the skates. They're double bladed for her to balance... made for babies.

1st Roller Skates

So with Bella's first pair of ice skates arriving soon, I thought it would be a good idea to practice on carpet first. Mark and I bought her her first pair of roller skates!

She did pretty well walking around with them, she lost her balance a couple times and one time she fell and Mark and I just wanted to see if she could figure out how to get up on her own. She tried a couple of times, but decided to just take a little nap instead. As shown in this picture:

Grandpa came over later on that day and Bella showed off her skills. We put on her helmet, because she was trying to venture off into the kitchen where if she fell would not be as nice a landing as the carpet.

I think we'll have a little Michelle Kwan pretty soon. The skating skill definitely runs on both sides of the family with Maxine winning 6 gold medals in her most recent competition a few weeks ago, and Ashley winning her first gold medal over Thanksgiving during her very first competition... go girls!!!

Bella's First Haircut... FINALLY!!!

So our little baldy finally grew hair... after almost 2 years!!!

It was definitely time for a haircut. I think I had a hard time parting with her first head of hair, and finally after cancelling a couple of appointments we finally got her haircut this past Friday!!! My biggest concern was that she would try and move around and get out the chair, but to our surprise, what a behaved kid! Olivia cut her hair, she actually cuts Mark hair every 2 weeks, and mine maybe a couple times a year. So luckily Bella was pretty comfortable with her and the salon. Just like a haircut pro, Bella grabbed a magazine, sat down in the chair, and just read while she got her haircut. Of course I was taking a million pictures, Mark and Grandma both had their video cameras, and Grandpa Marvin made sure Bella didn't fall out her seat. And yes, I did save the first snip of hair, just like I saved the cord, and her first nail cut.

And here's the final product!!!

Bella's current vocabulary

Bella has been talking alot lately. She's putting more sentences together, and definitely understanding and following our instructions. So here's a list of some of her words and their meaning:
- Mama : does not mean mommy, but anything she doesn't know how to pronouce but wants
- Mommy: yes that's me!!!
- Daddy: pronounced with a lazy "y"
- Sami: our dog
- Sami go: for Sami to go away, and she points to a direction for Sami to follow
- Grandpa: means both my dad and Mark's dad
- Ashley: sounds like "shly", means Ashley or Kayley
- Einstein: to watch her favorite cartoon Little Einstein
- Please: lately sounding more like cheese, but she does sign language for please
- Thank you: so polite!
- More: she wants more, and she does this in sign language also
- Bye Bye: especially when she see me put my work coat on, she knows already
- Bless you: after someone sneezes or coughs
- Milk: emphasizing the "k" sound
- Book: her favorite books are Wiggles and the alphabet books from Ninang Maito
- Book please: when Mark and I are too tired to read, but she tries to wake us up
- Nose, Ears, Eyes, Toes: she also can point to her head, shoulder, knees, and belly when asked
- Apples: when she wants grapes
- Baby: also knows in sign lanuage, and also kisses my stomach when I ask her to kiss the baby.
- Mine, no mine: the beginning of the terrible two phase
- There's a bunch more, but this is enough to share.

Snow, snow, go away!

At least until Thursday morning when I'm finished with my week on work. I feel WAY TOO PREGNANT to deal with snow. I don't mind snow this weekend, where Mark, Bella, and I can just cuddle and do absolutely nothing! Plus I'd like to break-in Bella's new snowsuit and the sled I didn't use that we bought last year!

I wish I was back in Bora Bora, Tahiti...



a girl can dream...

Our family trip to Hawaii BETTER work out!!!