Camille- 6 weeks old!

Camille is 6 weeks old already! She is doing really good and is a sweet baby! Julia and Bella continue to be wonderful big sisters. They love to help me with her- Julia's favorite job is to hold her when I need a baby free minute and Bella likes to get a washcloth for all the times when I get spit up on.

Camille is a great sleeper and LOVES her swing! She has been pulling 7 hr stretches in it at night! I feel so guilty letting her sleep there but she seems to prefer it and I can't pass up 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep! I am sure it will change soon- she once loved her swaddle blanket and that love has passed as well.

Camille is a chunky little one- 12.5 lbs now, 98th percentile for weight and 80th for height.

I am loving every minute with her- I forgot how wonderful, raw, and overwhelming your love can be for a new baby.

*Her famous pirate smile!

*She may be our only brown eyed girl!

A ballerina in the making

Our kids are so lucky- they have the best grandparents! Both sets live nearby and are very involved. Yesterday, we were lucky to have Chet's parents (Nanny and Papa) over to celebrate Chet's birthday. We usually see Nanny and Papa in family gatherings so the girls were thrilled to have their undivided attention.
Somehow, Steve (Papa) got roped into helping Chet with the pool and Jackie (Nanny) got roped into a private dance lesson from Julia and Bella. They cut her no slack whatsoever! The little drill sergeants told her to keep her toes pointed, to kick higher and that her arms looked like "dead birdie arms" which is a phrase that Julia's teacher uses when their arms start drooping.
Thanks for being such a good sport!

Happy birthday Daddy!

We love you!!
From all your princesses

(and your Queen too!)

A decade later

10 years ago, Chet and I were newly married and enjoying life to the fullest. We loved to travel, go out for dinner, hang out with friends, etc. Friday nights were always full of fun and marked the beginning to a stress free weekend.

I am amazed when I look at our life now- it's just so different. We are now in our 30's and have 3 kids- when did that happen?? Our Friday nights usually consist of Barro's pizza, the latest family/kid's DVD, and three little ones surrounding us on the couch.
I wouldn't trade it for anything!

This weekend, we decided to let our hair down a little (ha ha) and break out the karaoke machine. The girls had to practically pry the microphone from Chet's hands and held their own with some Disney songs.

Easter

I am one of those people that hates messy projects for little kids because I hate the mess (or stains, etc). I know- that sounds horrible, but it's true. Luckily (for all involved), I now look forward to traditions (even messy ones) like egg coloring now that Julia and Bella are older.

We decorated our eggs last night, left notes and a carrot for the Easter Bunny and went to bed listening for signs of his (her?) arrival. Bella even slept in her tent in the playroom and never came out knowing that the Easter Bunny was coming.

The kids were up super early (how do they know?) and had a great time with their egg hunt and ALL the candy. Julia and Bella were so sweet to each other- for every egg they found, they would also point out another egg to the other. I am so glad that sibling rivalry has not truly set in just yet.

Hope everyone had a great Easter!

First smiles

Camille started smiling really early (before 2 weeks) but I just now was able to capture it on camera. She has the best smile- it starts off small and then huge and takes over her little face.

Girl's day out

I took all 3 girls (yes, Camille's first movie) to the Hanna Montana Movie today. I don't really care for the HM show- or Miley Cyrus for that matter. I think the show itself is fine but just a little too old for Julia and Bella so they aren't allowed to watch it. But, we do like her music and it was a fun way to spend our morning since Julia didn't have school today.

The movie was very sweet and cute! Julia and Bella liked it and luckily Camille slept through most of it. It was not at all obnoxious and had a great message. I will have to ask the Easter Bunny to include the movie soundtrack in their baskets on Sunday. :)

All 3 girls are taking a rest/nap right now before we head to the park to meet up with our playgroup friends. I am loving this weather!

Family pictures

I love having family pictures taken! Yet, it's one of Chet's most despised activities (see his expression in most of our San Diego beach pics for proof!) :)

So, with our newest (and most likely last) family member's arrival, we had to have her picture taken. I love that we will always have these to look back on and so that Camille can see how loved she is and how excited we all are with her here.

My little rocker!

Bella LOVES Pink (the singer) and can almost always pick out a Pink song on the radio (so I added her favorite Pink song to my playlist). She thinks Pink is so cool because she is a rock star. Bella is the perfect mix of girly girl and tomboy. The other day, I heard her bragging to her new friends (boys) from our MOMS group. "Guys, guys, guess what? I frew (threw) up ALL over my pillow when I was sick!" With a huge smile, she got such a kick out of all the "Ewws!" that followed and truly felt like one of the boys.

Head start on Easter

My parents came to visit so we could celebrate Easter with them a week early. We had a yummy brunch, followed by an Egg Hunt and time outside enjoying the wonderful spring weather. The Easter Bunny brought lots of crafty things and just a little candy (thanks mom!).

The girls are loving every minute with Bobo and Ronnie (their names for my parents).

*Ronnie trying to look comfortable holding a newborn!

*In Bobo's arms.

*A few seconds later. Life is tough....

Obrigada, gracias, thank you, danke, merci

to Erin and Rick for lending us their baby swing!!

We had a baby swing but I gave it away when I thought we were done having kids. Oops! I didn't want to buy a new one since you only use it for a few months. She seems to like it and it will buy me precious time to get stuff done!

How time flies!

Camille is now 3 weeks old! It has all gone by in a blur though- I have been trying to keep up with her journal and baby book so I don't miss anything. It is much harder this time around- most of it due to being 4 years older than I was with my last baby. But, it's finally getting easier and I am figuring out methods for everything. Basically, I get everything done while Camille is fast asleep in her sling (Mei Tai carrier) which I could not live without.

She has started to smile at us already- not just the gassy ones or one while she is sleeping but full smiles of recognition for Chet and me. I have not yet been able to capture it on film though. It's cute- she smiles so big that it takes over her face.

She is a wonderful baby! Aren't they all?? (By the way, that is a pet peeve of mine- when people ask me if she is a good baby. ALL babies are good- some are just easy, some aren't.) So, she is a great baby- not as easy as the other 2, but getting there. She has her fussy times during the day which I am trying to figure out the cause of but she is a champ at night! This is my saving grace right now- I don't know how I could do it without a good night's rest.

Julia and Bella continue to be wonderful sisters- not a hint of jealousy. I think it's because they have each other to play with and don't notice my absence as much. I am surprised at how helpful Julia is at her age- she can actually hold her if I need to get something done. Bella does try to be helpful as well. One night, we heard Camille through the baby monitor crying in her crib. Seconds later, we also heard Bella's voice trying to console Camille. I went into the room to find all the lights turned on and Bella IN Camille's crib with her! So cute- but slightly dangerous. :)

My sister has been waiting for recent pictures so I took these today. Not the greatest ones of her but they will do for now. We had a wonderful photographer take some last week and I am just waiting for those to be ready.