The Vincents

We've moved to a new blog!!

2011-11-23T17:07:00.004-06:00

click here:

www.familiavincent.wordpress.com

Mom's Visit From Tucson!

2011-11-01T10:32:00.000-05:00

Part 1:

(we took so many great photos that I need to break this up into 2 posts!)

The kids LOVED having Meemom play with them and make great memories together.

From sockpuppets...

To bounce fests...

To games of chase...

To bedtime stories.

We also enjoyed great weather and fun activities.

Sophie chased the ball while Lucas had his own fun.

Here he comes, so fast on his bike!

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Sophie used her powers of cuteness to persuade Mom to play catch with her every chance she got!

She's a great thrower!

Lucas was so excited for me to paint his face like a red kitty

Part 2 coming soon!

Lucas' Birthday Wish List

2011-10-14T14:37:00.004-05:00

Me: "What do you hope to get for your birthday this year, Lucas?"

Lucas: "Ummmmm, a cheese knife!"

Me: "Okay.... what else do you want?"

Lucas: "A giant robot as tall as you are, Mommy! And it has lots of dials and makes us breakfast!"

Me: (not sure he gets the concept on what are normal types of presents...) "That would be really cool, Lucas! But what kinds of things would you like to get that we've seen in a toy store?"

Lucas: "Pretend scissors!"

Me: "But you already have REAL scissors."

Lucas: " Yes, but I don't have pretend ones yet!"

Me: (I give up) :)

Sophie Sessions: twelve months

2011-10-13T19:53:00.000-05:00

ONE YEAR!

Happy Birthday our happy, silly, playful girl! We love you!

Sophie's Favorite Things:

Toys: balls, music-makers, bikes

Activities: Swinging and bouncing

Foods: strawberries, popcorn, avocado, zucchini muffins, and Chipotle rice and beans

Games: peekaboo and chase

Friends: Lucas, Lucky the monthly photo dog, and her soft blanket from Auntie Laila

The Stats: 18 lbs, 12 oz, 29 inches tall

Sophie-Bear

2011-10-02T21:27:00.000-05:00

These were taken in late September. Yup, I'm catching up again!

September Misc.

2011-10-01T19:53:00.005-05:00

Lucas claimed some packaging material for cape-making.

Then he wanted to make a hat with these feathers.

And he needed a superman-style badge telling everyone who he was!

And an empty dish soap squirt bottle to fight the bad guys.

Stop taking so many pictures of me mommy.

I'm sorry cutie, but you're just so creative and adorable! I can't stop documenting it!

Does Super Kitty fly or have a vehicle like batman has the batmobile?

Super Kitty rides a motorcycle, of course.

Wet chalk art

Sophie Sessions: ELEVEN months!

2011-09-28T07:36:00.003-05:00

Closing in on ONE YEAR!!

Lots of developmental leaps and bounds again this month!

* She's said her first words: "Dadadadadada" for Laith and I, and "ball" for her favorite toy of all eternity and back. This little girl is obsessed with any kind of ball!

* She's cruising and pushing our coffee table around the family room as a do-it-yourself walker. :)

* She's also started to become much more animated and clear about what she wants and doesn't want and will protest when she's unhappy about a choice we've made for her (though it's only a one or two second long squawk, so she's still quite easy-going!)

* She initiates games now- like chasing her, peekaboo, etc.

* She loves trying to put hats and shoes on herself- cutest thing ever to watch!

Fire Station Field Trip!

2011-09-24T14:43:00.003-05:00

August Misc

2011-09-23T13:53:00.007-05:00

Sophie loves rattles and 'shakers'. Here she's playing with a canister of sprinkles!

Lucas' hair is getting so long! We're letting it grow for now to see what it does as it goes past his eyes. I think he'd be really cute rocking a shaggy surfer do! Or...
a mohawk! Ha!
He is absolutely our son... engineer daddy and master-organizer mommy are proud! :)
Sophie says, "I squish your head!"
Singin in the rain!
We got a TON of rain this August/Sept.
I'm in love with Sophie's little pointer finger and pincher grip. I just want to eat those chubby little hands! Here's she is steadily going for a small pebble in the driveway.
Painting is still Lucas' favorite art medium. Water colors and crayon-wax-resist in particular!

Happy Birthday To Me!

2011-09-20T14:44:00.003-05:00

I was sick for my birthday this year :( But Laith and the kids made it special all the same. I woke up to my favorite breakfast topped with some special treats: baked oatmeal with strawberries and whipped cream!

Then I slept most of the day and we had my birthday cake after dinner. Lucas was so excited- he picked out my cake and the candles!

Thank you for a wonderful birthday, my awesome family! I'm looking forward to the next 30 days, during which we will have a whirlwind of celebration for Sophie's, Laith's and Lucas' birthdays! (And Ryan's and Samir's and Neko's birthdays too if you count extended family) Yay for Libras (and almost Libras)!

Robinson Woods

2011-09-19T10:40:00.001-05:00

Here's our new house! A bunch of college boys had been renting it for the past 2 years so it was definitely in need of some love. We've already had it power-washed, pulled out some overgrown foliage, and plan on pulling up those boxwoods this spring. Here's an "in-progress" photo of the front of the house:

And here's what we saw when we opened the front door and looked to our right:
And here's what it looks like now! It's still "in progress"... I think we want to put up crown molding and curtains, and replace the mantle with something much more substantial.

I love our new street name. Not only is it my best friend's maiden name, but it has the feel of a sylvan hideway. It's no surprise that a street named Robinson Woods ends in a little dirt path with these kiddo-created forts:

We were welcomed to the neighborhood with a huge rainstorm that flooded our backyard and left behind fun puddles for Lucas the next morning.

I think we're going to like it here. :)

A Happy Milestone

2011-09-17T13:43:00.001-05:00

A week shy of turning 10 months old, Sophie started clapping her hands. So sweet!

Volcano!

2011-09-16T10:34:00.000-05:00

July Misc

2011-09-10T15:29:00.000-05:00

Simple pleasures... my mom mailed the kids an envelope full of balloons! We all had so much fun, and Lucas learned how to blow one up for the first time!

My little boy is looking older these days.
It's not until I see him from a distance that I see (with relief) that he's still small. :)
Lucas did a summer series at the Little Gym to burn off the extra energy loads he somehow acquired upon turning 3 1/2. Sophie wanted to join in SO badly.
Here he learns how to hold and swing a bat. He tells me one day (maybe when he's a big 4 year old) he'll be able to play baseball.

Lucas' latest obsession: Making mixtures. This is a summer time-passer I stole from my friend Ravyn. Here are her kids making mixtures :)

Superhero hands!

The toddler room at the Discovery Museum

Sophie still gets VERY happy about drinking water.

The Last Days of Wild Sophie Hair

2011-09-08T15:26:00.000-05:00

Yup, still putting up photos from July... one more post after this one and we'll move on to August. :) Excuse the picture quality- these days it's easier to use the cell phone camera than the big fragile and expensive DSLR.

And here is a tribute to the hair that reached for the stars; but alas, it got too long and collapsed in a heap. It was a good run and appreciated by many.

"Sophie So Fun"

2011-08-31T20:47:00.001-05:00

Lucas refuses to share a bath with Sophie because this is what it looks like the whole time she's in there! Weeeee! Splash splash splash!
Sophie wearing my absolute favorite dress of hers:

Sophie LOVES balls.

First taste of watermelon:

Siblings

2011-08-29T20:47:00.000-05:00

Catching up again... these were taken in early July.

Sophie Sessions: 10 months

2011-08-13T08:58:00.003-05:00

* Sophie has been working hard on her fine motor skills... she's now a pro at the pincer grip, is starting to push buttons, and loves scribbling with a crayon or chalk (this is apparently not something usually seen until 12-13 months at the earliest). It's the one milestone Sophie is ahead of the curve on. All her other skills are on target or a little behind- which gives me more time to enjoy her as a baby! :)

* 3 more new teeth! Top middle two and one right next to it all emerged simultaneously. Unlike her first 2 teeth, these new teeth did a serious number on her sleep.

* Bring out the baby-proofing supplies! The same weekend Sophie cut 3 new teeth, she also learned how to pull to stand and climb the stairs. Now that's all she wants to do- practice her new skills day and night like she's training for the Olympics! Needless to say, Laith and I are exhausted from the poor napping and night sleep this caused for about 2 weeks.

* She's very interested in being just like Lucas; mimicking his raspberry motor sounds and playing with his cars and motorcycles- making them drive back and forth.

* Not much in the language department yet- she still prefers just making ahhhh sounds with a rare appearance of ba and wa and ga. We've begun working on sign language with her and she's currently learning water, milk (when she wants a bottle), all done, and more. She understands all these phrases and will flap her arms in the air to indicate "yes!!"

Favorite foods: spinach pesto, bananas, avocado, soy-glazed salmon and anything Mommy's eating.

Favorite pasttimes: plowing into Lucas head-first and climbing on him, laughing at Lucas' voices and antics, finding miniscule bits of things to put in her mouth, coloring/drawing with chalk, playing with balls, climbing the stairs, splashing in water, touch-and-feel books, and playing bouncing games.

For those who requested it, Sophie is wearing size 12 months onesies and pants. Dresses she can fit as small as 6-9 months but we are tucking her dresses into bloomers/shorts now so as not to get her frustrated when she pins herself down with a knee on the fabric while crawling.

Sold!

2011-08-12T22:51:00.000-05:00

Laith signs on the purchase of our new house! Hooray!

Pictures coming once the dust settles. :)

Jill Visits!

2011-08-01T09:39:00.001-05:00

We had a wonderful visit from Jill a few weeks ago and had so much fun chatting, laughing, playing super-heros with Lucas, and baking a birthday cake (Jill's birthday was 3 days after her visit).

After one of the cake layers broke into a couple pieces when released from a silicone pan, attempts to restore the cake to a pretty product ended up in a downhill slide into cake-craziness.

At least it tasted good! :)

We also headed to Carter's Orchard for some mountaintop peach picking! Yum!

We had a wonderful time! Thanks for making the drive down, Jill! We look forward to seeing you again soon!

Family Photo Session!!!

2011-07-31T09:12:00.005-05:00

My mom bought me the most amazing birthday present ever this past year and I waited until now to cash it in! A professional family photo session! I'm so happy to have this year with our brand new family of 4 documented. It's been tumultuous with so many big changes (new house, new job, new baby, new preschool, etc etc) and I was letting photos with Laith and I and the kids slip by because wow, it's nearly impossible to hold a camera and keep the kids happy while keeping Laith and I looking natural. Enter Cramer Photo and a beautiful record of where we are in 2011 is now a happy collection of keepsakes.

Lucas was shy at first.

Can you see how squirmy the kids are here! Totally how it is in real life!

Sophie Sessions: Nine Months

2011-07-22T13:15:00.002-05:00

Notable from this month:

*Sophie has learned how to crawl! Now we're in trouble- guess we'll have to baby-proof before our August 5th move to our new home!

* Sophie's first teeth emerged. We love her new smile.

* She's babbling! Sophie's been using vowel sounds (mostly ahhhh) up until a few days ago. Now we're hearing occasional ba, wa, ma, and da sounds and it's adorable.

Movin'

2011-07-21T21:16:00.000-05:00

She crawls! It's so cute to watch our tiny little baby delight in exploring our house. Yay Sophie!

Fourth of July Fireworks

2011-07-15T21:53:00.006-05:00

The best view in the house.... is in front of our house! All the neighbors with kids gathered on the sidewalk in front of our house with lawn chairs and sparklers to view the big production being blasted from McIntire Park (right down the road from us)! And the best part was that we could bring the baby monitor outside with us and Sophie slept through the whole thing!

A day with the Vincents

2011-07-13T21:11:00.007-05:00

One of the best parts about living in Charlottesville is our proximity to the family- Laith's mom in WV and the Vincents and DeHavens in Fairfax. We were able to drive up for the day and return home at night, letting the kids fall asleep in their carseats before transferring them to their beds for the night (much better for sensitive-sleeper Sophie). It was great to be able to spend time with everyone without feeling like we had to catch up on the past 6-12 months like we had to when we lived in TX and visited VA. We enjoyed amazing food (thank you Andrea!!) and Lucas had a blast romping with all his cousins.

Both kids LOVED these beanbag chairs! Laith and I did too. :)

Amity very recently learned how to ride a 2-wheeler! Here she shows me what she can do:

June Misc

2011-07-12T21:08:00.001-05:00

Lucas' new book from Meemom. Her voice is recorded reading the story. After the last page is read, Lucas tries to talk back to Meemom through the speaker! So sweet!

Lucas is taking swim lessons and so far is doing 100 x better than last summer's lessons. Still quite fearful, but huge improvement in his willingness to try the activities the instructor lays out.

Fridge monkey
Everything about Sophie makes me want to eat her up! Even her little baby back and elbow dimples are cute!

Yoder Visit

2011-07-11T21:10:00.000-05:00

First Balloon

2011-07-10T21:11:00.006-05:00

Aerial view... the balloon's perspective. :)

Father's Day Fun

2011-07-10T13:16:00.003-05:00

Lucas picked this outing to a county fair for Laith's Father's Day celebration. Namely for the surprise gift both of us knew he would love... no, it's not a carousel ride...
Or a wild gator coaster ride...
It's a helicopter ride!!!

For a really reasonable price, all 3 of us were flown around beautiful Albemarle county for about 5 minutes. LOVED it!!

Happy Father's Day, Laith, to the kindest, most patient, and most fun Daddy!

Sophie Sessions: Eight Months

2011-07-09T12:43:00.003-05:00

This month, Sophie....

* Has learned how to get into the crawling position. No movement yet, but she's at the starting gate! :)

* Gets stopped by strangers everywhere we go who want to comment on or touch her hair. It's been growing upwards- as if she's a mad scientist or electrically charged!

* Went swimming for the first time at the local wading pool. She was ecstatic! This girl loves water in every way- drinking it out of a cup, splashing in the bath, and kicking in the pool!

Sophie's Favorites:

TOYS: alligator xylophone and yellow smiley face rattle

FOODS: pickles, chevre (fancy french goat cheese!), cheerios, Aunt Connie's Salmon, and gingered carrots (we've got another high-flavor eater!)

ACTIVITIES: peekaboo with Lucas, flirting with herself in the mirror, working on picking up small objects

Peach Pickin' with Uncle Max!

2011-07-08T06:15:00.001-05:00

Laith's brother Max came to visit in mid June for a long weekend and we had a great time eating out, relaxing around the house, and going peach-picking! The kids took to Max instantly- Lucas loved playing with him and was so sad when he left; and Sophie didn't have any stranger-anxiety at all when he held her! At one point, Laith and I needed to meet with our realtor for 30 minutes and Max volunteered to hold down the fort while we were gone. Sophie was napping so we figured it would be totally fine. Max is only 20 yrs old and has never babysat such young kids before so while we trust him completely, we didn't want to put him in a challenging situation. Well, challenge is what Max got while we were gone. Sophie woke up just 5 min after we drove off, clingy and crying, during which Lucas had a messy poop accident. Gotta love how the kids coordinate their personal emergencies like that- it's a well-honed and frequently utilized skill. Max did great, remaining his cool laid-back self while soothing Sophie and cleaning up Lucas. Max, you get extra brownie points times 100 for that! Thanks for coming out to visit and we all look forward to seeing you again soon!

Last Day of Preschool

2011-07-06T13:15:00.003-05:00

This was such a sad day for us as we said goodbye to our teachers and friends not just for the summer but forever. The Montessori School of Charlottesville decided to close Lucas' classroom at the Elder Care Center for budget reasons and Laith and I don't think their other 2 campuses are a good fit for him (too quiet and creativity-stifling for an active, social boy). If the school had remained open, he would have returned to the same teachers and same students (minus the kindergardeners) for the next 2 years. We were really looking forward to the continuity of that and enjoying all the amazing skills he learns in an environment that encourages kids to learn what interests them and at their own pace. Lucas was already starting pre-reading activities and also identifing the 50 states when he left! We'll also miss the fact that his school and teachers emphasize courtesy and manners and good social skills above all else. It's amazing to see how Montessori kids are so friendly and thoughtful. Playground time looks completely different there.

Next year, Lucas will be attending a well-regarded 3-days-a-week program at a church.

Here are some photos from our last day at Montessori:

Saying goodbye to his teachers, Ms. Marchenka (above) and Ms. Crystal (below)
Lucas' "mentor" Ava, who took Lucas under her wing when he first started school and showed him how to do many of the activities there.
Last "Music with Ben" singalong with the Elders

And now we're ready for summer! Wading pool and Discovery Museum, here we come!

May Misc

2011-07-05T07:05:00.011-05:00

Poor sick Sophie. The spit-up on my shirt was not even half of what came out of that tiny little body. These pictures were taken during an illness where she was the most lethargic I had seen her, and I was just fed up with all the apnea episodes and continuous coughing and thought that maybe a different doctor would be able to give me better information (rather than that her brother was just bringing viruses home from preschool or that she had "junk" in her lungs that her immune system needed to handle). I felt like this had to be symptoms of something more than the previously diagnosed reflux or food allergies. She's usually a happy sick baby (crazy, huh?) so the photos on this blog belie her constant illness since January- she's usually healthy for a week or so leading up to a well-child check at the pediatrician and then sick for 2-3 weeks straight. Repeat). We finally got relief when this doctor diagnosed her wheezing as Respiratory Distress Syndrome (essentially infant asthma). After a nebulizer breathing treatment in the office, Sophie was doing 100 times better and we were given a machine to use at home as well. That night, after months of waking anywhere from every 30 min to 3 hours, usually with coughing fits, Sophie slept 8 hours straight. Whew!

Playing duck-duck-goose

I totally forgot about Virginia's spring rainy season. Usually April showers bring May flowers, but this year we had some rain and chilly jacket weather clear into the middle of the month. Here's a fun shaving cream art activity we played for almost an hour! Now Laith won't be able to shave until he gets a new can. :)

May is also filled with butterflies. I have no idea why this one was being so still for so long but Lucas was enthralled. It flew away right after this photo.

Sophie borrows Lucas' jacket when the temperature drops suddenly after preschool pick-up.

Our neighbor Andy is always decorating his body. He often has painted nails, marker and paint drawings on his skin, etc. And got Lucas involved with this chalk-in-a-puddle body art.

Sophie's full-on into the phase where small-sized things are of great interest. She finds the tiniest crumb or paper scrap embedded in our carpet and of course it goes in her mouth. This bowl of Cheerios was a very interesting and tasty(!) activity for her.

D'Agostino Wedding

2011-06-30T10:58:00.000-05:00

Austin Trip

2011-06-28T13:15:00.006-05:00

The Riveras became really good friends just before we moved from Austin :( but it's been wonderful to spend time with them during both of our trips back to TX! Lucas loves playing the part of little brother with them and both kids are so amazingly sweet and thoughtful towards him. We miss you guys!

Yum! Breakfast at the Rivera house is always lovely.

Special delivery! Just a photoshop photo. We didn't really pull Sophie up to the playloft in a bucket- but wouldn't that be a fun ride? :)

Ready for Summer

2011-06-20T13:12:00.005-05:00

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T09:49:00.000-05:00

Me and Dad "feeding the ducks" Father's Day 1976

Homemade Playdough

2011-06-18T19:19:00.001-05:00

Usually homemade playdough is touted for its all-natural ingredients. Moms will often use beets, carrots or blueberries to tint their dough a pretty and earthy color for their all-natural children; and while I briefly considered this idea, it seemed much more labor intensive than making the dough itself.... So I used a purple crayola marker! :)

Junie-Cakes

2011-06-17T19:43:00.005-05:00

Sibling Love

2011-06-16T19:42:00.004-05:00

Lucas Puts on His "Spiderman Makeup"

2011-06-14T20:52:00.002-05:00

Sophie Sessions: Seven Months

2011-06-11T21:47:00.001-05:00

Latest developments:

* Sophie tried her first solid pureed foods this past month (avocado, sweet potato, apple and peach). And didn't care for any of them. She'll take 3 or so spoonfuls before she gets upset with the constant bad tastes being offered to her.

* She positively DELIGHTS in Lucas' attention. She squawks happily every time she gets to do something with him (hide under the sheet together! Read a book together! Sit in the laundry basket together!) The cutest thing in the world is hearing Lucas explain something to Sophie or ask her to watch him do something the same way he would a verbal peer.

* Sophie is now officially mobile. But not in the way you'd think. She's nowhere close to crawling but manages to roll wherever she wants to go! I first discovered this after leaving her on a blanket in Lucas' room while I ran downstairs to get my phone. Where's Sophie? Oh, there she is, over by the closet!

Stats: 16 pounds, 30th percentile (where did our chubby baby go?)

25 1/2 inches, 30th percentile

I Love These Little Hands

2011-06-10T20:32:00.002-05:00

And the little dancing feet too. :)

Preschool Mother's Day Lunch

2011-05-28T17:14:00.003-05:00

All the little tables had cloths over them and vases of flowers. The kids served the food to their mothers while we all sat in tiny chairs with our knees up to our chests. It was so super-cute.
Here's the little heart pillow Lucas made for me for my Mother's Day present!

April Miscellaneous

2011-05-25T17:13:00.000-05:00

Teething on a snake head :) that Laith made in a wood whittling class in 2000.
Enjoying the end-of-April weather that's finally warm enough for a sundress!
Sophie still loves grabbing her feet!
This photo was taken before she started getting stronger and squirmier. She's pretty much stuck in that dumptruck!
Lucas' bedroom gets the best windowlight for photographing their lovely faces

Lucas grubby-faced and sad (don't remember why, but his pouty face is pretty darn cute!)
Lucas' FIRST recognizable representational drawing!! In classic Lucas fashion, he waited to attempt (actually- resisted... I'd been encouraging drawing faces as soon as he could draw a circle 6 months ago!) a drawing of a person until he knew he could do it well! :)
Sophie loves helping Lucas with art projects
Lucas' favorite games involve super heroes
Visiting with Aunt Jill while we were in NoVa for Easter
Squeezable baby!
More collaborative art work!
This month Lucas learned how to balance long enough to lift his feet up for the duration of his downhill coasting! Next step: a 2 wheeler with pedals!

BatBoy and his Little Sister

2011-05-24T17:14:00.000-05:00

Easter Look-Alikes

2011-05-21T19:57:00.000-05:00

Easter with the Fairfax Vincents

2011-05-19T17:11:00.006-05:00

Dogwood Festival

2011-05-18T09:44:00.004-05:00

A special Mommy-Lucas outing in mid April (yup, I'm still a month behind in blog posts... Easter is up next!)

Lucas LOVED it. He stayed up late, ate a carnival hotdog, watched at the game booths, wished he was taller so he could ride all the big kid rides too, and was THRILLED when we ascended to the top of the tall ferris wheel (here's the photo from that moment):

Can't wait to return next year with the whole family!

First Food!

2011-05-13T20:08:00.008-05:00

Sophie's been dying to try what's on our plates at dinnertime these past couple of weeks so we got out the old blender and whipped up some avocado puree. Here she is, wide-eyed in anticipation about to taste what she's been flapping her arms for these past several days.

"Ughhhh. This is NOT what I was expecting"
But like a goldfish with the 3-seconds-long short-term memory, she opens her mouth for MORE!
"Weee! I'm so excited to eat what's on this spoon! I wonder what it will taste like!!"
"Ummm. Not my favorite flavor. Bleh"

3 seconds later: "What's that on the plate, Daddy?!! Feeeed me!!!"
"Hauuuppppf yum yum"
"Oh. It's that again."

"Guess what everyone, I'm eating fooooooood!"

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T09:32:00.001-05:00

Mother's Day, 35 years ago:

Hair Party

2011-05-07T17:58:00.001-05:00

Pre-Haircut:

Sophie LOVES Water

2011-05-06T10:52:00.003-05:00

Austin!

2011-05-03T22:56:00.000-05:00

I sadly never noticed how fun and quirky and interesting Austin really is until we moved away and came back as visitors! Here's an art installation put up for the month of April: pianos were left in random places throughout the downtown area for passerby to sit down and play!

And a fun idea graffitied across a bridge. Yes! Let's pretend we are robots! Lucas would love to!

And this really tattooed guy isn't all that much of an attention-getter to an Austinite, but he caught MY eye after being in much more conservative Charlottesville for 6 months!

Here Lucas is lounging with his two favorite friends. We miss you, Ellie and Isaac!

We also went to visit our old favorite destination for shopping, eating and playing: Central Market! We met up with Lucas' old friend Rand while there. Rand's mom and I used to swap babysitting every week.

And we brunched with the Robinsons and Ami at our favorite Mexican restaurant at the Triangle. Look how incredibly pale-skinned Sophie is here! I think she must have either red-headed Brady genes or Laith's mom (Karen's) fair and blond genes!

Mike and Olivia
Becca and Olivia
Check out those Michelin fat rolls! She's so cute and chubby I could just eat her!

Our first night back in Austin I attended my friend Cheasty's rehearsal dinner. It was Texas-themed, meaning she asked all the guests to dress up as whatever they thought of when they thought of Texas. We had Willie Nelson, a TX sheriff (the groom!), and a TX beauty queen (Kate- whose hair would have been teased much higher if it hadn't been for the heat and humidity... how do you do it Dallas girls?)

Here's Cheasty with her sister

My friends Kari and Kate were there (Kari is the one who introduced me to Cheasty) so that was fun catching up with them too!

Overall a fun-filled, busy visit. See you again at the end of May, Austin! :)

Lucas

2011-05-01T22:03:00.001-05:00

I love that Lucas is SO "boy" and at the same time so tender and sweet. See for yourself:

Holding a set of wrenches while making a wish on a dandelion...

Pausing his super hero exploits to quietly enjoy his proximity to the elusive kitty

Making a wish and rocking out!

Call the Cute Police!

2011-04-24T19:09:00.004-05:00

This baby has exceeded the quota of legal cuteness! It's killing me to think that she is quickly growing up and all too soon will no longer have these fat little thighs and gummy smile and disproportionately large blue eyes and fuzzy hair. Must. Photograph. Her. Incessantly. :)

Nacho Snatcher!

2011-04-21T00:00:00.000-05:00

March Misc

2011-04-20T18:32:00.004-05:00

Sophie Sessions: 6 months

2011-04-17T21:14:00.004-05:00

This past month, Sophie...

* flew in an airplane for the first time! To visit Meemom and Uncle Paul in Tucson!

* has learned how to sit independently on the floor while reaching and playing with toys

* has been (often successfully) removing and replacing her own pacifier

* responds with big smiles every time we sing her song, "who's that baby in the mirror?"

Stats: 15 lbs 6 oz (40th percentile- a bit of a drop from 60-75%- she must have missed out on calories while she was sick and while she was too busy and distracted by the world to eat!), 25.5 inches tall (40th percentile), clothing size 6 months.

Spring at last

2011-04-15T21:59:00.004-05:00

L's 8th B-day

2011-04-14T21:06:00.001-05:00

One of Lucas' favorite people in Charlottesville is our next door neighbor, L. She is so sweet to him, so indulgent of all of his requests and games, and essentially plays the big sister role in our family! She recently celebrated her 8th birthday with a fun-filled play date for all her friends that included a tie-dye activity, pizza and chocolate cupcakes. No themes, no decorations; it was simple and perfect. We all had a great time!

This gorilla get-up from the Fairfax Vincents has been quite the entertainment source for all kidd0-gatherings lately! Thanks for passing it on to us, Amity and Zayna!

Sophie Session: 5 months

2011-04-12T15:04:00.004-05:00

Just in time for her to turn 6 months: Sophies' 5 month photo session gets published! Ha ha. I'm taking these photos on-time, but I just hadn't been able to get them up on the blog because I'd had no free time to get on the computer during our "Winter of the Vincent Plague and Eternal Wakefulness". :)

So, without further ado, Sophie at 5 months!

This past month (up until she turned 5 months old), Sophie:

* has fallen in love with her own feet and grabs them any chance she can get.

* has spent most of this month sick

* has become VERY interested in new sounds and sights. She can't eat or sleep with any kind of visual or auditory input. I call her room with black-out shades her 'sensory deprivation chamber'.

* has started to delight in splashing at bath-time. I can no longer bathe her in the sink without drenching the entire bathroom.

* LOVES books. As soon as I open a page for her, she pedals her legs and waves her arms and lunges her face for the pictures. She gets so energized and excited about books, that we can't read bedtime stories. It's just not a relaxing activity for her! :)

And how in the world was I supposed to decide between all these cute photos for her baby-in-a-box picture? Cuteness overload!

The Vincents visit Meemom and Uncle Paul!

2011-04-11T13:12:00.015-05:00

The kids did amazingly well on the plane until we hit the bedtime hour. Let's just say we learned the hard way that we need to book morning flights for any future travel! My mom and Paul put us up in a beautiful comfortable hotel the first night and we all got great sleep and were ready to play early the next morning! First we hit the Tucson Air Museum. Lucas was enthralled.

Lucas opted not to be in our posed photos. He's been harder and harder to capture on my camera. All the shots you see of him on the blog lately have been of him doing what I've caught him doing or with the camera off to the side of my face while I talk to him!

3 generations of women: Look, we all have the same Ukrainian eyes! :)

Our Tucson tradition: painting the river rocks that surround the pool. It will be fun to compare how these have changed as Lucas gets older.

Uncle Paul can rip a phone book in half!!! Don't mess with this guy! :)

Lucas gives it a try. Hmmm. Maybe when he's a "bigger boy".

Photos from around the house...

Baby Blue Eyes

Thanks for the lovely visit, Mom and Paul! We had so much fun and hope we didn't wear you out too much! :)

Backlog

2011-04-08T08:22:00.002-05:00

I have lots of catching up to do- it's been such a hard winter of endless illnesses and sleep deprivation. Tucson trip blogpost coming soon!

A Post Written by Super Daddy

2011-03-21T20:38:00.010-05:00

It has become apparent to me that I’ve inherited super powers, only bestowed upon those that become parents. Sort of like joining a secret club. I could not have imagined having these powers before my son was born. Now that I have a daughter as well it only increases my status as a super hero. What makes this so, you say? Below is a partial list of my abilities (I cannot reveal all; that might get me kicked out of the Super club)

1) I can fart in public and get away with it. That’s right, while holding either or better yet, both of my kids, I can tear it up and NO ONE is going to say anything to me (except maybe my wife, but she’s part of the club too).

2) I can make a pbj… while holding a kid in each arm, one that acts like an octopus climbing to the top of my head and the other kicking her legs watching that octopus-boy! I can even spread the peanut butter evenly, as my mastery of this skill allows me to take my time.

A note from the editor.... check out the photos below to see this skill in various stages of development. :)

3) I can eat square pretzels into the letters L, C, U, and P. Sort of like food sculpting with your teeth. Not impressed? You try it, and try it under pressure after you hear “Eat this one into a C and then an L, daddy!”. I laugh at you mere mortals just crunching away uncontrollably as I attempt to interpret the entire alphabet in baked salty snack form.

At some point in the future I may reveal more, but I think that’s enough for now.

Auntie Laila's Blankets

2011-03-04T11:40:00.000-06:00

Lucas and Sophie each have a special extra-soft blanket made by their Auntie Laila. We use these blankets more than any other that we have because they're the perfect size and perfect warmth for this time of year plus they're so soft the kids love to wrap up in them!

In the Thick of It

2011-03-01T19:28:00.003-06:00

So my last blog entry was prematurely positive about us all getting healthier. Thank goodness Lucas is better- I had forgotten what a sweet and cute and fun and happy kid he is when he isn't sick! Sophie has been sick for 2 weeks now. Vomiting mucus and coughing so intensely she can barely take a breath between hacks. She can't sleep unless she's completely upright and in the Moby wrap. I took her to the Dr. today and he said he heard bronchial sounds, whatever that means. He's an osteopath (which I think is cool) so he gave her a homeopathic thing to take every two hours and if she isnt' better in 48 hours we'll start antibiotics.

So here's the part I wanted to write down in the blog to remember the tough infant time and remind myself I don't want to do this again when the itch for a 3rd baby gets a hold of me! A snapshot of the last 24 hours:

Last night, Sophie is coughing like crazy while she tosses and turns (we bring her into our room when she's sick). She can't find that sweet spot and after a minute starts crying and hacking and crying. I get up and suction the mucus out of her nose and then do a fast bouncing walk around our bedroom for the next 30 minutes to get her to settle. She falls asleep, I transfer her to the bed, we sleep 90 minutes. She wakes up snorting and coughing again. I attempt to nurse her to sleep in a sitting position, but she sounds like a panting bulldog with a cold. Then she vomits the feed exorcist style over my shoulder while I pat her back. She doesnt' feel any better. I throw a prefold diaper cloth over the vomit but don't feel like cleaning it up in the middle of the night. It can wait til morning. We repeat this pattern (only one more vomit though) all night. At one point her crying wakes Lucas so Laith goes in there to sleep with him but he's so tired that he's wired and doesn't fall back asleep for 3 hours!

The next morning Laith comes downstairs looking pale and pastey and exhausted and heads to work. I just wear Sophie in the Moby most of the day, letting her sleep when she's tired. My back and shoulders are killing me. Lucas is a little frustrated I can't play with him on the floor or hold him too. At the end of the day, Laith is at a meeting for parents of preschoolers because they're shutting down Lucas' school and we need to find a new place for him to go next fall. I'm attempting to put Sophie down for the night and she has just nursed to sleep. I'm about to transfer her to the bed. Lucas is feeling very non-independent and decides to wet his pants while he stands in place in his room. Then he starts yelling for me to help clean him up. Sophie wakes and starts crying. I go into Lucas' room and see two wet footprints on the floor. I tell him to take off his own wet pants and put on new underwear and wash his hands. I throw another cloth prefold diaper over the pee spot and notice that I haven't yet cleaned up the puke spots in our room from last night. Now we've got white cloth landmines all over our house. Awesome. I'm so tired I don't care. I'll clean those spots tomorrow. :)

A day in the Life in February

2011-02-21T19:32:00.003-06:00

Sick Haus

2011-02-20T20:10:00.003-06:00

All 4 of us got the plague these past 2 weeks. Laith was the first to fall, then Lucas, and then Sophie and I at the same time. The kids had it the worst- since they can't blow their noses or take any medications except for baby tylenol or ibuprofen. Lucas got a prize package of a 103 degree fever, watery-eyes, mucus-spigot nose, and incessant coughing. Soon it was Sophie's turn. She was coughing so much that she couldn't sleep and had to be held upright for all three of her 90 min naps and most of the night. And we're not talking sleeping upright on one of us while we dozed in a rocker. No, she needed us to pace and bounce with deep knee bends. There's nothing like some good sweaty exercise at 2am while you yourself have a fever and body aches! Also, she was feeding so poorly that she was hunger-crying and I was getting engorged. At it's worst, Laith and I took turns tending to each kid over a period of 4 nights- it felt like military boot camp in the sleep department. Then finally yesterday Lucas woke up cheerful and energetic, my congestion and headache started going away, and Sophie vomited big chunks of mucus out of her body and proceded to hungrily nurse for 40 minutes straight and then conked out and slept like a rock for a record-breaking 3 hour nap. So glad to all be on the mend!

Sophie Session: 4 months

2011-02-13T15:16:00.007-06:00

Height: 24.5 inches

Weight: 14 pounds 2 oz

Clothing size: 6 months

Wow, the books aren't kidding when they call the first 3 months of a baby's life the 4th trimester. This past month Sophie has gone from a bundled-up, easily-startled papoose to a vibrant, curious, kicky baby girl of the world! So many changes to report in the past 30 days! She reaches for and successfully grasps ring toys and our noses, rolls from back to front, is starting to explore using her voice, laughed her first big belly laugh at her brother, has either started teething or just flipped the switch on her drool-maker and is intense about gnawing on things, and can sit independently for 10-ish seconds propped on her hands. Her personality is still as it always was from fetus-hood (mellow, docile and sweet), but she is just so much more alert and fun! Looking forward to the next month, Sophie!

Quotes from Lucas

2011-02-12T15:51:00.000-06:00

"I need to put warm Mommy hands on my feelings because I hurt my feelings"

"Don't say 'potty', Mommy. I'm a big boy now. You can say 'toilet'."

While looking downwards with frowny face: "I wished I could be brown and tall but instead I'm tan and small."

Upon seeing some cauliflower on his dinner plate: "I don't care for this, Mommy. Thank you though!" Hmmm. Hard to argue when you say it so nicely like that, Lucas!

Lucas has been sick and developed a hoarse voice. From out of nowhere on the drive to school he informed me: "I'm running low on power. That's why my voice sounds like this."

Dad's Visit From Guam!

2011-02-06T07:50:00.005-06:00

My Dad had a business trip to San Francisco and since he'd be only a 4-5 hour flight away instead of halfway around the world, he booked a flight to come visit us directly after his meetings in CA! We were so happy to have him here, show him around C-ville, and introduce him to Sophie. Lucas enjoyed playing with Granddad- and continued the fun by piling every single one of his toys on top of his jet-lagged playmate when he fell asleep on the floor! It's still quite cold outside and Sophie is still a carseat-crier, so we didn't do a whole lot of touring around (especially because there's not as much to do here in Jan and Feb), but it was nice to have some downtime and relax around the house too! Thanks for coming out to see us, Dad! It was great to spend time with you!

A Day in the Life in January

2011-02-03T07:38:00.000-06:00

This was taken in the beginning of the month when her reflux was still so bad that she often had to sleep like this. Thank goodness it's under control now with medication and diet (no casein/dairy). Wearing her CUTE onesie from Aunt Chris (Jill's mom). I like this color on her!

Sophie started teething at the end of the month... SO not fair that she's too young to be able to hold her own teether! Poor Sophie!

But she's not too young for her first motorcycle ride!!

We've been going to the downtown pedestrian mall a lot- and this time was a little too late in the evening for our nap-skipping baby lion.

And Lucas isn't too big for Sophie's infant seat! :)

I've also been taking Lucas to Chick-Fil-A about once a week. We go straight from preschool to lunch. We like it because it's been soooo cold outside and they have an indoor playscape.

Lucas loves his dress-up costumes! Today I have a doggie.

Lion Cub's Den

2011-01-25T13:59:00.004-06:00

3 kinds of sweet

2011-01-23T13:51:00.004-06:00

1. Our reindeer cupcakes

2. Lucas and Daddy on a Saturday morning

3. Lucas loving Sophie

Sophie Session: 3 months

2011-01-15T21:48:00.007-06:00

alternately titled: watch the baby lose her dark hair!

Height: 23", 30th percentile

Weight: 13 lbs 3 oz, 75th percentile... Love those chubby thighs!

Likes:

Reaching for and grabbing her ring toys on her bouncy seat

Engaging us in smile fests

Dislikes:

Her continuing reflux, apnea, coughing, hiccups, gassiness

Being kept awake when it's nap time

Hi Baby!

2011-01-14T21:38:00.001-06:00

Horton New Year!

2011-01-13T09:14:00.007-06:00

Karen and Matt came to visit over the new year and we rang it in in style- asleep! Ha ha.

It was so awesome to get to see Karen yet again in just 2 months time. I love living closer to her. With it being cold and a little humid/drizzly, and Sophie having a penchant for carseat-crying, we didn't really do a whole lot of activities but we still had a great time hanging out, relaxing, and enjoying the time off work.

Matt spent all day cooking a traditional New Years meal of black eyed peas, pork and collard greens- which I had never had before and was admittedly unexcited about, but in the hands of a Horton, turned out so amazingly delicious! I never was a pork fan until I ate the meal Matt made; and the black eyed peas were so good that I added the leftovers to breakfast tacos and turkey sandwiches for the next week!

That day we went for a short hike near Carter Mountain. It was so nice to get out into the lovely Virginia nature that I loved so much and missed while in TX.

This week Sophie also successfully reached for and grabbed the elusive bouncy seat rings for the first time! She was so happy with herself! Karen caught it on camera!

She also took our first picture of us as a family of 4. I can't believe we didn't get a picture of all of us together until now!

The next day we hit the downtown pedestrian mall. Karen and I walked there (just a mile away) and met the guys who drove because we needed a back up transportation plan in case it rained. Most of the stores were closed except for the icecream shop. (!) But it was still nice to walk around.

Thanks for making the drive out here, Karen and Matt! Looking forward to seeing you again soon!

Lucas and Sophie Overload!

2011-01-11T11:11:00.000-06:00

Bathtub Boy and Sudsy Sink Sophie

2011-01-10T10:08:00.004-06:00

Our First Little Christmas

2010-12-25T06:46:00.001-06:00

This is the first Christmas since Laith and I started dating in 2001 that we got a tree, decorated our house with more than a front-door wreath, and stayed in our own home for the holiday. It was quiet but also exciting to be starting our own family traditions and reveling in Lucas' participation in the Christmas season for the first time as well. He decorated the tree himself- well at least the bottom half of the tree. And you can see in the photos that he wanted the gold bead garland front and center! With Sophie still being a newborn, we weren't able to do all the things we want Christmas to be, but we got a good start on it. This year we watched Polar Express projected large at the local library after-hours with pillows and popcorn and 10-12 other young families, Lucas and Laith went to Janeen's cookie party, and we roasted marshmallows in our fireplace. Next year we'd like to chop down our own tree, do some sort of Angel Tree/Adopt a Family for Christmas presents, make pinecone bird feeders, and do an advent calendar and wreath. It's been a whirlwind last-3-months-of-the-year for us with a new house, new job, new state, new preschool, new baby, all 4 of our birthdays, and all the big holidays (halloween, thanksgiving and christmas) and we couldn't be happier. Merry Christmas everyone!

Baby It's Cold Outside

2010-12-22T12:56:00.000-06:00

Sophie Session: 2 months

2010-12-16T07:30:00.006-06:00

Height: 22 1/2", 40th percentile

Weight: 11 lbs 10 oz, 75th percentile

Sophie Likes:

* Looking at new faces

* Watching her big brother play

* Dark and quiet when napping

* Sleeping through the night! (Oh, wait, that's what Mommy likes)

Sophie Dislikes:

* Stoplights, stop signs, idling in a parking lot

* gas, coughing and apnea

* Loud noises

Lucas' First Snowfall

2010-12-15T22:19:00.002-06:00

Lucas has read Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats many times, so he knew what to do with snow, but he also was a little but reserved about his first foray into the white stuff.

At first he was pretty excited about it all- pointing out how many things he recognized that were now covered in snow.

Sophie was such a cute snowbear that I almost ate her!

Our neighbor, Satchel helped Lucas with his mittens and was hoping to introduce Lucas to the joys of sledding (but Lucas preferred to just watch).

Hmmm, snow is cold and wet. It's kinda cool, I guess.

Though Lucas enjoyed his first real winter experience, I couldn't convince him that his snowpants would keep him dry if he sat in the snow, and the neighbor kids couldn't convince him of the fun he could have playing in it. He was mainly just uncomfortable in all those winter layers, he didn't know how to use his hands with mittens on them, and his face was getting cold. So that was the end of that. He really is still a Texan boy. :) I think it will take more snowfalls and maybe another year for him to really appreciate snowy days.

Delicious Baby Hands

2010-12-14T14:17:00.005-06:00

Thanksgiving

2010-12-12T14:16:00.000-06:00