Monteblanco Family

Happy 2nd Birthday, Eli!

2010-02-21T17:17:00.000-08:00

Today is Eli's 2nd birthday. Two years ago today our lives were changed when we welcomed our second baby into our family. At times it doesn't seem like its been 2 years. While at other times, I can barely remember life without Eli!

2 years ago today

1 year ago today

Today

Happy 2nd birthday, Bubby! Mommy loves you so much!

Fritz's

2010-02-06T17:22:00.000-08:00

Vito and I had a weekend away from the kiddos this past weekend. We missed them terribly, so we celebrated being home with a family trip to Fritz's Restaurant. What a fun place! Fritz's is a train restaurant. Orders at Fritz's are called in from the booths on a telephone. A server brings the drinks, but the food is delivered by "Skat Cat" on the overhead track. A mechanical arm stops your order at the platform above your table, which then lowers to deliver your food. This rig is a bit noisy and everyone watches when a meal is delivered.

Needless to say, Eli was overjoyed! He had so much fun watching all of the trains buzzing around the place. Olivia was a bit more timid, but I'm pretty sure she enjoyed herself.

I might add, I was quite proud of my little guy who shouted "PeePee!" in the middle of the restaurant. A trip to the restroom ended successfully with Eli's first "deed" in the big potty. I'm so proud of my boy!!

Starbucks

2010-02-06T17:12:00.000-08:00

So remember my last post? When I told you I was to be starting a new class along with everything else in my life. And when I said I was crazy . . .

As I sit here at Starbucks doing homework (well, with a brief break to post this blog), I am reminded how crazy I really am. Yes, I'm doing homework at Starbucks. It seems to be the only place I can get to on a Saturday evening when I'm behind on homework and just have to do it. I'm only two weeks into the class and already behind. Two weeks into it, I'm resorting to leaving the kids home with Vito and retreating to a tiny table at the nearby coffee shop. Two weeks into it means six weeks more to go. Six weeks of Saturday nights at Starbucks. Hmm, put it that way and it doesn't sound too bad!

This was my week . . . meeting after meeting after meeting. Its a good thing I like the people I was in meetings with and that I love my job. I may have gone postal come Thursday evening if it weren't for those two aspects! I suppose this adds to the craziness I speak of.

Lifting my grande, non-fat caramel macchiato to a hopeful upcoming week of less craziness.

Crazy? Yes!

2010-01-24T21:11:00.000-08:00

I start a new class tomorrow. I have a few classes to take in order to complete my course of study for ordination and one starts tomorrow. So why not add one more thing to my life. Crazy? Yes! But also ready to be ordained. A few classes, one more year, and I'll be able to check ordination off my "to do" list! I did my first assignment tonight with energy and motivation. Please pray that energy and motivation last past tonight! Ready or not, here I come!

While Daddy was at youth group tonight, the kids and I had a bit of fun. The evening started out kind of grumpy for all three of us. But after a change in attitude from Mommy, we all had a pretty decent evening.

Here's Eli with a tat of his lady. :-) Yes, he picked the tattoo and the location of where to put it. And he proudly held his shirt open for the picture!

My two goofy kiddos watching me make their dinner. This is Eli's new "say cheese" face!

And here they are making silly faces. :-)

SUCCESS!

2010-01-16T10:09:00.000-08:00

I wouldn't be a good Mommy if I didn't blog about this achievement!

Eli went pee-pee in the potty this morning for the first time! We've been sitting him on the potty for weeks now, but he's never actually gone. He'll tell us if he's wet or dirty and he'd rather wear undies or pull-ups than diapers. So I know he is showing some good signs that potty training isn't too far away. I've always been told that boys don't train very young, but I do think having a big sister helps us in this area. He wants to be just like his Sissy.

So, this morning we had a great achievement! We all celebrated with clapping and cheering, and Eli got his first sticker on his potty chart.

Here he is standing next to his chart. He doesn't seem as excited as I am about this! (By the way, I think he looks a lot like his daddy in this picture.) :-)

Down 2.3 . . . 37.7 to go

2010-01-14T20:35:00.000-08:00

New year, new me. Yeah, I've said it before. But this year . . . yeah, I've said that before, too!

So far, though, I'm down 2.3 lbs. Only 37.7 more to go. I'm motivated and excited. We got the new Wii Fit Plus with some Christmas money and its been fun the past three days. I feel energized and ready to keep working out!

We've also started eating better - all of us! Trying new veggies and cooking more balanced meals. It feels good eating well.

So, here's to a new year and a new me.

Speaking of weight, Olivia is getting close to hitting the 40 lb mark and I'm pretty sure she's grown taller in the past few weeks.

Eli still hasn't caught up to big sister, but he's catching up. I think he's less than a pound lighter. I found some pants at Target last week that I couldn't pass up. They are the kind that roll up to turn into shorts. Except on Eli, since he needs the bigger waist, these are super long and roll up just to the exact length he needs for pants! Perfect! Last year I passed them up in early spring thinking I'd get them later on only to find them sold out when we needed them. So off we went into the dressing room to try them on and choose the 5T pants! 5T! He's not even 2 yet!

I must do better at taking pictures to post here!

New Year's Eve

2009-12-31T16:34:00.000-08:00

Vito is at the church tonight ringing in the New Year with the teens. So the kids and I decided to make gingerbread men. Well, more like gingerbread men, women, bears, and snowmen. Olivia had a blast helping roll out the dough, cut the shapes, and decorate! Eli enjoyed eating the dough, making a mess, and eating the cookies!

Hard at work decorating.

The finished products! Minus the one Eli ate instead of decorating.

I asked Olivia earlier today what she thought would happen in the New Year. Her response . . . "Maybe Santa will come again?" I bet she's right!

Happy New Year! I hope your 2010 brings more than just another visit from Santa. :-) May you experience health and true happiness this year.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-30T17:29:00.001-08:00

We had a great Christmas in Oklahoma City with Jenni's family. We usually go to Amarillo, but due to the birth of little Noah, we all met in OKC this year.

Thanks to the blizzard on Christmas Eve, we were all snowed in at different homes. Scott had to spend the night at the hospital where he works. We were all quite happy to be together on Christmas day when we all finally made it to Sara/Ryan's house around noon. We spent some time with Uncle Rick and his family, too. And everyone packed an over-night bag for Christmas night. No one wanted to be stranded so we all camped out on floors and couches at Sara/Ryan's house. It definitely was different this year, but we were all together. I can't ask for anything more than that.

Olivia and Eli were both so much fun this Christmas. Last year, Eli was just 10 months old. But this year both kids were able to get into the spirit of Christmas. Olivia can tell you the Christmas story nearly word for word. In fact, she gets pretty upset when Daddy elaborates and doesn't get straight to the point of the story! Yes, we do Santa and all of that fun, but the real reason of the season is the birth of Jesus Christ. And its so exciting to hear our little 3.5 year old tell the story and get excited about baby Jesus' birthday!

Olivia (3.5 yrs) happily playing at Aunt Sara/Uncle Ryan's house.

Eli (22 months) just being himself!

New Cousin!

2009-12-30T16:59:00.001-08:00

It's been so long since I've blogged. I've gotten used to relying on facebook only, but its so hard to tell the "stories" of life on facebook. Maybe it will be my 2010 resolution to blog more. :-) We'll see how I do.

We were privileged to spend Christmas in Oklahoma City where both of my sisters and their husbands live. My youngest sister, Sara, and her husband, Ryan, just welcomed their brand new baby boy, Noah, into the world just days before Christmas. After a week in NICU with antibiotics, he was able to come home on Christmas Day! Despite a blizzard, little Noah was able to join us all for Christmas. Yay!

Olivia had anxiously been awaiting Noah's arrival. She knew that first Noah was coming, then Santa was coming, and then it was Baby Jesus' birthday. This was an exciting time in the life of a three year old! Olivia couldn't wait to finally see Noah and hold him. In her words, "I'll hold him gentle on his head and his bottom. Maybe he'll fall asleep in my arms."

Well, she finally got to hold him. And to her delight, he did fall asleep in her arms!

Eli was pleased with his new little cousin, too. We were even successful at our attempt for a cousins picture! Here they are . . . Olivia (3.5 years), Noah (10 days), Eli (22 months).

Welcome to the family, little Noah!

Swinging

2008-09-12T20:18:00.000-07:00

Eli never liked his swing. He just wasn't a swinging kind of baby. It's still sitting in our study though, so I thought I'd put him in it. He wasn't real fond of it, but I still got one smile out of him. Too bad now he's too big for it. Anyone want to buy a swing? :-)

Our Little Ballerina

2008-09-12T20:02:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of Olivia last Saturday before her first "dance" class. I didn't get any pics at class because she was so shy that I had to do all the exercises with her. We hopped like bunnies, jumped like frogs, stretched, skipped, and galloped. Well, at least the other 3 girls and I did, Olivia didn't do much of anything but stand there!

Someone was tired

2008-09-12T19:53:00.000-07:00

This one speaks for itself.

Morning Ritual

2008-09-12T19:43:00.001-07:00

I originally took the pictures because I thought it was cute how they like to spend time together. But, I didn't realize it until I downloaded these pics, but I guess we have a morning ritual. LOL Here's a couple of pics (taken 3 days apart) of Olivia and Eli just after waking up. They're most likely watching Mickey Mouse (Olivia's fav these days) and are obviously not awake yet.

Food!

2008-09-12T19:26:00.000-07:00

This kid loves to eat. Anything and everything! Here, Olivia decided Eli needed a bite of her quesadilla and sour cream. I'm not sure he knew what to think about it--but he didn't seem to mind. :-)

These pics were taken around the first of August, which was only a little over a month ago, and this onsie is now super tight on him. He's growing so fast. His 6 month check-up was on August 29 and he weighed 25.1 lbs and was 29" long. He's off the charts in both height and weight. The doc said he doesn't expect Eli to slow down any time soon!

Much Needed Updates

2008-09-12T19:09:00.000-07:00

Here they come . . . lots of updates. Vito is at "game night" at church, both kids are in bed, and I have computer time all to myself!!

These pics were taken on July 30 of Eli wearing Vito's hat. He looks SO grown-up. It's hard to remember that he's still only 6 months old. Then, on the other hand, it's hard to believe he's already 6 months old. Isn't he the cutest little boy, ever?

So, I lied.

2008-08-28T11:00:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted weekly. I know, I know. In fact, I haven't even downloaded pictures in a month or so. But there is so much to update. Eli is 6 months now and is sitting up entirely by himself. He loves to sit and enjoys playing with blocks and anything else he can pick up and put in his mouth! He is always so happy and is just a great baby. Olivia is potty trained now - yes, completely potty trained! We're so proud of her and so happy to not have 2 kids in diapers!

I'll try to get pics downloaded and posted here soon. We're headed to Amarillo for the Labor Day weekend--maybe I'll have a bit of free time then.

Until then.

More Pictures

2008-08-05T04:38:00.000-07:00

The blog was taking a while to upload pics last night, so I thought I'd try again this morning. Here are some more for your viewing pleasure. :-)

Professional Pics

2008-08-04T15:45:00.000-07:00

Livie's sitter is starting a photography business. She offered to take pics of the kids and here's what she got. Olivia is now 2 and Eli is 5 months old.

If you live in the KC area and are interested in some great pics at a good price, check out Jami's website at www.capturedbyjami.com.

I'm in love . . .

2008-07-28T13:25:00.000-07:00

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this picture! Its a few weeks old now, but its still so good. I can't believe how big my kids are getting. Every day they both do things that amaze me. I'm definitely in love and in awe with two kids named Olivia and Eli.

Our Trip to Nampa

2008-07-28T13:16:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I had to go to Nampa, ID for work. Being that Nampa is where Vito and I met in college and where Vito's sister, Kim, lives, we felt the whole family should go along. We had a great time visiting with Kim and her family. Here are a few shots from the week.

Olivia taking a bath with cousin, Ariya.

The whole family plays games - here we are playing dice with the kiddos.

Olivia loved shaking and rolling the dice!

Swimming with cousin, Ariya.

Close up shot - I think her eyes are turning green.

Eli chilling on the couch with Auntie Kim.

Swimming Lessons - Take 2

2008-07-13T12:35:00.000-07:00

If you remember from early June, Olivia was taking swimming lessons and didn't do so good the first week.

So we moved on to the second week and it was like something magically clicked! She was a fish! She loved it! She would swim with mommy, with daddy, with the instructor, and even by herself! We've gone swimming a few times since then and she does great. Absolutely LOVES it! I'm so glad we did the lessons and that it accomplished the goal of getting her to like the water.

Here are a few pics from week 2 of swimming lessons.

Daddy and Olivia in the pool.

Mommy and Eli hanging out and watching.

Olivia swimming with the instructor.

Swimming through the hula-hoop.

My Commitment to Blogging

2008-07-13T12:34:00.001-07:00

I am making a commitment to blog at least once a week - maybe more. This is such an easy way to share pictures and updates, so I should be able to do it. Keep me accountable!

E's First Haircut

2008-06-18T11:29:00.000-07:00

Yes, E has had to have a haircut already! It was getting so long and he was so hot and sweaty. So, we broke down and cut it at less than 4 months old. He did such a good job, though, and he looks so grown up and even more handsome than before!

Before:

During:

After:

Swimming Lessons

2008-06-18T11:18:00.000-07:00

O has been taking swimming lessons for the past week and a half. She did HORRIBLE the first week and cried every night. This week, however, she's done great! It was like something "clicked" and now she loves swimming.

Here are a few pics of her and me last week. I have some pics of her swimming with Daddy from yesterday . . . but I haven't uploaded them yet. Maybe tomorrow . . . nah, probably in a month! LOL

Update!!

2008-06-18T11:07:00.000-07:00

My dear friend, M, tells me its time for another update . . . what would I do without you, M? :-) For those of you who are also my Facebook friends, these pics might be a repeat - but at least here you get a little explanation too!

Here are some random, having fun pics of O and E. O is almost 23 months and E is almost 4 months. Aren't they cute?

Say "cheese!"

E cheering on his big sis, O - "Go Sis!"

AAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!

Ooops! Who put that there?

Having a great time playing together.

My big boy!

My Favorite Picture

2008-05-25T20:21:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken this past week - May 20, to be exact. It has become my favorite of O and E. So I thought I'd share it with you all. They're both really growing up! O is 22 months and E is 3 months now.

BUSTED!

2008-05-25T19:50:00.000-07:00

We went camping last weekend. I don't have any of the pictures here at home as they're on my computer at work. (Note to self: Bring home laptop and post more pictures!) But, one of our friends who went with us took this picture of O who had found her way to the bag of chips which is evident by the orange residue around her lips! BUSTED!

Where's E?

2008-05-25T19:44:00.000-07:00

Oh, its been way too long since I've updated our family blog. So, in attempt to appease family and friends, I'll post a few tonight. Maybe you'll get lucky and I'll post more tomorrow since I'll be home for the holiday. I apologize in advance if the next few posts are a bit out of order.

These pics were taken on April 22 (a full month ago). E is 2 months here and O is 21 months. O has really taken to E and loves taking care of him. Every time she wakes up, whether from a nap or from a full-night's sleep, her first question is, "Where's E?" Though, of course she says his full name, not just his blog name. :-) She always needs to know where her little brother is.

Girly Fun!

2008-04-13T09:43:00.000-07:00

I'm learning that for some girls, the "girly" things of life are just built-in. Our little girl is one of those girls! She loves shoes, purses, jewelry, and hair accessories. We can hardly go to the store without her finding something "girly" that she just has to have - which has been the cause of many temper-tantrums in the middle of the aisle when she doesn't get what she wants! :-)

Last week, her sitter let O play dress up. She was kind enough to take some pics and send them to us. As her sitter put it, they had "girly fun!"

E's Dedication

2008-04-10T18:22:00.000-07:00

We had E dedicated to the Lord this past Sunday by our District Superintendent. Here are a few pics of his dedication day.

Easter

2008-03-23T23:01:00.001-07:00

Happy Easter!Big sister loves to cuddle up to her little brother. I'm not sure he's too fond of it though!
Pretty little girl! 20 months old today. Growing up SO fast!
And our handsome little boy is 1 month old as of two days ago. Seriously, they grow so fast!

My kiddos

2008-03-10T11:15:00.001-07:00

A couple of professional pics we had taken last week. O at 19.5 months and E at 15 days. How could you not love these two cuties???

Update on Baby E

2008-03-02T16:52:00.001-08:00

Baby E is now 10 days old and doing well. We've had a bit of a rough time - E was jaundice and had to come home on the "bili belt." For the first few days home we had a plug-in baby. Here are a couple pictures of him all hooked up.

Because of the jaundice, E has been pretty lethargic and hasn't been a good eater. But, he's finally starting to wake up hungry on a regular schedule. He's also been awake more often and for longer periods of time (usually in the middle of the night!!).

Daddy sure is proud of his kiddos. :-)

Baby E has arrived!!!

2008-02-22T20:14:00.000-08:00

For those who would like pictures of baby E, here they are: enjoy!!

Baby Kim

2008-02-07T19:06:00.001-08:00

For Christmas, O got a new baby doll from her Great-Grandpa. We named her "Baby Kim." O loves playing with Baby Kim and I think it will help a lot once the real baby comes in just a few weeks. She pushes Baby Kim all around the house in her stroller, kisses her, reads to her, rocks her, feeds her . . .

Fix-It-Girl

2008-02-07T18:49:00.000-08:00

O had so much fun helping Daddy put together some bookshelves. I think we'll have to get her a tool kit all her own. She even reads the directions!

Big Girl Bed

2008-02-07T18:46:00.001-08:00

Here's a couple of pictures taken on January 19 - the day we got O's big girl bed. She is now going to bed in it every night without fussing! Most nights she still wakes up in the middle of the night but she is really making progress! She's getting too big too fast!

Like Mother, Like Daughter

2008-01-16T07:09:00.000-08:00

My parents were here in early January for an after-Christmas visit. While they were here, my mom took several pictures (like usual!). She happened to get two separate pictures, one of me and one of O, that she later realized looked very similar . . .

So, the question is . . . do I do that a lot and now O is mimicking me or is it some genetic thing? Either way, it's awfully funny!

Sorry I haven't posted in a LONG time . . . things have been crazy around here. V's mom passed away just 3 days after Christmas. We're just now getting back to "normal" after an extended stay in Portland. V's classes start up again next week and baby E will be here in less than 2 months.

I'll try to post a few Christmas pics here soon.

Decorating for Christmas

2007-12-09T19:00:00.000-08:00

O enjoyed decorating the Christmas tree this year. She especially enjoyed putting on her own personal touch . . . beaded necklaces.

Daily she asks us to turn on the lights and when we do, without fail we get a "wow" from her. It's been fun this year as she is old enough to enjoy the decorations and lights - every lit house and even every Christmas aisle at Wal-Mart is "wow" worthy.

She was such a big helper with the star too (yes, we have a short tree).

All By Myself

2007-11-14T08:04:00.001-08:00

Just call her Miss Independent. She won't let us feed her any more. :-( She can do it all by herself. And she's pretty good at it too!

A trip to the zoo

2007-11-14T07:41:00.001-08:00

For the month of November, all KCMO residents get into the zoo for free. Note to self . . . pay the money and go in the summer. Most of the animals were put away for the winter as it's getting too cold. But, it was a nice day and we had a good time walking around and seeing the animals that were out.

O's favorites were the baboons and lions. She growled and growled and growled at the lions. It was the cutest thing. Her daddy tried to convince her that she wasn't scaring the lions - did she care? :-)

My new favorite picture

2007-11-14T07:39:00.001-08:00

I just love this picture. The fall colors and my two loves! Doesn't get much better than this!

Here V and O were watching the hippos at the zoo.

Paradise Park

2007-11-14T07:29:00.001-08:00

We went to a place called Paradise Park the first weekend of November. O had a blast. This was just about a week after she had started walking so she had so much fun walking around and seeing all the other kids. She could have stayed there for hours - but Mommy wore out before then. Next time we're taking Daddy with us so that Mommy can sit around and Daddy can play with O! :-)

It's really a cool place for young kids. Here is O playing in the pretend kitchen.

Here she is getting her face painted - all she would let me do was a green streak on each cheek. :-)

I think this room was her favorite - the water table. She had so much fun playing in the water. That is until she started pouring it over the side and ended up with soaking wet socks and tennies!

And then there's the ball pit - imagine a 5 month pregnant lady carrying her 27 lb toddler into a ball pit and then trying to move around. Got the picture? Yeah, that was us!

Our Future Soccer Star

2007-11-09T18:28:00.000-08:00

V has always wanted a soccer player. I think he got his wish with Baby E. This kid is much more active in utero than O ever was. As I'm posting this new pic of him I am getting kicked left and right. His new fetish is internal organs. I don't know what it is he's been kicking in there lately but whatever it is it doesn't feel too good! I can't imagine what he'll be like when he's out here in the world with us . . . watch out KC Wizards . . . you've got your next pro soccer player coming!

(This pic was taken at 23 weeks.)

Happy Halloween

2007-11-04T18:13:00.000-08:00

O was Tinkerbell this year. We had trunk or treat at church and set up our trunk as Tinkerbell's fairy land.

I made a magic wand for her out of a magic marker and some sparkly, gold pipe cleaners. Man, I felt like the mother of a toddler when I was doing that! It was one of those "ah-ha" moments. She loved the magic wand and had a great time waving it around at everyone who came by our trunk.

O decided that walking was a good mode of transportation just this last week (FINALLY). She had a great time toddling around the parking lot in her stocking feet. Here she is toddling up to a fat mommy. :-)

"Up, Mommy." Who could resist that face?

O, the Chef

2007-10-30T07:23:00.000-07:00

I decided to let O help me cook the other night. She did a great job. Here she is not too sure of what's going on.

Then she started to get the hang of it . . . "Oh, I'm supposed to stir. Ok, I can do that."

And here's the fun part . . .
putting the crunchies on top. Yum!

The only problem now is that she thinks she needs to sit on the counter EVERY time Mommy or Daddy cooks. :-) Such a big helper!

Nothing but Trouble

2007-10-30T07:19:00.003-07:00

I promised you a picture of O in her new shirt. Very fitting these days, don't you think?I know, I know, she looks innocent in this picture . . . don't let it fool you! :-)

Be Patient

2007-10-29T10:39:00.000-07:00

So my dear friend (you know who you are) is giving me a hard time about not having more pictures up yet. I figure an explanation is in order . . . we are remodeling our house to make room for baby E. Our study is in a state of complete disorder which means the computer is not even plugged in. I promise to remember to bring the camera to work tomorrow and download/upload (still don't know the appropriate word) some pics. Just be patient with me . . . they're coming.

In the meantime, here's O about 2 months ago proudly displaying her big-girl princess jammies. This was when I believed she really was a princess . . . before she was in her "independent, I-can-do-anything by myself" stage. Now I'm not so sure about these princess jammies . . . they seem a bit deceiving. We bought her a shirt last weekend that says "Trouble is my middle name" . . . I think that's a bit more appropriate these days. :-)

Oh, but I love her just the same if not more!

Downloading Pictures

2007-10-21T09:49:00.000-07:00

Here's the latest downloaded picture series of O. I have more recent ones but I need to get them off the camera.

So, here she is being the ham that she is . . .

And I promise to download more soon.

Or is it upload? You download the picture to the computer . . . then you upload it to the blog.

Hmmm . . . better learn the proper blogging lingo.

3 Becomes 4

2007-10-21T09:41:00.001-07:00

It's a BOY! Baby "E" will be joining our family in late Feb/early March 2008. We are so excited to be adding a boy to our happy little family. Though to be honest with you, I'm kind of scared. We have a lot of work to do to get ready for this little guy and not much time! This pregnancy is going so much faster than the last!
Here's our family as it is now. This was taken in July 2007 for O's first birthday.

First Try

2007-10-21T09:30:00.001-07:00

Well, we're going to give this blogging thing a try. So many people have been asking for a way to view pics and updates of our growing family . . . so here we are. I'll do my best to keep this thing updated so please check back from time to time and see how the Monteblanco Family is doing. :-)