Catching Up

It'll take a few posts...there was a lot going on this past week. Here's a start.

Several firsts, including a first road trip to Houston, meeting tias Alisha and Kira 

(and unker Paul) for the first time!

So, more pictures to come, but here are some brief highlights of this past week.

Xaris' first trip to Ikea!  Swedish Meatball lunch included (for mom and dad).  

She is usually pretty content in her mobywrap...

We got to park here for the first time!

Next up: Haircut.  

I made it to graduation with long hair 

(something I wanted to do, since when I graduated from SPU I had really short hair that looked funny under a mortarboard).  

So...after graduation from SMU with my long curly hair, I decided to say goodbye to some of it.  

Before...

The first of two ponytails to donate...

After...

And...some more of the precious girl...

Giving the Stink-Eye during Tummy Time. 4 weeks old!

Conked out tonight...after church.

Happy 3-Week Birthday!

Xaris turned 3 weeks old today!

She's getting bigger, fatter, stronger, louder 

(well...she's always been pretty loud and strong)

And we love her more and more!

We packed up her stroller--diaper bag, extra everything! plus the camera bag, and went to the lake. Ricardo ran a few miles while she and I strolled...or strollered.  And then we took her 3 week pictures!

Such a doll!

She will curl up really small when she cuddles...

But she really likes to STRETCH-- (kinda like she was doing in the womb).

Strong legs that she uses to push off and make herself as big as possible!

Praying?  That's our girl--talking with Jesus...

Time with Daddy

Telling her daddy that she thinks the hat makes her look silly.

Dinner break.

A really cool tree (willow?)  

We also took pictures here with Kay, Leo and Elizabeth when they stopped in Dallas.

More stretching...

Family Photo!

Xaris also wishes a Happy 2-Week Birthday to her friend Nory!

Surprise...

So, Xaris woke up at 6ish and I was feeding her...

when Ricardo gets a phone call.  

He's groggy, looks at his phone, sees it's his brother, 

and assumes something is horribly wrong.

No so, however, it's just that his brother happens to be 

OUTSIDE OUR HOME and wants to come see the baby.

The story is...Juan (Ricardo's brother--same one who tried the "running-the-R-C-truck-into-his-head" experiment), was working in Lubbock, TX.  He needed to get to Kentucky for another job by midday today though, and the only way to do that was drive through the night from Lubbock to Dallas to catch an early morning flight out of Dallas.  So, when he arrived in Dallas, he decided he had a few (just a FEW) extra minutes to stop by our house before his 7:55am flight.  (He needed to return a rental car too).

He called us from outside, came to see the baby and got all excited that he was the first from Ricardo's side of the family to see her!

He and Ric ate bowls of cereal, and then Juan was off to try to get to the airport on time!  I'm assuming he made it, since we haven't had any repeat calls or visits.

Xaris with her Tio Juan!

Other random news: We made it to youth group last night!  No pictures, we didn't bring the camera, but she slept through it all anyway, nice and snug in her moby wrap.

The kids were really happy to see her though, and very good about washing their hands.  Now if only I could expect the same thing from all the adults in the congregation--I'm fearful about bringing her to church!

A few random pictures from this week:

HUGE newborn sized jeans.  Anyone else notice how not all newborn clothes are the same size?  Some aren't even REMOTELY newborn-sized!

When I arrived in my office on Sunday for the first time since Xaris was born, there were several more gifts in my chairs and on my desk.  This was one of them--the 3rd diaper cake we have received--and they just keep getting more and more impressive!  While it was packed with diapers inside, the outside was wrapped/decorated with other usable stuff: a couple of baby blankets, bath products, (the roses around the bottom layer are washcloths and socks), cute shoes as a topper!  Unbelievable!  I think I'd like to learn how to make these.  What an incredible gift.  

Double Whammy

I was originally doubtful that I would be able to attend my graduation, since Xaris' due date was the 14th and graduation the 16th.  But, an early arrival meant that graduation ceremonies were possible!

Mom and Dad came up from Houston to celebrate with us.  Dad hadn't met Xaris yet!!

Xaris with her Taita!

His hands are a LOT bigger than hers!

She didn't go to graduation--too many people in too small a space. 

Thanks to Kaitlin for babysitting so we could all attend!

It was a really nice and fun ceremony, glad I could do it, and so glad that Ric, mom and dad were all up here for it!  On facebook the other day, mom called it my double-whammy, a baby and a graduation to celebrate!

Outside the church...

Processing in...hood in hand!

Ricardo got some great shots!

My boy! He was pretty proud and happy for me!

So were these two!

Xaris missed out on her mama's graduation, but we did try to get some pictures with her afterwards.  She's two weeks old today!

BIG yawn!  

I guess not everyone's as excited as I was...

I still claimed a congratulatory cuddle.

I've had a building-monster headache most of the afternoon, so I fell asleep on the couch with the baby and Kung Fu Panda in the background...now I'm heading to bed to try to get rid of the rest of it! 

Thanks Ricardo (daddy), Mom, (Grandmama) and Dad, (Taita) for celebrating with me!

Mother's Day

My first Mother's Day!

It was a lot of fun--we managed to get to breakfast and the grocery store, and then a quick 10-minute stop at the lake for some mother's day pictures, and then home again, exhausted!

I forgot to do 10 on 10 yesterday, so perhaps this will suffice.

She was out.  And a little too relaxed/floppy to pose well for Daddy and the camera.

I don't think she'll remember much of her first trip to the lake.

Baby kisses--too wonderful!

Yawn!

And back to sleep...

Really mama?  That's not enough kisses already?

We got some pictures of Xaris with Daddy too...

Father-Daughter fun at the lake!

Feliz Cumple-Semana

Xaris is one week old today!

Where does time go?

She's been wonderful, so far we're not yet feeling too sleep-deprived because she only wakes up twice in the night.  She is full of wiggles and kicks and beautiful smiles.  

Beautiful Smiles!

I, on the other hand, am still slowly recovering.  Turns out I took quite a beating during childbirth, and had to go back to the Dr. yesterday.  Slowly but surely I'll keep getting better, but I'd rather be on my feet and enjoying walks and other fun stuff with my girl!

She's got tongue skills.

Ricardo made it through this last week, poor guy still had to work a lot because finals are next week and he's the coordinator for the math department.  He'll still work next week, but a little less each day, as finals get underway and things start winding down.  Then he's done!  He'll have small things to do each week, but will be mostly free until July 5th!  He's been wonderful at taking care of us, and I can't rave enough about how terrific he was in the hospital during labor, delivery, and recovery--he even brought me flowers in the hospital.  My hero.

Silly Daddy

Here are some more photos of our darling girl.  

Xaris at one day old.

One Week Old!

Too cute for words.

And while we're on the topic of darling girls, congrats to Judy, who delivered Nory (Eleanor Rose) in under 5 hours of labor (jealous?  Yes!)  We were both due with our girls the same week, so it is exciting that our babies are just a week apart, perhaps they are destined to be best buddies! If only Santa Barbara and Dallas were closer...Congratulations on your beautiful baby Dan and Judy!  Just in time for your first Mother's Day! 

Xaris Sofía Rodríguez

Is here!

And we're home as of 2:00pm today.  

Her details, just in case you want them...

Born at 5:16pm (official time says 5:17pm, but Ricardo says differently...and he took a picture of the clock when it happened) 

on Saturday, May 2nd, 2009.

Height: 19.2 inches

Weight: 6lbs, 15 oz.

full head of dark hair

dark blue-greyish eyes

and cute as can be!

So, here's a photo journal of what our last 50 or so hours have been like:

Trying to rest through early pain/labor/etc...

Nasty old contractions...

Baby needed some more oxygen...contractions were getting to her.

Trying to get rid of the post-delivery shakes and shivers!  And impatiently waiting to see my baby!  (They didn't just rest her on me, since they had been so concerned for her heartrate/oxygen intake...they took her immediately to work on getting the fluid out of her lungs.  So...mama had to wait.)

Beautiful at 5 minutes old.  Look at those gorgeous eyes!

I finally get to hold my baby girl!  

We are so glad that's over with!

Up to our postpartum room

Just resting.

First visitors: Stephanie, Maggie, and Lee, at 8:00pm Saturday.  

(Lee is an associate pastor at the church where I work)

Xaris' first bath...

Grandmama arrived on Sunday!  Smiles for both of them!

I LOVE this picture.

She does look sweet while smiling!

Sunday night, Xaris turns 1 day old.  

More visitors!  John, Debra, and little John Marshall DeSario.  

Thanks for Sunday dinner friends! It was delicious!

Hanging out with my girl.

Monday morning...Daddy-daughter time.

Another visitor: Katie!  

We made it home!  Xaris has been sleeping in her basket for most of the afternoon/evening now...long day, means lots of sleep. 

I don't know what it means for tonight's sleep schedule though...

Thank you all for your well-wishes and prayers!