Punkin in the Pumpkins

Grandmama and Taita were here for the weekend!

We went to the Arboretum for the opening day of their fall festival, which means

pumpkins everywhere!

Xaris met pumpkins for the first time.

What is this thing?

She did try to eat it a couple of times...

Then she decided she had found a friend.

So many!

Surrounded!

Favorite picture.

Playing peek-a-boo in the pumpkin house

Those were some really big pumpkins...look at our little girl!

Getting lost in the maze with daddy!

Kira would be proud...

Xaris went to the art museum!

Actually, a lot of us went.

Thursdays are family nights, and it's free after 5pm.

So, Leslie and Jack Henry, Debra and John Marshall, and me and Xaris Sofia all decided to go to the museum. Leslie's sister Sara brought her daughter Leah, and a friend (expecting a boy due in December), so we made quite the posse of mammas, strollers, and babies!

Here's our group shot...funny story.

I took a picture of everyone else, but we wanted one with me in the picture too, so we asked a "gallery supervisor" (his name tag said so) to take a picture of us. He took my camera, took a slick photographer's stance balancing the camera steady on his arm, and took a long time to finally snap a shot...and it's horrible! Out of focus, and with some guy halfway in the photo!

Ha ha!! I'm not sure an art museum is the right place for him!

Our sweet girl and her two boyfriends. Marshall (4 weeks older) is still double her weight at a whopping 25 pounds! (he's in the middle stroller). Jack is at about 17, but only 1 inch longer than X.

I dig Marshall's chubs. Look at those cheeks! So tempting.

Debra and John Marshall learning about texture...

Leslie and Jack Henry were reading books...

Xaris Sofia and I learned about texture while making a rubbing--her first artwork!

I might just have to frame it.

La Sofi...she really liked the shells.

Babies on the floor!

We sort of took over the area, and when we left we noticed the sign that said "this area is designated for children 5-8 years old and their adult companions". Oooops. I guess our babies are really advanced!

Excess

So, we named our daughter Xaris Sofía.

Her initials are X.S. Excess.

Didn't pay attention to that when we named her :)

Hope it's not going to condition her toward any trends!

However, when I think about it, excess has been true for our little X.S.

The shower the church threw for us was excess.

Actually...4 showers total was excess.

She was born with an excess of hair, excessively large eyes (and ears--thanks papá!)

She sometimes poo's in excess.

More often she smiles excessively.

She received an excess of 0-3 month clothes, so she outgrew some she never wore!

She also owns 2 bouncy chairs (one at home, one in my office)...that's excessive!

But the main point of this blog, was that I decided I have a lovely girl who can ROCK a huge hair bow. (See yesterday's post for example--that flower is almost as big as her head, but she can pull off that look!)

A friend made us some bows/flowers, and gramama had bought X.S. her first hair bow clippy. I decided to try my hand at making some myself. I bought the clips, figuring I would make them when I needed them, adding one color at a time to the palette. But I wanted to give it a try today. I might have gotten carried away...12 clips later, I realized my daughter also has an excess of hair bows. So I made a place to store them all...and here's the result.

I also just realized that her initials could be Extra Small...but she's not in the 20th percentile anymore, so I guess that doesn't fit as well.

Piquis

Xaris had her 4-month well-check today.

She's a little late (she was 4 months on the 2nd), but her dr's new office is open and up and running now, so it's fine!

She's been sleeping and eating all evening, with a mild fever after her vaccinations (piquis is what we call them...)

Here are her details

Weight: 13 lbs, 1 oz (45th percentile)

Height: 25 inches (75th percentile)

Head Circumference: 16 (35th percentile)

Dr. was impressed with her strength and sitting and standing (assisted) capabilities, and declared her advanced beyond 6th month norms in that aspect. Ricardo is sure this means she'll be ready for linear algebra next month.

Other than not feeling well this evening, she's doing fine! I took the opportunity to take an iphone picture of her on the dr. office bed while we were waiting for her shots...she was just too cute! Since it's on a phone, the image quality isn't the best, but I still love it.

10 on 10

Nearly forgot, but here 'tis!

Asleep in the car on the way in to work

Tummy time in mama's office!

Nap time! Asleep again, this time under mama's desk.

Lunch with Mara

Knitting group...first time in a LONG time I was able to finish a project! X is modelling it for a friend of hers (who is bigger).

Home and watching the rainstorm

Making tortilla strips for soup

Dinner! Tortilla soup. Take a look at Xaris asleep with her hand on her bunny!

The mountain of clean clothes and diapers waiting for me to fold...

Done! (finally!) And yes, this was a separate hour.

Birthday, Wii's, and Labor Day

Ricardo's birthday has come and gone...he got a Nintendo Wii from Xaris and I (he also got a bi-lingual Bible...but we've played more with the Wii).

Depressing news: we got the Wii fit, and after the first analysis (height, age, weight, balance/reflex test), my "Wii-age" is....(gasp) 41.

So...it means I've got work to do. Good news is, I played with it a little today, and now I'm 40.

Maybe it's just a gimmick to get people addicted?

Here's Ricardo and his cake.

He requested a tres leches cake this year, and I've never made one before. I gave it my best effort however, and I think it turned out okay! It tasted good, it's actually a yummy flavor because it's not as sweet as most cakes. I think I would cut the amount of the liquid (the three milks) I pour over it next time though, because it was just a little soggier than I think it needs to be.

My parents were here for the weekend, and we failed to take any pictures of them with Xaris! ooooops.

They had their camera out, so I guess we'll have to steal some of their photos, and remember to be taking pictures when we see them again in another 2 weeks.

Xaris had her first lock-out with the youth!

She came (with her papa) and stayed until she was ready to do her monster-just-before-bed-feeding, and after that she was so milk-drunk I don't think she even noticed her car seat and the drive home. Papa brought her back early this morning (they had a successful night--she took a pumped bottle at about 3:30am!) and we traded cars and he left for the airport to go spend about 40 hours in Mexico while his mom has a knee surgery. I just talked with him, they are waiting to see her, but it seems the surgery went fine!

Xaris loved the lock-out. She was really active while she watched all the "big kids" play...she wanted to be out there doing everything too!

New job is going well as far as I can tell! I still feel like I'm trying to get a better knowledge of the kids, the church, the group, the program, the needs, etc...but realistically, when does that end?

Love to you all!

F O U R

Our darling girl is already four months old! Here's her cupcake shot(s)...she was too much of a clown, we couldn't stop at just one! She's got some great new faces, and her newest skill is getting her left index finger in her mouth--very consistently. Ricardo thinks this is a sign she is left handed.

Other news: she had a great time surprising her daddy with a Wii for his birthday yesterday, and has just started using her Bumbo seat (she seems to enjoy it, and gets proud of herself like she's doing it all by herself). She still cries every time we put her in the car-seat, but usually once we get going she's fine. On a few occasions she is not, and her cries turn into screams (which sound like Ma-ma), and I end up pulling over to calm her down.

Last night she slept from 11:40 to 7:10am...I'll take it! lovely!

She rolled from tummy to back for the first time on Monday, repeated it yesterday (but the other direction). We have yet to capture it on film...but she's getting close! She will "talk" to people if they maintain eye contact with her while smiling and talking, and she still loves her books. She also loves mama singing to her, and will smile nearly every time (or she'll calm down, as it is one of the tricks in my bag for when she's crying...sometimes she doesn't know whether to smile or to keep crying, and I love those conflicted faces as she goes back and forth trying to make up her mind!). Makes me wish I was a better singer.

Her 4-month well-check is not until next friday, so we won't know height/weight/percentiles etc until then, but we're excited to find out how our active girl is doing!