My Favorite Picture! :-)

Natalie has been smiling real smiles (not gassy ones) for just over a week now. I've shot a gazillion pictures trying to capture a smile and I finally got this one. I can't wait to scrap this pic cause it is sooo cute. Makes me just want to "eat her up" (as Kaia would say).

Scroll down a lot because I've uploaded a ton of pictures today! And don't forget to click on "older posts" if you want to see all the way back to when Natalie was born.

CURLY hair......but only at bath time.

All of you know how Ron has curly hair. Well, maybe you don't. It is RINGLETS! Yep, no joke! Some of you may not know cause he recently cut his hair and before that, he always brushed out those ringlets cause he says the guys at work will make fun of him. Poor Ron.... But I love those perfect little ringlets. He hates them. So, anyway....I've been hoping Natalie was going to have curly hair. And she did right when she was born, but then to Ron's dismay, the hospital staff combed it straight during her first bath. It has been straight ever since. We were kind of bummed (so I guess the relationship Ron has with his curly hair is a love/hate relationship). But it has grown some now and it is going to be curly!!! Nobody believes me and that's because it is only curly when her hair is wet and that's only for about 4 1/2 minutes after she gets out of the bath. So, I grabbed my camera last week and took these pictures. Because proof is in the pictures, right? CHECK IT OUT!!! If that isn't curly hair, I don't know what is. :-) Now the question is....will it be curly as it continues to grow?

The Magic Chair

Natalie has three "seats" in the house - a swing, an infant papasan that vibrates and plays music, and this bouncy seat that vibrates. We move her around to different ones depending on which one she prefers and if she isn't in one of her "I just want to be held" moods. This bouncy seat, well...we refer to it as the "magic chair." I'll bet any parents out there can guess why we call it that. All three of these seats put her to sleep, but this one.....it KEEPS her asleep. LOL In fact, we often have to wake her up because it REALLY keeps her asleep. :-) Thank you thank you to those at my work (you know who you are!) who got this for us! It is worth every penny that you spent on it!

Natalie on her Baby Einstein Playmat

Natalie likes this playmat. She is old enough now that she just stares wide eyed at toys. She waves her arms towards them but isn't coordinated enough to unclench her little hands and grab at them. But the interest she has shown is releasing this toy buying urge inside me. I've resisted soo far, but I'm surfing the net and trying my best to restrain myself. :-) When these pictures were taken this last Sunday, she stared and stared until she tuckered herself out and fell asleep. And for all you baby shoppers out there, I haven't decided yet if this mat is worth the $ yet. I'll let you know. It retails for $60 but I got it at a garage sale for $30....which Ron still tried talking me out of spending. LOL

ohmigosh....she is sooo CUTE!

Ok....isn't she the cutest??? You can tell how small she still is in the picture that has Ron's hand in it. Doesn't look like she was born at 9 lb. 2 oz., huh? :-) These were taken on Sunday, June 24, 2007. She is my tiny little female repilica of Ron. LOL Oh...except for the nose. I guess she has my nose.....hmmm. And I really am hoping she keeps my blue eyes but a few friends of mine have kids that were born with blue eyes but before they turned one year, they turned hazel. Not that there is anything wrong with hazel, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed for my blue! :-)

She's almost there...........almost

Kaia got her first bike when she was three for her birthday. She did well for a while and then lost all interest. The last few summers she's been perfectly fine walking or running while other kids rode their bikes. She'd rather "ride" a trail-a-bike - one attached to the back of another bike. But this summer, she has really cared what all the other kids in the neighborhood are doing and she's watched them take off on their bikes and leave her behind. She didn't like that so we got her bike back out and she's been learning to balance. The pics below were taken the first time she got back on her bike. We practiced for over an hour and by the end, she was doing really good. It won't be long now....

Natalie - One month old on June 16th

When Kaia was born, I took a bunch of pictures every 5th of the month for the first year. I'll do that with Natalie too. Look at how cute she is on the her 1 month birthday. I'm soo late in posting these (a week and a half later.....geez!) that she already looks soo different. I'm going to be putting a lot of pictures up today so check back later too! :-)

Random Things About Natalie :-)

1. She is one noisy baby! She sighs, moans, grunts, squeaks, and makes the most cutest noises when she stretches. :-)
2. She's mastered the use of her lower lip. We warn her if she sticks it out any further a bird will poop on it.
3. She has both her mom's and her dad's temper.
4. She has her mom's impatience.
5. At night her mom and dad use her for entertainment while playing with her feet, her fingers, her chubby legs....
6. Her hair is CURLY when wet!!! But 5 minutes later it is straight again.
7. She smiled real smiles for the first time just last week when she turned one month.
8. Just like the day she was born, she still hates her feet confined.
9. She passes gas soo loudly that it makes her dad proud.
10. She has already rolled over...although we think it is on accident cause she squirms soo much and shoves off with those powerful legs of hers.
11. She'll sleep for hours in her car seat.
12. She no longer cries during bath time.
13. She sleeps with her arms above her head.
14. She doesn't look like a newborn anymore. :-( She looks like a baby now. And she is getting cuter everyday!

New Layouts

Hi Everyone! Ok, I know....I was supposed to have Natalie's one month pictures up already but guess what? We've been taking sooo many picture of the girls lately that I'm WAY behind. But I will get them up. Ron is bugging me about it.....(hmmm...maybe I should bribe him and tell him I'll post pictures when he gets the playroom done! LOL). Ok, so that might not be fair. Anyway, I'll get them up in the next few days...along with pictures of Kaia learning how to ride a bike, cute pics of Kaia posing in the woods, Natalie zonked out, and guess what else??? Pictures of Natalie smiling! :-) All coming soon! Until then...enjoy these layouts:

Kaia and Nana trying on all kinds of hats in Disneyworld, January 2007

Grandpa Steve and Kaia sporting fashionable handmade flower necklaces!

Kaia telling Natalie "sister secrets" :-)

Natalie's first bad day...

Natalie is ONE month old! :-)

Ron and I had fun yesterday doing a little photo shoot of Natalie on her one month birthday. Stay tuned for those pictures. I should be able to get them up either tonight or tomorrow...

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!

To all the fathers in my daughters' lives! :-) Thank you for all that you do!

Papa and Kaia at Natalie's birth.

Daddy and Natalie on their first day home from the hospital.

Kaia and her daddy at their first Father Daughter dance!

Kaia helping Grandpa Steve!

Kaia has a Grandpa Marcelo also who we'd like to wish a Happy Father's Day. I hope soon to have pictures of Kaia and grandpa Marcelo to do some layouts with. Natalie also has a Grandpa Milton that we hope to meet soon!

Ron.....the Photographer???

I just had to share this story. At Ron's current job site, they noticed an eagle sitting nearby. It just sat there and Ron was able to walk up within three feet of it. Taku Graphics gave Ron their camera to take pictures.....(they must not know of Ron's photography skills - LOL!). Anyway, I just had to show off this picture cause check it out - it came out great and Taku Graphics shared it with us! Back to the story on the eagle. The Raptor Center was called because everyone could tell the eagle was sick. It didn't move at all. Center volunteers rushed to the scene and took this big girl away.....but unfortunately the eagle didn't make it. It had eaten something poisonous. What a bummer..... because she was a beautiful bird. :-) And yes....kudos to Ron cause he took a great picture! Eagles are everywhere up here in SE Alaska, but nonetheless, they are still appreciated because of their beauty. It is rare to get this close and get a shot like this without a telephoto lens.

Natalie is almost 4 weeks old already...

I can't believe time is flying by soo fast. Natalie will be 4 weeks old in 2 days....
Here are some pics taken this last weekend during some beautiful weather! :-)

More baby feet......

Another cute sisters shot!

What can I say? These two are just soo photogenic when I put them together....I'm sure you'll see A LOT more sisters shots in the future!

Baby Feet

I don't know what it is about baby feet but I just can't get enough of them! Natalie's feet were tiny, bony, and purple when she was born. 14 days later they have gotten some color and plumped up a little bit. :-)

Kingergarten Graduation

Kaia graduated from Kindergarten last week! Her class did a performance with singing, signing, and ended with a presentation of a diploma and a personalized bible for each child. I can't believe next year she is going to be in first grade....sigh.

and of course little sister Natalie slept through the whole thing.....