Adjusting to our family of 4

We are enjoying every single day with our little girls. Definitely different than only one! When one baby sleeps, the other wants to play (perfect for giving each child individual time, terrible for a sleep-deprived Momma). Leia is so in love with being a big sister, she treats Nora as if they are the same age. I even caught Nora with a handful of cocoa puffs in her mouth that Leia so generously shared with her--YIKES! Nora continues to be the calmest baby I have ever met with her constant smiles and flirtatious looks. She makes life so easy. Leia on the other hand is officially 2 years old, with "mine" and "I do it by myself" as her main phrases. Leia keeps me on my toes as she is in constant motion. She still is my sweet princess but with an added sense of assertiveness.


Daddy and the girls. Leia always has to hold Nora's hand.

At Gilroy Gardens

Cooking and caring for 2 babies. I love the Ergo carrier!

Leia found my make-up

We were so excited to spend 2 weeks in San Diego. James had to work everyday while the girls and I had a blast at Sea World, riding boats and ferries, swimming in the bay, playing at the parks, hanging out at sea port village, and enjoying the hotel amenities. The logistics of caring for two babies alone is definitely more difficult than one--thank goodness for the Ergo carrier and an extremely calm newborn!!! We were so lucky to be able to spend time with the Robertson family in La Jolla and our best friends, the Halim family. We were also able to attend my cousins wedding in Anaheim. We had an unforgettable time!!

Leia and her boyfriend Noah in San Diego

Annabella with her Grandpa in San Diego

Cousins at the wedding

Enjoying her first boat ride

Gram with her great grandchildren

Hanging out with the guys on La Jolla beach

Playing in the bay

I returned back to work July 16th and as much as I have dreaded this day coming, it wasn't as bad as I had anticipated. I think that is due to two factors. One being that I work with friends who I consider my family, and two because my girls are still very happy at home without me. Nora is willing to take any bottle or pacifier and Leia is excited to play with anyone. I am hoping that I will not have to work full time for too much longer and that thought keeps me positive.

I celebrated Mason, my future sister-in-law's bachelorette party last weekend. It was a beautiful overnight trip for the girls in Napa. I brought my little 2 month old with me and left my little 2 year old with Grandma Janice. Nora was the perfect bachelorette participant with constant smiles and cooing. How many 8 week olds can say they road in a limo?

Nora in her Ergo baby carrier

The bachelorette with Nora

Notes to Nora

How do I begin to explain how much happiness you have brought to our family and you are only 2 months old!! I have never met a more mellow, happy, smiley baby in my life. I knew in my heart you were going to be a spectacular person, but now holding you in my arms, I can’t believe how amazing you truly are. You spend most of your days with your arms crossed on your chest and a peacefulness about you that I have never experienced myself. And when we talk to you, your face lights up with a huge grin and you flirt with your long lashes. It makes us laugh that we already have a flirt at 2 months of age. You have brought so much happiness to your big sister Leia who can’t get enough of you. Her constant kisses never annoy you and you make it clear to her that you love that she always has to be holding your hand everywhere we go. Going back to work when you are just 8 weeks old would not have been possible if it weren’t for your easy going personality. You love everyone and you are very willing to take any bottle or pacifier without any complaints. Since you were born, you have spent the majority of your time in the Ergo carrier strapped onto my chest. We are both happiest when we can be that close to each other. And finally, I look back at my pregnancy and can’t help but thank you for giving me the extra 3 months of pregnancy leave to spend at home with your sister. It’s as if you knew what you were doing and had a master plan. For that I am forever grateful to you. Welcome to our family sweet baby Nora. You have completed us!

Nora is 1 week old

Our little Nora is a dream to have home. Having this little one be so calm the first couple of weeks has made this such a great transition for all of us. Leia is so in love with her baby sister and it's been fun to see the beautiful way she has welcomed her into our family. James just finished his last final and we are enjoying the relaxing days at home with our girls. We have Grandma Janice staying with us which has been an immense help. The only difficult part is that our angel Nora has her days and nights mixed up so my nights are spent feeding this little one every hour and a half and listening to her cooing the rest of the night which results in her sleeping most of the days. Oh well, a small price to pay for the miracle of having her with us.

 

Our little blessing has arrived!!

Our angel has arrived 2 weeks early and is healthy and happy.

Nora Suzanne Robertson was born at 12:08pm May 18th

Weight: 7 lbs 10 oz Height: 20 in.

We had a great experience at CHOMP hospital with a great group of staff members that supported our choice to have a natural medication-free birth!!! 

We are enjoying every second with this sweet mild tempered little girl.

Moments before baby Nora arrived

Moments after baby arrived



My sister is the reason I can do medication-free births

Baby slept in Daddy's arms the first night

Bringing baby home--the 2 sisters

Grandma Janice in her glory

I love surprises!!

James, Leia, and I spent this weekend visiting my family in Daly City. I told myself that this is the last time I will travel before baby arrives (unless Gilroy Gardens calls my name on Mother's Day). James dedicated himself to resolving all of Mom's handy man needs in her house and this was to be her Mother's Day present from us.  I spent the days attending my niece and nephew's shows. Every time I get to enjoy their performances I am amazed with their talent and ability to role-play in such a magical way. There are 3 spots on Broadway awaiting these children...

On Sunday there was a brunch planned for my sister and my soon-to-be sister in-law Mason. When I arrived at the restaurant in Ft. Mason, I was shocked to see a long table full of close family and friends there to celebrate a baby shower for this little angel # 2.  I was so shocked and surprised and it took me the entire day to process that this celebration was for us. We had such a beautiful time  enjoying wonderful food, coming up with potential girl names, and honoring this little one growing inside me. This was such a sweet event and I am overly grateful for everyone's love and support. My sister Dena, who arranged the event NEVER ceases to amaze me. She is one of those people in life that fits in a 25 hour day into 24 hours so the idea that she was able to squeeze in planning this baby shower is incredible to me. I was able to spend most of the weekend with Dena and it reminded me what a remarkable human being she is. Dena is the type of person that makes everyone she comes in contact with feel like a better person. She constantly thinks about how to make others happy, from the waiter at the restaurant, to the children selling lemonade on the corner, to her colleagues at work. I don't think I have ever met a more magnetic, generous, and loving person. It is with such pride that I call her my sister and I am reminded how lucky Leia will be to grow up with the incredible bond that sisterhood offers.

Dena: You are my inspiration and constant rock for support. Thank you for your friendship, your unconditional love, and your ability to make this world a better place. I will live and raise my girls to be just like you.

Leia Turns 2!

For Leia's second birthday we decided to take a family trip to Disneyland and let her enjoy being amidst the presence of real princesses. What an amazing vacation!

To be quite honest, I am married to a man who is "allergic" to amusement parks, particularly Disneyland, but he so graciously decided to sacrifice his own desires for the pleasure of watching his daughter enjoy the "happiest place of earth".  I know he was dreading this trip, but I have never seen James so happy in my life. Once we entered the park, he was so thrilled to show her all there is to see at this magical place. Experiencing Disneyland through the eyes of a 2 year old is a moment I will never forget. It nearly brought tears to our eyes to watch her light up. I have to admit, watching my husband enjoy being with his daughter in this capacity made me fall deeper in love with him. It was one of my most favorite moments in life. And throughout the entire day, Leia's words that resonated with me were "wowwwww" and "Oh dank you, dank you Daddy". Uncle John and our friend Sarah also accompanied us on this adventure and that was the icing on the cake for Leia to experience this adventure with her beloved Uncle John. In addition, we were also able to squeeze in a visit to the Robertson family in San Diego and were lucky enough to get to see Nonna Sandra during her lay-over in Anaheim! I know my life will forever change with the arrival of baby # 2 so I relished every moment with just the 3 of us for this small fragment of time.

Check out YouTube video below, just click on the link :

Leia at "It's a Small World"

Never thought we would be the parents to use a "leash" for our child (LOL)

Couldn't get Leia away from Mickey's toon town

Uncle John and Leia

So excited, but a little apprehensive

James and I took Leia to a local bakery on her actual birthday to celebrate

Daddy showing Leia around Disneyland

Following our Disneyland visit, my sister had a special day planned for Leia at her house in Daly City on Leia's actual birthday. Dena arranged for a Princess bounce house and all the neighborhood children to come celebrate. Leia was in heaven and you can still catch her singing to herself throughout the day "Happy Birday to Yeia". I give such thanks to my sister for never missing an opportunity to celebrate the great milestones in Life!

Princess Castle bounce house, courtesy of Auntie Dena

Fun with Leia

Check out a couple youtube videos of Leia, click on the links below:

Leia Swimming in our backyard

Leia dancing with Auntie Mason and Uncle Rickey

Waving to Grandma at Gilroy Gardens

Enjoying time with Daddy in Carmel

Leia's 1st manicure and pedicure

36 weeks and counting...

How appreciative I am to say I am still pregnant at 36 weeks, especially after the scare I had at 26 weeks. This baby and I are bonding more everyday and I am getting so excited to meet her. I am just a little bit apprehensive that she is still head up.  This problem was not on my radar at all and I think I am most fearful about WHY she is not head up. When the Dr. told me this last week that we will have to do an ultrasound and potentially manually rotate the baby, I immediately got on-line to find out natural options on how to flip a baby.  What I found was more that I wanted. I guess that is the problem with internet searching: you look up one thing and all kinds of other scary answers pop up on the screen.  I not only found old wives tales about how to flip a baby (which I am not too proud to try), I also unfortunately read about reasons why babies are breech, from a cord wrapped around babies neck to chromosomal abnormalities, to autism, to too much or too little amniotic fluid, the list goes on and on. I know its stress that prevents a baby from rotating in the right postition so from now on I am going to stop researching on-line and let go of any angst or worry. I have my next appt. this Wednesday so we will just take one day at a time. Stay tuned...

Our litle girlie girl

I knew Leia was a Princess, but boy has she taken this Princess act to another level! We can't go anywhere without her purses, necklaces, bracelets, and accessories. She even makes sure her nails are painted with the right color before we can leave the house. I always laugh that she is teaching me to be more feminine. I have been in awe of her kindness and unconditional love she has for everyone. Her happiness and contagious laughter remind me everyday how lucky I am to have her in my life. She is my very best friend and it's been a dream being able to spend so much time with her.

James and I have finished decorating the nursery (a princess pink of course) with James' beautiful addition of Waynes coating on the lower part of the wall. A true Princess Palace for our girls. We have also decided to transform our hot tub/storage area to a gym/hot tub relaxation area. We have removed all the baby storage items and replaced the area with gym equipment accompanied with lighting and music. Poor James--he is feeling the brunt of having his wife home everyday coming up with more home-improvement ideas for him to accomplish.(lol)

I am 33 weeks today and feeling better than ever. I have started cautiously swimming again and I love the feeling of being back in the water. I feel it's these moments that I can truly bond with this little angel growing inside me. I do a flip off the wall and she does a flip inside me--its a perfect symbiotic relationship.
Here are a few pics of Leia and my maternity pics for baby # 2:

31 weeks and counting....

I am so happy to report that this little angel is still cooking and I am lucky enough to be able to have this opportunity to stay home and enjoy my Princess Leia. My MD has restricted me from working throughout the rest of the pregnancy so I have been living up every single moment watching Leia grow up in front of my eyes. It reminds me how much I have missed of her growing up while being at work for so many hours a day, but I will be forever grateful for these unforgettable moments spent with Leia. She is transforming right in front of our eyes. She inspires me to be a better person with her gracious nature and generous heart. I feel so lucky to be her Mommy. Here are a few pics of our days of paradise spent together.

Enjoying Lovers Point

Mommy's little helper

Watching the birdies at Lovers Point

Playing on the Wharf

Fun with cousins Laith and Julian

Story Time at library