Vivia says:

Vivs has been plagued, as of late, with a cold. All this goings up and down of the weather tends to reek havoc on the immune system. I told her that as long as she's sick we can't be out and about. She tends to acquire "Cabin Fever" as much as her mother- go figure. So, she wakes up this morning, comes in my room ans says...
"Momma, my coughings are gone, and my bless yous are gone! What are we gonna do today?"

What I woke up to this morning...

Silly moments...

This, a blog entry for family that is abroad, to update them. Everyone else, can just gawk at my gorgeous family and kids.

Rio has his second conformer in. The Ocularist says that in a couple of months, he thinks we can begin the process of making a custom one for him that has "art" where they actually paint on it~ to match his other eye. And after that, it will be barely noticeable that his eyes are different.

His surgery for his lip is scheduled for April. I am nervous, but I know that having this done sooner than later is best. My baby...
I still struggle with the fact that he has to endure all this at such a young age, but I know that he will have such an amazing story when all is said and done. He is sooooo special and precious, and called. God bless him.
Sometimes, I am freaked out by how smart Rio is. for example, the other day, he was in his jumparoo and I said "show me how you jump..." and he started jumping!!!! And sometimes, he babbles words that, I swear, are real words!!! Yesterday, Vivia said "Mommyyyy" when I entered the room where she was laying beside him. And he says as clear as day... "Mom-mum-mum--mumm--yyyyy" Maybe it's a stretch, but I believe he is a bit of a genius!

Vivia continues to be an awesome big sister. She loves her little brother "so much", as she says. She is full of kisses and love and desire to be with Rio. She really is growing up so fast. I can't believe how fast! She is, all of a sudden, a little woman. Who has so many funny little things to say about life and family, and God...
She is so smart! Every day she is learning more about reading. She knew how to read the whole alphabet and numbers 1-10 at age 2!!! We practice the alphabet in the tub and in the playroom, and with songs... She loves learning! May she never change her mind!
Dear God, I am so blown away by the little people that you have given us to raise. I am so humbled at the task and I am so happy to do it! They have made my life more colorful and more beautiful! Thank you for exemplifying your love to me through my children! I am speechless.
oh, and P.S... may the next one look like me. PPPPPlease!!!!

MORE Vivia-isms

Vivia comes running up to me this morning...
"MOMMY, MOMMY... there are MONSTERS in my LIFE!!!"

Earlier she says to me.
"Mommy, we need to go downstairs"
"Why, honey?"
"Because my tummy hurts because I'm hungry, because I have gas, and makes me fart!"

Bella and I laugh and laugh, and she says...
"What's funny guys?"

My husband... gotta train him.

This morning, Gabriel headed back to School for his final semester of his MBA. He will have it in his hand by this time, come August. He's been off for three weeks, and this morning, he was all business. I had to leave early this morning as well to go speak at an Encounter (conference). I got all dolled up in my new clothes from Anthropologie- put on make-up, my sexy knee high leather boots, and my navy blue pea coat. I was lookin' darn good!
He comes over pecks me quickly on the cheek and says "Bye."
In the flavor of "Do unto others..." I hinted... "Bye HONEY! You look gorgeous, good luck today..."
He goes "THANK you" and walked out the door and shut it behind him....
I giggled to myself at the sheer comedy of HOW FAR THAT JUST WENT OVER HIS HEAD...
I can see his feet through the glass window at the bottom of the door.
They pause, slowly turn, and come back and open the door where I am still standing in the same spot waiting.
He goes, "Did you want me to say that to you?" He laughed sheepishly.
Uh-huh, I nod.
He grabs me, plants one on me, and says "You look gorgeous, good luck today."
I say, "Why, thank you!"

Did it mean less because I had to tell him to say it? Absolutely NOT. The fact that he came back and made it right... MAJOR POINTS!!! Not that I keep track...

Most embarrasing moment... two in one week: more toddler talk

So, it happened. The proverbial deer-in-headlights moment where your toddler says something, and you absolutely FREEZE because there is just nothing you can say that will make it any better... I never had a "most embarrasing moment" until having children. Mostly because I do not embarrass easily. Never say never.

One: We are at this restaurant called "Aldo's" where they have awesome Italian subs. A little hole in the wall type spot. We are at lunch with all the women from my cell group, and with the head Pastor (my leader's husband), and the associate Pastor, and a couple other guys from the church office. Vivia is sitting next to Aslinn, one of my best-ies, I am engrossed in conversation with Crystal, and out of nowhere I hear this:
Vivia: "What's that?" pointing to Aslinn's Cindy Crawford-like mole.
Aslinn: "A mole."
Vivia: "Like on mommy's boobs?"
followed by roars of laughter from everyone at the table.
I believe I must've turned 5 shades of red within seconds...
So needless to say, the entire male pastorship of my church knows a little TMI (too much information) about my anatomy...

Two: We are leaving Chick-Fil-A Tuesday and this lovely woman who works there comes over to help us clean off our table. She begins talking to Vivia, making small talk, and out of nowhere, V.V. says "You're really really really black, and you have really really really curly hair." I wanted to crawl under the table and hide, or ask her "Whose child is this?" but instead, I just said: "It took her three years to figure that out!" The lady laughed and told us a story of another little girl who told her that her hands were dirty and she needed to wash them.

Oh, I just thought of one more...
Our neighbors are Indian. Not like Lone Ranger and Tonto Indian, but the "Thank you, come again" kind. (I'm not being racist: I love people of ALL races- just quoting the Simpsons). Their house smells very strongly of Indian Curry and other spices that resemble the smell of body odor after a day in 100 degree heat. So, we walk outside to go to the car, spout out the obligatory greeting to them because they are always ALWAYS outside, and she goes... "I smell something stinks, mama- (uh-oh, here it comes...) smells like Likeet." Likeet is the 3 year old son of the Indian family that we are constantly finding out on the sidewalk with his uncircumcised manhood for the world to see. And when I say manhood, I mean it! I wonder if that is why his father allows him outside, naked all the time: so as to parade around the idea of "Like father, like son." Or "the apple not falling far from the tree..." Either way, I am NOT happy with the thought of my daughter learning about THAT just yet. Although, I am sure she's already noticed, she doesn't miss a beat. I can see her a few weeks from now bringing that up at lunch with my pastors: "Hey look Mommy, that looks like Likeet's ___________. (insert whatever that little mind of hers will equate it to.)
So, how does one tactfully say to one's neighbor... "Please do not let your son walk around with his freakishly large genetalia hanging out for my daughter's virgin eyes to look upon?" hmmmm...
Good thing that's what husbands are for... to have uncomfortable conversations with neighbors.
Ifya say "good luck with that one..." I'll start throwing punches!

Toddler Speak: I couldn't wait for her to be able to tell me what was on her mind, BUT NOW...

Vivia just squealed from the tub "My face is ruined, my face is ruined!!!"

This just one of the Vivia-isms that she puts together all by herself. (WARNING: Gratuitous Parental Bragging to follow:) She's been speaking full sentences since before she turned two. In two languages. Our pediatrician shows her off to the rest of the staff at every visit, saying "This is the one I was telling you about..." WONDERFUL, right?

Weeeeeell, One bad thing about my toddler being SO well spoken at such a young age is that there is no awareness of discretion. She just says what's on her mind or in her emotions! No matter who is in the room, where we are, or which social situation we find ourselves in. Which, most of the time is fine. And even cute. For instance, the other day we were cruising through Target, and I let her out of the carriage (which is still a rare thing), and she shoots down the Christmas aisles both singing at the top of her lungs, and shouting... "I LOVE Christmas, I LOVE Christmas!!! Look Mama, Christmas trees, look Mama, decorations!!! OOOOh I LOVE decorations, I LOVE Christmas trees!!!" to some made-up tune. She (nor I, for that matter) could contain her excitement. She drew a crowd from several aisles over. And they all commented on how she made their day.

THAT part is ok. Or the part where at church, after the Band goes quiet, and after she has danced her heart out, she says "THAT was FUN!!!" and the whole congregation laughs.
Or the part where she walks up on stage after a meeting is over, grabs the mic and says as dramatic as any ring master... : "Ladies, and Gentlemen! Boys and Girls of all ages... Wanna see me do a trick?" where does she get this stuff??? yah, yah laugh it up...
HOWEVER...

The part that is NOT ok is this>
Vivia has two volume levels... 1. LOUD and 2. ASLEEP
So, at her normal level, in the middle of a quiet, crowded room she says:
"HAAAA HAAAA!!!! Mommy, you FART!"
Now, for the record, I DID NOT fart. No, I didn't~! But the sound was heard by her, and the damage was done.
OR when we walk by someone who obviously DID just fart, or is doing their business in shame behind the stall door and she says, "I smell something, STINKS Mama!!!!"

But the one to top all:
During the election she must've loved the sound of BARAK OBAMA's name b/c she pranced around the house saying it over and over, like some little Pop Warner Cheerleader. Well, so as to be fair and balanced, I taught her to say "John McCain," as well. Both of them were all over the tv for sooo long that she knew who they were by sight too...
SOOOOO: One day (in a crowd, she tends to draw a crowd...) someone had given us a brochure with both cantidates on the cover. She takes it and says "that's Barak Obama, Mama." Yes, yes it is, "And that's John McCain." Yes, right again. Then she says... "He's a really really really black black black boy."
OMG!!!
I FROZE in horror, and also because I was trying not to bust out laughing. She decided to have that revelation in public, rather than private. Then she says "And he's a really really really WHITE boy."

Now, upon further questioning, I find out she's talking about their HAIR color, not their skin color. So, we can save that whole conversation for another time.

I have days now where my ears are ringing by bedtime because of the constant chatter! I blog late into the night, just to hear grown up conversation in my head. I relish peace where I can find it~ even in the most unique situations, like this gem:
One night at a family sit-down dinner, we forced Vivia to eat "one more bite" of chicken so that she could have a cookie for dessert. So, in her defiance, she chewed and sucked on that piece of meat without swallowing for (no joke) 30 minutes -her way of still being in control. Gabriel says to me, "Babe, shouldn't we do something about that?" and without skipping a beat, I reply, "Nope. I am kinda enjoying the quiet."

I wish I could record her sweet little "cartoonish" voice of all her little sayings. I don't want to forget a ONE of them! Gabe and I have a "Vivia-isms" journal that we started so we could write down a glossary of her 2 year old terms.

I recently found the "Olivia" books. And they made me laugh so much, because they really could be called "Vivia." Maybe I'm on to something there. I just won't make my main character a little pig. A parrot... maybe. :)

Sunday Night Update... *Spoiler Alert: Bitc#ing and Moaning*- hurricane's a' comin' and Miley Cyrus

Disclaimer #1:
Kate, I apologize for all the run-on sentences, punctuation abuse, and all the other grammar laws I break in the process of this ranting blog...

Disclaimer #2
I know I will feel MUCH better in the morning, and be back to my rosy, happy, lovely, encouraging self. Don't worry, Freedom is still in here- Maybe she is getting some sleep, at least!


NOW, First thing that occurred to me when I found out I was Preg. back in January was that I would be due smack-dab in the middle of hurricane season. And sure enough, we are expecting one Tuesday. As if I weren't stressed enough... My friend Crystal is scheduled to be induced on Tuesd. morning. Her comment to me this am, "THEY BETTER NOT TELL ME NOT TO COME IN B/c OF THE HURRICANE!"

Sorry, I really do not want this blog to turn in to a *B*ch Fest* the sleeplessness is really getting to me. Those wonderful pills I talked about the first night have already acclimated in my body. In other words, they do not make me the least bit sleepy anymore, BUT, here goes anyway:

My list:

1. My inlaws are in town, for a week. (Love them, but stressful)
2. My mother does not get home until tomorrow night. Who knew I needed her so much? Shhh... don't tell...
3. I don't have anyone lined up to help me with VV tomorrow b/c I forgot to line someone up, because I am not used to needing help, or having to remember to "line someone up..."
4. This bedrest thing is more like a punishment for the crime of being the busy mom of a toddler. Although, I did have fun riding the electric-powered shopping cart thinggamabob today in Target!!! I love how people stare! What they don't know is I can hear their thoughts... "Why is she in one of those?" "How lazy..." "Get out of my way!" One lady with two small children gave me an understanding nod, at least...
5. I still haven't decided if I will have Vivia in school or not (and it starts in 7 hours...) yes, that is because it is 1:55 am and
   
6. I am wide-awake,
   
7. enduring hot flashes, and
   
8. Braxton hicks.
   
9. Can't feel my feet.
   
10. Listening to the new Coldplay album: fave song "Lost!", not because I am identifying with the lyrics, based solely on the music at this point- feeling indecisive. (indecisive not lost, people!) It is hard to make decisions when all I can think of, literally, is trying to find a comfortable position- which doesn't exist at this stage of the game- and repeating over and over in my mind:
    
11. "I CANNOT believe I still technically have A FREAKING MONTH LEFT!!!" The battle is most definitely in my mind! Most of the time, I win, but usually not at (now) 2:32am.

"Whoa- a -whoa... is me..." - Freedom Martinez

Jesus, are you showing me how much I can endure~ to prove to me, it is more than I think I can? OK- then, I surrender and admit that I CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT YOU, nor do I WANT to!

"Whoa-a-Whoa, God be the Solution!"- Hillsong United






I contacted some doulas via email tonight, will see what they have to say. I love the thought of a doula- but the LAST thing I want in the delivery room with me is some NEW-AGE birthjunkie trying to hypnotize me, secretly pushing their neo-breastfeeding-LeLeche-ism on me! I breastfeed, ok! But I do have another purpose for living!!! And no, it is not ONLY to breed and birth babies.
Doulas... Another decision. For another day...

By the way, My girls threw me the BEST shower on Sat. They ROCK! I feel so loved! But I must not dwell on that unless I want to start the waterworks as well!
I will update~ complete with fotos, tomorrow, before the hurricane takes away our electricity- and my a/c.



"Whoa -a- whoa... I can't wait... to see you again!"- Miley Cyrus- slash- Hannah Montana