Thursday, August 13, 2015

It's been a while...

I can not believe it's been over 3 months since I've updated!  Oops.  Lots has happened since Ceci's 1st birthday, the biggest of which is that I'm pregnant!  It happened a bit faster than we imagined, but we are overjoyed and incredibly excited!

We got the official news a week after Ceci's 1st birthday.

Ceci helped us to make the announcement public.

Our sweet little baby at 14 weeks.


We are expecting a baby GIRL on December 20th (give or take).
Ceci helped us with this news too.

Our baby girl at 20 weeks.

I've struggled quite a bit with round the clock nausea and fatigue (hence being MIA for so long) though it finally seems to be gradually getting better.

Other Highlights and Headlines:

- Ceci is walking!  Just over a week after her first birthday she took her first real steps and it wasn't long after that that she started walking like a champ.  Around the end of May she learned to stand up without needing to hold on to anything and that was all she needed - she's been walking like a big girl ever since!

May 5: some of her first steps


June 15: Pretty much a pro



- I started two part time jobs in June which have kept me quite busy (another factor in lack of updates).  One is on base teaching math to adults and the other is online with Johns Hopkins University teaching computer programming to middle and high school students. The local job is four mornings a week for a total of 9 hours so Ceci is now in nursery four mornings a week.  She still loves it and it continues to give the stimulation she needs.  The online job is about 10 hours a week - sometimes more, sometimes less - and is very flexible with regards to when I work.  Most days I'm able to get everything done during nap time and while Jay puts Ceci to bed, leaving me afternoons for Ceci time!  I'm really enjoying them both and the schedule is a great balance between feeling productive and getting to spend quality time with Ceci.

- We've been travelling.  We went to America in May for the race, then had an unexpected trip back in July for Kathy's funeral, and then went to the UK in August for Uncle Glen's wedding!  

Lots of cousin time in May!
And more in July - a silver lining to a sad time.
Cutting coupons with Nan
Our little frequent flyer in May

 

Our little frequent flyer in August


Ceci had so much fun staying with her friend Archie in the UK
Story time with Grandad
Ceci was a lovely flower girl - she did so well walking down the aisle!
(Big thank you to Ria for the lovely photo)
Her favorite part of the reception was playing in the gravel outside - my little tom boy.
(Big thank you to Keith Hurley for the lovely photo)
Exploring with the page boys at the reception.
Giving her Uncle Glenn a pep talk about marriage.
Ceci even got a dance with her daddy.
(Thanks again to Keith Hurley for this lovely photo.)

- We had visitors!  Nan and Gramps came to stay with us in Gibraltar for two whole weeks at the end of June.  And what perfect timing because Jay was away in the UK on a course for work for the whole first week and Ceci was ill so two extra sets of hands were HUGELY appreciated!

"Working" with Gramps
Gramps, Nan and Ceci out at dinner
- Ceci is talking up a storm.  She hasn't quite made the connection between saying words and communicating but if you ask her to name something she usually can and she's really good at repeating words you ask her to say. She can also tell you what sounds the dog, cat, elephant, monkey and lion say.  Favorite words are no (of course), this (while pointing at something - this is pretty much the only way she communicates a want right now; totally my fault for always asking her "do you want this?" lol), ok, shoes, bubbles, pop, more (along with the sign for it), eat (along with the sign for it), snack, baba (her bottle), paci, step, apple, show (as in TV show - between her and I being sick and my pregnancy exhaustion we watch a little more Sesame Street and CBeebies then I'd like to admit), byebye (she says bye and waves to everyone we walk by and every TV show that ends and even the house when we leave), blueberry, and cheese (both the food and what she says when she holds my phone!).  I think it's only a matter of time before our little chatter box is off and running because once she realizes she can communicate with these words I don't think she'll ever stop!  

- As you can tell from her favorite words, Ceci still loves to eat.  She's turned into a bit of a grazer - she likes to eat snacks throughout the day and gets bored pretty quickly in her highchair (she'll tell us she's all done but then once she's out of her high chair she'll keep picking at her dinner and usually eat quite a lot more!). She's still a good eater, liking lots of variety and spices, but she's more picky.  She'll always try something but sometimes she's not in the mood - even for something she loved the day before!  As long as she tries though, we're happy.  Favorite foods are yogurt, cheese, tortellini, naan bread, rice, raspberries, fruit snacks, dole fruit cups, oat bars, peanut butter, cheerios and blueberries.  Hit or miss favorites are chicken, salmon, bread, chili, peaches, plums, sausages. hummus, burgers, strawberries, and pasta. 

- Ceci LOVES singing.  One of her favorite times at nursery is music and she's constantly trying to sing songs and do the hand motions at home.  A huge favorite right now is Row, Row, Row Your Boat - I often find her rocking back and forth singing 'row, row, row, row...'.  Too cute.

- Here's some more highlights from the summer. One of the best things is that for July and August, Jay finishes work most days at 2pm so Ceci gets a lot of fun daddy time in the afternoons!

Exploring daddy's homemade tent.
Sliding on the patio.
Helping daddy clean the patio. When she saw him through the window cleaning the patio with the hose she found her watering can, walked to the back door with it and started banging on the door to be let out to help!
Rough housing with daddy.

Paddling pool and bubbles with daddy

Loving the beach while in MA

Ice Cream is a new favorite, especially while in America.

Our little diva is also still sleeping in all sorts of crazy positions:


She's so full of personality and even though she keeps us busy and on our toes, we just love her to pieces.  Here's our little ham at the wedding blowing bubbles and lapping up the praise from our table!

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That's it for now.  Hopefully it won't be so long before my next update - and I'll try to get a bump picture posted soon as it finally decided to pop out in the last week!


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