Adorable Alex: More Baby Firsts

Some "baby's first" are lots of fun...and some not so much...

Baby Alex has had a few more "firsts" happen in the past few weeks.  On Monday, January 20th, Alex had his first hair cut!

Snip snip...baby's 1st hair cut!

I know a lot of people always comment on how much hair my kids have.  Some babies don't have any hair by the time they are 5 months old, much less their first hair cut.  

But my kids have lots of hair at birth and it just keeps getting longer and thicker.  So they need haircuts early in life.

Snip snip...baby's first hair cut!

It is pretty rare that I let Alex get treated like a "second child" (I know, I know...he IS the second child and whether I like it or not, he ends up getting treated like the second child all the time.  But I like to pretend that I treat everything with him just as special and precious as if it was the first time it happened, because it's the first time it has happened TO HIM). 

(Spoken like a true second child, right?!  OK, people, I've got some issues...) 

(I digress.)  

Alex was totally a second child when it came to his first hair cut.  I didn't bring the camera.  I didn't bring a bag to save his hair.  Hell, I didn't even make sure Daddy was there to watch the momentous occasion.  

Oh well.  I-phone pics, hair in a cup, and an update to Daddy after it happened...none of that changes the fact that Alex looks so precious after his first hair cut!

But that cute little boy was also about to go through another first...his first ear infection. =(

He's so cuddly, but he just wants to be held ALL THE TIME

We also took him to the doctor that day to find out that the source of his fever was an ear infection.  Jillian had lots of ear infections, too, but I will say that Bubs may not be as tough as his sister (at least not when he's sick).  He is a little fussy, very clingy, and very sleepy when he is sick.

At the doctor again.  He weighs 17 lbs., 10 oz. now.

Fast forward to this week, and Bubs is still not better.  Poor baby!  So we took him to the doctor again and now he has a double ear infection and a stronger antibiotic.  $90 later, let's hope he finally gets back to being a happy, healthy baby boy because we have a big weekend in store...

Adorable Alex: Baby's First Food

Yesterday, we fed Alex his first "solid" food!  He had his first tastes of baby cereal and I think he liked it!  

I started feeding him baby cereal 2 weeks earlier than we fed Jillian baby cereal, mainly because he is showing all the signs of readiness.  He is sitting up on his own pretty well, and he always grabs for my food when I'm eating dinner.  

So on Saturday night, we broke out the plastic spoons and baby cereal, and I was sure that Daddy could be home for the occasion.  Big sister Jilly was eager to help.  She helped me mix the cereal with breast milk.  And then she insisted on having her cereal for dinner, too.  

During the first few bites, Alex would open his mouth, but he seemed surprised that there was actually food on the spoon.  He would happily baby kick after ever bite (see the video below, there's nothing I love more than cute baby kicks!)

My first bite of food!

Is there food on that spoon?!

There were a few bites where I think he wasn't really sure of what to make of it all.

Hmmm, I don't know about this, Mommy...

Sometimes he would actually swallow the food, other times he would push the spoon and food out of his mouth with his tongue.  This may be a sign that he wasn't quite ready, but in due time, I'm sure he'll get the hang of it.  

But for now, Alex ended up with more on his cute face and on his bib than in his belly!  And he would smile and laugh as we would cheer "Yay Bubs" after the last few bites.  He is so adorable!!!

Adorable Alex, this is another important "first" for you and we can't wait to see what your next "first" will be!

Her Toy Story

This is only a small portion of the toys...I had already organized all the stuff in her room!

I know what this may look like to you...it's just a pile of toys...

But it's not "just a pile" to me.

Over the holiday break, I knew that we were in need of some major cleaning/organizing.  So I set out to organize closets and clean up the clutter.  That included organizing Jillian's toys so I could throw some out.  Little did I know that these simple tasks would tug at my heart strings so much.

One of my favorite movies of all time is the movie  "Stepmom."  And one of my favorite lines in the movie happens when Julia Roberts (the stepmom) goes to dinner with Susan Sarandon (the mom).  Julia tells Susan:

"You know every story, every wound, every memory.  Their whole lives' happiness is wrapped up in you...every single second."

Trust me, I have had a few "mom" moments in my time with Jillian and Alex where I realize that enormous responsibility that I have in being their mom.  But I was so struck, as I was going through all her little trinkets and deciding which toys to keep.

I remembered the story of every toy.  I remembered who gave it to her, or when she got it, or when she played with it.  I remembered the big toys that lit up her world on Christmas morning.  Or the little toy that she carried around in her pocket for 2 weeks straight.  And I couldn't get rid of a single one because at some point or another, they meant something to her.

Now, maybe I've been watching too much Toy Story 3 with Jilly and Bubs, but I can't help but think of how quickly time will pass.  I know I only have nearly 3 years of stuff for her, and nearly 6 months of stuff for him.  And I know I have a lifetime's worth left to go. But I bawled like a baby reflecting on how "(I) knew every story, every wound, every memory.  (My kids') whole lives' happiness is wrapped up in 

(ME)."

So, I kept it.  All of it.  Every toy.  Every story.  Every memory.  And I'll keep it all safely tucked away in my heart.

Silly Jilly: Crossing the Red Sea

Jillian is saying lots of silly things these days and as much as I tell myself I will remember it all, I won't.  So I am going to really try to capture some of the funniest/most creative/most significant things on the blog so I don't forget them...

The other day, Jillian and I were taking a bath together.  As she was playing in the corner playing:

Jillian: They are climbing up the wall.
Mommy: Who is "they?"
Jillian: God's people.
Mommy:  Oh, God's people are climbing up the wall.  Are they about to cross the Red Sea?
Jillian: Yes, God's people are crossing the Red Sea to get over there, see?  They are going to the mall.

And there you have it, folks...we thought God's people were crossing the Red Sea to escape the Egyptians, but no.  According to Silly Jilly,  it turns out they were intent on a much higher purpose...they were just trying to go shopping!

Reading the story of God's people crossing the Red Sea, clearly on their way to the mall =)

Happy 5 Months, Alex!

Oh boy! Oh boy! Guess who's 5 months old today!!!

Alex is...can you believe it?!  It has been a big month for this cutie boy!

First, Alex started school on December 9.  It was a little bit of a rough transition, for Alex and Mommy both!  He was having trouble sleeping and eating at school, and just as he was getting the hang of it, it was time for the holiday break.  I'm sure it will take a little getting used to again tomorrow as we go back to school/work, but it sure was nice to be home again with this sweet boy for the past 2 weeks!

In other big news, Bubs is starting to sit up on his own!  He can't sit for very long, but we work on it everyday so that he can get stronger.

He also started rolling over on his own.  On December 14, I set him down on the bed and when I turned back around, he had rolled over from his back to his tummy!  We were so proud of him and so was big sister Jilly!

And this boy is getting good at his hand/eye coordination.  He is batting at hanging toys and he is really great at taking his binky in and out of his mouth.  Hopefully that hand/eye coordination = good athletic ability!  

And it was also Alex's first Christmas during this past month.  It was such a joy to spend this Christmas with our son, in addition to our daughter.  I often thought about how lucky I was to be holding my sweet boy, and how lucky we are that God gave us His only son.  It made the holidays a little extra special!

After last month's sleeping woes, we decided to move Bubby back into our room and have him sleep in the pack-n-play for a little while longer.  We aren't quite back to sleeping through the night, but I am only up with him once, usually between 2-4 AM.  He goes to sleep around 8 PM and is up by about 6 AM everyday.  And as soon as he wakes up, he is happy and talkative!

We love you sweet boy!  We cannot wait to see what the next month has in store for the Acosta 4!

Merry Christmas Alex and Jillian!

Twas the night before Christmas and in the Acosta casa

Princess Jilly set out cookies for Santa made by her and mama

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care

In hopes that St. Nicolas soon would be there

St. Nicolas did come and he left quite the loot

For that pretty princess and her baby brother, so cute!

First up was cute Alex, awake before dawn

We took him out first so he didn't have to wait on

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

We soaked in these precious moments with our son

After all, it was Christmas, his very first one!

But alas arose Jilly with such a clatter

As soon as we went in her room, she started to chatter

The first words out of her mouth, "did Santa come?!"

Wondering about gifts, "did he bring me some?!"

Sure enough, she came out and found all the gifts from her letter

And the look on her face, it couldn't get any better!

She got a little red trike and Minnie Mouse helmet

And to take care of Minnie, a baby care set

And for her baby brother she said, "Here Bubs, one for you.

I hope Santa brought you stuff from your letter, too!"

For over 2 hours, we watched them open presents that brought smiles to their faces

And silently I thanked God for all His good graces

It was the best way to spend Christmas with our babies we adore

A nice, quiet Christmas for our little family of four!

It was the merriest of Christmases, such a happy day!

All we did the rest of the day was sit around and play!

Hope yours was as great and filled with delight

Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Home for the Holidays

Oh, there's no place like home for the Holidays...

Since J doesn't get much time off for the Holidays, we stayed in town and celebrated the Christmas season right here in good ol' Aggieland.

There really is no other place I'd rather be than right here with these 2...

It's Alex's first Christmas and Jillian's first Christmas where she "gets it."  As much as we missed having our extended family around, it was a nice change of pace to focus on our family of four and we established and strengthened our own Christmas traditions.  

Truth be told, we were so busy making these Christmas memories that I just ran out of time to blog about them. But J and I have committed to making these into our annual traditions so I want to be sure to capture them to look back on for years to come.  Hope you have a big cup of cocoa and a comfy chair because there were so many great memories to share!

Last year at this time, I was 5 weeks pregnant and Jilly bought a Christmas gift for her baby sibling, who we had just nicknamed "Bubby."  I opened that gift last Christmas, but the real gift is the little person who is now wearing it!

Christmas 2012 on the left and Bubby's 1st Christmas 2013 on the right

It was time to break out Jillian's Christmas tree and help her put up all of her cute ornaments.  She was so eager to help and Bubs was eager to supervise.  

After putting on the tree topper, it was just right.  Jillian also loved adding her gingerbread doll, named Ginger, to the decor this year!

Oh, how time flies when you're having fun...look how big she has gotten compared to her tree!

Jillian and her tree on Christmas 2011 (top left), Christmas 2012 (bottom left), and Christmas 2013 (right)

Bryan is home to the World's largest gingerbread house, and we were excited to meet up with our friends, the Malnars, to visit this man-made wonder! 

As much as I would love to do 25 days worth of activities leading up to Christmas, I figured that "12 days of Christmas" was a lot more practical for our family. So we started with slipping pieces of paper into the Advent calendar with 12 days left.  Our first activity was writing letters to Santa.  Jillian had never really written a letter to Santa, but she was really excited to tell him what she wanted (and I was excited to get her everything on her list)! And Bubs was happy as can be too!

Since Alex is a boy and Jillian is a girl, there aren't too many clothes hand-me-downs.  But these Christmas PJs were a perfect hand-me-down...don't they both look so cute?!

Jillian in the Christmas PJs in 2011 and Alex in them in 2013

With only 11 days left till Christmas, we had our first ever North Pole breakfast. Santa mommy had everything made before Jilly woke up and daddy helped set it up. She came out of her room, looked in her Advent calendar, and was so excited to read the note for this day's activity. And of course, she ate the marshmallow snow first. But all that sweetness paid off when she gave a big, sweet kiss to her baby brother!

9 days till Christmas and we went to Santa's Wonderland with the Hayes and the Malnars!  Jillian loved looking at the lights and listening to the music, but Bubs was not really feeling it. We stayed as long as we could, and had a good time with our friends!

With 7 days till Christmas, we loaded up our sleigh and drove around looking at Christmas lights!  OK, so Bubs slept the whole time, but Jillian, Julian, and I had a great time!

My favorite pic is the top left where Jillian was saying "Mommy, Baby is too heavy for me to smile!"

Only 2 days till Christmas, and while I was off of work for a 2 week break, Julian and his co-workers were working their butts off.  So we took them Christmas breakfast treats, complete with holiday cheer!  I'm not sure what brightened their day more, the donuts or the 2 cute kids in Santa hats!

And with only 1 day left till Christmas, we baked a birthday cake for baby Jesus.  I have to say that this was probably one of my favorite activities we did because I feel like this one showed Jillian what Christmas is really about...the birth of Jesus!  Jillian was a great little baker/helper...and Bubby slept right through it!

All of these fun activities really added the magic and wonder of the season.  It was so magical to be home for the holidays.  Everyday was such a joy as we were all in the holiday spirit, and making memories with these 2 was...well...priceless!

And it all helped lead up to the anticipation of the big day where we couldn't wait to see what Santa left under our tree...

But I know for me and Julian, there are no greater gifts than these 2!