Our First Christmas with Cristian

Yes, I have been MIA for a few weeks. The holidays were extra busy this year. Carlos and I decided to stay home this year for several reasons...money...work...traveling with a 6 month old sounds like a nightmare. So logic and a small wallet helped us make a great decision. We both had to work right up to Christmas Eve (which put a slight damper on holiday shopping and getting in the spirit), but since Cristian's school was closed for most of last week and this, we have spent lots of time together as a family. With our busy lives, family time is at a premium, so time over this holiday has been even more precious. Oh, and since my last post Cristian did indeed turn 6 months old! And, for his gift he got shots at the doctors office. Yes, I am a great mom giving him freedom from the flu, measles, mumps, rubella etc. etc. Thank you very much. No really, the shots are for a good cause, but I did feel pretty guilty about having to plan his appt. on his actual 6 month day. He was great, as usual, only a little crying and then distracted by food, tylenol, and a nap. He is such a tough guy. Our peanut is now 28 1/2 inches long and 17 pounds 1 ounce. Long and lean. He is wearing a size 3 diaper and 9-12 month clothes. He doesn't quite fill them out, but he needs the length, especially in the onsies. Oh how I hate the baby wedgie. He is almost crawling and can sit up on his own for a few seconds. The problem with sitting up is his body is super long, but his legs are not...so he is a bit top heavy. If I could get a little more meat on his bones it would help, I think. Ok, so I will stop rambling...I know what you want...pictures...well here you go, enjoy!

As promised, our Christmas Card picture.


What do you mean I'm not supposed to eat the paper?


It rolls and it makes noise! Thank you Santa!


Can you believe dad let mom put this bow on my head? Then HE took a picture! If I wasn't busy chewing on this yellow donut...


Thanks for my exersaucer Grammie. You rock!


This whole present thing is exhausting!


Grammie bought me this union suit...mommy thinks it is super cute, but I like it because it is easy to roll around in.


Great-grandma Betty got me a gift card and mom made me buy socks and a new hat. Oh well, at least my feet and my ears will be warm.


Mom bought me this cool highchair at our neighborhood resale place a few weeks ago. She finally made time to finish cleaning it this weekend and I got to enjoy my first meal in it. I like how the straps look like suspenders...a little Bob Villa, eh?

A Couple of Things

Take a gander at the button to the left of your screen. This week, a fellow blogger and new mom Jessica (her son is a few weeks younger than Cristian) is going to be showcasing some great scrapbooking ideas on her blog. Just click the button to check 'em out.

In Palacios family news, we decorated our tree and our house this week. Cristian hasn't really "noticed" the tree. He did really like the outside lights, it helped that all of our neighbors had their lights on too. He was amazed.

Today my mom was over and she helped us take pics for our Christmas cards. We had planned to go to a professional, but it was easier (and cheaper) to do them at home. I will post the winner after the cards are mailed...somehow that seems like the right thing to do. Mom also made tamales with her friends yesterday and we were happy to score a few dozen for ourselves. I will probably freeze most of them, but we did eat a few for lunch today and they were delicioso!

Here are a few of the latest pics of Cristian.
I like cookies

Uncle David visting from Las Vegas

Elephant baby

Look, I can hold my own

1st Day of School

Yesterday was Cristian's first day at daycare. And it was a doozie, more for him and Carlos than for me. I had researched and visited several places last week while on vacation and the last place I visited was the right place. Our friend Kristin has a friend from work that suggested a place close to our house where their son goes and they were right on. The place, Country Baby, was perfect. Clean with a great staff. There are only 4 babies including Cristian and they are in a seperate building from the big kids. The 2 year olds and up are in the main building. The baby place is quiet and calm, just the right place for play and nap. Carlos wasn't able to see it ahead of time so we went together yesterday morning. Cristian was awake and happy when we dropped him off. He was the 2nd to arrive and the ladies were excited to meet him. He is such a flirt they all seemed to hit it off.

Carlos dropped by at lunch (because he is over protective and sweet for his little guy). Unfortuneatly he arrived to a crying Cristian in a swing. Poor little guy, he hates the swing (which, bad mommy, I forgot to mention to the staff). He had been fed and while his teacher was trying to feed the other little ones, she placed him in the swing for some relaxing time. She had no idea the beast she would unleash! Totally not her fault, he is the only baby I know of that hates the swing. Carlos rescued him from his torture chamber and got him to sleep in a jiffy while showing the teacher how to get him to nap. He is so particular, he doesn't like to be cuddled anymore and wants to be held a certain way while having his hands rubbed. His teacher was greatful for the tips and Carlos left once he was tucked away in his crib.

Two hours later I got a call from the school. Cristian had a scratch on his face when he woke up. No biggie, he scratches his face when he is really tired. It was so great that they called though, I really appreciated the thoughfulness. I try to keep his nails cut, but every other day is apparently not often enough. When I picked him up he had a huge scratch, not quite what I expected, but a little neosporin and he would be fine. He was asleep when I put him in the car, but woke on the way home. I tried to talk to him, but he ignored me. Yes, he holds a grudge. Apparently he was not happy about being left with strangers and having to share toys with other little people. He continued to refuse to make eye contact with me when we got home, turning his head from side to side when I tried to talk to him. Wonder where he gets that from? Hmmm?

Finally, after his bottle and a loud belch, he turned and gave me a big smile. Silent treatment be gone. You know, despite his seemingly bad day, Cristian managed to eat like a champ. Comfort food? Maybe? Little piggy like mom & dad? More likely.

I am happy to report that today went far more smoothly. Carlos went by and had a visit during lunch (You could have guessed that one huh?), and Cristian was doing great. He seemed more relaxed in his new place and the staff were really positive about his day. He did, however, make a run for the rattles. Apparently he took hold of a few and refused to share. Once again, where does he get that from... When I picked him up he was in a rocker and greeted me with a big 'ol gummy smile. What a little cutie. I am so thrilled he had a good day, I hope this is just the start of many.

He spent the last 3 months with Mandy's sister Alice and her partner Albert. They were so amazing and gave me such piece of mind when I had to return to work. Cristian loved being with them. I really feel that his first 5 1/2 months have been perfect. As a newborn he got tons of love and one-on-one attention. Just what every newbie needs. Now he is beginning to play and move about, it is the perfect time for him to be around other babies. He will learn to share and play...skills I would find hard to teach him without other babies around.

I do have pictures of the infamous scratch...it is worse that you think. But, I have to get to dishes. I will post pics later when I have more time. And, by the way, leave me a comment and tell me you are out there...I feel like I am writing to ghosts.

It's Official...

Cristian said his first word last night...Momma. Then he said it again and again and again this morning. Carlos was playing with him on the floor last night and Cristian was babbling as usual. So Carlos just started saying Momma, Momma, over and over. Seconds later our little guy repeats MMMMMomma, MMMMMomma. I started crying and ran to get my phone. Yep, I recorded the next 2 times he said it. And yes, I have played it for anyone who will listen!

We are going to FINALLY pull out our video camera this week and I will try to upload video of our little chatterbox for you all to see.

In addition to his first word Cristian also rolled over from his back to his belly last night! He has done it before when no one was looking, but last night he finally started getting the hang of it and we witnessed the revolution. He has been rolling from his belly to his back for some time now, so we have been working with him to complete the roll. I have a feeling crawling is not too far away!'

I'm telling you, our kid is amazing (as all children are, of course). Carlos and I are just so in love with him and last night we just kept looking at him and looking at each other in total amazement. How did we get so lucky? Yep, we are living a blessed life.

In addition, our wonderful friend Kristen came over last night for dinner and a baby. She fed Cristian his squash.(He ate a whole serving with cereal...little piggy.) She said she had never fed a baby before, but I'm not sure I believe her. She was a total pro. Cristian was barely a mess when he was done and she got away without any squash on her clothes! If I hadn't been there, I wouldn't have believed it. After dinner she played with the little guy and then put him to sleep. Cristian has always adored Kristen, but last night he fell in love. His little face staring at her, it was precious! Some people just have a natural knack for kids, Kristen is one of them. She is patient and sweet. It was a great night.

New Pics of Our Big Boy

Since you reminded me I do not post enough pictures, this one is for you Kelli! We can't wait to go to the zoo with you and Braden!

Pre-lunch, lookin' good and clean.


If you stop moving I might actually get some of the sweet potatoes in your mouth! Cristian is still getting the hang of eating and I am, obviously, still getting the hang of feeding a moving mouth!


Our little monkey likes bananas and biting the spoon! I finally realized I have to use the plastic bibs now...after ruining several cloth ones...duh!


Twin-zees! Franny has Zooey and Cristian has Grammie! Oh yeah, its Longhorn time!


Ya'll know I am not normally into character clothes...but this is the absolute cutest! Thank you Mimi for this awesome ode to sponge bob! And, thank you Grammie for Cristian's new bedding, he loves to stare at the longhorn logos!

Busy as can be.

Well, things have been crazy lately. Carlos and I took turns keeping Cristian last week. Our sitter had a conflict, so Carlos took off Monday and Tuesday and I worked from home Wed-Fri. It was fun to see Cristian all day, but working from home was hard. My VPN was slow and the work I was doing did not jive with a slow network. Anyway, I got through it and as a weekend bonus, 4 of my favorite ladies came over. My mom came Friday and spent the entire weekend helping me with Cristian so I could reorganize the house (more on that later) and Lisa, Franny & Zooey came Saturday afternoon. At this stage I was really excited to see Cristian reacting to the girls (who are now almost 8 months old). He was so typically an only child. He looked at them with amazement, but had no intention of sharing mommy and grammie with them. In fact, he NEEDED to be held pretty much the whole time they were here. And, he spent the afternoon engrossed in watching football instead of playing with the girls. What a total guy? Carlos picked up a shift at the resteraunt Sat night, so it was just us girls (and Cristian) for the afternoon. We had such a good time, passing babies and chatting. Really more of a mommy playdate.

So, Cristian has been growing and growing. He has now outgrown his carrier carseat and his changing table. When he was born we bought a small changing pad (made for a bassinet) to use while he was little. Well, this weekend, we had to upgrade. We added the changing table extension on his chest and bought the bigger changing pad. He seems to like the larger pad and now he can kick mommy while I try to change his pants! So, since we added the extension, the changing table would no longer fit on the wall by the closet...so we had to rearrange the nursery which set off a whole house rearrange event. I change the dining room, our spare room and the hall closet. Yeah I am a glutten for punishment.

Yesterday Carlos helped me install our 3-in-1 carseat in my car. Carlos had the carrier base in his car, so he was going to continue using the carrier until we could get a second 3-in-1. Today, when I picked up Cristian and he rode in his big boy seat for the first time, we was sooo cute. He sat up and looked out both windows. He just smiled and his eyes lit up. It was like he was watching a tennis match, his head went back and forth from window to window. It was precious! And, Carlos was cruising Craig's List and found an identical 3-in-1 for his car! He asked all the right question when talking to the seller and he promises to really check it out before agreeing to purchase. The seller is a realtor and they have planned to meet Wed. afternoon (when she is near his office showing houses). I can't wait until he gets to watch in the rear view as Cristian sits up in the truck looking back and forth.

Just a quick update of our week. More pictures to come when I find time to upload them!

Just Pictures

I told mommy, cut to the chase and just post pictures of me doing what I do. It's what people come for anyway!

Grammie D & me at the Kyle Music Festival.


So cool I decided not to smile.


Golf anyone?


Jumperoo + TV = Complete Happiness


Daddy & me taking a little nap before the UT game.


Happy to Bee in my 1st Halloween Costume.


Flying Baby Bee


I'm over it. Can you get this thing off of me now?

31 Years...4 Months...2 years of remembering

Yep, I am the 31 years and Cristian is the 4 months? Bet that was hard to guess, huh? Yeah sure. Well, last Saturday I "celebrated" 31 years of life. It was a nice day: a visit to Philip's place, an AWESOME UT football game, and dinner at Pappasitos. Mom came along for dinner and we had a great time...topped off with more charms for my charm bracelet, a great piture frame, comfy PJs, and ice cream cake. Today, Cristian turned 4 months old! Somehow the time has flown. People warn you about that when they are born, but grasping the concept of flying time is wow. He smiles and giggles, burps and farts, grabs at his toys and fits his whole fist in his mouth. He watches football on the weekends and sleeps through the night. He is the keeper of my heart. Cristian had his 4 month well visit today. He weighs in at 16 pounds 1 ounce and is 27 inches tall. His weight is in the 75th percentile, his height in the 97th percentile...but his head circumference...only the 50th percentile. Yep, a peanut head. Oh well, an efficient brain does not need excessive space anyway! Oh, and I think Cristian is going to be left-handed. Too early to tell...maybe. But, he really favors his left hand. He uses it to grab toys and his bottle, while the right just kind of lays there...always the 2nd to join in.

October 15th is pregnancy and infant loss rememberence day (hence, the 2 years of remembering). So, on my way home Wednesday I stopped by to see Philip. Twice in one week...I haven't done that in some time. I pass the cemetary everyday driving home, but most days I just want to get Cristian as fast as I can. I spent many afternoons when I was pregnant visiting Philip and now I don't always feel like I have time. It was nice to spend a little time with him alone. I can't believe March will be 2 years. Again, my how time flies.

So the week has been a busy one. Here are a few new pictures of Cristian.

We ate gelato, cleaned the cup, then gave Cristian a new look...hehehe...

Cristian's first rice cereal...he likes it, he really likes it!

Could you move a little faster with that spoon?

Nevermind, I'll just suck the excess off your arm. Thanks.

HAVE TO RANT...

WARNING...THIS POST CONTAINS ALOT OF OPINION

Now that Cristian is here, Carlos and I finally "get" it...the big picture...the love of your children. Now that we get it, it makes it even more confusing when we hear of people hurting their children. I don't mean abusing them, obviously with or without children you would be appalled by abuse. I am talking about just the average, everyday, ignoring of kids. Even before I had kids I didn't understand it and now I find it even more unforgiveable. I look at Cristian and I can not imagine not seeing him everyday and hearing all his tales as he grows. I can not imagine missing a sporting event or recital or concert that he is performing in. I can not imagine leaving him with his grandparents for weeks at a time (maybe one week...when he is much, much older...yeah, I'm pretty attached right now! Sorry Mom!). Kids need attention...lots of attention. And, you WILL have to give up many of your selfish needs for them. A roof and food is not parenting, that is caregiving and that is not enough for raising children. You will also be expected to not be their "friend" but be their "PARENT". Children can make their own friends, what they need from Mom AND Dad is parenting.

Need I remind you pregnancy is completely PREVENTABLE. If you don't want the responsibility of children then don't have any. If you do not want to be a parent you don't have to be. Instead of abortions, lets hand out contraceptives so we never have to cross that bridge. This is not rocket science people. We all know how babies are made. Duh.

Sorry for the rant, that is so one of my hot buttons, and it has been coming up in conversations alot this week (Have you heard about the guy who left 9 kids ages 1 to 17 at a Hospital in Nebraska?) I had to get that off my chest. Thanks for "listening".

Please appreciate your little miracles, you will never get a second chance to raise them and enjoy all the stages they go through.

New Law!!!

I was so excited today to open my email and find that a new law will soon be signed by President Bush. This new law will give parents who have received pre-natal diagnosis of Trisomy 13, 18, 21 (Down's) and other genetic syndromes access to information about their diagnosis and networks that could offer assistance and support. This is a BIG victory for families (like us) facing those difficult decisions. We were blessed to have doctors that (for the most part) supported us and gave us all the info they could. We also had friends and family that supported us and gave so much during our journey with Philip. I have been so amazed and saddened by the stories from other familes that were not so lucky. They had doctors and worse, friends and family, that were not supportive or helpful. They were given inaccurate information and made life altering decisions based on that bad info; having to live with the consequences. Hopefully this new law will insure that families are making decisions based on facts and not opinions. So they can be really comfortable with all the decisions they make regarding their little babies. Here is a link if you want to read more about the specifics.
http://www.trisomy18.org/site/DocServer/S_1810_passed_by_House.pdf?docID=1041

Of course with this good news, I have spent much of my day thinking about my little Philip. Here he is, with a few new pics of little brother Cristian.

3 months old...

Look how cute I am in my 3-month pictures!


Not to sure about this whole sitting up thing.

I really prefer my back better, especially when I watch TV.

I was trying to tell mom I was so over the photoshoot, but she just kept snapping!

We took Cristian to Pappasitos for his 3 month birthday dinner last night. He didn't get to have any of the delicious food or margaritas, but he enjoyed sitting outside on the patio and watching the waterfall while mommy and daddy cleaned their plates. We even threw pennies into the fountain with wishes for both Cristian and Philip. It was fun. We haven't really had a whole lot of family time outside the house since Cristian was born, so this was such a treat. Carlos has taken to saying that everyday is Christmas at our house. Cristian is our daily gift that keeps on giving. We are amazed everyday as he takes in the world around him and continues to change and grow. We are so in awe of him.

Update!

The past couple of weeks has been pretty busy. Work is starting to pick up, the fall is our busy season. Sorry for the lack of a post in awhile.

Cristian had a cold last week. We took him to the doc on Tues just to make sure it wasn't an infection. Luckily, just a cold. He has gained another pound and another inch! 14 1/2 pounds and 25 inches long. This kid is so tall...must get that from Daddy! Our doc is so great, everytime we go he teaches us something new. This time we learned to put vaseline on the end of the rubber sucker thingy before putting it in Cristian's nose. Apparently, the rubber can take some of the inner nose skin off if you use it without the vaseline! I had no idea. Poor kid, no wonder he hates that thing! Bad Mom, Bad Mom. Cristian sat on Daddy's lap for most of the appointment listening to everything the doc said. His only objection came in the form of a raised eyebrow when the discussion turned to the role of vaseline in assisting in the relief of constipation. He didn't seem too keen on that one. The raised eyebrow got a big grin and laugh from the doc. My kid, what a comedian. In the end, we are rockin' the saline nose drops and moving past the "first cold". The jury is still out on the constipation assist, I am hoping a little extra H2O in his bottle will do the job and we won't have to cross that bridge!

Oh, for those of you who have sweetly asked, my family is all safe and sound after the hurricane. Ike did very little damage to the houses of my family and my Aunt Ellen and Uncle Carl were able to fly out of Louisianna to make their Alaskan cruise! I wish I could have gone with them...I hear those Alaskan cruises are relaxing and the scenery is fantastic! Plus, I wouldn't have to squeeze my two babies in two years butt into a bathing suit! Double bonus!

BTW- Cristian LOVES football! He hangs out with Dad in the recliner and watches game after game! Here are some recent pictures with all his longhorn gear! And that outfit...a size 12 months! It's big on the sides, but lengthwise...perfect!

All smiles!!! I tried to get the raised eyebrow, but my camera is too slow!

2 months old! & other stuff

Ok, I'm a little late on this one...but it has been a long two weeks. We took Cristian in for his 2 month appt Tuesday before last. He was 13 pounds 8 ounces and 23 7/8 inches long. Pretty much, 2 feet tall. He got a big round of shots...2 in his left thigh, 3 in his right thigh and one oral vaccination. He was such a trooper and didn't even cry very much. He was on Tylenol for 24 hours, but after that he was fine. Here is his 2 month picture!

We spent last Saturday night at Mom's celebrating her birthday. Her actual day was Monday, so we celebrated early. Poor thing, she had to celebrate her birthday on her first day back to work (the first day of school). Aaarrrgggghhh. Anyway, Colleen, Carlos, Cristian, Lisa, Franny & Zooey all came and had dinner and dessert. It was so much fun and we had enough babies to go around!
I am sure you have noticed that Lisa is so kindly customizing my blog! Isn't it so cute! I think she felt sorry for my templated blog and she knew (old cheapskate that I am) I would never pay to have it done, nor do I have any tech skills to do it myself. Leave it to Crafty Lisa to step in and help me out! Thank you Ms Lisa, I owe you! Here are a few more pics of the little guy.




milk tipsy





He loves his long horn mobile!

The BIG Day...

...wasn't so bad. And, I hate to admit it, but going back to work was a nice break. Cristian has been pretty fussy the last few days and like most moms, I was feeling quite helpless when all of my efforts to sooth him didn't work. So...after a few days of feeling like the worst mommy ever I took a day off and went to work. It was great to catch up on all the latest gossip and to see all my friends. The best part of my job is defineatly the people...they are the reason I show up every day. So, the break was nice, but I am not looking forward to tomorrow. At some point the newness will wear off and everyone will expect me to actually work. I assume that at some point I will also start to really miss my little guy and being away will get harder. Oh well, I should wait to worry about those things later. For now, I will revel in a good day (minus my computer being down and IT totally blowing me off). Yes, the cup is always half empty. Oh, this is the picture I printed for my desk...isn't he totally adorable? You can't see it, but this onsie says: "Turtley Awesome"

And the Countdown Begins

Yes, yes, it has finally come...in one week I will be back at work. Oh what a sad day that will be. I can't even comprehend how I will survive. 8 weeks sure does have a way of speeding by when you are caring for a newborn. I really thought it would feel longer. I suppose it is fitting that my first day back will be "hump day". Maybe the irony will help me "get over the hump" so to speak. We will see. Luckily Cristian will be staying with a friend of ours, so at least he will be safe and spoiled (she will not be caring for any other children, just Cristian). Please pray for us as we begin this new chapter...or you could just pray that we win the lottery in the next week, so I can just stay home (and yes, we have been buying tickets). Ok, that's not fair, praying for us to win the lottery. Just pray that you will win and you can give us some! Kidding...sort of. I have been totally procrastinating about this whole thing. Way back when Cristian was 1 week old I started having anxiety attacks about the day I would have to leave him...so instead of continuing down that path, I just took up procrastination. I stopped thinking about it and tried my best to "put it in God's hands". Now, less than 1 week away and I am feeling better than anticipated. No anxiety attacks...yet. Although, I am still holding on to the whole lottery idea. Someone's gotta win, why not us?

Weekend at Mommies

Lisa & family moved to Austin this weekend so Mom and I kept the girls all weekend!! Sure, their parents were there in the evening and Grandma came by on Sunday, but otherwise we each got a girl at all times. It was so much fun! Cristian hasn't really started interacting yet, he spends most of his time sleeping. The girls however are really cute. They laugh and smile when you talk to them and they even coo. They are precious. Here is a picture of Grammie with all the babies.

And, of course, Cristian fulfilled every man's fantasy when he got to sleep with twins! Hehehe!!

So, with all the move talk, Carlos and I are talking about moving. I want to be closer to my Mom and Carlos would love to move back to Austin. Strangely, Mom's house is the same time difference from my office as our house...and she lives in a completely different city! Oh, here is another one of my faves.
......Hear No Evil.....Speak No Evil......See No Evil

I stole...

...a really great idea! So, I was blog surfing or blog stalking or blog browsing, whatever you call it (I am so lame when it comes to the proper tech term). Anyway, I was checking out a blog linked from one of my favorite Christian blogs (Jesus related, not my baby related) and I totally stole the best idea. So, this new mom decided to document her little guys growth by taking a picture of him each month laying/sitting on the same stuffed chair. Isn't that brilliant? I know, you are thinking "Stacey. Really. Have you not heard of this before or thought of it yourself?" And, the answer is NO. I am so overwelmed with the whole idea of being a Mom I have completely lost my creative brain. Instead of looking for it, I have just decided to steal really great ideas from other people. With that said, here is Cristian's first photo:

Isn't it cool that I just happened to have a little stuffed bear chair? Thank you Jessica, creative Mom that I do not know, for the awesome idea. I hope you don't mind that I stole it (Hey, I gave you full creative credit!). BTW- My oldest friend (of 25 years...yep, we have known each other since we were 5) is moving to Austin from Dallas!!! We will now be a little under two hours away from each other!!! Welcome back Lisa, Joe and the little ladies!!! Oh, here are a few recent pics of our little man. Isn't he the cutest thing you have ever seen? yes, I know he is!!! I just wish I could get him smiling and laughing...everytime I try to take a pic, he yells at me. I guess that is why I am always taking sleeping pics!