Travel Day...

We woke up this morning and prepared our last minute travel needs. Daddy was packing and working on the final draft of the yearbook. Mommy was making sure she didn't leave behind anything that she or Libi would need during our week-long trip to Stockton. (Thank heavens Jammy Grammy and Granpa have a washer-- that makes packing easier!)

Daddy loaded our car and at 10 a.m. Jammy Grammy, Libi, Tobee and I all hit the road. It was hard leaving Daddy behind, but he will be having tons of fun with his kids on the east coast.

The car ride was pretty uneventful-- Tobee sniffed the livestock smells, Jammy Grammy and I took turns riding in back with Libi, and Libi slept or smiled.

We got into Stockton at about 3 p.m. Libi and Tobee were both glad to see Granpa and Mommy was glad to be out of the car. We unpacked and spent some time just hanging out! Libi got some kicky time and time in her pink papasan-- not to mention lots of time being held by Jammy Grammy and Granpa.

We are now getting ready for dinner-- so I'll write more later!

Friday with Jammy Grammy...

This morning Jammy Grammy took Libi and let Mommy sleep in. We all got up around 9 a.m. to go get t-shirts for Daddy. After we ran them to Rio Norte we went to the mall for shopping and lunch.

We found some cute clothes for Libi, jeans for Daddy, jeans for Mommy, and some other odds and ends for Daddy's East Coast trip. We had lunch at Red Robbin and then headed home to spend time with Tobee.

The Strassner's will be over soon for Jammy Grammy to see how ready Emma is for kindergarten. It will be nice to see all of them before we leave for Stockton!

Emma, Ben and Amy came over for a visit-- they are so fun! Ben is getting more talkative and boy is he funny! He really enjoyed playing with Tobee and Tobee really enjoyed all of the cookies Ben gave to her. Emma spent time with Jammy Grammy and then joined us when she was done. We will see them all again before Spring Break is over-- we love the Strassners!

Daddy and I did an errand run and then brought home ChiChi's for dinner. Jammy and I gave Libs a bath after dinner, then Daddy bonded with Libs while Mommy packed. There is so much to take with you when you travel.

We all turned in at about 10 p.m. to rest up for our travel day tomorrow.

The return of Jammy Grammy...

This morning Libi got some time with Grandpa Ron. When Daddy came upstairs to get ready for work, Libi came back to bed with Mommy. After another hour of rest we got up and got ready for our day.

We ran over to Valencia at 8:30 to pick up Jammy Grammy and brought her back to our house. The girls are now cuddling with Jammy Grammy-- both Tobee and Libi love to have their Grammy back! I made lunch for Jammy Grammy and myself-- a pasta dish and garlic bread.

Grampy came back to the house at 1 p.m. to see his cute granddaughter. We hung out for an hour, then he and Jammy Grammy went to Nana and Pop's house. Daddy and I followed them as soon as he got home from work at 3:45. We spent the evening with them-- chatting, having dinner, and "fighting" over who would hold Lizzie Lou (Nana's name for Libs.)

We are now home and watching "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader." Libi is still asleep from the drive home, let's hope she sleeps through the night :)

10 weeks old today!

Libi is 10 weeks old today-- she is tracking things with her eyes, she is smiling, she loves to kick, she is sleeping through the night in her bassinet, her hair is lightening, her eyes are still blue, and she is extremely loved! We can't believe that she has been around for 10 weeks already-- time is flying!

When Libi woke up at 2 a.m. this morning for a diaper change, she woke up happy! Daddy and I were so taken with our little girl that we put her in bed between us and watched her laugh and kick until we all fell back to sleep.

Today we continued our little morning ritual-- when Daddy leaves we snuggle in our bed and go back to sleep for an hour or two. We have been doing this the past few days and it's heaven! We got up kind of late today, so it was a quick morning. We got dressed, grabbed Tobee, and went to Nana and Pop's house.

It was a fun trip today. We chatted, had lunch, and spent lots of time looking at Libi. Nana gave us a darling outfit for Libs, some new hats and another pair of socks. It is always fun for me to go to Nana and Pop's house because they love to hold her-- I get a chance to just focus my loving on Tobee.

When we got home Daddy was getting his hair cut. He got home soon after we returned home. I spent the afternoon cleaning and doing laundry to get ready for our Spring Break trips while Daddy bonded with Libs.

This evening I made a Dream Dinner-- steak Gorgonzola and pasta and Grandma Cris came over. She spent the evening with Libi while Daddy and I cleaned and organized. We will watch American Idol at 9 p.m. to see who gets kicked off and then head off to bed. Jammy Grammy and Granpa come into town tomorrow and we are all excited!

A blustery day

Today is a rather blustery day as Pooh would say. It has been cloudy, rainy and windy. We haven't even made it out of our pajamas today. We are simply hanging out with the Toe today.
I have just finished making a pasta lunch and Libs is having kicky time. We will dress her in her cowgirl outfit for some pictures later on this afternoon.
3:45 p.m. Daddy came home with some fun news-- Tyler Durman, our motivational speaker friend, is in town tonight and he wants to meet us for dinner at 4:30. Mommy hadn't taken a shower or anything yet today, so she had to hustle!
We just got back from Johnny Rockets where we had dinner with Tyler. It was fun catching up with him about his speaking engagements, parenting book, and his family. Libi slept the entire time, so we were free to chat!
After dinner Daddy and I ran into Border's and then to Target to run some errands. It is freezing in southern California today, so we literally ran into every store. Daddy got Mommy some Golden Spoon Yogurt for dessert and now we are home watching American Idol.
Tomorrow is Nana and Pop's day and then Thursday Jammy Grammy and Granpa (his new name) come into town. Libi is excited about all of the new adventures coming up this week and next!

Glorious Monday...

Last night was amazing! Libi woke up at 4 a.m. for some food and a diaper change, she was cold at 6:30 when Daddy left so she got into bed with Mommy and we slept until 9 a.m. We both woke up smiling and happy!

This morning we are each eating our breakfasts happily on the couch with Tobee. We will hang around the house today and hopefully do some laundry. This evening we will go to Nana and Pop's house to see our Oregon friends the Cases.

Dolly came over for the final yearbook inspection this morning. It was fun to have her here! She loves both Tobee and Libi and always plays with both of them on her visits. We are both excited to finally have the yearbook put to bed-- we are more excited that someone else will be doing it next year!

Libi has been so smiley today, but I'm never near the camera when she begins her smiles and giggles. She definitely knows who I am-- and she smiles when we talk.

Daddy will be home soon and we'll make our way to Nana and Pop's for dinner and visiting with the Cases.

We got to the valley at about 4 p.m. to begin our visit with Nana and Pop and the Cases. It was nice to catch up on the goings on of Maureen, Bruce, Mike, Tim and Patrick as well as the rest of the McMenamin's. Even more fun for me was hearing Nana tell more stories from her past-- I wish I could write them all down. Unfortunately Libi was a bit fussy this evening, so she didn't get to spend too much time with anyone other than Mommy and Daddy. However, Nana and Pop did steal away to the den for some alone time with Libi while she was eating.

Claim Jumper was nice, but the service left a bit to be desired. We all talked the night away and we didn't leave until after 9 p.m. Daddy is now in bed and Lib and I will be there soon.

Libi met the Easter Bunny...

This morning after a visit from Grandpa Ron, Libi, Daddy and I went to the Grove to meet the Easter Bunny. It was a gorgeous day, so we took our gorgeous girl for her first photo op with Mr. E.B. She slept the whole time so she loved her first meet and greet. We have the pictures posted on Picasa for anyone who wants to see.

After the picture we walked the shopping center and had lunch at the Farmer's Market. I was really excited to try the Crepe stand that Giada DeLaurentis featured on her Food Network show and Daddy was excited to try Korean food. Unfortunately, my Nutella crepe was less than satisfactory and Daddy's Korean vegetables didn't do it for him so we ended up sharing a slice of pizza.

We scoped out the American Girl store for a later visit with Jammy Grammy and Nana, went into Pottery Barn Kids and Jannie and Jack-- all stores we never would have seen before we became parents. It was such a nice day that we took the scenic route home and just enjoyed being together.

This evening has been full of Mint Canyon yearbook pages. I had been stalled on the baby picture pages, but they are due tomorrow so I needed to just buckle down and complete them. They came out pretty cute! Dolly came over to grab them and give me one more page to complete-- which I am pleased to say that I did!

We watched the finale of You're the One That I Want Grease special. I'm pleased to say that my favorites won-- Libi enjoyed the music (she listened to a great deal of musicals while she was in Mommy's belly.) We are currently watching M*A*S*H and catching up on e-mails and we'll head to bed soon.

Sabado...

This morning Libi woke up to spend some time with Grandpa Ron and Daddy. They let Mommy sleep in until about 7:45-- which she really appreciated! Then Libi and Mommy set off for an adventure while Daddy was interviewing seniors for the UCLA scholarship.

We drove into the valley and made a stop and Nana and Pop's house to show them how cute Libs looked in her teal ensemble. She is wearing a teal onesie from Jammy Grammy and a sweater made by Aunt Pat in Oregon.

Then we went to Storyopolis, a really neat children's bookstore, for a CD release party. We subscribe to a site that tells us about events in and around LA-- museum exhibits, author appearances, plays, movies, anything that is for kids age 0- teenagers. They told us about a new CD called Habla blah blah which teaches kids Spanish. Daddy wants Libi to learn Spanish, and Mommy wants to learn Spanish with her so they can't have secret conversations. The woman who wrote the CD was singing and dancing with the kids at the store-- it was really fun. We got the CD and will begin speaking Spanish on our next trip in the car.

On our return trip to Santa Clarita, we stopped by Nan and Pop's again to tell them how much fun we had. Libi slept the entire visit, but it was still nice to see them. We grabbed lunch on the way home and shared it with Daddy upon our arrival.

Aunt Andrea came over to spend some time with her niece. Mommy and Daddy took the opportunity to go out to the garage and pull out clothes from Mommy's past. Jammy Grammy saved a bunch of Mommy's clothes from when she was a little girl. Several of her outfits were made by Grandma Harrigan-- Libi's Great-Grandma-- and we are looking forward to seeing them on Libi.

Mommy and Libi took a nap this afternoon, when Libs woke up Daddy took her so Mommy could keep sleeping. When I woke up we went to Albertson's to grab some groceries. Libi always enjoys looking at the bright lights in stores.

After a lovely chicken dinner we watched Stranger Than Fiction with Will Farrell. It is a really interesting movie-- different, but good!

Friday Funk....

I am not feeling especially well today. I have had a sore throat since yesterday, but I'm trying to convince myself that it's all in my head. Daddy changed both diapers last night because he felt sorry for me. Libi must have felt sorry for me too, because she let me sleep until almost 8 a.m.

We have had breakfast and now Libs is having some kicky time while I blog. We are debating whether or not to go to Mint Canyon's auction tonight while Daddy is in Hollywood-- I guess it will depend on how I feel.

It has been a lazy day thus far. Libi has been fussy, but I haven't been very stimulating for her today so I can't blame her. I'm trying not to breathe on her or talk too much. I bet she's trying to figure out why Mama is acting funny today. She is currently happily kicking in her bassinet and I get a few moments to rehydrate and rest.

Daddy came home for a few hours before his Hollywood trip. He and Libi took a short nap while Mommy read her People magazine, newspaper, and mail. At 4 p.m. Daddy left for the limo trip to Hollywood with 12 students. Mommy and Libi will go to the silent auction tonight at about 6 p.m. to check things out. We'll report back on our findings when we get home.

The silent auction was nice! Mommy got to see some of her work friends and students. Daddy had fun in Hollywood with his students, but was happy to be home. We all went to bed about 10:30 p.m. after we all went over our evenings.

Libi is 9 weeks old...

As of yesterday, my baby is 9 weeks old-- I can't believe how fast time is flying. Last night was good. We gave Libi a bath before American Idol then went to bed after the results were announced. It was a pretty peaceful night, Daddy got up for the middle of the night diaper change and feeding so I could rest after our sleepless night Tuesday.

This morning we went out to Remember When, Michael's, Cost Plus World Market, and Old Navy. I found a really cute bunny outfit for Miss Libs to wear Easter week. (My daughter has to wear holiday themed clothes preceding every holiday.) We then made a stop at PetSmart to see Tobee's trainer, Nichole. She was shocked to see little Libi-- we haven't been in for a while. I think the Libi, Tobee and I will take a class soon.

We called Daddy to see if he had had lunch today-- he said no, so we met up at IHOP. It was nice to see Daddy before 4 or 5 in the afternoon! We are now at home-- Daddy and Libi are napping and I am trying to get laundry and yearbook pages done. I would love to take a nap, but sometimes it is easier to do things when everyone else naps :)

Grandma Cris came over this evening to drop off some pictures for Daddy and she brought you a darling little outfit. Mommy went to bed early and Daddy and Libi had some bonding time.

The day after...

Last night was a restless night for Libi and I. She had a difficult time getting comfortable, so I spent a great deal of time trying to soothe her. This morning we both have dark rings under our eyes-- we look like two raccoons. We will continue to give her Tylenol today so that hopefully we will sleep better tonight.

We will head into Nan and Pops soon for our weekly visit and we'll blog when we return.

4 p.m. and we are back at home. We had a nice long, five hour visit-- poor Miss Libs slept most of the time. At the end of our visit Libi and Nana had a great discussion-- Libi smiled and smiled at Nana. She really enjoys her visits to her great-grandparents house and I think they enjoy it as well.

We got home and Mommy had to load up her Patriotic dishes and run them up to Mint Canyon for their dinner tonight. While Mommy was there she saw Aunt Betsy who gave Libi her new and improved blanket.

Last day of Winter...

It is another gloomy day here in southern California. This morning Libi woke up with Daddy and spent some time with Grandpa Ippolito. Tobee's hips are giving her trouble so they refrained from walking this morning, but Grandpa came over for a cup of coffee with Daddy. Mommy enjoyed the few extra minutes of sleep.

Today we are keeping it low key, due to Libi's doctor's appointment this afternoon. I will hopefully get more Easter decorations up while Libs sleeps.

It has been such a nice restful day. Libi and I have had several lovely conversations. She is getting more smiley by the day and she totally knows that her Mommy is funny! This afternoon she took a nap nuzzled on top of me. There is nothing better than a baby sleeping on you-- that is until you have to use the restroom. Now Tobee, Libi and I are all laying on the sofa resting before our 4 p.m. doctor's appointment. Daddy should be home soon because I wouldn't go to this appointment alone-- Libi gets her first shots today. I will blog again once we return to let you know how much our little peanut has grown.

5:30 We just got back from the doctor's office. We sat for quite a while in the lobby before Dr. Vashishta saw us. Libi didn't cry when we put her on the scale-- she now weighs 9 lbs. 6 oz. and she is 22 3/4 inches long. Dr. V. said after the examination that she was "perfect"-- she is developing just as a little girl should. Then it was time for the S-H-O-T-S-- she had 4, two in each leg and one oral! She cried and yelled, but not as much as we thought she would. When it was all over, Ron and I comforted her and brought her home.

We have now given her her first dose of Tylenol to hopefully stave off any fever and she is eating. We will continue the Tylenol and the loving throughout the night. After dinner and American Idol we will all settle in for a restful night's sleep.

Be sure to check on Picasa for new pictures and even new video.

A gloomy day...

Eeyore would have loved today-- it is quite overcast and gloomy outside. Libi had a good night, waking up for an hour at 2 a.m. then going back down until about 5:15. She was kind of in and out until Mommy was ready to get out of bed at 7:30. It was fun to listen to her coo at her mobile while I got a few more winks :)

This morning Libi has been really good. While she took her morning nap, I helped her get her baptism thank you notes done. We are trying to re-decorate the house for Easter throughout the day, but it is slow going. Tobee has been very tired today, so it has been a peaceful day so far!

Libi and I spent some time in the swing out back-- she really enjoys being in the yard. We just sat in the swing and talked about life. She has been really snugly all day, so I've been in heaven.

This afternoon we spent some time in her room-- I reorganized her clothes in her closet while she sat in her giraffe chair. Libi is starting to realize she has power-- she figured out today that if she kicks her legs and flails her arms her giraffes rattles and her ball swings. She spent a ton of time getting them to move around. I am amazed at how quickly she learns new things!

Daddy will be home soon and we'll have dinner and relax. Tomorrow is her 2 month check-up with Dr. V-- we'll e-mail her new height and weight stats when we get home.

We went out to dinner at Olive Garden. Libi slept through her first trip to one of Daddy's favorite restaurants. After that we went to Barnes and Noble and got Libi some more books-- heaven knows she needs more books, we don't have any in her room at all!

Peaceful Sunday...

After such a big day yesterday, we needed a slower paced day today. We woke up after a pretty restful night to go to Nana and Pop's house for breakfast with Jammy Grammy and Grampy. It was wonderful to see them again before they drove back to Stockton.

When we returned home, I took a nap and Daddy went on Libi patrol. She had a really quiet day, due to being so stimulated yesterday. Grandma and Grandpa Ippolito came over for lunch-- we had lots of left-over cold cuts. Libi had fun playing with them and Mommy enjoyed her nap. When I woke up, Daddy and I took down the St. Patrick's Day decorations and began to put up Easter.

Tonight we have kept things very low key-- I made a pasta dinner and Libi has spent time sleeping and eating. Daddy will continue to score more UCLA applications and Mommy will upload photos to the web.

Libi's Baptism Day...

Today has been a big day for our family-- Libi was baptized into the Episcopal Church. The whole family gathered at 10:30 this morning at St. Nicholas Church in Encino for the event. Fr. Jim Maronde the priest who married Ron and I, who I have known since I was six performed the ceremony. It was a brief service, but a really nice one. Bonnie and Jim Phillips were our first choice for godparents and we are blessed that they agreed to take the job!

After the brief ceremony, we all drove out to the house for the party. We had a lovely spread of food-- sandwiches, salads, chips, fruit and veggies as well as a yummy cake. Everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves eating, chatting, and passing Libi around. Neither Daddy or I got to hold Miss Libs until everyone left at about 4:30.

The next stop of the day was a trip to Nana and Pop's house for dinner with Jammy Grammy and Grampy. It was nice to have a quiet dinner with all of them, but again Daddy and I didn't get to hold Libi due to all the grandparents and great-grandparents. When we returned home after 8 we all hit the hay-- it was a very full, but a wonderful day!

Visitors are coming...

Today Libi was up early and ready to welcome her grandparents from Stockton. She was pretty restless last night, but I'm assuming that she was just excited that Jammy Grammy and Grampy are coming into town today. Despite her night, she woke up very happy and smiley!

We will spend the day at home doing final prep work for the party tomorrow.

Grandma and Grandpa got here around 11:30 and we have spent the afternoon getting reacquainted. Libi spent some time napping with Grandpa, being fed by Grandma, and generally getting spoiled! Mommy used the time to clean and Grandma helped so it went much quicker!

Daddy and I spent the evening prepping for the Baptism Party. The Clark's came over to see Libi and drop off some dishes they borrowed, but otherwise we just cleaned. Libi and I took a bath together tonight and she seemed to like it better than the shower.

Daddy just returned from a trip to Albertsons to pick up some of the food for tomorrow. If you are reading this-- whether or not we were able to get an invitation to you-- please come to the house around noon for lunch. We have tons of food-- sandwiches, chips, salads, and cake. Libi would love to have you help her celebrate her baptism.

Ides of March

Libi had a great night last night, sleeping from about 10 p.m. to 7:15 a.m. with one feeding/diaper change at 4 a.m. She is now smiling and cooing at me as she eats her morning meal. We are getting ready to go to Daddy's school for two St. Patrick's Day treats: a student who does Irish dancing and a Russ Peak magic show. I will take my little lucky charm in her little lucky charm outfit to enjoy both performances!

It is 7 p.m. now and we have had a very full day! We began by going towards Rio Norte. On the way we got gas (a first for me with Libi in the car) and stopped by Ralphs to look for a St. Pat's tablecloth. When we finally got to Rio the office staff fawned over Miss Libs for several minutes before I could get to Daddy's room. The office ladies are always so sweet-- fighting over who is going to hold her and remarking on how she's changed.

We then got to see one of Daddy's ASB students, Emily, do her Irish dance performance. Wow is she a talented kid! Libi enjoyed the music, but didn't watch any of the dancing. After that show we were lucky enough to see Russ Peak do a motivational magic show for the kids. He did the orange trick that Daddy has been talking about for years-- it was quite incredible.

While Russ did a show for another team, Daddy and I ran to Smart and Final and Walmart to get the remaining things for the party on Saturday. At Smart and Final we ran into Tracy Gold from the TV show Growing Pains. She was there shopping with her mother and son. She was extremely nice to talk to and she and her mother both commented on how cute Libi was.

After our shopping trip we met Russ for lunch at BJ's. Miss Libi was a bit tired at this point so she was cranky through much of lunch. It was nice to catch up with Russ and hear about his new girlfriend and two daughters.

Now we are cleaning the house and resting up for the big party. Libi is getting ready for a visit from Jammy Grammy and Grampy tomorrow-- we are all so happy they will be in town for the weekend.

My baby is 8 weeks old!

Yikes! I can't believe that Libi has been with us for eight weeks already. Time is really going far too quickly.

Last night Ron got home at 9 p.m. and at about 10 p.m. Libi got mad! She just wanted to show her Daddy how powerful her lungs are. We tried everything, even a bath-- but eventually at about 10:40 she just cried herself to sleep. The good news with that is that she didn't stir until 5:10 this morning. She ate a bit and then went back down until 6:30.

We have spent the morning eating, swinging, and walking through the house. Libi is all ready for her trip to her great-grandparents-- she is looking adorable in her lemon outfit from Jammy Grammy.

We just got back from Nana and Pop's house after a four hour visit. It is so much fun to hang out with them, but they don't like it when we leave. Libi spent much of the visit fighting sleep, her latest game. We are home and waiting for Daddy to get here so we can do more cleaning to get ready for Saturday.

Daddy got home and Mommy made pasta for dinner. Afterwards Libi got fussy and Mommy got busy straightening up. Daddy tried to calm Libi and eventually they both fell asleep in the glider. They woke up a while later, Dolly came over for a visit, and now we are watching American Idol.

First MOPS experience...

This morning Libi and I went to our first MOPS meeting, thanks to our good friend Diane Schmidt. We had a pretty good night, although Libs was a bit restless from about 3 a.m. on. We made a quick stop at Rio Norte on the way to the church to drop off a folder Daddy left behind. The ladies were all very nice and they thought Libi was adorable!

It is an interesting concept-- lots of Moms at all stages getting together, doing crafts, taking trips, doing philanthropy, and praying. They have a guest speaker at each meeting and serve a nice breakfast. I sat at the Sweet Pea table with some very nice girls-- one who has two daughters and another with a boy and a girl. We also met a woman with a 2 1/2 month old named Jack who was very cute, but looked like a giant next to Libs. Diane fed Libs while I ate and I took her for most of the meeting. She was fixated with the lights and speakers on the ceiling of the church, but startled every time there was applause. I was hoping she would sleep through most of the meeting, but she wanted to be a part of everything.

On the way home we stopped by Albertson's to order more of the food for Saturday-- can't wait to have everyone over for the Baptism party!

Sorry about the confusion, but MOPS is Mother of Preschoolers. It is a group of Moms who meet every other week to support one another. I think that we will wait until next year to join, since they only have four more meetings this year. The nice thing about the group is that they include Moms of all ages-- some of the ladies have high schoolers and some have infants, like me.

Libi and I decided to take a nap when we got home. Daddy came home for an hour and took Miss Libs so I could sleep a bit more. Daddy is now at his pre-departure meeting for the Spring Break trip to the East Coast. He will be bringing dinner on his way home-- yeah no cooking tonight! Jackie from next door just came over with Preston-- he is such a big boy! I can't believe that Libi will one day be that big and tall. It was nice to spend some time chatting with Jackie about Mommy stuff.

Tonight as we eat we will watch American Idol and then turn in early. Libi and I have to be well-rested for our weekly visit to Nana and Pop's house.

Sunday and Monday..

Sorry, I have to do another two-fer blog. Yesterday we were busy all day doing really fun things, so I didn't have a chance to blog.

Daddy took the night shift Saturday night, so Mom had a great night! Libi was only up for about 40 minutes for a feeding, so Daddy didn't get such a bad night to be on patrol. We decided to try to give Libs a shower instead of a bath-- it was quite a scene with all four of us (yes, Tobee helped too) in the guest shower. Libi didn't seem to appreciate her first visit to the shower so we'll stick with a bath for now.

We then loaded everyone in the car and went to Nana and Pop's for brunch. It was so fun to hang out with them for a few hours and eat Nan's yummy cupcakes. Libi was especially smiley for much of her visit, much to her great-grandparents delight.

Daddy and Libi had some alone time after we got back to Canyon Country so I could run some errands. Then we again loaded everyone but Tobee in the car for a visit to Grandma and Grandpa Ippolito's house. We took Libs over to meet Emmy and she was delighted to see her. Our dinner was a traditional Irish corned beef and cabbage, so Libi wore her St. Pat's Day outfit (you can check out pics of our little shamrock butt on Picasa.) After dinner we went for a walk and visited Joyce and Frank Fleshman.

Last night was really good! Libi spent the night in her bassinet and only woke up once for a feeding. This morning we are going to be pretty low-key. It is supposed to be in the 90's again today so we won't be doing a ton outside.

Lunchtime-- Libi just woke up from a really long nap. I was able to shower, put in 2 loads of laundry and hang all of her washed clothes. She is currently in her swing, enjoying looking at her frog and toucan. Tobee knows it is Monday, so she spent from 7 a.m. to noon outside refusing to come in even for a cookie. I tried to explain to her that I wasn't leaving the house today, but she didn't listen. I think the heat worked in my favor and she finally came in to hide under the computer table.

Libi has slept most of this warm day. Ron got home a bit ago and they spent a little quality time together before she conked out again. We are now watching M*A*S*H and getting ready for dinner.

We just had a lovely meal of Italian meatloaf and latkes-- we are quite international here! Libi slept through the whole dinner on Daddy's arm. Grandma Ippolito will come over at 7:30 to spend some time with Libi so we can continue to prepare for the baptism this weekend.

More cleaning is done--- the dining room is looking good as is the den. We are still working on the kitchen (why does that room never stay clean?) and the living room. We are now watching Dog the Bounty Hunter Best of Season 3 on DVD. We'll be off to bed soon to get rested for another day.

Another first for Libi...

Today we will be going to the LA Zoo for the first time with Libi. Daddy and I became zoo members this week so we can go whenever we want! We will meet our friends the Strassners there and explore the zoo with them. We'll let you know what Libi thought of the zoo later.

We are back home from a good but busy day. We met the Strassner family at the zoo for Libi's first trip. It was so much fun to walk the zoo with them! Ben thought Libi was cute and Emma was a big helper keeping Libi in the shade. Amy fed Libi a bottle during our lunch stop and Howard took an amazing family photo for us. We are very lucky to have such good friends.

Libi slept through a great deal of the zoo, much like she did at Sea World. However, when she was awake she enjoyed seeing all there was to see.

After the zoo, we made a stop at Aunt Andrea's apartment for a visit. It was wonderful seeing her place-- she's done a great job of decorating it. She and I chatted and played with Libi while Ron took a nap on her sofa. Libi was kicking and cooing for her Auntie-- I think they both had a good time!

I'm off to take a nap...

Fabulous Friday...

After another uncomfortable evening, Miss Libs found relief at about 11 p.m. She then slept from a little before midnight to nearly 7 a.m. It was a good night for all of us!

This morning she is still a bit fussy, but not so much that we couldn't run up to Mint. I had to deliver some things to school, so we hopped into the car and were there for about an hour. Everyone was taken with our pretty girl and Aunt Betsy got to hold her for a bit. We are now back at home and Libi is taking a nap.

I forgot to mention that I gave Libi a bath this morning. I am definitely getting the hang of doing it alone. She wasn't really happy during the bath, but at least she smells good now.

This afternoon I was trying to make some pasta for lunch, but Miss Libs wanted to be near me. Therefore I tried the Baby Bjorn for the first time. It was quite challenging to figure out how to strap the thing on but once I did it worked great! Libi and I spent some time in the kitchen and later she'll help me decorate the house for St. Patrick's Day and her Baptism party.

The decorating went well with Libi in the Bjorn-- it went even better when Daddy got home and took Libi outside for Daddy Daughter time. We are now relaxing in preparation for a visit from Grandma and Grandpa Ippolito. While they are here we will take care of some more clean up for our big party next week.

A taste of life at home...

Last night during American Idol Libi became very upset. She was again doing her weekly crying fit where nothing makes her happy. She cried for about a half an hour before falling asleep in her Daddy's arms. Ron finally understood what it was like for me last week when I couldn't get Libi calmed down.

The night was pretty rough with my uncomfortable little one waking up regularly. She began the night in the bassinet, but ended up in bed with us. This morning I took a shower after Ron and when I came out I found Ron, Tobee, and Libi all cuddling in the bed-- I wish I had a camera, they were darling!

This morning we have done well so far. Libi had breakfast and is happily sitting in her papasan chair. I have been taking some pictures of her in the morning light. She is so used to the flash from a camera that I think we are grooming her to be a celebrity-- paparazzi won't bother her a bit!

I forgot to report that yesterday while at Nana and Pop's they turned on the ceiling fan for her. She has been fixated with anything on the ceiling, especially fans and light fixtures. I wondered how she would react when it was turned on, so Nan turned on the fan while Pop was holding her. She stared at the fan until it stopped spinning again-- it is so fun to see her experience new things.

We spent the morning out and about-- first to Remember When the scrapbooking store at their new location. I found lots of fun things in their beautiful new store for Libi's scrapbook. Then we surprised Grandpa Ron at his work. He enjoyed showing off his beautiful granddaughter to all his work friends. Next it was off to Bob's Country Meats to order the food for her Baptism party and finally Albertson's to order her cake. We are now back at home with Tobee, relaxing and getting ready for lunch.

Tonight we have just hung out as a family. It is always nice for us to have a quiet evening at home. Libi is still a bit cranky-- we hope that she will get the crankiness out of her system before we go to bed after Idol and 5th Grader. We have been shocked by some of the Idol top 12-- people seriously weren't voting based on vocal ability. I am happy though that my favorite, Melinda Doolittle, is still in :)

My sweet girl is 7 weeks old...

I wish you could be here in the mornings after Libi has had a good night's sleep. Miss Libi wakes up so happy-- she coos and smiles and is such a love! I will try to get it on film, but I rarely have the camera by my side first thing in the morning. We had a great night last night-- Daddy took all of the diaper changes :) Yippee!!! We went to bed very early, so we are all feeling well-rested. Libi is eating right now. When she wakes up I'll get her dressed for her weekly trip to Nana and Pop's. We'll leave after 10 a.m. (I have to get Police tickets that go on sale at 10.)

I forgot to mention that Libi spent the whole night in her bassinet last night. We are so excited that she is getting the hang of sleeping somewhere other than our bed-- not that we don't love having her in bed with us. She will be ready for her crib in a few weeks-- I don't know if I will be.

We had a great time at Nana and Pop's house. Libi cooed and laughed and kicked for her great-grandparents.

When we got home Aunt Andrea came over to spend some time with her niece. It was nice for me to catch up with her before Ron got home. Shortly after Daddy got home Grandma Cris came over. We ate a wonderful Dream Dinner and are now watching American Idol. We will be off to bed soon.

Tired Tuesday...

Despite turning in early last night, it was a tiring night. We tried to have Libi in the bassinet to pave the way to her being in her crib in the next month or so. She did great in the early part of the night, but when she woke up and didn't see anyone she got upset. I didn't like her being upset, so I grabbed her and she spent from about midnight on in the bed. Poor Ron was so tired from our night that he didn't go walking this morning. Maybe we will do better tonight with this endeavor.

Today we have no plans except to spend time with Tobee at home. Libi has been so wonderful to her Mommy today. She is getting the hang of sleeping somewhere other than Mommy's arms. She has napped today on the couch in her Boppy and in her swing allowing me to do some scrapbooking. I have completed the title page to her baby book and am organizing photos right now. I am greatly enjoying the use of the Cricut-- thanks Grandma for letting it stay at our house right now.

When Daddy got home tonight he took Tobee and Libi for a walk. This was Libi's first outing in the Baby Bjorn-- she looked pretty cute on Daddy's chest. Tonight we had a lovely Italian dinner followed by American Idol watching. We will head to bed immediately following the show so we can be well rested for Nana and Pop's house tomorrow.

Monday, Monday...

Today we had to get out to my 6 week doctor check up. I am happy to report that I am in fine health after Miss Libi's birth! We then made some side trips-- first to the post office, then to the Signal to see Aunt Jessica, and finally to Rio Norte to see Daddy's ASB students. We then came home and spent some quality time with Tobee, who was very glad to see us! Daddy is home now and we are getting ready to fix dinner.

Lazy Sunday...

Today we had a much needed lazy Sunday. This morning we slept in until nearly 7:30-- a luxury with a 6 week old. Grandpa Ron came over at about 8:30 and Libi was fussy, so he and Daddy delayed their walk so he could calm her down. After a bottle and some quality Grandpa time, Tobee, Spunky, Daddy and Grandpa Ron went walking. The rest of the day was quiet until Grandma Cris came over and brought dinner. Libi took a bath and then spent some time with Grandma. I was lucky enough to get to scrapbook a bit while she was over:)

End of San Diego...

We made it back safely from San Diego. This morning Libi and I packed up all of our stuff while Daddy was at his last few meetings. It is amazing how much stuff you need with a six week old. We left San Diego about 11:30 this morning and encountered a ton of traffic. We arrived back in Santa Clarita about 2:30 and spent some time with Aunt Andrea and Grandma and Grandpa Ippolito. Tobee was very excited to have the whole family back-- her first order of business was to give Libi a kiss! We have spent the evening relaxing, eating pizza, and watching the best of Dog the Bounty Hunter on DVD.

San Diego Day 2

Last night we spent a little bit of time in the Coke reception, seeing old friends and making new ones (Miss Libi is a magnet-- folks of all ages want to come meet our cute baby!) We then went out to Target to grab a few things and to grab In-n-Out for dinner. We spent the evening watching American Idol and Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader and turned in early.

Today Libi and I hung around the hotel. We spent a leisurely morning laying around watching TV and relaxing. At noon we met Daddy for the CADA Camp Luncheon to see all of our summer family members. It was so neat introducing her to everyone-- the last time they saw her, she was a bump in my belly. After we left the lunch we went for a drive to mail her birth announcements. This evening we will relax with Daddy in the room before we go out to dinner at Cheesecake Factory. Our trip will end tomorrow morning as we head back to the CC.

FYI Pictures and video were posted this afternoon :)

Wednesday and Thursday...

Sorry I'm a day behind. Wednesday was a great day. We had a restful night after our frightful day on Tuesday. Libi woke up happy and stayed happy all day :) We went down to Nana and Pop's house in the morning-- our short visit stretched to four hours as Miss Libs was having so much fun hanging out with her Great-Grandparents. She is becoming more alert every day!

We then hopped into the car to head down to San Diego with Daddy. It was a long drive, especially since we didn't get on the road until almost 6 p.m. By the time we arrived, we were all tired so it was another good night-- Libi's first in a hotel room.

This morning we woke up, got dressed, and went over to the convention hall to meet some of Daddy's CADA friends. It was nice to see our summer family members.

Libi and I then traveled to Sea World for the day. We got there right at the park opening and stayed until 1:30. She was asleep for most of the trip, but when she was awake she was examining all the new sites. I posted pictures from our trip on our Picasa site for you all to take a look at (I took almost 200 pictures, so I only chose the best of the best.) We grabbed Daddy for lunch and now the family is supposed to be taking a nap-- Daddy and Libi are, but Mommy wanted to work on the blog... more later!