Walking with style...

As she already let me see her, now she wont stop walking!! It is amazing, how every kid will learn to walk so differently... I think the personality, body complexion, gross motor skills, and maturity, plays an important role on this.

Gaby walked when she was 9+ months old almost 10. She had this clumsy walking, and she was falling down a lot!! She used to open her legs wide open, and she had "middle ground frustation (she will get upset sometimes, and some others she will be persistent).

Then it was Mia... She was pushing around toys, chairs, tables, everything at 7 or 8 months old, and we thought she was going to walk as early as Gaby, but it took her until she was 13+ months old to figure out that she didnt need "something" to push in order to walk. She was confident, but easily frustrated with falls. She never did the "bull" looking walking.... her legs were straight, and she was running right away.

Mimi started walking at 10+ months almost 11. She has strong steps, and she will do all the balancing possible not to fall... It is so funny how she will keep giving steps even if she lose balance and her butt is about to touch the floor... She will keep walking and then put her body straight again without using any help to pull herself up. She is very confident, and she doesnt care if she falls... She will simply get up and keep walking like nothing happened!

Finally walking to my eyes

One day at Mimi's school:
Lady says: "She looks so cute walking"
Me: WALKING?"
Lady: You knew she was walking, right?
Me: Nooooooooooooooooooooo
Me: but but but but... when did it....., when did it.... happened?
Lady: A few days ago

When we got home:
Me: Mimi walk for Mommy....
Me: Come on.... Walk for mommy....
Me: Ok... now, walk for mommy
(Mimi crawls)

Later that day:
Me: Mimi is walking!!
Hubby: Yes, I know....
Me: What you mean you know?
Hubby: When you went downstairs she was giving steps like crazy.... you didnt know?
Me: Helloooo? NO!

3 days later:
Lady says: Mimi is walking the whole school!!
Me: What?
Lady: Yes, she was walking today in the backyard non-stop

Later that day:
Me: Mimi walk for Mommy....
Me: Come on.... Walk for mommy....
Me: Ok... now, walk for mommy
(Mimi does one step and crawls)

A few days later:
My mom: Kudos to Mimi! How come you didnt tell me she is walking?
Me: How do you know she is walking?
My mom: Because she was just walking when you were in the kitchen...

Later that day:
Me: Mimi walk for Mommy....
Me: Come on.... Walk for mommy....
Me: Ok... now, walk for mommy
(Mimi does one step and crawls)

I was really wondering if you was going to go to college without letting me see her walking! It was like everybody say her, but ME!!!

So, today I started asking it non-stop. And nada, nada. At bedtime, after I got her pj's on (that by the way, we huge on her feet), she insisted on going to the floor. It was not comfortable to walk holding onto the bed, much less by herself, because the foot part of the PJ was huge. Anyway, I decided to try my luck again, and it happened! It finally happened to my eyes!! (Im sorry that you guys have to tilt your head....)

So, she started walking sometime while she was 10 months old, but I got to she her at 11 months old.

Mimi's new school

We registered Mimi in a nursery that was close to our house, but in the day to day, we realized that we needed her to be close to my job, not close to the house. So, this morning she started a new nursery a block away from my job. We didnt want to change her because she was already used to the other place, but if you guys remember the nursery where I had her it is suppose to be for toddlers 1 year up that walks, and the principal accepted Mimi as an exception... So, they are really not that prepared for a non-walking baby.

In the new nursery, they accept babies after 1 month old, and they have everything that Mimi needs to be really happy and comfortable: a playpen for each baby, gyms, cushing walls and floors, vaporizer in the room, and the lady that is in charge of the kids is a nurse, and she also has a teacher's aide. Another plus is that the co-owner is a pediatrician and they will give her a check up every month. The other co-owner (that is the one that is actually there day to day basis), used to be a hair stylist before studying early education, and they give "grooming" services too. This may sound funny, but I think it is really nice that Mimi can get a haircut with somebody that she already trusts (which may be pretty soon).

She was really happy when I left, and I had the best feeling that she was going to be great. As she is a block away from my job, I stop by around 11:00am and she was soo happy. Her teacher (the nurse) told me that she is the sweetest baby and that she havent cry not even once.

When I picked her up she was clean, fed and happy. Her diaper bag and lunch box were clean, and even the bottles were sterilized. The dialy report book is also very complete, Im really happy and I hope everything stays like that.

Life is tough

Hubby and I were discussing some important things, and when we got to the house from the school and look in the back of the car, here is what we found: (notice Mimi's "clean" shirt and sweaty hair):



BTW, does Gaby and Mia looks like they have highlights or it's just me??

Mimi is 10 months old!

I cant believe my baby is already 10 months old. She is so close to be one, and I can hardly believe it...

Here are two pics of her while she was trying to go up the stairs (her new favorite hobbie!!)..... The quality is not that good, and the walls in the back are dirty thanks to Mia, but who cares, right?

Major milestone alert!!!!

Mimi is getting ready to walk!!!! You read right!! Mimi has been crusing for quite a bit already, going from from side to the other holding onto something, but yesterday she actually took a step!!!!!! She felt right after that, but she can last several seconds standing up without support. She is 8 and half months, but her medical adjusted age is 7 months old.




I also have been trying to get her "crawling" on video, but every time I take the camera out she freezes. For this video she actually kept "crawling" even though she was interrupted by an ANT at the beginning!! She was actually following an ant!!!

Mimi is 8 months old!

I still cant believe that she is actually 8 months old. Her adjusted age is 6 1/2 months but I think her development is right of track for her actual age. She is standing up, "walking" while holding up to something, doing army crawling, clapping, and saying Papa all day long (still no news on Mama!!). Im so proud of her. I cant wait to take her to her check up to see how much she weights, and how big she is.

Happy 8 months old to you!!!!!

Major milestone!

We took out one of the playpens out the playroom and set it up on my bedroom, so I can have Mimi there playing while I work. She was happy and doing all kind of sounds. She normally "hits" herself on the legs (not to hurt herself, but to show excitment), so I was listening to those kind of sounds. When I turned I notice that she was CLAPPING!! All by herself, and out of happiness.

Of course, she stopped doing it when she saw the camera, and this is what I got (in other words, I got nothing! LOL.... I will try to get her clapping soon!)

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Cutest thing of the day: All I can think about is Mimi's happy face while clapping!!! Adorable!!

Sesame Beginnings

If you have been following my blog, you may remember that my girls got the Sesame Beginnings DVD on Christmas. If you read the reviews there are a few people that didnt like it, but we decide to give it a try anyway. We dont regret!! We even had the other DVD's of the series on our Wish List, because we want them all!

Some parents look for DVD's to get a few things done, while the kid is hook to the TV (not that Im saying that I havent done it myself), but this DVD is not for that. The purpose of this DVD is that the parents actually sit with the baby to see it, and to spend some time with your baby. The author says: "Watch this with your child; then, turn it off and expand with him what you see".

The DVD is mostly like a board book, and that's what it actually is because a lady is actually reading the story to her 3 year old daughter. The songs are so cute and catchy that I found myself singing them frequenly during the day!

Even though is suppose to be for babies, Gaby is 4 years old and she actually asks for his DVD everyday!! She loves the songs and she loves to play the games suggested on the DVD with Mimi, especially Peek-a-boo, and the baby in the mirror.

Here is a sneak peak of the DVD, and this is how Mia learned to say HI. I apologize that my hands are moving so much while recording, but this was my third try and I already had Mimi on top of me. In the first two tries, Mia was screaming happily!! LOL

Babies and their lovies!

I was asked on an online forum to post some pictures of my girls with their lovies. Either Teddy bears, blankies, whole quilts, favorite pillows, random pairs of socks.

Even though I know I have hundreds of cute pictures of Gaby when she was a baby with a few of her favorite plush animals and blankies, I just submit a few of the latest pictures.....

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Best thing of the day: I couldnt work much today (which is not a good thing, lol) because we got a long blackout, so I got to spend LOTS of time with the girls today. Just Mia and Mimi but we really had lots of fun today. And I swear Mimi is saying: Pamper!!

Holding the bottle?

Mimi has been trying to hold her bottle since she was a newborn.... Of course, she wasnt able to, but she was always trying to hold the bottle or my breasts!!! Lately she has been more persistent, but I just didnt wanted to try because I wanted to spend feeding times with her, and I knew I was going to let her hold the bottle because "I was busy finishing something".

Today, Mimi and Mia coordinate to poop at the same time. Mimi cant stand being poop and Mia was already complaining. So, I changed Mimi's diaper and she started crying for milk like if she was without food for 3 days!! Then, Mia starts screaming too, because the needed a diaper change.

There were two crying babies, that needed immediate attention, and just one ME (it will be so easy if I were able to become two moms, right?). So, I put the boppy inside of the crib, put Mimi there, give her the bottle and then I positioned her hands to hold the bottle, and I ran to change Mia's diaper. My intention was to keep her entertained at least with the nipple, while I was done with Mia, because I knew the bottle was going to be too heavy for her.
I noticed that she wasn’t crying or even complaining, so I came back with “clean” Mia and here is what I found! She didn’t drop the bottle, and she actually finished the 8 ounces by herself!!! Kudos to Mimi!!!

Kudos to Mimi

Mimi has been trying to stand up on the Pack and Play, so hubby and I decided not to put it on the high part of it anymore (the part that is like a bassinet). As the bar of the PnP was right there, she was already standing up.

Today, while in the crib, she managed to stand up all the way to the crib bars..... Mia and Gaby were all excited, of course I was too. Now I imagine her walking any time soon. Im really not looking forward having another early walker, because of what it does to baby's legs, but who knows?, though.

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Funniest thing of the day: Watching Mia running "for her life" when she discoverd "somebody" (HER SHADOW) was running after her!

No more disposable wipes!

As I keep researching about going cloth, a few girls on a forum told me the recipe they use to make their own Wipe Solution.... Some use Tea Tree Oil too, but I cant find where my bottle is (I got a bottle that I used to kill Gaby's lices last January). So, I went ahead with the simpler recipe and I already used it two times (no poopy yet, but I will get there).



If somebody wants to try, here is the recipe:

- 1 cup of warm water (I will be using boiled water)
- 1 spoon of Baby Wash
- 1 spoon of Baby Oil

Mix it all and dunk the washcloths in the solution, take them out and put them in a wipe warmer. I did this for 15 washcloths, but this will depend on how many you are using. Some people use BumGenius wipes or Flannel wipes, but as I have so many washcloths, I will be using those for now. Some people also buy Diaper solution concentrate but I prefer to do my own and it's going to be cheaper.

Im also not sure about the Wipe Warmer because I think the wipes will dry out when I loose electricity (gotta love black outs in this country), so I was thinking about buying a Spray Bottle and put the solution in there. Then, I will just spray girls on the bottom or just spray the washcloth before cleaning.... This is what most people recommmed to do while out of the house, so maybe I'll do that all the time.

Im also thinking about keep buying disposable wipes to clean poopy when we are out and about.

Edited to add: I already changed a few poopy diapers and I cant complain either!! :)

Cloth diapering?

When I was preggo with Mia I was considering going cloth, but I just though it was too difficult, too much money, too much time, but one of my New Year's resolutions is to find a way to use my money wisely, so I started browsing around and learning about them. There are so many people that loves them, and that says that they are as easy as a disposable, so I cant loose anything from trying them out (just a bit of money, but oh well).

Let's just go by the numbers.... Each package of diapers cost us the equivalent of US$52.12 (the same package goes for US$29.99 on Toys R Us in the states). The package for Mimi comes with 144 diapers, and the package for Mia comes with 112. As Mia is using around 7 diapers a day, it means that the box is over in 16 days, and Mimi is using around 9 diapers a day, which means her box is also over in 16 days.... That means that I spend US$104.24 every 16 days just on diapers, that's US$200 a month on diapers, plus a few more that I have to buy to Gaby sometimes. That means that in 2008 alone, I will spend over US$2000 just on diapers!! Then it goes the wipes!! I pay $11.95 for a pack of 160 wipes!!! (yes, I know, OUCH).

If you are interested as well, the first thing to know is that there are 4 types of diapers:
- Prefolds (the ones that our parents used) with a cover
- Fitted - Also with a cover
- Pocket - With an insert
- All in ones (AIO) - All sew together, and it's like a disposable but in cloth

There are also brands that have several sizes as the disposables (XS=1, S=2, M=3, L=4, XL=5) but there are some that have one size that fits babies from 8 to 35 pounds.

Im going to try the pocket ones. I ordered a 3 pack of BumGenius in One-Size, and one Fuzzi Bunz in size Medium. The medium goes from 15 to 30 pounds and both girls are in that weight range. A girl on a Cloth Diapering board was telling me that some kids use that size all the way until Potty Trainning.

The BumGenius have great reviews everywhere, and as they just got a new improved version 3.0, the version 2.0 is on sale.... Here is a picture of these ones:



The Fuzzi Bunz also have great reviews:



Now I CANT wait to try them out. I know this may get addictive but they have a pretty good resale price if I take good care of them.

I wont even tell my mom until I try them out, because this kind of cloth diapering is unknown in this country. If I tell somebody about cloth diapering they will automatically will think about prefolds, poo in the diapers, and babies soaked in pee.

I will sure make an update about this.

Yummy finger

Gaby and Mia never has used any type of soothing method... Not pacifiers, special blankies, or thumb. I have always found it to be an habit that I was not going to tolerate in my house.... Now, I cant understand how this became something so cute!!! Mimi cant live without her thumb in her mouth... It's part of her live, and is so normal for her as eating or pooping. We try and try to keep her hands busy and to take the thumb out of her mouth, but she will do it while she is sleeping, so nobody can see her.
Here is how I found her today in her bouncer... Isnt she a cutie?

We are totally doing something to cut this habit, but in the meant time, I can just look at her and think in how cute she looks......