Two Week Update

As you all know, on Tuesday July, 15th, we welcomed Maggie Riley Garcia Guillen into our family.


Her stats:


She brought Olive a "big sister" gift: A Sleeping Beauty dress complete with sparkly pink sandals and a book about sisters. Olive was beside herself!


Us three girls together for the first time.


After a lovely three day stay at St. Mary's Hospital, Maggie and I were released and anxious to return home. Daddy and Olive made us a nice card to welcome us back.


On Sunday, we all headed over to Seal Beach as per Olive's request, to ride her new "pincess bike in Seal Beach in a bikini". After much discussion, we were able to compromise a summer dress over the bikini for a strawberry ice cream from Cold Stone. It was a great first outing as a family.


Then on Wednesday, the four us us decided to join my dad, Mr. Ian and the Jibsons on our annual trip to Carlsbad. We spent three fun-filled days on the beach swimming, making sandcastles, laughing, and nursing my one-week-old (I'm actually the only one who did any nursing. One of my dad's arm moles may have made it into Maggie's mouth while he held her, but that was just an unfortunate accident.)







Our first family of four photo. Not so sure it's a framer, but it does make me smile.


Now, we are home, and we are loving Maggie in our lives. It is as though she has been here all along. She is very mellow and just a joy. I love every second I have with my girls and am so blessed to be a mother of sisters.

She's HERE!!!!

It is times like these I am glad I know my sisters password! It's me Kasey! My heart is full for my beautiful sister, Rob and Olive! They welcomed Maggie Riley Guadeloupe Rodriqiez Juan Maria Jorge Jose Garcia- Guillen (Maggie Riley Garcia-Guillen for short). 6 lbs 9 oz 18 inches
Everyone is doing super! I wish I could be there to hold this little girl! I can't wait until Friday!!

I'm Ready!

Infant Seat


Backpack


Boppy


Picture of my "beautiful grandma" Maggie and I (whom my Maggie will be named after)



Olive's big sister gift from baby Maggie



Survival Kit

The Last Weekend...

...of being a family of three.

Unfit Fish Mother

I have already established the fact that I am nesting...BIG TIME.

One of my many IMPORTANT things to do today was clean out the fish tank. So, I did just that. I put our three beloved fishy friends in a bowl of water while I meticulously (remember, I am practically oozing Oxytocin from my pores) scoured the brightly colored faux plants, hot pink rocks, pirate ship, and filter until they were perfect. I then filled the five gallon tank with distilled water (oh, yes I did) and happily called Olive over to help me return the fish to their spotless home.

She excitedly ran over, I put her on the counter, and grabbed the bowl to begin the festivities. Without looking in the bowl first, (big mistake) I handed it to Olive to have her do the honors.

With a huge smile on her angelic face, she carefully poured the fish back into the tank. As I was in mid praise of telling her what a great job she was doing, she looked at me horrified and said, "OH, NO!!!"

And there they were.

Jingle Bells, Shawna, and Roxi, our three little neon tetras, floating lifelessly amongst the plastic plant life.

"NO WAY!" I exclaimed. Partly because I was surprised they died (of natural causes) so quickly, but mostly because I had now wasted 45 minutes of my time cleaning the dang tank!

Then sweet, precious Olive, with the poutiest, saddest face says to me, "Mommy, you forgot to take care of them."

I was pissed.

So, I consoled her with an appropriate snack of goldfish crackers and told her we could go to the pet store and she could pick out some pink fish. She was instantly happy.

But as for me, I am so confused!

EVERY TIME I clean the tank there is always a fatality.

WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?

Please help me friends, in my time of need.

It's Just Around The Corner...

I AM SO EXCITED!!!

I have been waiting all year for this and it is now only a couple of days away!!!

I literally lay awake at night trying to wrap my brain around the reality of what is about to happen.

Am I ready to do this again?

Will I be able to handle all the sights, smells, noises, emotions, even tastes associated with this?

Can I stomach what's in store for my body after this day comes and goes?

Do I want pictures of this momentous occasion?

At least I won't be alone.

I will have Rob, Olive, my parents, my sister, Ryan, and her boys, my good friends, and anyone that would love to come along and experience this with me.

What do I bring?

What should I wear?

Will I be able to sleep the night before?

Am I totally prepared for this?

I sure hope so.

I know this will be a day I never forget and am so grateful for the opportunity to be able to do this....again. I know once I get my nerves under control, everything will be fine.

I CANNOT WAIT ANY LONGER!!!


I AM SO EXCITED!!!

Reality Check

Oxytocin.

This is the lovely hormone raging through my enormous body, which is thought to be responsible for "maternal attachment and the uncontrollable urge to prepare one's home for the arrival of their offspring".

Nesting.

Nesting???

I am beyond nesting!

I am currently in a robot-like Oxytocin haze, with no end in sight.

I would love to elaborate, but I have to power wash my roof, detail both cars, steam clean the wood floors and carpets, remove dust-bunnies from under the beds and on the blinds, Windex all the windows inside and out, fix the air-conditioning, organize the garage, re-landscape the back yard, paint my neighbor's house, and shower, all by bedtime tomorrow.

p.s.
Has anyone seen Olive?

Happy Fourth Of July!

A Special Shower

This Saturday I was spoiled by my sweet friends with a baby shower. It was a lovely afternoon complete with delicious food, great company, and adorable baby gifts. Here is a group photo of all of us, and yes... your eyes do not deceive you, Kasey flew into town to attend this special day.


My beautiful mother, my enormous self, and gorgeous Kasey.


When Kasey and I returned home, we had a fun time rifling through all the gifts and doting over how great everything was. I held up this swimsuit to "oohh" and "aahhh" over how cute and tiny it was....


When I spotted this little beauty in the crotch...


You know, as a soon-to-be-mother of a newborn, I sometimes worry about the dangers of say, SIDS or what vaccinations to give my precious one or breast-feeding vs. bottle feeding. But never did the possibility of a freak case of infant Venereal Disease contracted from a swimsuit ever cross my mind.

Maybe I'm not as ready as I thought I was to be a new mom again.