Happy Halloween!

We celebrated Halloween at Weston Town Center, where they had a "Spooktacular Halloween Celebration"... a lot kids were dressed up and trick-or-treating around the shops! it was too cute!
Olivia was a Turkish belly dancer and Gaby was a little flower...they both looked adorable!
Here are some pictures we took during the celebration...
Happy Halloween everyone!

Update on Gaby

I took my poor baby to a follow up doctor's appointment today and it didn't go as well as I expected it...

While the doctor said that Gaby's congestion did get better, he also told me that she now has a double ear infection (with the right ear being the worst), and needs to start taking antibiotics for it. He also said that Gaby should continue with her nebulizer treatments, and ordered Xopenex 2 or 3 times a day...

I went straight to the pharmacy and bought all the meds and a compressor nebulizer machine to treat my poor little girl...

She is in good spirits, though, and she keeps smiling at everybody...

I hope she gets better soon.. I want my healthy baby back!!!

Fall/Halloween Party

Today was the Fall/Halloween party at Olivia's school, where all the kids got to dress up and show off their costumes and they also ate yummy cupcakes, cookies and whatever "junk" that's given out in Halloween. After the kids ate, the teachers took them trick-or-treating around the school and they all got candy from different teachers and students...it was so cute!

Olivia was dressed up as a "Turkish Belly Dancer", with a costume that my mother in law brought directly from Istanbul, Turkey... she looked so cute and was showing her belly around..she would also dance upon request... how funny is that?

As always...it was so cute to see her with her little costume and playing with her little friends...she's such a little lady! ;)

Our new pet

Meet "Sophie", our new baby turtle, who was found by Iggy at his office's parking lot.. He thought it'd be cute to bring it home for Olivia and here she is..
I really hope this baby turtle doesn't grow too much because as bad as it sounds, ever since I had Olivia I became a horrible pet owner; I have two cats that barely survive under my watch, so the last thing I need is another pet to care of... great idea Iggy... not! oh well.. the turtle IS kind of cute! ;)

My "rolly-polly"

Yeap! it's official.. Gaby can now roll over from tummy to back and back to tummy!! yay! another huge milestone in baby life has been accomplished by my beautiful baby girl.. I'm one proud mommy!

It all started a couple of days ago, while she was sleeping.. She's normally a tummy sleeper but woke up on her back... then, she turned back to her tummy... so cute!

She has been rolling over consistenly for the past 2 or 3 days... way too cute! Yay Gaby!!!

A terrifying few hours...

As some of you know, my girls have been a bit sick and we've been dealing with a sick house for the past week or so..

Well.. yesterday Gaby got much worse so I decided to take her to the doctor. She was extremely congested and had been running a fever for a day or so. She was also sounding really hoarse and could barely breathe. As soon as the doctor saw her, he told me "she doesn't sound good".. and also noticed that she had a very bad ear infection and had a focus on her right lung...

He did a quick nebulizer treatment with Albuterol and assessed her again. She was still breathing rapidly and labored, so he sent us to the ER for x-rays and blood work...

At first, the attending doctor said it might be pneumonia and I, of course, was totally freaking out!... The nurses put an IV on her little arm and start poking her to get blood samples..

Seeing her in that bed, hooked up to IVs and cables was probably the most terrifying experience I've ever lived... I was crying with her and for her...

After a few horrible hours, the test results came back, and although she didn't have pneumonia, she was diagnosed with bronchiolitis, which is fairly common in infants. She was discharged and we came home. There's another doctor's appointment tomorrow for a new assessment and subsequent treatment. I really hope she gets better soon... it is plain horrible to see her like that.. my poor baby! :(

Wordless Monday...

Weekend in Orlando

This weekend we went on a little trip to Orlando with the girls and even though they were both sick, it was really fun!On Friday night, we checked in at our hotel, the Disney's All Star Movie resort and then we went to "Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party", which is celebrated in Magic Kingdom @ Disney World...it's all about Halloween Mickey style and of course Olivia got to wear her costume and trick or treat around the park. There was also a wonderful character parade and lots of fun ride. We went with our good friends Alex and Giselle and their son Jordan, who's 3 years old and had a wonderful time with them!On Saturday, we went to Downtown Disney and walked around for a while. Then we went shopping at the outlet malls and ate at a yummy restaurant...Olivia and Gaby were not behaving too well since they were both feeling sick and were not having it.. so we went back to the hotel a little early!Today, we went to another outlet mall and bought some cute clothes for the girls...I love shopping... and there were tons of good sales!The drive down here was less than pleasant, since Olivia was being extremely obnoxious and Gaby was just annoyed with her fever and congestion...hopefully things will go back to normal within the next few days so we can all be happy again! ;)

Weight Loss Journal: Week 6

This week I did a lot better with my diet and exercise routine and I'm proud of myself for that...I plan to exercise a bit more this week and start shedding the rest of the excess weight I have...

Here are this week's stats:

OVERALL STARTING WEIGHT: 172lbs
DESIRED WEIGHT: 150lbs
Normal BMI: 18.5-24.9
Current BMI: 26.9Current Weight: 167lbs

This week's workouts:
Friday: walked 2 miles
Saturday: walked 1 mile

Total lbs lost: 5lbs

Sick house...

I feel so bad for neglecting my blog the past few days, but the truth is that I haven't had the chance to post lately since we have a "sick house"

Everyone in the house has been sick or disabled...so much that I even had to cancel a much anticipated play date with my friend Liz and her baby Andrea.. that's how bad it has been!

I continue to have my horrible back pain, which by the way is getting worse instead of better.. I went for another doctor's appointment today and was ordered an MRI of my lower back. I was also prescribed muscle relaxers and anti inflammatory meds...hopefully something will help...

Also, both girls are sick, they seem to be coming down with a cold. Olivia has had a fever for the past 3 days and Gaby just started coughing today... how bad is that...??

On top of everything, Iggy had a little accident on Tuesday night... As he was moving an exercise bench, the seat smashed his middle left finger and he got hurt really bad. We went to the urgent care center and the doctor perforated his finger nail so that the blood would flow and the pressure would diminish, it was not pretty!... he was in a lot of pain and his finger was really swollen.. it was horrible...thankfully it's a bit better now, but still bruised...

We're supposed to drive up to Orlando tomorrow for a "fun-filled" weekend... let's see how "fun" it is with everyone being sick...

Wish us luck!

Wordless Monday...

Pumpkin Patch

Today we went to the pumpkin patch at the Farmer's Market on Flamingo Road and we had so much fun....
First off, the weather was absolutely amazing.... it was around 65 degrees, which is very rare down here in South Florida, so we sure took advantage of it... Also, my mother in law and her husband were visiting for the weekend, so we thought it'd be a fun thing to do with them... and it was!!
Olivia was fascinated by all the pumpkins and all the fun activities at the patch; she was able to pain her own mini pumpkin and picked out one to bring home, I will post pictures of our carved pumpkin once we do that!
... she also enjoyed rolling in the hay and running around with other kids...
We took so many pictures since the lightning was so perfect and the day was just ideal! I wish every day of fall was this nice!

Weight Loss Journal: Week 5

Not so much working out this week either but I continue to be very conscious of what I eat..
The best part about this week is that some people have started to notice my weight loss and some of my size 8 pants are starting to feel lose...

Here are this week's stats

OVERALL STARTING WEIGHT: 172lbs
DESIRED WEIGHT: 150lbs
Normal BMI: 18.5-24.9
Current BMI: 26.9

Current Weight: 168lbs
This week's workouts: Walked a mile today!

Total lbs lost: 4lbs

Hubby is back...

... and I'm loving it!!

Olivia is 27 months!

My beautiful daughter is 27 months already!... so in just 9 months she'll be 3 years old.. that sounds so insane!! I can't believe that much time has gone by since she was born and it feels like it was yesterday that I was holding a little baby.. my first one!

Olivia is so incredibly smart; she talks so much and interacts so well with people.. She is doing great at school and loves to play with her classmates and do fun activities with her teachers..

She has also started to show an interest in dancing and pretends she's a ballerina.. I have researched a few dance academies but none of them take kids under 2 1/2 years old..so I guess I'll have to wait to see her talent come out! ;)

Olivia is fascinated by the Disney Princesses and her favorite is Snow White.. every time we go to the mall, she wants to go the Disney Store and play with the princess costume.. too cute!

Happy 27 months baby girl!

Gaby is 3 months!

My Gaby is no longer a newborn! She is officially an infant now! ha ha! I can't believe it has been a whole 3 months since I was in the hospital pushing her out! It's crazy to see how fast time goes by once they're already here, after feeling pregnancy was so eternal!
Gaby is hitting every milestone right on time and has started to play with rattles and grab things with pretty good coordination considering her age. She is also very engaged with us and smiles and coos pretty often.. such a happy baby!
I took her to a weight check appointment today and she is 11lbs 8oz and 24in long; the doctor said that while she's still small, her growth pattern is right on track, which means she'll be tall and skinny... Also... we got her ears pierced today and she looks so cute!!! She cried like a maniac for about 2 minutes and then she was ok... I guess she already understands the sacrifices that us women make to look beautiful! ha!
Sooo... life goes on and Gaby keeps growing healthy... Happy 3 months baby girl!

My best friend is engaged!!

I'm so excited about the news... My best friend of more than 10 years just got engaged tonight and I'm so freaking happy for her!! Her and her boyfriend have been together for almost 2 years and they make such a cute couple.. they are just so right for each other...

He proposed at Cold Stone, where they had their first date... apparently he put the ring inside the ice cream and she almost swallowed it.. how funny!

No wedding date has been set yet, but she thinks it will be in early 2011... Happy Engagement Martyna!

I miss him...

..my hubby, that is! He's away on a business trip and I feel so lonely... Not only am I alone with the girls, which is extremely exhausting.. but I also have to sleep alone, which I really dislike..
It's these moments when I realize how lucky and blessed I am to have such a wonderful husband... he makes my day every day and I miss him terribly when he's not around...
I have never loved someone so much and I am glad that God has put him in my life... I just hope that time goes by fast so I can wrap my arms around him again... He'll be back Saturday.. I can't wait!!
I miss you my love!!!

October is "Breast Cancer Awareness" month

Let's wear pink!... October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, which is very meaningful to my family and I since my grandma is a survivor and her cancer had been in remission until a few months ago...She is currently undergoing chemotherapy and fighting for her life as tough as she can...

Let's all promote awareness and dedicate this month to all survivors and all those victims who weren't as lucky, but fought for their life until the last minute!

I will be participating in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure this coming Saturday October 17th. The event will be held at Bayfront Park in Miami and it is a 5K walk/run and a celebratory event, done with the hopes of raising funds to find the cure... I do it every year with my husband and some family members; this year I will be taking both girls to the event as well... Find your local chapter at http://ww5.komen.org/. It is a great cause and it's also very fun!

Car seat troubles...

I have finally come to an acceptance of the fact that Gaby absolutely HATES the car and her car seat... it's crazy...

She is very different from Olivia, who was a car seat/car lover since she was very little... so it's not crazy when people say that "each kid has a mind of their own".... so true!

Gaby will go from happy-smiley baby to psycho crying in a matter of seconds... as soon as we put her in her car seat and into the car, she just goes NUTS!

We have tried loud music, radio static, open windows, pillows, head supports, etc... you name it, we've tried it.. and still, she hates it and cries on for hours at a time...until the car finally stops and we take her out of the car seat... then she gets quiet and her world is a happy place again!...

This is seriously driving me crazy... especially since I can't really give up car rides with her considering that the car is our main transportation method... I hope this is only a stage, which she will outgrow SOON!

Wordless Monday...

Sebastian's Birthday Party

Today we attended Sebastian's 2nd birthday party at Emerald Park in Weston... it was very fun...

Sebastian is the son of my good friend Jimena, who I met at a birthing class while I was pregnant with Olivia... We've been friends ever since and it's always wonderful to get together...

At the party, there was an entertainer that made all kinds of games for the kids and there was also a great kiddie park with swings and slides for all to play at... The party's theme was Mickey Mouse, which is always a kid's favorite and Olivia had a blast dancing and running around with other kids...

All in all a very good party.... Happy Birthday Sebastian!!!

Weight Loss Journal: Week 4

Gosh! another VERY lazy week... but I must say that I was VERY busy and couldn't really work out.. I know, I know...excuses.. but this time is true! ha ha!

Here are this weeks' stats
OVERALL STARTING WEIGHT: 172lbs
DESIRED WEIGHT: 150lbs
Normal BMI: 18.5-24.9
Current BMI: 26.9Week 2

Current Weight: 169lbs
This week's workouts: NONE!

Total lbs lost so far: 3lbs

I promise I WILL work out some this coming week!

Gaby is 12 weeks!

..another one of those "baby milestones" is here! 12 WEEKS!! wow!

It seems like it was yesterday that I was 12 weeks pregnant!... and now my little baby is almost 3 months.. how crazy is that!?!?

Well..she is as beautiful as ever and growing and thriving so well! I'm so happy with her, she manages to make me smile every day and just fills my heart with joy!

She is still sleeping in our room in her bassinet but we will be transitioning her to her crib within the next few days... I think it's time for her to have some independence! ;)

Gaby is such a happy baby, so active and engaged...she recently started showing some interest in grabbing toys that are dangled in front of her and she makes such great eye contact.. She also loves "playing" with Olivia, who makes her laugh every day..it's too cute! I hope I can see them interact even more in the months to come...

On October 16th (next Friday), she will get her ears pierced and finally look even cuter!!! I can't wait!!! Happy 12 weeks Gaby!!!

My new point and shoot

Time to cross off one of the items from my "wish list"... I finally bough a new point and shoot camera to add to my collection. I decided on the Canon Powershot SD780 IS and I absolutely LOVE it.. not only does it take great pictures but it also shoots videos in HD, which is an awesome feature...it was about $25o, which is not too bad!

Most of my pictures I will still take with my SLR Nikon D80, which remains my favorite camera, but this new point and shoot is great to have in my purse and take around with me... according to the online reviews it is the "slimmest" camera yet! Great, heh?

Update on my backache...

So I finally saw a doctor about my backache, which by the way, is a lot better today...
I went to "Florida Institute of Sports Medicine" to schedule an appointment and the lady at the front desk told me that there was a doctor available to see me right away, so I jumped at the opportunity..
I got x-rays and a quick assessment and was then told that there is NOTHING wrong with my back.... WHAT?? I mean.. YAY... but WHAT?? who can explain this pain then? I'm definitely not making it up... nor would I make it up!
... it turns out that my back looks "very nice" as the doctor put it and the only thing that COULD be wrong is the normal "wear and tear" from my daily activities (i.e. lifting babies all day long).. Ha!.. So I was given a support back brace and a pain patch (which I had already tried) and was prescribed physical therapy for 4 weeks...
Hopefully all of that will work and will be back to normal very soon! **fingers crossed**

My sister Claudia visits from Alabama...

She's obviously "home" sick since it hasn't even been two weeks since they moved to Alabama, and she is already here to visit! ha ha! way to go sis!

Well... in all honesty, she was only here because she took a trip to Mexico with her husband and they left out of Miami, so she took the opportunity to stop by our house a couple of times to see the girls and all!

It was great to see her... next time I'll see her in Alabama... (maybe!!?)