The Cordero's

Summarizes My Day!

2011-09-22T15:30:00.000-07:00

HA!! My kids are so funny!

Time is Flying...

2011-09-02T10:42:00.000-07:00

Just the other day, I got this sinking feeling in my gut as I looked at Caiden playing with Isabella. WHOA! Where does the time go? I know that I haven't posted many posts about Caiden but I have been capturing his little life with video and photographs. I almost feel guilty for not having many updates about him on here. I guess it's nice to be able to look back and see what was going on in their little lives. I guess there's just not enough time right now for me to really blog. I do plan on catching up though. I want the kids to be able to look at this blog and remember the things that were happening when they were little. I know they will love it.

Saving Money on Family Outings: Kids Eat FREE!

2011-08-26T10:00:00.000-07:00

Every now and then, Jerry and I do enjoy to get out and eat out. So I figured I'd look through some of our favorite places to see what kind of deals we can get with the kids. So here's what I found :)

Applebees –Kids eat for free on Monday Nights. 1 free kids meal per adult entree purchase but additional kids are only$1.00. Locations can vary.

Chik-fil-a- On Tuesdays when you purchase a combo meal you get a free child’s meal

IHOP- kids eat free Everyday

Macaroni Grill- Kids get a free drink and ice cream with their meals.

Pizza Hut- Kids eat free on Tuesday Evenings- may vary per location

Red Robin – Kids 10 and under can eat for free on Monday and Tuesday from 5-9pm

These were just a few but I thought it was nice. Saving money is something I like to do :)

One Creative Momma + Isabella = Lucky 2 Year Old

2011-08-23T10:47:00.000-07:00

For those of you that know me, I am quite the artsy gal. At the age of 15, I found a passion for making art. I was that girl in Art club who entered her work into art shows - and I won first place with some of my work which ended up helping me pay for my books in college. Well besides me being a photographer, my point is this, I have some other tricks up my sleeves ;).

Isabella has been blessed with beautiful curly hair, just like her momma! I love getting her hair to look fabulous - love showing off those curls. Well after buying a few hair clips for her, it dawned on me, "Why am I not making them?" So I got my creative juices flowing and with the help of some DIY sites I made her some snazzy little hair clips/bands.

I also finally learned how to bind off in knitting and made her a pretty cool set of knitted rosettes. Right now I'm really just doing stuff for Isabella and my nieces/close friends BUT who knows, maybe I'll open up an Etsy shop some time in the later future. Here are a few of the head pieces I made:

knitted rosettes

Recycled Rosette

Felt Fun Flower

New Boots :)

2011-08-23T10:39:00.001-07:00

Titi Erika got Isabella these Hello Kitty boots. They are precious. Isabella didn't really know how to walk in them since they are a bit heavy but she's been practicing. She likes to wear them when she goes on the back patio to color.

She's also been picking out her own close lately. It's fun to see her pick her favorite outfits. I love the stage that she's in right now. She's almost 2.5. She's talking a whole lot these days and if VERY aware of her surroundings. Love my little girl!

Good Morning Corderitos!

2011-08-10T08:51:00.000-07:00

Love every little detail about my beautiful daughter!

Concentrating really hard.

My little Artist!

Color away, sweetie!

Oh and he's just watching!!

Her magical castle! Love!

Our mornings have to be my favorite part of the day. After breakfast, we have an "artsy fartsy" time. It's quite wonderful as it allows us all to mellow out. I love seeing Isabella explore different avenues of expressing herself. Most days, she's a little free spirit in just her undies - drawing away ;)

I'm impressed with how wonderful her imagination is. She has a make believe world that would blow any kid away. One of my favorite things she's been doing lately has been the way she uses her hands to make her hand "walk." She sets up her pointer and middle finger and begins to walk. She then begins her pretend world, "How are you hand? I'm fine. Let's get on this boat!!" She's really so silly and I love it.

Yes, we've been a bit under the weather but that doesn't stop us from having fun at home.

Where The HECK Have We Been?

2011-08-05T06:10:00.001-07:00

Adjusting to being a mother of two, that's where I've been. It's been a very eventful few months. I don't even know where to start: Sick kids, allergies, rejecting bottles, spending time with Jerry...The list could really go on.

It seems like I've had sick kids for the past 2 months. When one gets better the other gets sick and then the cycle continues. I've felt completely removed from the world...lol. I have to remind myself that this is a season I'm in and that it won't always be like this. We've had to cancel gatherings {Baby showers, Birthday parties, family gatherings} because of how crazy it has gotten. I think I've been to the hospital with both kids like 3 times.

On top of it all, we discovered that Caiden has allergies. We are very thankful for everyone that has been praying for us. For family that's interested in accommodating us when we visit, Caiden is allergic to milk, eggs, and peanut. I'm still nursing so it's just something to keep in mind. I'm so glad we know what has been making him miserable for the past few months. Jerry and I have gotten very little sleep due to him being uncomfortable. Thankfully, we are beginning to see big improvements just in these past 3 weeks. God is so good. He's made me feel adequate in times that I feel completely inadequate.

Besides the sick stuff, I've been trying to get Caiden to take a bottle. That really was short lived and we are continuing to nurse. It's definitely gotten a lot better now that he's more comfortable. It's a lot of work. I think I have shed a few tears from feeling so drained. Jerry has been so sweet. Although he can't feed Caiden in the middle of the night, he stays up with me cheering me on and letting me know how proud he is of me. What a husband! He makes me feel wonderful. I've thought a few times with tears in my eyes, "Jerry doesn't get to bond with Caiden the way I do with the feedings." I missed that time...He did with Isabella. But every baby is different.

Just the other day, Caiden finally decided he was ready for solids. This was such a BIG deal for us. It was sweet, once again, to see Jerry bonding with Caiden. There's something so sweet about a father interacting with their kids and seriously this melted my heart. I think I've been quite the sensitive sally lately but there are so many emotional things happening. I've noticed that Caiden has been going to bed happier too. Being full will make anyone happy!

Since Caiden has been going to bed without a fight, it has allowed me to really spend more time with Jerry. BOY, have I missed my groom. It's great being able to enjoy the evening early watching movies or chatting. We still haven't been able to leave the kids to go on a date alone and I miss that very much but I know it will come and when it does it will be with a BANG - dressing up and going out on the town. For now, our living-room date nights will do. Besides, spending time together is what truly matters.

I'm praising the Lord for giving me healthy kids this week! Through out it all, I'm reminded of my constant need for His strength. I know he's with me. I think I've been really overwhelmed by all the LOVE we've been getting from our church family as well. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for praying for us. Please continue to pray for our family.

On a side note, Caiden will be dedicated in front of our Church at Tampa Covenant, August 21. Family and friends are welcome to join us for such a beautiful moment. Please continue praying for us as we raise our little ones to LOVE the Lord as much as we do.

HUGS - The Cordero's

Potty Training - HOLY COW!

2011-05-04T17:40:00.001-07:00

So we finally started potty training. I was asked by a few people what we have been doing so I figured I'd share. We are going on week 2 and I am definitely satisfied with the results. I wouldn't say we are completely potty trained but we are 75% there.

Back when Isabella was 14 months, I started sitting her on her potty right before bath time. I figured it would be a GREAT way to introduce her to the potty. I would fill the tub with water and hope that the water running would make her pee. Yes, I like to trick my kids...HA! I'll never forget the first time she peed using this method. Her eyes got really big and she looked startled. It was a pretty awesome moment.

A few months later, I decided it was too soon. She wasn't really ready to potty train. I was getting ready to have Caiden. Potty training was the last thing I wanted to do. There was so much going on in our little lives with Caiden arriving and moving that it just was not the time.

When we finally moved, I decided to try again. At this point, I really didn't care if Isabella was ready. I was ready to stop paying for diapers so I figured it was time - LOL. I was given training pants and figured I'd put those on Isabella. They had a little flower design on the front that would stay there if she didn't pee. So I thought let's make a big deal of the flower...Yeah I never saw that flower again. It always disappeared. Frustration 1.

I figured the training pants were too much like diapers so I bought her underwear. Surely she'd love them and feel like a big girl. Frustration #2 - size 2 underwear for toddlers are so fitted. Isabella peed and EVERYTHING in them. I think because they were so fitted she thought they were diapers. I tried that for 2 days and I was about done. My only other solution was to try no undies - naked toddler!

I don't have tile all over my house so I didn't want her making a mess every where. I confined her to our patio. The floor is easy to clean so I figured I could handle that. Frustration #3 - FLORIDA IS SO DANG HOT!!!! I could only handle being out there for the mornings but I was delighted because I noticed that being naked was a success for Isabella. She did have a few accidents but I kept a smile on my face and let her know she was doing fine. We basically moved indoors. I figured I would clean my carpet and training was a lot more important.

Week 1: Naked Toddler

Monday and Tuesday: I would take Isabella to the bathroom every 30 minutes. She sat and did not pee. As soon as she got up and ran to the livingroom she peed and pooped...Okay really??? Potty training sucks...

Wednesday: Isabella is telling mommy that she has to pee. SUCCESS! She's beginning to feel the urge to pee. She pees every single time and we both celebrate. She is feeling like a bigh girl! This made my week!

Thursday: Isabella is telling mommy that she has to go #2. I sit her down and nothing is happening. Isabella starts picking up the fact that she gets to put on a diaper for nap times, "MOMMY, NAP TIME!! DIAPER, PLEASE." - yeah that's her being dramatic with alligator tears.

Friday: Isabella is doing #1 and #2. She's letting me know she has to go. She seems to get nervous about peeing all of a sudden so I help her by turning on the water, sticking her hand in a bucket of warm water, and many other things. The urge is freaking her out. I keep telling her she's doing great. Her reward for using the potty is flushing the toilet and she LOVES that! I also put her in a dress so she can begin to feel clothing on her thighs.

Week 2: Clothed Toddler Still NO undies

Monday: Loose shorts are on Isabella. They are loose enough that she still feels like she isn't wearing much. She is still telling mommy when she has to go. I no longer need to take her to the bathroom every 30 minutes. She knows when she needs to go.

Tuesday: Isabella had an accident because she refused to pee in the potty. She was demanding a diaper but I told her the diapers are all gone. She is now wearing pants and is doing really well!

Wednesday: Isabella is wearing pants. NO ACCIDENTS!

Thursday and Friday: I'll continue using the pants. I plan on buying undies that are a bit loose. I think it's going to continue going well from here on out.

There you have it Moms. I'm not the potty training queen but I think I'm getting some where. I know every kid is different so do whatever is best for your kids. I just thought I'd share what I've been doing. It's tough especially with an almost 3 month old. But it's possible, even if it mean a bit of tears at the end of the day while your husband hugs on you and listens.

Hugs, Jenny

Turning 2 So Soon...

2011-04-19T10:50:00.000-07:00

I'm constantly amazed by my girl. I love her SO much. It's been so great seeing her grow and become such a sweet girl. I love how tender and sweet she is. I also love her goofy side as well. She's a big girl and she reminds me of it every day when she does things on her own that I used to have and help her with - well I still help her but she swears she can do things on her own so I give her the benifit of the doubt.

This year for her 2nd birthday, we decided to do something intimate/small with some of her buddies. I'm looking forward to it. We will be having cake and ice cream and the kids will get to decorate their own cupcakes, color, and play. We like to think this will become a Cordero tradition - Let Isabella invite a few (3-4) friends to do something special on her birthday.

She's turning 2...Oh how I love her so much!

2 Months!

2011-04-19T10:27:00.000-07:00

Isn't my son handsome? He's two months already! He's such a joy. I love that he's so laid back. He watches everything, soaking it all in. I am glad to say he's doing so well with gaining weight. His weight has been something we have been looking at for the past few weeks when they discovered a heart murmur. Thankfully, he hasn't been showing any signs that would make the Dr's and me worry. We've been monitoring him and believe that the two holes in his little heart will close up in time {it's common for babies to be born with heart murmurs}.

Here are some things that Caiden is doing at 2 months:

- Smiling and laughing {his laugh sounds like a little grunt}

- discovered his fingers

- Teething, yes, my kids start early!

- Size 2 diapers

- 3-6 month cloths {He can still wear some 0-3 but not many}

- Loves being naked

- Puts himself to sleep - He doesn't like to be rocked at night. It's sad and good at the same time.

- Watching his sister

I love my little boy!

Playdate with Cousin Lily

2011-04-19T10:16:00.000-07:00

Okay so Candice and I were really excited about dressing up the girls for pictures. I don't really think they cared too much. I think they were distracted by other things but getting them in those dresses was totally worth it.

Isabella LOVES Lily. I can already tell she looks up to her. Lily does a great job of being a good example. She recently turned 3! I love every minute they have together because it brings back beautiful memories of me growing up and having such great cousins - or really more sisters ;)

This day was really a lot of fun. Lily brought a box of toys for Isabella to borrow and Isabella had toys {some of which she's too young to enjoy} for Lily to borrow. They were excited about the toy swap. One of the toys Isabella let Lily borrow was a Dora the Explorer Globe game. You connect it to your TV and it's interactive. It teaches you all about the globe. It's like a video game for toddlers. Well up until this point they were getting along quite well until the Globe made it's debut. We had to hide it from them both...HA! Lily teased Isabella saying, "I get to take it home." LOL. Kids!

When Titi Erika Visits...

2011-04-19T10:05:00.000-07:00

They color...

and play...

Caiden watches from the distance...

as they continue to play.

So a week after having Caiden, we moved! We are now a lot closer to my sister which I LOVE! I know a lot of people thought I was nuts to move so close to having the baby but honestly it wasn't bad at all. We had a lot of help from friends and family.

We are officially Tampa folks ;) I love this area. The thing I love the most is being close to family. Moving a week after having a baby was totally worth it!

Momma of 2

2011-04-19T05:32:00.000-07:00

Uncle Daniel and the Kids
Sweet Caiden

This was like 4 days of being home - he's pretty proud of being in our family ;)

Isabella loving on her baby brother

Yup, I've been so busy I haven't had a chance to update the blog. Life with two has been really challenging - in a good way. I'm thankful that although I was quite worried about how our schedule would look like, it's not as bad as I thought. The transition into two kids, by the grace of God, has been easier in some ways than when it was just one. I think having gone through it already makes it a bit less shocking - HA!

Since we got home from the hospital, Caiden has slept well. We honestly thought we would be exhausted like the first time as parents. It hasn't been that way at all. I think the difference would have to be co-sleeping. It's nice having Caiden right next to me at night. He eats and goes right to sleep which means mom gets to sleep.

We recently put him in a bassinet since he's been moving a lot more. With his strong kicks and loud grunts, I'm able to sleep a lot better with him in his playpen/bassinet. I loved that I was able to have him so close to me the first few weeks. Now at 10 weeks, he's doing just fine.

Isabella LOVES her brother. She is so gentle with him. I love the conversations that I hear when she's near him. She will touch his little hands and say, "Caiden, I like your hands...I like your hair, I like your elbows, I like your noooooose." Yes, she drags the words out at times. She is sweet. And I LOVE that he smiles as she compliments every little thing about him.

Birth Story

2011-02-16T19:32:00.000-08:00

Checking in at hospital at 5:30 p.m.

Anxious to meet our boy!

Jerry playing Dr. HA!

Meeting Caiden for the first time.

I cried when I saw him. I was just so happy to see him.

Jerry and Caiden in the nursery

Isabella seeing Daddy and Caiden for the first time.

BIG BOY!

More nursery time. Waiting for mom to feed Caiden.

Isabella exploring the halls.

Jerry and Dr. Dinsmore

Mom and Dad. Caiden eating with no issues! So proud!

Sarah, our Doula! She was great! Our family of four!!

I realized this week, that no matter how extreme your birth plan is, you can't control the unexpected. Our plan was to have a home birth with our second baby. It was a big deal for me as I was trying to avoid another Cesearean. Although that wasn't the case, I now hold a baby proudly, knowing that I did everything possible to do a natural birth and so did my midwives. So without delaying it any further, here is my story.

41 weeks and 2 days into pregnancy, I had my OB consult. It was February 8th. The midwives usually have their moms meet with the OB to make sure all things look good to procede with a birth center birth or home birth. I was glad for the consult since I knew once it was done, I would know a little more of where we stood with Caiden being born. I knew he was coming this week. He really didn't have a choice ;) I would have him at home with the midwives or I'd have him in the Hospital with Dr. Dinsmore.

My OB appointment was scheduled at 12:30 p.m. At around 10 a.m., I lost my mucus plug and had been leaking for a bit. I wasn't too worried as I figured my body was getting ready for the big event. I was a bit sore and really just ready to get the appointment over with so that I could focus on relaxing some more at home.

When I arrived at the Dr.'s office, they had me do several tests. They checked for Caiden's heart beat and movements. It was comforting hearing that he looked great! I felt relieved thinking, "one test down, just a few more." They then did an estimated weight check. Since 3 weeks had passed from the last ultrasound, Caiden seemed to have grown a bit. They were estimating his weight to be 9 lbs. 4 oz. Finally, they checked to see how much amniotic fluid was in me. This is when the Dr. got a bit concerned. There was hardly any fluid. I know that amniotic fluid replenishes, so I wasn't really that concerned. I did tell the Dr. that I had been leaking. She got really excited. Dr. Dinsmore is very open to VBAC's so it's not like she was trying to keep me from having one. She said, "Maybe your water broke! That would be great! Let's do this VBAC!"

After running some tests, she concluded that my membranes had not ruptured. She was concerned at this point. She said the baby was fine but she didn't feel comfortable waiting several days and thought it would be risky to wait a few more days for labor to kick on its with the baby being big and having low amniotic fluid. Her suggestion was to schedule a C-section that evening. This was a lot to take in. I was not expecting this when I came in for my consult. She told me it was my decision. I told her I needed to talk to my husband. I needed to soak it all in...it was a lot. She was very gracious and understood this was a BIG decision. She told me to call back in 2 hours to make a decision.

I left and sat in my car for a good 10 minutes...in silence...and really just confused. I'm not going to lie, I did cry. After getting a hold of myself, I proceded to make my calls. I called my midwives to ask their opinions. They suggested I should find out what my biophysical profile grade was on the baby. Usually, Dr. Dinsmore will let mom's go back to the center if the score is 5 and up. My midwife also suggested I try to negotiate with Dr. Dinsmore. Amniotic fluid does replenish. So we thought maybe waiting a day or 2 would be fine if my grade level was high enough. I didn't call Jerry right away because I wanted to make sure I had all the facts before breaking the news to him.

I called Dr. Dinsmore again to ask for the information my midwife had requested. My Bio-physical profile was 4/8...just one point off! Dr. Dinsmore was not comfortable waiting a day or two to do tests again. This is when it hit me, I'm not having this baby at home. I felt fine at this point as my midwife had reassured me that we had tried everything possible to get labor started (5-W, Primrose Oil, Castor Oil...EVERYTHING!). It was also comforting knowing that Labor of Love worked along side Dr. Dinsmore. They respected her opinion. My midwife also said, without the support of Dr. Dinsmore they could not procede with the birth. The thought of doing a home birth and not having the backing of the Dr's support was a bit scary too. I didn't want to go into labor and show up at the hospital not knowing my Dr. either.

So February 8th, my cesarean was scheduled at 7:00 p.m. We had the option of going to two hospitals. We chose Hellen Ellis. On our way to the hospital, Jerry and I felt a relief. It was nice knowing that we would finally be meeting our baby. I still called our Doula so that she would be there for us. She did an amazing job keeping away the bottle nazi's away...LOL. Suprisingly, the hospital was very nursing friendly. It was great having her there.

Since this wasn't a pregnancy induced fail and surprise C, it was not as nerve wrecking as our first C. Everything went smoothly and both Jerry and I were filled with a peace that obviously came from the Lord. Dr. Dinsmore explained everything and as I was waiting in the OR room, I wasn't scared or nervous (like I was with my first). Jerry sat next to me and we waited.

By 8:29 p.m., I heard the cry of my baby. I looked to where the nurses were and I was filled with so much joy...I cried. Jerry stood next to Caiden and I could see him smiling from ear to ear. Caiden was 9 lbs and 7 oz. and 21 and 1/2 long. He was a BIG boy! We were so proud!

So we didn't get our home birth but we did get our precious baby. Will I try to have a Vbac again if we have another child? ABSOLUTELY! I was glad I got my prenatal care with Labor of Love. It was an amazing experience. I am also glad for Dr. Dinsmore. Giving birth is a huge sacrifice regardless of the outcome.

*I would like to thank Labor of Love for my prenatal care! I LOVED that I was able to experience such great personal appointments. Loved my midwives - Charlynn & Nora.

Meeting Our Doula & Waiting

2011-02-04T06:30:00.000-08:00

Our Doula finally made it over to our place. It was great having her here. We met her back in November 2010 at one of our Labor and Delivery classes. With Thanksgiving and Christmas schedules, we planned on getting together after the holidays.

I'm seriously impressed with how wonderful she is. She had some breathing excercises to help and some CD's for us to listen to - Hypnobirth. I'm not sure if I really like it though. I am glad I got to hear it because I was really curious about it. I just can't see myself focusing while hearing a random person talk without being able to tell them to be quite if I need the quite...HA!

She'll be making sure I'm hydrated and helping with other little things as well. I think she will be a great birth coach! Her # is on the fridge, along with all the other "special" numbers. Now we just wait...

Waiting...Yes, It's got to be the hardest part! I think for me it's more the deadline of week 42. At that point, we will be under the care of an OB instead of the midwives but Man, am I thankful to have been under the midwives care through out my whole pregnancy. I mean there is still time. I have a week and 3 days before that happens. Dr. Dinsmore is a GREAT Dr. She is connected to the birthing center and is all about VBAC's! I like that because atleast she understands me. I've met her already so it's not like I'll be meeting a stranger if we have to take that route.

I'm just really thankful that I have been healthy - No swelling, blood pressure is great, baby is WONDERFUL, I don't think I could really ask for much more. Well...maybe that Caiden would just come! Each day I have to remind myself, He will come when he's ready. It's easier said that's for sure!

The very latest Caiden could come is February 13th :) One way or another, he'll be in my arms.

Rushing is NOT on The Menu

2011-01-24T05:30:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, as I sat folding baby's laundry, I started to remember all about my first pregnancy. I remember feeling antsy as well. I also remember being 39 weeks and my Dr. telling me that he wanted to induce me at 40 weeks. I stood my ground and said NO. The Dr. would allow me to go to 41 weeks. The Induction was scheduled for 40 weeks and 4 days.

I remember that morning. I woke up smelling smoke. I woke Jerry up and he inspected our whole place. It was quite an eventful morning. We called the fire department and fire men came to check things out, even the surrounding neighbors. All was in the clear and we gathered our bags and headed to the hospital.

I remember getting started on pitocin/cervidil - after 48 hours of going back and forth, nothing happened. I never understood why these medicines didn't just kick my labor into high gear {I know now, it just wasn't time}. I do remember the disappointment I felt when I was told they were taking me off of the medicines and instead of sending me home, they said a c-section would be just fine. At that point, I was tired of being in the hospital. It's funny how nurses can word things sometimes to make you feel like if you don't make a certain decision, you aren't looking out for the best of your child. I know not every nurse is like that but in our experience, that's how it was.

Wednesday, April 29th, our c-sec was scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Isabella was born healthy. She was 9 lbs and 1 oz. I remember seeing her for the first time. I imagined it being so different. I was glad she was here but my emotions were very stoic...I never understood why that was too. They took Isabella away and after 40 minutes, I was reunited with my girl. I really couldn't believe I was a momma.

It wasn't until later, when I had done research on natural birth, when I realized how amazing a woman's body is. I realized the rush of oxytocin {instant love hormones} were not released because I had a cesarean. It's just not natural. Don't get me wrong, I love my baby girl. I knew then that I wanted to do birth as naturally as possible but when you are on a Dr.'s schedule, even with a birth plan...things don't always go the way you want. When Isabella was 2 months, I was researching my options so that when the time came for us to have our next baby, I would know what I wanted.

So here I am, at 39 weeks with Caiden and I realize this time around things will be very different. I have to remind myself daily of why I am doing what I'm doing. I have to stop myself at times from rushing Caiden. "He will come when he's ready!" It's true. He will and it will be worth the wait to experience the rush of Labor, It will be worth the wait feeling protective over and in love with my little cub right away, It will be worth the wait to not be separated instantly from my baby, it will be worth the wait to gaze into his eyes and try to nurse {something I didn't get to do right away before}. IT WILL BE WORTH THE WAIT!

39 Weeks

2011-01-22T14:54:00.000-08:00

Well I'm not posting anymore belly pictures because I don't think much will change at this point. Just me swelling and Lord knows we don't need that on the internet...LOL. I'm getting a bit anxious just because I'm jumping ahead of myself thinking 42 weeks is right around the corner. I asked my midwives what else we could do to get things rolling. Red Raspberry Leaf Tea was brought up. I drank that with Isabella and my blood pressure went up so we decided to stay away from that. Stripping membranes is something that might be an option but we'll see. And the final thing was Castor Oil. I am not sure I want to be too miserable starting labor so I'm thinking that might not be an option.

At this point, I really just need to trust the Lord. I know that I want to do this on my own and I believe I still have time. Please pray for me folks. Pray that I would really surrender this to the Lord and that even if it doesn't go the way "I have planned," it's the way the Lord has planned. So to my "FUN LIST" I go and try to keep my mind distracted from the false labor pains that I have had that get my hopes up.

On a different note, I have been quite proud of myself lately. I gained 1 lb in a week. I've been staying away from carbs and eating a ton of protein and veggies/fruit. Who knew that bread would be hard to avoid...Lol. I've been really good. This was mainly because I was measuring bigger (belly) than my actual week. The midwives suggested having another ultrasound and I was glad to know that baby's estimated weight is between 7-8 lbs, which is average. Isabella was 9 lbs. and 1 oz. They estimated her weight to be 8-8.5 lbs. So I guess we will see :)

Movie Night & Contractions

2011-01-20T05:39:00.000-08:00

Jerry and I had a date night last night. We picked out an Indie Comedy. It was a dark comedy and very entertaining. Through out the movie, I was getting contractions every 5 minutes to 10 minutes...they were very scattered but lasted for 1 minute and 30 seconds. I wasn't trying to get too excited because they could stop at any moment.

Four hours later, they were gone. I did go to sleep quite early thinking, "if this is it, I need my sleep." But they didn't stick around. As annoying as that may be, I have to remember that with each practice comes progress. Baby Caiden will make his arrival when the time is right. Until then, everything remains the same - Laundry and organizing it is!

Walk-A-Thon

2011-01-19T06:02:00.000-08:00

My dear friend, Jenn, and I decided to go for an intense walk at the mall yesterday. She's due 3 days after me. It's been a lot of fun to go through this pregnancy with her. We really motivate each other.

Her husband volunteered to watch the kids while we went on our intense walk. Of course we made it a little easy for him by making sure that the kids were down for their naps. What a man! We are very thankful for him.

Well, we got to the mall and walked and walked and walked. Jenn was given instructions on lunges for our walks from her chiropractor. They felt really good. We both wondered why we hadn't been doing these from the very beginning. We walked for like 2 hours. Every now and then, she would have to stop to get through some contractions. I had a few as well but I kept walking but boy did they hurt.

When we were done, we were very glad to be DONE! Yes, we both waddled out the mall and thankfully no strangers commented on the pregnant women! I dropped her off home and then gathered my little chick to head over to my sister's house.

She gave me her work address but I some how got lost and wasn't able to pick up her house keys. At this point, I just decided to head to her house, knowing that she still had an hour and half to get off of work. I figured I'd take Isabella to the park and play for a bit.

When we got there, the beautiful plan I had to hang out at the park was ruined when I saw that it was flooded from all the rain the day before. It was a very sad moment. I knew I couldn't sit in the car for an hour so I pulled Isabella's umbrella stroller out and decided to walk some more. This was pretty pathetic. I walked slowly looking at my swollen ankles and my watch thinking, "DEAR LORD!!!!!"

After walking for a while, I decided to walk to their club house. We rested for a bit there and then got a phone call from my sister letting us know she was pulling in. When we finally went up a flight of 3 stairs, I was able to FINALLY sit and prop my feet. I have never felt so much pain in my life...HA!

I guess, I'm glad that I got that work out but today, I choose to do absolutely NOTHING!! Anyway, here's a video of Isabella early in the morning doing exercises on her ball - Basically imitating mommy. Gotta love the Birth Ball!

Salsa & Merengue

2011-01-17T14:19:00.000-08:00

I must say, at 38 weeks, I've been feeling pretty tired of being pregnant. I decided to have a little dance party in my living room. Okay, so i didn't set up a fortress just yet for Isabella...but we did have fun dancing. Moments like these really make me so proud to be a mommy!

I've been trying to stay active lately. Although I live in Florida, it hasn't been too warm around here. The thought of going for walks outside kind of makes me antsy. So dancing is the next best thing. Believe you me, I got a great work out. Isabella and Jerry had a blast dancing together as well. My Isabella did pretty good dancing merengue. She has that latin blood in her :) I told her to stomp on ants...HA! I'm sure the next time we go outside she'll be trying to kill the poor ants. Hey, steps gotta start some where!

My "Fun" List

2011-01-09T08:28:00.000-08:00

I'm not anticipating Caiden to arrive before my due date so to make the time pass, I've made a list of things I'd like to do before he comes:

1. Pedicure - DONE
2. Hair trimmed - DONE
3. Eye brows done - DONE
4. Hot Date with Jerry - DONE and still going :)
5. Build a fortress in my livingroom and play with Isabella
6. Read a book other than pregnancy stuff
7. Knit - work on unfinished projects
8. Make a really fancy meal/dessert and photograph it.
9. Pack little nick nacks
10. REST - Constantly trying to do :)

Here we go!

Officially 37 Weeks

2011-01-08T16:45:00.000-08:00

I've decided that Caiden will wait until all of my home birth list is completed. I have 8 items left to really have everything ready. So I'm basically getting those things this week! HA!

P.S. I don't really expect him to arrive before my due date. He'll be late...He's Latin! HA!

Home Visit: Labor of Love

2011-01-07T12:45:00.000-08:00

Today, my midwife made it over to our home. They do a home visit with all their momma's that are having home births to make sure they know where to go when the time comes. Everything is good to go. I was given the green light to start taking Primrose Evening Oil on top of the 5-W. That should also help with softening the cervix.

My sister, Erika, got to meet the Midwife as well. I didn't want them to be strangers when the time came for baby to come. I am so thrilled about this birth - SO THRILLED!

Our BIG Move

2011-01-07T01:28:00.000-08:00

So it's been about 2 years since we first spoke about moving to Tampa. We thought about doing it before Isabella was born but decided at that time it would be best to stay put. Well the time has finally come.

We finally found the perfect place. I LOVE that we will be closer to family and friends. Where we live now, there really is NO short cut. A 2 hour drive, depending on traffic, can get a bit tiring...not to mention it being almost 4 hours of driving in one day just to see family. GOOD BYE to that!

It's been a bitter sweet time for us since we'll be moving away from some of our dear friends - Redeemer family. We have some good relationships there. I'm thankful knowing that they love us dearly and are praying for our BIG transition {Baby should be here by the time we move - I HOPE!}. The sweet part of this transition is that we found a church home in Tampa. I mostly feel like we are reuniting with some old family since I did my internship at that church almost 6 years ago! Wow, time flies!

I'm not a big city girl but I'm not a small town girl either. I just love the atmosphere there. I do a lot of my sessions there too so it will be nice to be closer to some of my clients in that area but also not too far from our old area as well. It's exciting! I'm looking forward to it all.

37 Weeks, Here I Come!

2011-01-06T17:01:00.000-08:00

This weekend, I'm officially full term. I remember that very clearly when I was expecting the arrival of Isabella. I was very naive to think that she would even come before her due date! I think all first time mothers have this idea that they are some how special and will have their babies early. It makes me smile thinking of it.

You'd think I'd learn my lesson! 41 weeks was the arrival of Isabella. Some how with Caiden, I think he might just come early. I have my reasons though. I've been experiencing braxton hicks a lot this time around. I didn't with Isabella. As a matter of fact, when I was 40 weeks, I remember crying thinking, "I feel perfectly fine...there is no way I'm going into labor. I feel great! I'm not miserable." Yes, I wanted to feel miserable. LOL. This time around, I wouldn't say I'm completely miserable but I'm close to it.

Last week, I started taking 5-W {Herbal Combination Supplement}. These are one of the two pills that Labor of Love gives their momma's starting at 36 weeks to help soften their cervix. I got them and let me tell you, I'm popping pills like crazy! I hope they're working. I personally hope they are since I've been getting more "practice" contractions. Last night was the first time I had a "WHOA!" moment.

I woke up at 3 a.m. with pain starting in my lower back and wrapping around the front of my belly. They were pretty painful. I did get up to move and drink water. I figured if these were braxton hicks, they would go away. They lasted for 1.5 hours. I really got a taste of what's to come. Even though they were rough, I was thanking the Lord for allowing me to feel the pain. I am WOMAN! I can handle this! I'm sure I'll change my mind when the real thing starts to happen...LOL.

In Preperation...

2010-12-22T07:15:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, I was able to get more done around the house. My bedroom is ready. Caiden has his space and there is even a nice little area for our birthing tub. It seems so surreal that this time around we won't be going to the hospital. I'm thankful that we'll be able to relax and already be home when Caiden makes his big arrival.

I had a VBAC consultation with an OB a couple of weeks ago. It was very informative. Of course we went through the pros and cons of VBAC's and for a cesearan as well. Both have their risks but a VBAC is less risky personally. She looked at my OR report and confirmed that I was a great candidate for a VBAC. It's nice to know that there are Dr.'s who are willing to allow women to go that route. Labor of Love has all their momma's go through a Dr. to make sure they are safe to do VBAC's. I love the midwives there. They have so much wisdom. I feel at peace knowing that they will be there to help during my labor.

Labor of Love will allow me to go to 42 weeks. Believe me, I'm in NO RUSH! I'm wanting my body to do what it was meant to do. However, I'm also prepared for the possiblity that perhaps I will not go into Labor by 42 weeks. Most likely if that happens, then we'll go in and schedule a C-section. At that point, I know that I did everything I could to do this naturally. I feel a bit more in control. I was a bit surprised with Isabella - being low risk and all. The most important thing to me is that Caiden and I are healthy and thriving.

We have also completed our Labor and Delivery Classes. It was definitely a refresher but we also learned so much about coping techniques for the pain. A home birth or even at a birthing center means NO PAIN MEDS :) The beautiful thing about that is that our bodies have a natural break between contractions. Yes, they do get more intense during second stage of Labor and even transition so it's not to say it will be a walk in the park. Pitocin {drug given in hospital to induce} creates contractions with little breaks in between and therefore one usually needs an epidural to cope. As crazy as I may sound for wanting to deal with the pain, I look forward to labor. I know each contraction will only bring me closer to seeing my sweet boy.

We had our water birth class too. That class was great! It was interesting. I learned that the midwives will not let you get in the water until you are about 4-5 centimeters dilated. They want to make sure you are in active labor. The water can be relaxing and it can slow the progress of labor so to make sure...they wait. Thankfully there are other types of coping techniques that can be done until then. I also learned that the temperature of the water has to be between 98-100 degrees. It needs to be close to the mother's body temperature. This is to make sure baby is comfortable and not startled. Another thing we learned was that I have to be completely submerged from hip down in water. When baby finally is born in the water, he will not take a breath. He'll be receiving oxegyn from the placenta. Once the baby comes up out of the water, the air is what causes him to breath - to take his first precious breath. We are so glad to have learned more about what we are doing. It really makes me so comfortable being able to do a water birth.

Anyway, I share these things only because I'm so passionate about woman knowing they have options. I hope that my journey encourages other women to look into other possibilities. I do not want to come across as if I do not like Dr's. They are wonderful and I am thankful for them. However, I'm also thankful for the wisdom and knowledge of midwives all over the place. They are truly WONDERFUL!

Hugs!

Jenny

Meeting St. Nicholas for the First Time!

2010-12-19T05:49:00.001-08:00

Isabella is too young to really understand why there are so many people dressed up as Santa. I am not the type to take pictures with Santa...I kind of think it's cheesy unless it's done artisticly...but that's just me.

We were at Publix the other day and they were having kids sit on Santa's lap and taking a quick snap shot for free. Jerry and I were a bit curious as to what Isabella would do if she was near Santa. Well, it was the funniest moment ever. I'm kind of glad we got a picture to remember this moment.

When she was handed over to Santa, she wasn't very happy. She pouted her lips as if she was about to start wailing out for life. But then Santa began rocking his chair and little Miss Isabella started blinking really slow. She began falling asleep. She made everyone laugh. She was then given a cookie and she walked away chomping on her cookie. I don't think Santa entertained her much.

My Little Lady - 19 Months

2010-12-18T13:58:00.000-08:00

One day, I was folding laundry and I had my head down but I looked up to see what Isabella was doing and caught her doing something she wasn't supposed to be doing. Now, every time she's caught doing something, she gives me this look. I'd like to think she is correcting herself but perhaps she's just mocking me...HA!
She's beautiful!

Bobo :)

She was trying to change Bobo's diaper...HA!

Guess who's 19 months? I'm amazed by her daily. She has quite the imagination. This is her newest buddy - BoBo. Isabella LOVES monkeys. She started calling him Bobo herself. Some days, I find her converstating with Bobo. She kisses him and giggles and then says, "Ooooh Bobo!" as if he had shared something so funny! I tell Jerry all the time that her little buddies must come to life when we aren't around...HA!

Here's what she's doing at 19 months:

1. She is saying so much these days. Her longest sentence/question has been "what's the matter with the baby?" She said it so clear and of course I was so amazed by her articulation. Other words she says are milk, ball, mommy, daddy, baby, boy, girl, firetruck, car, We're here, hi, and so much more...I can't even keep track.

2. Her favorite movie is Joseph King of Dreams and Veggie Tales. She calls Joseph - Joy. She doesn't like when Joseph's brothers are being mean to him. She is very sweet. She always asks "Mommy, what happened?" with her eyes watering. She's very sensitive but it makes me realize she will be a sweet sister to her baby brother.

3. She LOVES her brother, Caiden. She shares her toys with my belly. I'm still not sure if she truly understands what's happening. I think she understands that we tell her theirs a baby there but at times she'll lift her shirt up and pat her belly and say "BABY."

4. She is learning how to count and learning her alphabet. She has counted 1-7 on her own. I'm pretty impressed by her. She also tries to prenounce letters. She's a little sponge.

5. Her favorite foods are yogurt, grapes, pancakes, spaghetti, chicken, beans, ice cream, and Jello...HA! She's growing to love different tastes and it's making my life easier!

She's GREAT!

My Sleeping Beauty

2010-12-18T13:50:00.000-08:00

I woke up one morning really early to get Isabella ready for a busy day. I walked in her bedroom to find her sleeping all snuggled up with her blanket. This was a moment I didn't want to forget so I went and grabbed my camera. I love her so much. She's sleeping in her big girl bed but she will always be my little baby girl. I can't believe how fast time flies.

Baby girl, Momma loves you so much. You make me so proud to be your mommy! Every day is an adventure with you. I look forward to every single moment with you. I thank the Lord all the time for such a precious gift like you. I am blessed.

A Little Late is Better Than Never

2010-12-18T13:40:00.001-08:00

The look she gives me to let me know her teeth are coming in ;)

One of her favorite stuffed buddies - Domo

She loves this little chick too.

And last but not least, her partner in crime - Dahlia

As busy as I have been, I haven't stopped shooting some of our random days. Some days when I'm playing with Isabella, it doesn't dawn on me to take pictures. I'm soaking in the moment with my girl. Other days, I remember each day will only be a memory. I'm so inlove with her. I'm thankful to be home with her.

This was back in October. Isabella was 18 months {1 year 1/2}. It's always special to me when she hits her half way mark because it's my birthday too. I make it a big deal for her. I look forward to sharing that with her always in the future.

Caiden Continues to Grow!

2010-12-15T13:50:00.000-08:00

25 weeks

27 weeks

28 weeks

29 weeks

30 weeks

31 weeks

33 weeks

It's been a good while since I updated the blog. Now that I'm technically done with work, I can focus on sharing what we've been up to the past few months. Caiden is growing wonderfully. At my last appointment, they said I was measuring at 36 weeks. I'm not surprised that my little boy seems to be bigger. Isabella was 9 lbs 1 oz. I'm fortunate to make chubby babies :)

I've been feeling well. Pregnancy has its moments. Overall, I'm thankful for a healthy pregnancy. I've been experiencing braxton hicks more often than I did with Isabella. These braxton hicks have been really uncomfortable. I'm hoping that they have been progressive contractions. Hopefully by the time I'm closer to my due date, the midwives will tell me I've dilated a good bit. I'm no longer able to sleep on my side. Well, I can but I pay for it in the morning. My body gets really sore. Sometimes I suck it up only because I sleep better that way.

Isabella is very aware of my belly! Most days, she'll come and kiss my belly, try to share her milk with the belly, and even try to share her toys with baby. I think she's going to make an amazing sister. I absolutely adore her!

Just for fun, I did a comparison of my belly with Isabella and Caiden at 7 months. Enjoy!

Catching up on the blog...

2010-11-24T05:36:00.000-08:00

will soon happen. I've been so busy getting work done with clients that I haven't had time to update this thing. I'm hoping to be DONE with all my work by Dec. 11th. Once that day hits, brace yourselves! I'll be going blog crazy for our family and friends. Love you all!

Happy Thanksgiving!

1, 2, 3's

2010-10-12T07:54:00.000-07:00

Reading "My Love for You" and counting the animals

As of lately, I've been having Isabella watch Baby Brainworks: Counting. It's really not the best graphics but I do love that it's repetitive and has classical music playing in the background. We usually watch it after breakfast or after she wakes up from her nap. She really enjoys it.

My sister, Erika, came by and she spent the afternoon playing with Isabella. She also got to sit and watch the counting movie too. She wasn't too thrilled about it. Mainly because she started to get sleepy...HA!

Later on, she did enjoy hearing Isabella count with her. It's the little things :) Isabella will count all over the place. She knows one, three, six, seven, eight, and nine. She's learning and it makes me proud. Our evening ended with her counting her toes, "One, six, six, six, seven." I absolutely LOVE seeing my baby learn!

A "Wild" Weekend!

2010-10-08T20:44:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, I had the privilege of shooting a wedding in Dover, Fl. It was an amazing wedding. It took place at Cross Creek Ranch. It was the perfect little country wedding. It was a fairy tale wedding to say the least.

The bride made her grand entrance in a horse and carriage with her father. Bride and Groom said their vows under a beautiful oak tree and had their reception in a stable/barn. It was perfect! To top it off, they had a candy station. This is where the WILD weekend fits in. I love that I get to be a part of capturing memories and I also love that I get to partake in some of the goodies.

I stood in line like a little kid (along with some other guests) to get myself a bag of candy :) M&M's, Peanut M&M's, Sour gummy worms, Gummy Bears, Lemon Heads, and the list goes on. I left later that night proud of the amazing shots I got but I was also proud of my goodie bag. I had a few bites on my drive home and figured I'd share the candy with Jerry.

Sunday roles around and I'm eating candy every so often. By 3 p.m., I had eaten ALL of this candy. I felt fine...but I started to feel really tired. Monday roles around, I'm EXHAUSTED!! Tuesday roles around, I have my Labor of Love appointment. They run the usual tests and the results say my sugars are off the charts. They were a bit concerned so they pricked my finger and the # was high.

As I sat there facing my midwives, I kept thinking, "My GOODNESS!!! I am out of CONTROL!" My sweet midwives asked me what I had been eating. "I can explain..." Yeah, I told them I partied this weekend with Candy but who says no to cake at a wedding and a candy station. I was really embarrassed...LOL. They laughed and agreed with me. Any who, I normally eat really well and never have a problem with my sugars. It was a WILD weekend that's for sure :)

Lesson Learned!

6 Months Already :)

2010-10-07T20:07:00.000-07:00

Can we say, "Time is flying!" I feel like it is. Little Caiden is growing and moving a lot. I had another appointment at Labor of Love this week. I got to meet our second midwife. It was a great appointment. Isabella loves going to LOL. She always runs to the toys and destroys the waiting room ;) She always leaves a huge smile on the staff there.

We got to hear Caiden's heart beat during this appointment. We also got to talk about the possible weight of Caiden since Isabella was a 9 pounder. I'm seriously amazed at the way the Lord has made us women! Another topic of discussion was scheduling a home visit. Yes, our midwives get to come to our home to check out the space and make sure we have everything we need for our Home/Water Birth. We are REALLY looking forward to our Birth. It will seriously be a wonderful experience.

Another little thing that we have been preparing for is Caiden's newborn session :) I have the honor of having a friend/expert mama /photographer who will be with us during our birth. I'm thankful that I will have the support of a lovely mother who has gone through natural births 5 TIMES! What a blessing! The fact that she is a photographer is plus ;) I can't wait to show our little man off through announcements/images. You can check out some of her work at http://www.lovinglegacyphotography.com/. I'm thankful for you my dearest Angela!

Life is great!

Jenny

Toddler Bed = BIG GIRL!

2010-10-02T20:36:00.000-07:00

Isabella is officially sleeping in her Big Girl bed! We decided to make this transition for several reasons. One, she jumps in her crib all the time and was snapping springs. We have a warantee on the crib and are going to get the new piece for it but we didn't want to put her back in the crib so that it would be ready for Caiden. Two, CAIDEN IS COMING SOON!!! We thought it would be good to get her to sleep on a big girl bed so that I wouldn't have to worry about it once Caiden arrived. We are very proud of her.

The first night wasn't so smooth. Isabella thought she was in her crib, stood up, and walked right off her bed. It was a sad moment. She did not hurt herself. I think she was more spooked than anything. It was hard seeing her cry. I honestly was bracing myself for night #2.

The next few nights, we opted for her to sleep in her playpen as she was teething and had a runny nose. We waited for her to get better to try again. When we tried again, we laid her down, gave her milk, and read to her. She loved having us near by. When we were done reading, Jerry prayed and then we said good night to all her "friends" in her room (She says "bye" to her toys every night...HA!). We then walked out. It took her 15 minutes to stop roaming her room. She eventually got on her bed and went to sleep! It's been like this every night. WHAT A BIG MILE STONE!!!

That night, I teared up. I was overwhelmed by the fact that she was such a big girl. I couldn't believe that not so long ago she was a little newborn and here she was...sleeping on a bed. We were two proud parents! We love our BIG girl!

Sometimes the Lord Shakes Your World...

2010-10-01T17:14:00.000-07:00

We seriously got our world shaken. Back in June, Jerry's job ended. It wasn't something we were expecting but we know that the Lord works in mysterious ways. I'm very thankful that through those weeks, Jerry was so calm and at peace about the whole situation. He was constantly reminding me that everything was going to be okay. I know being pregnant wasn't helping my emotions running wild. I'm thankful for my strong husband. It was a very interesting 6 weeks to say the least. Through those weeks, were saw the Lord's provision and it was humbling.

We have never felt so loved. Our church family was such a blessing during this time. I honestly don't know how we would have made it with out their prayers and support. We are so thankful for Redeemer Community Church. We may not have a ton of family really close by but we never felt alone. It has and will always be a beautiful reflection of Christ hands serving and loving on us.

A lot of people that end up unemployed usually have a hard time finding a job...let alone an interview. That wasn't the problem for Jerry. He was getting calls and going for interviews atleast twice a week. We really wanted to find the right job. Before all of this had happened, we had talked about moving to Tampa, Fl. During the process of interviews, there were a lot of possibilities - Clearwater, Tampa, and even North Carolina. I actually thought it was quite funny that one of the jobs was located in Wake Forest, NC. Two of my BEST FRIENDS lives there and I thought it was was insane that that could even be a possibility.

After 6 weeks or biting my fingernails, Jerry finally got a call from a job that he had applied for before his job ended. He's been working with ADT for the past 4 weeks and things are going really well. We'll get to move to Tampa like we had originally thought about doing and we'll be closer to family as well.

So Anyway, this is my excuse for the lack of blogging. Thankfully, I've been kept busy by the grace of God. I have had family sessions, child portraits, and even a wedding in NY. God is good. I'm excited to see Jerry grow at his new job and I'm also excited for the sessions I have before Caiden arrives. Keep praying for us friends & family! We would greatly appreciate those precious prayers!

Hugs,

Jenny

Summer Happenings

2010-09-28T10:32:00.001-07:00

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

There was much going on this summer that kept us pretty busy...especially from updating the blog. I figured I'd post this montage to show you what we were up to...atleast from the times I did remember to take pictures ;) Enjoy!

17 Months Old!

2010-09-23T19:26:00.000-07:00

images from the summer, I'm so behind ;)

Well on the 29th, but I figured I'd update you guys on what our BIG Sister/BIG girl is up to these days. It's amazing how smart she is. She's always learning something new everyday. Here are a few things Isabella does:

*She LOVES reading. She really loves this time. There are times when she reads to us ;)
*She is saying a lot these days - So many words I've lost count. Here are a few: Milk, Diaper, Baby, Dolly (Dahlia, our Boston Terrier), Bubbles, Flower, Tree, Nice and so much more!
*Her favorite foods these days are Banana Pancakes and Spaghetti.
*She is using the potty before bath times and she celebrates each time.
*She kisses her baby brother (My belly) all the time.
*She's teething and she's doing so well.

She's such a blessing. We really can't believe how fast the time is flying. We cherish every moment together as a family. Some days, I look through pictures of her as a little baby and tear up thinking of those moments being memories - we can't get them back. Boy, does every moment matter? We love our girl and we are excited to continue to see her grow.

Meet Caiden Eli

2010-09-22T13:47:00.000-07:00

I had the BIG appointment on September 13th. Unfortunately, Jerry couldn't be there since he started his new job. We decided to tell the Ultrasound technician to put all the pictures in an envelope. I wasn't too impatient with knowing once we started the process because I knew how much it meant for me to find out with Jerry. Before they saw me, I was constantly greeted with a big smile from other moms coming out of the room. They were all very proud of their sons. Charlyn, one of the midwives, kept saying it was the year of the boys at their birthing center. As she said that, I kept thinking I might just break that Boy thing going there!

I didn't have a gut feeling with this baby. I had no idea what I was having. I did know that it would be a girl or boy. My logic was very simple. I have girl clothes, girl shoes, goodness, I even have a girl now so...yeah, I guess I'm having a girl. When I finally met up with Jerry, I had him do the honors of opening the envelope. He jumped out of his seat with a very PROUD "YESSS!!" I was still waiting to hear the news. He then said, "We're having a boy!" To be completely honest, I was in shock. I mean I was excited but I just had so many thoughts running through my head at that moment. Isabella was excited just like her daddy. She was yelling out "Baby! Baby!" I had to take a look at the sonogram to make sure and honestly...I still don't know what I'm looking at...HAAA!!

So I'm guessing to the right of "It's a boy" are his dangly man parts? LOL.

Oh there we have our son sucking his thumb. How cute!

We finally decided on a name too. Our son's name will be Caiden Eli Cordero. His whole name means (Caiden) Companionship in battle with (Eli) my God, (Cordero) the Lamb. We can't wait to meet our little boy!

Baby is Still growing!

2010-09-21T13:38:00.000-07:00

I realize I've been missing in action! I wanted to update family as I'm sure you guys have been wondering how we have been doing. It's even apparent when we talk on the phone, especially when I hear "oh yeah, so how's that other baby?" HA! I know! I've been terrible but I think my time is freeing up a bit to update the blog more frequently.

10 weeks

13 weeks

14 weeks

15 weeks

16 weeks

17 weeks

18 weeks

20 weeks

21 weeks

WOO! There you go! Now you are all caught up to how our sweet baby is growing!

Butterfies :)

2010-06-30T03:08:00.000-07:00

I remember the feeling of being surprised when I felt the tiny flutters of Isabella. It really was so amazing. I have heard that it's easier to recognize those flutters with your second, third, fourth baby since you know what to look for. I guess that is very true. At almost 10 weeks, I must say, "I know you are there baby." What a beautiful feeling of life. I also remember quite clearly my impatience of wanting Jerry to feel Isabella move. It will be special when both, Jerry and Isabella, feel their baby move as well. Until then, I will continue to smile and enjoy the butterflies on my own.

Anticipation: Meeting Baby

2010-06-23T19:30:00.000-07:00

I have been waiting for what seemed an eternity to see baby...to hear his/her heartbeat. That day finally came. I saw baby wiggling its fingers and kicking its feet. I held my breath just thinking to myself "you are okay baby." It wasn't until I could see babys heartbeat that I breathed and was overwhelmed with so much emotion.

With my first, I went to the obgyn the week I found out I was pregnant. With this little one, it seemed like so much time had past before I could be seen by anyone. I'm relieved to know that my little peanut is growing and is strong. I was told my due date is Feb 1st not January 28th. Honestly, I'm just saying Baby will be here in February. I'm not giving him/her a due date. What an interesting few weeks it has been. Let the journey continue :)

Father's Day

2010-06-20T11:34:00.000-07:00

I had been dying for Jerry to watch this little video montage I put together for him for Father's day. It was very special to him. While the video played, Isabella decided to dance to the music and she just smiled at her daddy. It was special for all of us. Jerry is an amazing father. We love him dearly.

Father's Day was a fun day. We went to Aaliyah's birthday party. Isabella loved all the balloons :) After the party, we headed over to my dad's house and made him dinner. It was nice to just relax. Isabella couldn't help but want to swim with her two favorite men ;)

Labor of Love - Water Birth

2010-06-19T20:01:00.000-07:00

The thought of birthing a second child a year ago, had me thinking would I be ready for this process again? I was told by my Dr. that I would be having another cesarean with the next child.
Now, I didn't have a cesarean because I was high risk. I was on a schedule - The Dr.'s schedule. This time around, after doing almost a year of extensive research and knowing us woman have options, I am having this baby when he/she decides to come :)

It will be different. I almost feel like I'm brand new to this since I never did feel one contraction with my first pregnancy. After much prayer, research, and dialoguing with woman who have been through this process, we have found great midwives through Labor of Love.

I have my first appointment Friday. I went to their offices about 2 weeks ago with my OR report in hand as I needed an approval to go ahead with this. Thankfully, it proved to be fine. I've been reading some great books. One being Ina May's Guide to Child birth. What an adventure this will be :) I'm thankful that Jerry's behind me 100% as he's been doing research along side me. WOO HOO!

Another Cordero :)

2010-06-19T17:29:00.000-07:00

On my way to NY, I had been feeling pretty icky. I figured it was my nerves as I was traveling by myself with very expensive equipment. Needless to say, it made me nervous. I didn't think anything at all at the fact that I was nauseated. I didn't think anything at all when I walked on to a plane that smelled HORRID! And I didn't think anything at all when for some reason I could smell Body Odor coming from some where on the plane.

Because I was feeling so terrible, I didn't want to eat. I finally arrived at my destination to find out that I was still 3 hours away from my photo shoot. I knew that already before I left but for some reason it was just ridiculous at the moment. Honestly, I was just glad to be in a car with some of my own space and not close to people. I figured I needed to adjust my attitude and focus! I was about to meet 2 amazing people that were so in love and capture that love.

When I finally arrived to my destination, I felt a million times better. I think seeing an old friend and just being around sappy mushy love made me feel better :) The photo shoot went great! I'm really looking forward to shooting their wedding in September!

Okay, so back to my misery...LOL. I had not eaten at all and it was close to 7 P.M. My wonderful friends arrived to pick me up and they were bragging about how good their deli subs were and I could not believe they didn't buy me anything. After they picked on me for a bit, they confessed that there was a sub for me. I took a big old bite and was then told that Dinner would be served once we arrived at our final destination...I let go of that wonderful sub to leave room for a good home cooked meal. Mind you, it was 8:30 by the time I finally did eat.

After the wonderful dinner, the family that was hosting my stay decided to watch a movie. The movies were great but I seriously kept getting up every 20 minutes to go pee! I was trying not to be obvious but I WAS BEING OBVIOUS! They were a bit concerned for their guest. Hello...I still didn't think I was pregnant at this point. After watching movie #1, we started movie #2. It was a scary movie. Those of you who know me, KNOW that I LOVE scary movies. This movie was weird. It was gory which normally doesn't bother me but it had brought me to gag. Yes, I was gagging and thought for sure my dinner was going to be all over the floor. I'm sure by this point, my hostesses were thinking I was an odd person.

I didn't get any sleep that night. Mainly because there was too much going on that I didn't want to miss out on the fun. At one point, I finally decided it was time for bed. My lovely hostesses decided I should check my flight information. One of them had the flight information already up and asked "Why are you going to the Bahamas?" My sleepiness quickly fled and I was in a panic! Anyway, it turned out my first plane would eventually go to the Bahamas but I was switching planes...and my second plane would bring me home.

It was now 4:00 a.m. I wasn't feeling too hot. I gathered my things and on the road again we were. I almost threw up a couple times in the car. It was insane. When I finally arrived to Tampa, I was relieved to be home and as I drove on the Sun Coast, I thought...I should take a pregnancy test when I get home. I did and sure enough it was was Positive. HA! What a way to find out.

The Cordero family is stoked! We wanted our little ones to be 2 years apart. Isabella and baby #2 will be 22 months apart. I really do look forward to the journey of being pregnant again. My first pregnancy was great. This one has been different in many ways but I'm thankful for this new life - Our Gift. Baby is due January 28 :)

How Funny is She?

2010-05-23T20:47:00.000-07:00

Finally posting pictures to show of those teeth! She keeps them hidden. I was also also able to capture these awesome faces!

An Eventful Day

2010-05-23T20:27:00.000-07:00

Today started off pretty slow. I had just got back from NY the day before and I was feeling pretty tired. The lay over in NC was just torture. I was so ready to be home with my loves. Although I was so tired and not feeling too hot, I opted to hang out with these two instead of sleeping. It was pretty eventful.

We made a stop to Books A Million. Isabella LOVES books. We figured it would be fun seeing her so excited about all the books. We read to her a bit but she was too distracted by everything around her.

Next, we went to Petsmart. We were looking for a collar for Dahlia. Isabella loves this store as she gets to see fish, birds, and cats. She would live there if we gave her the option. HA!

After that, we made a stop to our local supermarket, Publix. The lady gave bella a chef hat and she wore it proudly.

Finally heading home. She was tired...so was her mommy! I was so looking forward to sleeping!

NY to FL & Visitors

2010-05-22T20:39:00.000-07:00

Finally HOME! I had traveled to NY on May 21st for a session. I was there for less than 24 hours. With no sleep and feeling quite terrible, I managed to some how stay up to enjoy the company of my niece, Lily. Tony, Jerry's brother, came by the same day that I had arrived. It was a nice to see them. Boy do we love having family visit.

After they left, I was gone...as in sleeping. Wow! I have never felt so tired in my life. I'm definitely not like I used to be. I used to stay up all night. This trip kicked my butt! I did however have a great time with the couple I shot. She was an old friend from back home - my home town of Monticello, NY. I got to meet her sweet fiance and that was just great!

I wish I would have had more time to make my rounds and visit the rest of my family. I didn't even get to see Evelyn, my oldest sister...also one of my best friends. Maybe next time honey...like in July :)

Daddy Day Camp

2010-05-19T20:23:00.000-07:00

This was a couple of days before I headed to NY for an Engagement session. Jerry and Isabella have way too much fun when I'm not around. I love how Jerry is her hero. She's definitely Daddy's little girl. She cuddles up with him to watch her cartoons and brings him books when she wants to read. Love these two. I'm sure they will have a blast together.

Private First Class

2010-05-14T16:55:00.000-07:00

A small gift to go with her uniform - White Gold diamond earrings

Mom and her Vikki

Missing one! HA!

The long wait before getting in the hall.

They stared straight ahead. Erika wanted to do something to make them laugh...lol

She made it!

Mini Photo Shoot at one of the museums

It seems not so long ago Vikki was leaving for basic training. Graduation came quickly! We had prepared for months to travel to Oklahoma to be at graduation. This was going to be Isabella's first long road trip as well.

Three days before we left, we heard news of a tornado hitting Oklahoma City. This was not something we wanted to hear right before we left for our road trip. Tuesday morning, Daniel and Erika went to the airport to pick up our rented van. Unfortunately, there was no record of our hold and the companies were charging us way too much money for a van. It almost seemed like our trip would be canceled but we then decided to just take one of our cars. Because of the weather in OK and space, it made sense to leave Miss Isabella behind with her daddy.

We left early Wednesday morning (The Williams, Mom, and I) to arrive Thursday afternoon. It was so good to spend time with our dear Vikki. We couldn't be more proud of her. It's looking like Japan may be her home for the next three years. She will be missed but I'm sure we'll have plenty of Skype dates :)

Our Little Rock Star!

2010-05-04T16:45:00.000-07:00

This is one of Isabella's favorite things to do with her daddy. She really loves trying to sing with the mic. Cracks me up every time. It's nice to know she is being entertained by her daddy. Love them both!

Birthday Fun: Round 2

2010-05-01T19:35:00.000-07:00

Hand-made Pom Poms. Erika and Daniel helped the night before.

Hand-made birthday banner. I felt creative...what can I say?

Cake by the lovely Jenn Truman. She made a soy free cake for Isabella :)

Loved the cupcakes too :)

Mini Accordion books for family, put together by yours truly ;)

Pool Party with the babes.

Happy Birthday sweetie!

HA! This was too funny!

There you go lovely! She loved it!

Chomping away!

Still going...

We had a great time planning for Isabella's birthday party at home. It was so much fun. All the kids had a great time. I wouldn't have it any other way. Thanks friends and family for sharing this special day with us.

Happy Birthday Isabella! You have been the best thing that ever happened to us. I can't believe a year has gone by (4/29/2009). We will forever cherish these moments. We didn't get to soak in the fact that you had turned one until the party was over. We cried...remembering what a blessing you were when you made your grand entrance. You have grown little one. To many more years...what a lady you will become.

1 Year Portraits

2010-04-29T20:01:00.000-07:00

Isabella is already a ONE! My how the time flies. Here are a few things Isabella is doing at the golden age of ONE:

Walking
Saying words in Spanish: Agua -Water, Bomba-Balloon, Nena-Girl
Saying: Up, Uh Oh, Nanana - Banana, Daddy, Mine, Momma, Birdie, shoe
Signing: Milk, daddy, more, all done, bed, phone, dirty, book
Favorite Books: Are you my mother & Goodnight Moon
Favorite Items: Blanket
Favorite foods: Grapes & Yogurt

She's such a joy!

BIRTHDAY BASH: Round One

2010-04-24T18:06:00.000-07:00

Abuela Iris & Tia Sandra teamed up with other family to make Isabella's first birthday a fun and memorable time. We were so thankful for everything they did. Isabella will have these memories to look back at and know about her Honduran culture. The food was AMAZING, the games were FANTASTIC, and the time with family was PRICELESS!

Jerry was super excited about the Dora Bouncer :)

A snow cone machine! Wow! It was definitely a hit!

A Dora pinata. A lady from my mother in law's church made it. How cool is that!

Isabella wasn't too sure about the cake at first but then she destroyed it.

She was so worn out!

Thank you everyone for the beautiful time. Isabella will love these pictures and video in the future. We love you all.

Sleep Over at Grandma's & First Tortilla :)

2010-04-16T14:02:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I had a wedding to shoot. Daddy wasn't feeling good so I decided to take Isabella with me since I was going to be staying with my mom. They had a blast together. Isabella got to try her first tortilla. She wasn't too sure what to think.

This weekend was neat because she came home saying "Agua." Abuelita taught her how to say water in Spanish. My mom wants to make sure Isabella speaks Spanish too. Here's a little video of her bath time.

Visiting the Truman's

2010-04-12T09:49:00.000-07:00

This was way overdue! It had been a while since we got together with friends since life has been pretty busy. Mainly with me working. I finally decided we needed a break. I love seeing Isabella and Creed play. They are very good friends! And of course, I LOVE spending time with Jenn.

This was Isabella's first time out in the pool this year. It has been kind of chilly in Florida. Yes, it's not always HOT! They had a great time splashing around. They weren't too happy about getting out though. I figured they would crash after getting a little work out in the pool. Creed did! Isabella was too distracted at the fact that we weren't home. She doesn't take great naps when we are at other people's homes. Hopefully that will change.

Saying "Ball" & More Walking

2010-04-10T18:58:00.000-07:00

My girl is just getting so big. Seeing her walk has been bitter sweet. I just love seeing her walk but it sure does sting a bit knowing that she's getting older and she's not a baby anymore - She's my sweet toddler!

Besides her fabulous walking, she's been saying words too. Here she's so excited about the ball and says "ball" for us. What a big girl!

Abuelo & Abuela Come to Visit!

2010-04-10T09:39:00.000-07:00

We had special visitors today! I love it when we get to spend time with our family. Isabella loved cuddling with them. Sometimes we wish that we lived a lot closer to all our family. Thankfully we still have Erika and Daniel. They are our fabulous neighbors! Thanks for coming to visit Abuelo and Abuela!

Play Time

2010-04-10T09:31:00.000-07:00

HA! I know, it seems like we spend most our days at the mall! Well we do live like 5 minutes from the mall so it makes it nice to get out of the house. Isabella loves playing there. Titi Erika joined us this time and she was chasing Isabella around. We sure did get a little work out!

The Mall & More Walking

2010-04-08T17:54:00.000-07:00

Enjoying her cereal while we drink our coffee.

Love this girl!

Today we got to spend time with our dear Angie! We love going to the mall and Isabella loves it too. She mostly enjoys the time she has playing with the other kids in the play area. She was able to practice her walking some more as well. She would see the other kids walking around and it really encouraged her to do the same. I have way too much fun with my girls!

My First Steps

2010-04-01T14:05:00.000-07:00

What an exciting week! Isabella finally took her first steps on her own. My sister came over and was trying to get her to walk. She kept throwing herself at her auntie to catch her. She had the biggest smile. It wasn't until 2 days later that she finally took several steps on her own. Of course I didn't have my camera with me! Her longest amount of steps have been SIX steps. She even did it while drinking out of her sippy cup. She's getting comfortable with it. I did get video of her on the walker. We have a walker but for some reason it moves too quick on carpet. Our dear friends let us borrow theirs. I think this will help her get used to walking without tumbling over so quickly. There goes a walker that we'll have to sell on craigslist.

Another Month of Pure Bliss: 11 Months

2010-03-29T13:08:00.000-07:00

Yes, another month has gone by! I don't like that the months are flying. I hope Isabella can look back at this blog one day and just smile at the thought that her momma went blog crazy trying to update her on her life. One more month and she'll be a YEAR old! WOW! Here are some things Isabella is doing at 11 months:

* Standing by herself
* Took her first steps - She's getting really good. 6 steps has been her furthest go at it.
* Saying Ball, Dadda, Nanana (Banana), Uh Oh, Woof Woof, and Buh-Buh (Bubbles)
* Signing for Baby, Ball, All Done, Bed, More, Phone, Daddy
* Wearing size 4 diapers
* Wearing size 12m and some 18m
* Babbling a lot more especially when read to
* Still 2 teeth but FOUR are coming in on the top. The tips are showing, once they come out fully, we'll have to show them off.

She's continues to be a blessing! We are so thankful to the Lord for giving us a precious little gift.

Playing Peek A Boo

2010-03-22T13:19:00.000-07:00

Can this get any cuter? I caught Isabella playing with her daddy. She is so funny! I really do love the stage that's she's in. Her interaction with us makes everything a joy.

Isabella & Aaliyah FUN-NESS!

2010-03-19T12:56:00.000-07:00

This was the toy that BOTH of them wanted. Clearly, Aaliyah won this little battle.

Aaliyah noticed Isabella drinking from her cuppy and thought "I'll take that!"

Drank...

and then wondered "WHAT ON EARTH WAS THAT?"

Isabella got distracted from the stolen cuppy because the phone rang. They both just stared at me as I talked away and they BOTH wanted the phone.

Dahlia joined in on the fun but didn't stay too long as she was not fond of her ears being tugged on. Yes, Isabella and Aaliyah ganged up on Dahlia.

Aaliyah finally noticed my BIG MONSTER camera :) Look at those eyes!

Isabella standing by herself and also staring at yet another toy that she wants for herself. These two forget that there are a so many toys around them. HAHAHA! Isn't my day so much fun!!!

A Sound Track of Our Lives!

2010-03-19T12:10:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love getting video of these two doing random things. Before morning nap time, we usually listen to music on the LastFM. Most of the music is from Dora The Explorer Radio. It keeps them happy as they play. For some reason, the music just really adds to what they are doing and makes me laugh oh so hard. Enjoy!

Our Fun Morning

2010-03-16T12:37:00.000-07:00

Drinking from her sippy cup :) Yay!

Our mornings are so much fun! Isabella is just playing around having a grand old time. She loves when we read to her and now babbles as she opens a book and reads to me ;) She's a doll. She also finally learned to drink with her sippy cup. She sure does love her apple juice (mainly water). I tried giving her plain water and she wasn't too happy so I usually put some Apple juice and tons of water. Gotta love her!

Laying Out in the Pool?

2010-03-12T12:03:00.000-08:00

I found Isabella drinking her bottle in her bath tub. She was just relaxing! It was so funny; I had to run and get my camera. I was afraid she would get out but she was too comfortable. She loves that little bath tub. She doesn't use it as much but I figured now that it is getting warmer out I can take it on the balcony and let her splash in it to get some sun. She's got the best personality ever.

I have always been told that as a kid I was one silly kid. I always made light of everything. I can already tell Isabella is gonna have some of her mama's personality - A social little butterfly! She's so amazing! I hope you guys don't think I'm saying I'm amazing...but if you are, GOOD! I am! HA!

Bed Head & Baby FUN!

2010-03-10T11:55:00.000-08:00

Isabella woke up from a nap looking like she had stuck her finger in an outlet. It was pretty funny. She was so out of it. When Aaliyah comes to play, they both wear each other out. I guess that's a good think since I know they will nap quite well. This was a long day for us because Aaliyah was with us till 5 p.m. By the end of the day, these two weren't playing nice anymore. I think because Isabella's hair looked extra cool, Aaliyah pulled it. It was sad and funny at the same time. Kids will be kids.

Little Lady Bug & Hair Pins

2010-03-09T07:07:00.000-08:00

Isabella is growing up to be such a beautiful girl. She's getting so big. I was reminded of this today as I watched her cruise and also as I pinned her hair back since it's starting to get longer. She's my little lady bug! I love this dress!

Titi Erika came to play today. Can you tell we need each other's company a lot since Vikki left ;) I don't mind it one bit. I love my sisters!

Ah, how beautiful these ladies are!

This just melted my heart. Isabella cuddles with her daddy when he gets home. I know it's the highlight of both their days. I love moments like these!

My NEW Little Joy

2010-03-08T06:54:00.000-08:00

Priceless!

Isabella drinking from her cuppy - Big girl!

I had been looking for a part time job. I was mainly looking to work 20 hours - nothing too hectic since I am enjoying being home with my Bella. Well this SWEET & ADORABLE opportunity came by and I was extremely excited. Aaliyah and Isabella love playing together.

The first morning sweet Aaliyah came by, I was nervous. "How in the world am I going to manage an 8 month old and a 10 month old??? WHAT WAS I THINKING?" Those were the thoughts running through my mind. After we said goodbye to Mama, Aaliyah and I just stared at each other for a moment and then she immediately grinned at me. At that very moment, I knew everything was going to be fine.

Isabella and Aaliyah are pretty much on the same schedule. Actually, Aaliyah was 30 minutes ahead of schedule so it worked out pretty well. As one was going down for a nap, another was ready to play...but 30 minutes later BOTH were napping. Aaliyah would wake up first and this was great and has been great since I can focus on changing her diaper and feeding her. Oh the Lord is so good to me.

Some days, it doesn't work out as smoothly but I'm so thankful for the blessing Miss Aaliyah is to our family. I'm sure you all will be seeing more of these two together in the future :)

Creed's FIRST Birthday!

2010-03-06T07:19:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe how fast time has just flown on by! Creed is already a year old! We had a great time celebrating with the Truman's. We are so thankful for this precious family. Creed is one of Isabella's buddies. They have had several play dates together. I personally have loved the mommy time Jenn and I have had. Happy Birthday little buddy!

By the way, Isabella won the crawling contest at this party! WOOT WOOT! That's my girl!

Grandpa Love

2010-03-03T06:49:00.000-08:00

Isabella kept looking away so I thought this would work...

Much better

Titi Erika, Abuelo, and Isabella

Abuelo came to visit. We sure love the company. We've had Abuela Iris come over too. I am so bad about pulling out my camera. Life just happens. Isabella LOVES her grandparents. It's a riot seeing them interact with her. We are so blessed to have amazing parents. We love you guys so much!

First Carousel Ride

2010-03-02T06:35:00.000-08:00

I know, it's been a while BUT I've been trying to recoup from Vikki leaving, from being swamped with work, and from being sick.

It's been a rough week. I think mainly for me :) My little sister finally left - My soldier - but life still goes on for us. My other sister, Erika, and our family went to the mall to take our minds off of sad things. It was pretty simple doing just that as Isabella puts a smile on our faces ALL the time. This was the first time she rode the carousel. She wasn't too sure what was going on at first but enjoyed every minute on it. Now when we go to the mall, she recognizes the BIG DUCK! She's the joy of my life.

Saying Goodbye & 10 Months

2010-03-01T13:10:00.000-08:00

Isabella is 10 months today! I can not believe how much she is growing. We decided not to take pictures on the famous green chair and opted for a small mini photo shoot with her Auntie Vikki.

Here are a few things that Isabella is doing at 10 months:

Standing on her own
Pointing to places she wants to go to
Clapping
Saying Uh Oh and Woof Woof
Size 4 diapers
Sleeping with her Gator & Blanket for nap times (napping for 3 hours during the day)
Sleeping from 7:30 p.m. - 8:00 a.m.
She knows how to sign the words: Baby, More, All Done, Bed, and Phone
She is still dancing her little tush off :)

It's so sweet to see my youngest sister (my baby) and my actual baby embrace and express how much they love each other. I absolutely LOVE that Vikki has been near us for the past 8 months. She's been able to see Isabella grow. That has been really special for me and I know it has been special for Vikki too.

We knew this day would come. We had a count down and really tried not to take any moment for granted. Having to say good bye is never fun. Of course there were tears and Isabella is too young to understand that she will not be seeing Ti-ti Vikki for a while. I really want to make sure that Isabella remembers Vikki. This is why this photo shoot was very special for us all.

Vikki will be serving our country as a soldier in the Army. She is in basic training right now and will graduate in May. She will be stationed in Fort Sil in Oklahoma. She was very excited about the job (Animal Care Specialist for the base) she was going to be doing since her plans are to be a veterinarian one day.

We are so proud of her and love her very much!

Relaxing at the Park

2010-02-27T12:56:00.000-08:00

I have to admit, it's very rare that we get a whole Saturday to ourselves...mainly because we choose to spend it with family or on some occasions I have a wedding to shoot/photo shoot. So today was super special for us.

We decided to go to the park with Isabella. It was really neat being able to see her enjoying herself. I think she was mostly fascinated by the kids running around. The swing wasn't a big hit for her. She seemed bored but once she got on the little froggy jumper, she did express how much fun she was having. It was such a great way to start the day.

Happy Stand

2010-02-26T06:43:00.000-08:00

Today was a really sweet day. Really this week has been great! I'm amazed at how much Isabella is learning and accomplishing. Seeing her reach her milestones really put a smile on my face. Cruising has been Isabella's new way of getting around lately. I figured she'd eventually realize that she could probably stand on her own. She attempts it every now and then by letting go of the sofa. But she's so focused on what she's holding that she doesn't realize she is STANDING!

Her confidence is getting stronger. I love reassuring her, letting her know that she is doing a GREAT job. She sure does celebrate in her own little way and it sure does put a smile on my face.

Baby Talk: Hello

2010-02-25T19:51:00.000-08:00

If signing was not enough, Isabella has a language of her own. She clearly knows how to communicate. Enjoy family & friends!

Hair & Sign Language

2010-02-24T19:37:00.000-08:00

So apparently over night Isabella's hair grew some. I'm sure it wasn't that drastic or dramatic but for me...Today, it really was. I have all these adorable bows that I can never really use on Isabella since her hair always seemed to stay at one length. We can definitely tell her locks are starting to make their grand entrance. I'm excited. I know, I know...it's just hair. But I'm dying to know what kind of hair Isabella will have. Jerry has straight hair and I have curly hair so I'm just dying to know what her hair will be like.

On another note, this week has been such a really cool week with learning. For the past 5 months, we've been teaching Isabella how to sign. She has a sign language book with images that she absolutely LOVES. Again, it is so great to see when Isabella finally displays visual proof that she knows what's going on. So here she is signing for phone :) She also knows signs for bed, all done, more, and of course phone. She's still learning.

Signing to Phone

RANDOM:Isabella having a blast in the kitchen

Girls Night Out!

2010-02-20T19:15:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've had one of these. My sisters and I have been trying to find excuses to constantly do things together since we are counting down the days for Vikki, our little baby sister, to leave for basic training. We try not to think about it so much as it usually ends with one of us in tears.

You can never go wrong with dinner and a movie and we did just that. It was sweet reminiscing about being kids and how much we picked on each other. Now, we can't get enough of one another. We LOVE being sisters. We wish our oldest could have been with us as it would have made the circle complete.

Before our Date, we had to go shopping :) Isabella joined in on the fun!

Vikki and me :)

Erika and Vikki - my adorable sisters

Cutting Coupons :)

2010-02-18T12:11:00.000-08:00

Some days, especially rainy days, we don't have much going on and yet the smallest things seem to really make a simple day so special - even cutting coupons. I can't help but be amazed at the beauty and wonder of my daughter. I can truly say I am blessed beyond measure. God is so good to me.

I don't know how I do it at times - be a momma. I know it comes from the Lord. There are days when I feel so tired but a glimpse of her smile some how gives me super mom strength to get through another day of teaching and exploring the world together. The small things that we take for granted ever day, are AMAZING things to her. I'm honored to be her momma :)

Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T13:35:00.000-08:00

We had a pretty interesting Valentine's day. We were all sick. We didn't go to church today because we didn't want to get anyone else sick. So for most of the day we relaxed. It was nice spending the day with our family. We sure had a lot of love to give to one another. Jerry and I spent the day watching movies and eating chocolate ;) I love my sweet family.

We're Connected Again!

2010-02-12T13:10:00.000-08:00

Yippee! We finally received our Verizon modem. We were having issues with bright house for almost a month. We finally did the switchover and now we are connected to the world again. That means I can upload my wedding/portrait galleries and update the blog! I know... the updating the blog doesn't seem so serious but when you have family living miles and miles away, it is a big deal. Isabella has fans! That

I was digging through Isabella's closet today and found this t-shirt - What happens at Grandma's stays at Grandma's. I thought it was cute and figured it would make her Abuelas smile. I even got her to show her famous tapping on her chest when asked 'where's grandma's pretty one?' and her hand song: A DOUBLE Yummy moment!

Que linda manita que tiene bebe, que linda, que bella, que preciosa es - What a pretty hand the baby has, so pretty, so beautiful, how precious it is.

P.S. Isabella can clap now! Yay!

I'm a Sleep Monster!

2010-02-05T11:52:00.000-08:00

Every morning, Isabella eats on her boppy. She likes it. She just gets so comfy on it :) I finally got her into a routine for napping. She's napping at 10 o'clock a.m. for one hour. She then takes another nap at 2 o'clock p.m. for two hours. Seriously, I love it. It's nice having that time to get things done around the house and also just for down time: Knitting, watching a movie, editing, napping, and even blogging! Can't complain. She's also sleeping through the night for 12 - 13 hours. A little sleep monster indeed!

After her 2 o'clock nap, I found her eating her blanket. She didn't see me coming! HA!

Since she was up, I decided to play with my camera. My camera has a built in transmitter that reads my Speed-lite flash without having it mounted on. So I just thought I'd play with flash.

She was doing fine...

and then decided she was done. She was ready to play OUTSIDE her crib.

Are You Alive?

2010-02-04T11:46:00.000-08:00

Dahlia has been doing this a lot lately. She walks around Isabella and then throws herself on her back and just lays there. Isabella just stares. Her curiosity just puts a smile on my face. She crawls to Dahlia and then Dahlia POPS right back up to do it again. I'm so glad Isabella gets to have a puppy dog to grow up with. Dahlia is a great dog.

Besides her daily clowning around with the dog, Isabella has been babbling a lot. She makes the cutest faces! I caught one as she was "sharing" with me about her morning.

Our Diaper Baby!

2010-02-03T11:41:00.000-08:00

Isabella and I had a lazy day today. We were in our PJ's most of the day...mainly because we were both feeling under the weather. After getting over her cold a week and a half ago, she was struck with another cold again.

It stinks but we made the best out of the day. Hoping she'll get better fast!

My Little Dancer

2010-02-02T17:12:00.000-08:00

I have been waiting for this moment :) I always wondered when Isabella would learn to dance to music. I know I goof around with her every now and then but this is clearly her own moves. I didn't teach her these moves. It has not even been a week into her 9 months and she just keeps on getting better and better. This little girl never ceases to amaze me. She's got that natural Honduran rhythm in her blood.

Abuela Iris, gracias por el jugete. Me encanta! - Isabella

Just For Fun & More Updates

2010-02-02T13:52:00.000-08:00

Playing with my powershot, Canon. This camera is small but it has manual settings to make anyone smile :) It was a Christmas gift for both Jerry and I (but mainly me...hehehe).

Like I promised, I have Isabella's report from the Dr. She weighs 19.5 lbs and is 28.5 inches long. She got one vaccine shot today. She cried for like 2 seconds. She was so good.

We also had a meeting at Trinity College for a future photo shoot. Isabella was a good little assistant. She just watched me as I shared with some students on what to expect. We decided to eat lunch there since immediately following our meeting we would have to go see Dr. Kuberek. It was nice seeing familiar faces. It was also very encouraging talking to a few people about the future. I really can see the Lord working. More information to follow once everything is in place and IF everything does end up working out. Either way, it was good.

We Are Parents & Teachers

2010-01-29T15:44:00.000-08:00

I love when Isabella finally gets something. She is learning all the time. We have been teaching her how to use her shape box. All the times we spent putting the shapes in there for her is finally paying off. We love being her teacher. We are so thankful for the life the Lord has given us. He is so good.

Happy Happy 9 Months

2010-01-29T15:32:00.000-08:00

Wow is the time zooming by! Isabella is 9 months today. She's getting so big and learning so much. Here's what little Miss Bella is up to at 9 months:

1. Pointing to items, Kissing, waving hello
2. Wearing size 12M clothing
3. Wearing size 3 diapers
4. Eating 3 meals a day and 1 Snack time
5. Standing and doing some cruising
6. Sleeping 12 hours a night
7. Taking 2 naps a day
8. Learned to put herself to sleep :)
9. Crawling
10. Knows her toys by name and gets them
11. Eating food that is not pureed: Peas, bread, pasta, chicken, Anything really :) with moderation of course.
10. Her new favorite toy: Elmo
11. Continues to Tap on her mouth to make noise
12. Tapping on her chest when we ask where is grandma's baby
13. Learned how to use her Shape toy (inserting shapes in box)

We have a Dr.'s appointment on Tuesday. We'll keep you posted as to how much she's grown. We love you family!

The Cordero's

The Dynamic Duo

2010-01-29T14:36:00.000-08:00

HA! I just love how much Isabella entertains herself with Dahlia.

Short & Sweet Blog

What's Mama Up To?

2010-01-28T15:15:00.000-08:00

Yes, I am a stay at home mom. I am also a part time photographer and recently I've taken up on a new project - knitting. It's amazing how children change your perspective on EVERYTHING! My photography mainly focused on weddings for a while until I found out I was pregnant. A child was seen different in my eyes. Children really do make you mushy. The road of Child photography opened up for me and I was able to see it in a new light.

It's the same with knitting. 2 years ago, I would never think to knit a sweater or a scarf. I would see some of my friends knit and thought "good for them." I just didn't have time to learn or better yet, I wasn't interested. How does photography and knitting work together? I thought if maybe I could make amazing knitted props it would add a personal touch to my baby shoots. So I knit. I think some of what I do will look great on my own little muneca (doll) too!

Here are a few knitted items that have inspired me:

I know myself. If I want to achieve something, I work super hard at it. So there you have it! That's what mama is up to!

Laundry Day

2010-01-28T14:23:00.000-08:00

I think she liked being in the basket more than anything. Today I had some laundry to catch up with. Some days it seems as though the day flies and then some days just drag. Today was definitely a dragging day. I'm just thankful I can be with my little girl and enjoy every moment of her exploring.

After Bella went to bed, I had a little free time to go to the gym. She's doing better but she's not 100% better and therefore I'm keeping her away from the Kids Club. Hopefully next week we will be back to our morning routine of gym at 8:30 a.m. I do appreciate the time I can go as I need time to refresh my mind.

Oh Elmo!

2010-01-26T13:30:00.000-08:00

She is not letting this one go! Her new buddy.

Feeling Better & Beautiful Day!

2010-01-25T12:54:00.000-08:00

We both couldn't help but look out the window today. It was warmer out. It's been pretty chilly in Florida. We took advantage of the weather to go for a mid afternoon stroll.

Ready, set, GO!! Off we went. We like making statements when we are out in public ;) Who can resist a bright happy baby?

When we got home, we read some after snack time. Isabella enjoys doing this little move over her books. I think she sees the pictures better ;)

Baby Proof Much?

2010-01-24T12:49:00.000-08:00

When you think you've baby proofed everything you can think of, something always seems to need to be better. Isabella is standing now so she's reaching for things that she couldn't get to before. She likes going for the expensive stuff! She holds on to things and cruises her way around.

Our living-room looks a bit insane as we were reorganizing. I love seeing toys on the floor ;)

Jesus Still Loves Me!

2010-01-24T12:13:00.000-08:00

We stayed home from church today. Isabella passed her ever so lovely cold to me. I'm surprised Jerry has escaped her wrath! Jesus still loves us even when we miss church. We sure did miss everyone though!

She had a runny nose... SNOT EVERY WHERE! I love how she uses me as a tissue. My once clean shirts are covered in streaks of wet buggies. She was rubbing her nose during the night and managed to scratch her eye. She also scratched her chin from her teething rash that never seems to go away. We try to keep this drooling machine dry but clearly drool still manages to get on her chin.

Hoping she gets better fast!

Let Me In!

2010-01-22T13:22:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I try to contain her but She doesn't seem to think it can stop her! I actually had to put the gate up for Isabella because she was not letting Dahlia eat in peace. She kept terrorizing the poor dog. Dahlia was so sweet and kept making room for Bella as if she was going to join in on the grub too! I don't think so little lady!

Mirror, Mirror On the Wall...

2010-01-22T12:09:00.000-08:00

Well this mirror was on the wall. I took it down for a minute as I was cleaning it. After I had cleaned it, I found Isabella introducing herself to what we like to call "Baby Bella" She loves her reflection. Any mirror we pass by, she is quick to break her neck and smile at her reflection. She's so cute! I just love the stage that she is in.

COLDS :(

2010-01-20T08:15:00.000-08:00

The bug hit Isabella once again. I think she caught this one at the Kidz Club at Shapes. I've been going to the gym in the morning and Isabella does really well with all the other kids. I'm glad she gets to have a little social time daily. Her immune system isn't strong so it takes her a good week to fight off these little nasty colds. I'm hoping through this, she will only get stronger and fight them off sooner. Her face really takes a toll when she gets a cold. She has eczema so we need to tend to her skin especially when she is sick :( We were glad when Titi Erika came by to say hello. Isabella was glad to have the company. I sure was glad too!