It doesn't get better than this

We had a loooong Christmas weekend last week. A night with Anthony's family, a night with our friends, a night with my family, an afternoon with my immediate family and a birthday party to boot. It was a looooong weekend.

Not that I'm complaining because I LOVE it. Three of these get-togethers were at our house and all four of us were grateful for it. Not only did it make things immensely easier for the girls but having family and friends in our very first house (no disrespect dear townhouse) celebrating our very first Christmas as a family of four was awesome. Not to get too ooey and gooey but I could literally feel our house bursting with love this Christmas weekend. It doesn't get better than that.

The girls are so blessed to be surrounded with so many people that love them. I remember growing up just me, my mom, my brothers, and my aunts and feeling like we had the biggest family. I loved having my aunts so close to us all the time. But our girls have that ten-fold. They're surrounded with aunts and uncles and cousins and great aunties and grandmas and grandpas. It doesn't get better than that.

I could sit here listing all of the material gifts that were so generously given to my little family this Christmas but really the only one that matters can't be listed at all. To have the people we're lucky enough to call family here with us for a Christmas that will go down in my book as the best one yet- it doesn't get better than that.

If only for one day...

So my pre-baby pants only fit for one day. Then Christmas came. Sigh....

Updates

Funny how everytime I stop to think about how busy we are it never seems to be the busiest we'll be. This month has been Full (yep, with a capital F). But that's ok. Now Christmas is over, all has been opened, and whatever I didn't do will just have to wait until next year. And not that I exactly have the time right now to sit and write (with a sink full of dishes, clean clothes on the laundry room floor calling to be folded, gifts still to unpack, and wrapping still to throw away) but as the posts this last month and lack of updates on the girls' site has proven, if I don't do it now I'll be writing a combination Christmas/4th of July post.

So where do I even begin?

Let's start with my beautiful Madelyn. Not only is she saying "Mama" but last Friday as Anthony was changing her diaper she began to say "Dada" - not "dadadadadada", "Dada". Amazing. She's become the happiest, smiliest (if that's not a word it should be for her) baby I've ever seen. One look at her and she graces you with a big, gummy smile. She laughs a lot - when you tickle her, when you look at her, when you talk to her - and she's sweet. She cuddles and tilts her little head to the side when someone looks at her. How did we get so lucky?

And Ana. This little girl just keeps blowing us away. I was never the mom that screamed "my baby's a genius!" straight out of the womb. Like most first-time moms, I diligently read my "What to Expect the First Year" book each month to see where her progress held up. And each month I beamed as she was always ahead of where she was "supposed" to be. I took pride in it but wasn't exactly dialing up Mensa for early admission. But now? She amazes me beyond words. The full-out conversations she holds with us and other people knock me off my feet. She's always been quick at picking things up, even as a baby, and now you can teach her something once and she runs off with it. She recites books, songs, and nursery rhymes in both English and Spanish. She's polite as can be and even says excuse me if you're in her way. One of her latest, and perhaps one of my faves, is that she's sticking up for herself. I worried early on that her being so quiet may lead to kids taking advantage of her but no way. If she doesn't like something she'll politely say "No, thank you". And if you do something to her that she doesn't like she'll let you know. That's my girl.

So I think that's it for right now. I'll post some Christmas details soon but for now it's off to get more done!

Hallelujah....

I have just successfully managed to zip up a pair of my pre-baby pants!!!!

It's a Christmas miracle! :)

p.s. Lots & lots of Ana, Maddie, & life updates to come.....

What sisters are for...

To crack each other up.

I could watch this all day long. Honestly.

My Mama's Girl

I went to get Ana from her nap this afternoon and found her in bed still asleep - with a picture of me and her tucked under her little arm.

She makes my heart ache I tell ya.

"Mama"

Maddie's first word :)!!!

Said loud and clear this morning and just in time to make a very defiant toddler and very crabby baby that much easier to take. Funny how things work, isn't it?