1stTimeDad (...and mom)

Feels like summer

2011-05-03T17:53:00.000-07:00

The weather's heating up, so the kids got to enjoy our whale slide pool. Much better than the bathtub!!

I think she's ready for swim lessons...

S C R E A M I N G with delight.

And, enjoying some post-swimming lunch.

The chameleon: chillin...

curious...

angry...

HAPPY!!

Today, we decided to head to Claremont to visit Josie (and her pool). After begging for two ponytails just like Sissy, I gave him what he wanted. Shrek-like ponytails. Haha.

Claire, Kayden and Gianna.

Auntie Godmother's excited to have company. :-)

Having some snacks.

Thumb's up for a fun, swimming day!

Cousins at the park

2011-04-26T16:47:00.000-07:00

We spent a beautiful day together with Claire, Kayden and my mom at Bonelli Park for a long walk and a picnic by the lake. Here, we take a potty break for some silly-face photos. They all took turns for the silly face, but at least this shot had two out of three.

Mom and Max getting all tangled up!

Enzo taking a break from feeding the ducks.

Give her a cell phone and everyone can eat in peace.

Round, sunburned, happy faces.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T21:48:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful Easter Sunday! After Church, we headed to the Patterson Ranch in Norco for some good 'ol family fun. We changed out of our Sunday best and into dirt-proof, grass-proof clothes and really let loose.

Here, Uncle Godfather, aka Unk, aka my Homie from Monrovie, was shocked and excited by what the Easter Bunny left for him during the HUNT.

Kayden taking a bumblebee break to taste the candy in his eggie.

Enzo the Frog amid the Easter basket carnage.

Gianna took to the bouncehouse for most of the day.

Talking it out with Mimi.

The boy cousins... Enzo, Avery, Kayden and Declan.

Jeff on 4-wheel wagon duty.

What a baller!

And, over the past two weekends, we have paid a few visits to a few Easter Bunnies. One in La Habra and one in San Dimas. Both involved egg hunts and candy, too!

How she's checking out

2011-04-05T21:49:00.000-07:00

I think this is my all-time favorite picture of my little girl. It captures her innocence, her purity, her wide-eyed approach to the world and her eyes that smile. Our precious Gianna.

Little Miss Independent loves to cruise, moving from one piece of furniture to another. Reaching, stretching, taking some risks.

She is a mad crawler, and really has some wheels.

She's eager to walk. (Don't you just want to squeeze those thighs??)
And, here are her first steps, just last week!

Second favorite picture of Gianna.

At Gianna's 12-month checkup, here are her stats:
Height: 30 3/4 in. (74%)
Weight: 21 lbs, 14 oz. (74%)
Head circumference: 44.5 cm. (25%)

And she likes to eat (and teethe on) shoes. Pink ones.

She's out for a stroll.

In addition to all of Gianna's physical milestones, here are other updates:
* She's a great sleeper, most of the time. We start baths and teethbrushing at around 7:45 and she's asleep by 8:15 pm. She wakes between 8 and 8:30 am.
* When getting Gianna dressed, she enthusiastically punches her hands through the arm holes, like she knows what she's doing. She loves getting her hair brushed and is toughening up her scalp during the ponytail tying.
* Her vocabulary is continuing to develop and her repertoire includes: Mama, Dada, baby, light, dog, Amen, Papa, Nana, Mimi, Grandbob, (Gi)annnna, ruff, mohr (which means more), aye (which means yes), up, dowuuuun, hyyeeeiiiii, byeee byeee.
* She is very loving and likes to give hugs. She and Enzo exchange kisses after our nightly prayers each night.
* Gianna waves hello and bye bye and loves to blow kisses to everyone.
* She is a champion eater. She almost always finishes all her food, and can eat most of the food we eat together as a family. We affectionately call her our lil garbage disposal.
* Gianna loves her dollies. She is such a girlie girl. Hugs them, kisses them, and says "Babbbyyyy."

Gianna's Premiere - Happy 1 Year!!

2011-04-02T22:01:00.000-07:00

Let's face it - Gianna's a star. So for her first birthday, we celebrated her Premiere party. This party was so much fun to throw. I only wish she would remember all the details. So, I took pictures in the hopes she'll let me repeat it for her 16th birthday party.

She LOVES hats, but cake.... not so much.

Our guests got to walk the red butcher paper -- I mean, carpet -- to the stage door.

.... that was two feet too short. Oops.

The paparazzi were everywhere.

... and I think they took some people off guard!

The fans came out in droves -- and shivered booties off all day. The sun umbrellas were sooo not needed. Windbreakers were.

This was the table whose occupants were bartering for neighboring table's movie candy. Seeing a bunch of adults hopped up on sugar was priceless. Hilarious.

Gianna had her turn walking the red carpet.

Then, signs autographs with her good pal Kyrsten.

Cousins Kayden and Avery and friend Kylan have a ball in the jumper. Lil Kayden got some air!

Folks warmed up with a movie buffet: hot dogs, nachos, popcorn, candy, soda. Don't tell Jamie Oliver.

The red curtain and stage brought to you by Mimi.

Gianna's actual birthday, March 31, fell in the middle of the week. So this is the star the day she turned 1!

And, this was taken during the photo shoot for the icing picture on her cake.

Gianna has been such a joy to our family. The year has flown by, really. We can hardly believe our little girl is one, and feel so blessed to be her parents. Her bright eyes, wonderful tooth-filled smile, warm hugs and sparkling spirit are sent from above. We thank God that she was sent to us on March 31, 2010. Here is a look back at Gianna's first year on earth...

Enzo loves him some Snoopy and Knotts

2011-03-20T13:08:00.001-07:00

"Watch the road, Mr. Truckdriver!"

LOVES honking that squeezie horn.

One of his favorites is riding the real steam engine train. Here he is, kicking back, enjoying the staffer's not-so-original-or-witty commentary.

... and then hypnotized by staring at the tracks.

He is now a pro on the good 'ol Huff N Puff. Looking at this pic, I can soo see him as a teenage driver. Oye.

My pep-talk, encouraging Enzo to enter the enormous Snoopy bouncy house with, get this, OTHER KIDS!!!

Although he stayed pretty much to the sides of the bounce house, where it wasn't much fun, it was a big step for him to have the courage to try it out. He traversed the entire diameter to see Dada, who snapped this pic.

He's not so sure about this one. Solo. Caged in. Without Mama and Dada.

What a mom will do for her child: Post a completely unflattering picture of herself to show the pure F.U.N. this kid is having.

From baby to little girl

2011-03-19T12:09:00.000-07:00

All of a sudden, Gianna is a little girl. Sunglasses...

Rides at Knott's...

Cotton candy...

Bike rides...

Ear piercings...

(!!! ouch !!!)...

Ponytails...

More sunglasses...

And "the look."

Happy St. Paddy's Day

2011-03-17T21:56:00.000-07:00

After receiving an adorbs St. Patty's Day card from the Klaus kids (that depicted their green festive hair), Enzo insisted his hair turn green for the holiday. So, off we went to Party City for green hair spray and I threw in some face paint just cause I'm a cool mom. Here, the excitement was barely containable as we tested it out yesterday.

The joy. I think this was even before I pulled out the mirror.

He preferred battle stripes as opposed to full green-face. (And I'll tell you I'm glad since scrubbing that little face was hard to do.)

My little leprechaun! Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Play dates

2011-03-15T21:57:00.000-07:00

Hangin out in the front yard with Gianna's friend and neighbor, Kyrsten.

Location two: Kyrsten and Kylan's house with mom Kathy.

Cousin Lukas cooking up some dinner for everyone.

Climbing and bouncing and balancing with Nana.

Enzo demands to be pushed, but will not push in return. Divo. At least Lukas is fueling himself up.

"I want to be autonomously mobile!!" (Yeah, she knows "autonomously.")

Baby Cousin Jules at her first playdate.

Testing out the new wagon.

And good fun with Jonathan and Carissa in San Gabriel. Bridgette needs to teach me how to make my own playdoh! (I didn't know I'd feel inadequate for buying it at the store. Hers was so moist and it had glitter in it!!!) And the kids decorated it with plastic eyeballs, legs, hats, etc.! Genius!

Enzo's first stop outside at their house is always their dope playhouse.

Gianna likes playdates.

And, Little Miss Artist Carissa is soo talented! She made this realistic bird out of playdoh. All by herself. I watched it with my own eyes.

Living room madness -- trampolines, horses, jumping and rocking!

Trikes and bikes (and trailers)

2011-03-10T21:58:00.000-08:00

Gianna's first bike trailer ride!

"Go faster, Dada!"

Hookin it up, and inspecting the safety.

"Let's roll!"

Snow day

2011-03-06T21:57:00.000-08:00

The sun's been out and the snow's been melting, but since we could still spot the powder (or ice) on the local mountians, we headed straight for em. Jackets on. Air was chilly. The kids are not used to either.

Gianna's just not sure.

The maiden voyage of our brand new sled. And Dad scoping the landscape.

Mister cool guy. So nonchalant.

And once we returned, Enzo was so pleased with himself that he brought home some snow. And an eye infection.

Business Trip/Staycation

2011-03-04T22:03:00.000-08:00

An innocent commute to a two-day conference accidentally turned into a full-on staycation.What was simply a last minute verification of location (I thought it was downtown, but it was actually Century City), ended up turning my plans upside down. So, instead of 8-9 hours of driving on two roundtrips on a holiday weekend, I called Jeff at work and suggested he meet me at the hotel in Century City with the kids later that evening. We are (for once) sooo spontaneous!!

Following a half-day of sessions from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), I showed up to the room to find this.

Gianna really needs to get out more. She was stoked, and couldn't stop playing peek-a-boo on the enormous bed.

We went for a walk to the nearby Century City Plaza/Mall, and they had a family room with couches and toys and mini-toilets and changing tables, etc. It was phenom! Oh, and we ate dinner.

It wasn't exactly a restful night, but awaking to this silliness was worth it.

Classic. Little prince.

I spent the rest of the day in great sessions and Jeff entertained the children at parks and bike shops. We met up and split the kids so both of us would have a carpool. And we all came together again, almost 2 1/2 hours later at home. At least Jeff and I each had company!

11 months

2011-03-01T22:02:00.000-08:00

Gianna loves her big brother. Wherever he is, she wants to be. Whenever she wakes up, she's looking for him. And as she tries to walk around, she uses him for support.

She has definitely started to move around a lot. You blink and she's gotten from point A to point B. Somehow. She cruises around, using chairs, ottomans, walls, toys for balance. She has started to climb and thinks she's pretty fantastic for doing so!

Now that's some pretty cute laundry.

The day a fever came on. Look at those burning beautiful cheeks. Overall, Gianna's been very healthy. With the exception of our December to remember -- full of exchanging germs in this family -- we've been lucky. I think this fever was teething induced. Our little one just cut her eighth tooth!

With all those teeth, we've begun to try a few new foods. Gianna particularly likes pasta with tomato sauce. She also goes for cheese, hard boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, avacado, yogurt, applesauce. She's not a fan of us feeding her. It's hit or miss with the Stage 2 vegetables and fruit mixtures. She wants to do it herself. She nurses once per day, at night, and drinks about 14-16 oz. of formula per day.

Playin around

2011-02-19T11:57:00.000-08:00

Adorbs.

Adorbs some more.

Saturday morning walk.

Sideways, G loves the feeling of grass on her toes. Unlike Enzo, who would go into hysterics.

Enzo experimenting with the double sockhow with a twist at the end.

Grandbob with the assist.

Grandbob: I'd like a hamburger with french fries.

Enzo: Mine with pickles, puhleeease.

"Weeeeeeeee!"

Um, does anyone see the resemblance?

Stella=Gianna.

Enzo and Gianna decided to hide from Dada. He walked in the door, ripped off his dress shirt and shoes and went in to find them.

He's in the tunnel. It reminded me of a snake swallowing a mouse.

Enzo's crazy tall build. Truck with horse trailer and the girl on the swing and the cat on top, watching over everything.

In the name of science

2011-02-18T18:36:00.000-08:00

So when Gianna was still in utero, we checked a little box on a questionnaire if we would like to participate in future studies for childhood development labs at UCI.

Well, the checkbox is a now a real box (as you can see) as Gianna participated in a memory study. She played with toys she had never seen before then a few hours later got to play with similar toys. All the toys were made in the lab at UCI and had interesting features that required Gianna to perform small tasks to get to the toy to work.

Gianna participated in the control group - the group that does not take a nap, where the other group did take naps to see if naps improve memory in infants. In the second round of playtime, Gianna was able to transfer her knowledge of playing with a control toy to the target toy.

The graduate assistants were really great with Gianna. At the end of the study, Gianna earned herself target gift cards (which I used to buy her more formula) and a t-shirt that says 'junior researcher'. Way to go Gianna...we are proud of you! (posted by Jeff, hijacking AJ's account.)

Making Valentines

2011-02-14T18:59:00.000-08:00

Me: Enzo, what is Valentine's Day all about?
Enzo: Yuuuv.
Me: Who loves you?
Enzo: Enzo does.

In the spirit of St. Valentine, Enzo and Gianna wanted to send all their friends Valentines. So, I went all out and allowed markers. The washable kind. And Enzo went crazy with circles and zig zags. Here, right handed.

Here, left handed.

Here, Gianna wondering what the big deal is.

Sideways, Enzo shows his cheesy, pride-filled, job well-done smile. Complete with black marker on his schnoz.

The Valentine fairy comes over!!! With balloons, new outfits, candy and snacks!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Cousins love jamba juice

2011-02-11T14:01:00.001-08:00

Enzo and Luke are getting their fill of fruits.

Enzo's not feeling well

2011-02-09T18:48:00.001-08:00

Enzo is having a bad day... A 103 degree fever is the cause..poor little guy.

Fishies

2011-02-05T14:09:00.000-08:00

This time at the aquarium, Gianna was out of the stroller, and all up in the birds' and fishies' grills. She loved it.

Catching some rays outside in the water park.

Enzo fed the stingrays! RIP Crocodile Hunter.

Mini. Very mini. Me.

Notice Enzo in the center of the photo, on Jeff's shoulders. Blessed! I love this shot. And to see his look of wonder was just priceless. The divers had microphones and were talking to the kids as they fed the sharks and other fish.

And Enzo was totally stoked that the diver waved back!

I swear it was on the cold side. The UVAs were in full effect. Obviously.

Happy birthday, Jeff!

2011-02-01T18:45:00.000-08:00

My mom made him a gooood cake and we sang Happy Birthday, led by Enzo. On key.

Jeff took the day off work, we got a babysitter for a few hours, and we ran around Knott's like we were teenagers again. Since there were no other people there but us, we ran from thrill-seeking ride to thrill-seeking ride and the adrenaline got to us. Then, we realized we are NOT teenagers. We need the time to wait in line for our blood pressure to return to normal. At different points in the morning, Jeff and I both had to sit one out. And breathe into a bag. Happy birthday to a fantastic husband, a great father, an awesome man and a loyal friend. Love you!

10 months

2011-01-31T21:54:00.000-08:00

(Dear Blogger.com: I hate how it's impossible to import pictures that have been rotated. It's either you, Picassa or user error. Readers, please advise.)

Gianna turned 10 months, and she is really becoming funny, personality-filled, vocal, silly, mobile and daring. She's as old as she was cooking in my oven.

Here she learns that she can rock - and I mean ROCK - the glider. I thought she might catapult herself across her room!

And, of the 68 shots I took of her with her 10-month sign, this is the only one with her face and the "10 months." Of course it's blurry.

Sign, but not face.

At some point, we fell about 4 weeks behind on Gianna's well-baby visits. So, for her 9 month visit, we saw the doctor at 10 months. She's in great health.

Her stats: Weight 21 lbs. (75%), height 28 3/4" (75%), head circumference 43.5 cm. (25%). When Doc asked how her fussiness in the evenings was, I was able to proudly report that it had been at least 3 weeks free from spontaneous screaming fits. Really. Is it gone?

We spent the past month exploring and learning many new things. We returned to the Long Beach Aquarium. It was really the first time that Gianna wanted to interact with the animals and move around. And it was a lot more fun for Jeff and me, too!

She's probably saying "aahhhhhhh," or "mammma," or "daddda," or "ughghhg," or "eeeeeeeeeiii," or "daaaaoooggg." Some of her faves.

Same thing goes for the park. This month, Gianna showed a lot more interest in getting on the swings and sliding down the slides. Feeling the sand between her toes. I wonder if we've been doing her a disservice, parking her in the stroller or on a blanket as we entertain Enzo and keep him from launching himself 10 feet down to an injury. Her exhuberence tells me that perhaps we should have been doing this all along. Whoops.

Her laughter. Contagious. She still loves her some tickles!!

Party!

2011-01-23T21:37:00.000-08:00

Cousin Nate celebrated his birthday with lots of fun outside in a bouncehouse. On previous occasions, Enzo really wasn't a fan. But today - different story!

Jeff entered as the bouncehouse monster!

...And was immediately attacked.

"Weeeeeeeee!"

We couldn't get Gianna off the little pink car.

Enzo helped her out navigating.

Aunt Laura, Cousin Anthony and Aunt Alice.

Nana the Great!

Potty training

2011-01-18T21:28:00.000-08:00

I read all about "Three Day Potty Training" and since a three-day weekend was upon us, we thought we'd give it a go. The curriculum requires that you're homebound for three solid days, and since we had a beautiful (and hot) weekend in the forecast, this was it. For several months, Enzo has periodically used the potty. In recent weeks, however, he has grown resistent and refuses to use the toilet. It's time to not drag this out any longer.

The night before we started, I told Enzo that Gianna needed all his diapers and that he wouldn't be needing them anymore. Starting tomorrow, I told him, he'd only be using the potty. It worked. He brought Gianna his diapers - one by one - and said "Here, sissy!"

We all awoke bright and early and I told him, "You get to go NAKED on the bottom today!" He was not having it. I think the only time Enzo has walked around naked is during the 10 steps it takes from his room to the bathtub. Finally, after a little coaxing - as well as a sample naked run around the house from his father - he stripped down.

Day 1:
Here's the gist: The little one is naked from the waist down while at home. Mom and Dad put potties all around the house. (And they also put blankets and rugs and towels across all furniture, carpeting for fear all will be urine-saturated and ruined forever.) When he has to go, he goes, and hopefully he goes on the potty. If he doesn't, you scoop in and carry him (peeing all over you) to the potty. And when he makes a "hit," you celebrate BIG TIME with the potty dance. The crazier, the better. Pull-up during naptime and bedtime.

Day 1 results: 18 hits and no misses. Can this be possible? Midday, as he's running around naked outside in the sunshine, we take our eyes off him for 10 seconds, and we find him sitting on the potty saying "Going ca ca now. Potty dance?!" Ah. Maze. Ing.

Day 2: Rise and shine and strip him down. "Naked?!" he asks us. Of course! Trying not to be overconfident, Jeff and I are stoked that we have only had to change Gianna's diapers during the past 24 hours. You're welcome, landfill. We are waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop. Today, the curriculum requires one, one-hour outside-of-the-home excursion. To the park we go, potty and all. Oh, and shorts are fine - just no chones. Enzo is freeballin.

We spend the hour watching him like a hawk. "Do you have to go potty now? Potty? Pee pee Enzo? Now?!" As he squats down to "look at the sand," he pees his shorts. OK, what do we do? Right, act disappointed and take him to use the potty. "Enzo. Pee pee goes in the potty. This is disappointing." And change him into his spare shorts that his bomb-mom has tucked in the stroller cargo area. Not so bad for our first away from home (and wearing clothes) outing.

Day 2 results: 9 hits and 1 miss. Still phenominal.

Day 3: I don't think this boy will ever wear clothes again. We have a peeing Picasso on our hands. Today calls for two, one-hour excursions. In the morning, we head to the park and have an almost-accident. It's like he was able to stop himself. Awesome. Then, in the car to the dry cleaner and to get ice cream. Jeff preps the car and Enzo's carseat with my (sent home from the hospital with) labor and delivery bed liners as well as with shamwows. Expecting he will pee all over himself and all over the car. How do parents without SUVs do this? He peed twice in the potty sitting in the back of the Murano in parking lots before we left, and once while pulled over to the side of the road because he said "Mama pee NOW!"

"Who, me?! Potty dance now?!"

Day 3 results: 8 hits. No misses.

The post boot camp curriculum suggests naked bottoms while at home and no underwear under clothes for three months. Pull-ups during naps and bedtime. We'll see how that goes. But for now, we'll go with it. I'd say our little Enzo is on his way to being potty trained. Alleluia!

G Goes to Gymboree

2011-01-14T21:27:00.000-08:00

Knott's

2011-01-09T21:22:00.000-08:00

When my dad asked me what family gift we wanted for Christmas, I said "Disneyland season passes!" Since the kids are young enough to not need their own, we'd only need two.

...So he got us Knott's Berry Farm season passes. I'll admit, I was a bit underwhelmed, especially since we wanted to be able to go to Disneyland with Kylan and Kyrsten, AND since Enzo is obsessed with Mickey Mouse. I will say, however, that Knott's is just perfect for my timid Enzo and wide-eyed Gianna. On the way to the park for the first time on New Year's Day, we gave Enzo a crash course on Snoopy. Here, he meets him for the first time.

His little hands are up in the air!!! (It took riding this one about three times for him to take my suggestion of "put your hands in the air!!!)

Enzo spotted the trucks and HAD to take Dada for a ride.

All four of us on the real-live steam engine choo-choo train.

Gianna even got to ride the trucks!

I don't think Enzo ever stopped squeezing that horn during the 3 minute ride.

Huff and Puff is his new favorite. After returning to the park this weekend as well, he walks around like he's a regular who owns the place.

Gianna saying "hey" to Snoopy. And picking his nose.

"It's good to see you again, good 'ol friend, Snoopy. I've missed you since last weekend."

"I thought you guys were really good in your live stage show. Costuming, good. Choreography, needs a little work."

9 months old, and Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T22:44:00.000-08:00

I can hardly believe that Gianna is growing so fast.

She is quite comfortable sitting up and has mastered reaching and twisting while keeping her balance on her booty. She has started leaning forward on her little hands and rocking/dancing like she wants to GO!

And GO she does! Borrowing her friend Kyrsten's Jeep, she experienced her first walking toy.

She fell fast asleep while we were preparing her breakfast. Two minutes. Out. WTH??

She continues to puke. A lot. Whether it's rice, oatmeal, carrots, squash, apples, bananas, peas, green beans, peaches -- doesn't matter. Up it comes.

This month, Gianna started finger foods. Her pincher grasp has progressed so quickly and she is doing great! We have heard her say "mama," "dada," "go go." Late this month, we spotted two top teeth poking through. She is sleeping a bit better. Jeff and I finally looked at each other this month and said, "When was the last time her stomach hurt and she cried and cried?!" We couldn't think of one single time this month. YES!! Could her "colic" finally be over?

Brother. Sister. Friends.

P.S. Having New Year's plans for the first time in four years was quite exciting. But, alas, I'm home and blogging. Plan A, plan B, and plan c babysitters all fell through. So, flake we did. Hello Twenty Eleven!!

Who's the #1 Husband?

2010-12-27T22:54:00.000-08:00

Mr. Wonderful threw me a fantastic birthday party last night, complete with great friends, awesome food and wine, and a personal chef and cooking class and demonstration. Dominic, you were fantastic!

Today, my actual birthday, was spent at the pediatrician's office getting antibiotics for Enzo's earache, which came on last night. Poor baby!

Christmas #1, #2 and #3

2010-12-25T21:26:00.000-08:00

Good Christmas morning!

Foxy was the first one to check out what Santa had brought.

Family's first Christmas (with LOTS of bannister garland in the forefront.)

Enzo and Gianna say, "Merry Christmas. Now show me the goodies!" No, actually Enzo said "Baby Jesus get born?"

Santa Claus took out the reindeer cupcake, cookies and milk. And wrote a nice note, for the memories box.

It was like Gianna had done this before. She tore into the paper. And didn't even eat it. Much.

Enzo helped to show her the ropes.

Choo choo churain!

Enzo thanks Grandbob for the very first gifts under the tree!

Gotta love the camera timer.

After a nice and relaxing Christmas morning at home (between the coughs, runny noses and headaches), we travelled to Long Beach to my Aunt Mary Jo's house. Claire, Tim, Kayden and Enzo. (Oh, I just noticed silly Auntie Godmother in the background. Heh.)

Goof and Goofy. Enzo and Counsin Andrew.

Costume change. Thanks, Ma, for both outfits. Adorbs.

Christmas destination #3: Nana and Grumpy's. And our first meeting of Briana and Jared's brand new Jules. So teenie, quiet and presh.

Erika with Gianna and Enzo. Jared with new big brother, Lukas. (By now it's like 8 pm and dinner is starting. Sleeeeepy kiddos.)

Great Nana, Great Auntie Laura and pooped Baby G. By the time present opening commenced at around 10 pm, the kids were taking turns screaming and sleeping. Overstimulated. Overtired. Overdone. We felt really bad, but we loaded up the generous pile of unopen gifts, ran the kids through the pouring rain to the car and headed home.

(This is going to make my blog posts out of order, which will drive me crazy, but for ease, here goes.)

Day after Christmas: Mimi's house for Christmas brunch!! The fun never ends. Enzo and I drink some coffee in our new play tent. Notice the brand new grocery cart!! (Best of all, it's made from flexible plastic. My walls and furniture thank you, Ma.)

G's getting her money's worth from this Santa velour jammie ensemble.

Now, we all have Singamajigs! Eghem, I mean, the kids do.

As tradition has it, the youngest in the family places Baby Jesus in the manger on Christmas morning. Or the day after Christmas. Whatevs. This is after she stuck Jesus' head in her mouth.

I'm serious when I say that this year Christmas would never end. We spent my birthday morning on the 27th opening up a thousand Christmas gifts from Nana and Grumpy's house. It was immediately following this that I realized we'd need to spend the day at the pediatrician's. Coughs got worse, Enzo had a burning fever, and "Mama, my ears hurt!" became his mantra.

Despite being pretty sick and caring for two other sickies, I truly enjoyed being with family this Christmas. Merry Christmas!

'Twas the night before Christmas...

2010-12-24T23:22:00.000-08:00

This December hasn't brought us good health. With the exception of Jeff (who is the only one NOT to get a flu shot), we've all had the stomach flu, colds, bronchitis, fevers and coughs. Having to bail out of Christmas Eve birthday festivities with my dad and sisters, we laid low and took our cough medicine. As the afternoon turned to evening, the desire to bake overwhelmed Enzo and me.

He smeared his little germs all over that mixing utensil!

We cleared the hearth of toys, books and such because Santa needed a clear entry. I told Jeff that we - and by we I mean you - have to clean the fireplace so Santa doesn't track soot all over our freshly-cleaned carpets. Enzo helped.

This year, Enzo really dug the letter to Santa bit. He dictated what he wanted Jeff to write. And he drew some pictograms to accompany it.

Off to sleep for what I hope is a loooong winter's nap.

And Happy Birthday Dad!

Crackerhouse Making

2010-12-16T14:46:00.000-08:00

Thank you, Kathy, for hosting our kids for the annual Gingerbread, actually graham cracker, house making party. How our children's creative juices have matured since last year!

The children took a break to rock out. And Gianna wanted to take a drive.

Enzo observed.

The finished product! Voila!

Decking our halls

2010-12-11T21:22:00.000-08:00

It was a long road to this decision, but we finally opted for the artificial Christmas tree. I admit, I completely missed the trip to the tree lot and the hunt for the perfect tree, and the smell of authentic pine in the house, but I don't think I'll miss having to drop $70 each year on a dead tree only to have it turn crispy in a few short days.

Enzo really enjoyed helping me decorate our tree...

...and an unrelated pic of a cutie trying to imitate another cutie. Tongue out and all. Love the hand in the pocket. OK, back to Christmas prep.

I was delighted to see that the sign at the Brea Mall authentic Santa said that you COULD take pics with your own camera only if you purchased a package. At least for the past two years (since I never looked twice at the Santa's village pre-kids), the sign said NO CAMERAS allowed. I always got so peeved at the other moms who would snap away with their own point-and-shoots while I (rule follower) settled for the pic shot by the stoner behind the camera.

I said I'd buy the digital image ($30!), set Gianna on Santa's lap and started shooting away. This was the pic I wish I'd gotten when Enzo first met Santa.

Gianna is about to notice she's on some strange guy's lap. But not before I got this shot.

Gianna fell apart while Enzo politely folded his hands in his lap like "a good little boy." I think even Santa is impressed.

This was the "professional" shot. Gianna - swollen face and tear-stained cheeks - and Santa not looking so jolly. Enzo's recently-perfected shy-guy-I-swear-it-wasn't-me face.

And once Sissy was out of the way, he told Santa all about the choo-choo churain and truck and candy he wanted for Christmas. And flashed his very best fake smile.

Walking out of Santa's village and hoping I scored at least one picture I could use for our Christmas cards, I saw the back of the set with all kinds of presents and poinsettias. I backed that stroller up while u-turning it, ducked under the velvet ropes, shoved the plants out of the way and stuffed my kids up on the only small corner without the creepy full-sized reindeer dressed in vests and ties. I told Enzo to put his arm around Gianna and he refused, saying "kick back." And this pic ended up being the Christmas card.

8 months old

2010-12-01T21:47:00.000-08:00

"Muuuah! Don't you love my little bow-like mouth?"

Little G is getting to be such a big girl! She sits up like a pro and has been getting into position like she's thinking about crawling.

"That milky looks like mom's! Give me some, Dada!"

This is another trick Gianna can do. Hold the sippy cup with one hand! The volume of water that comes out of the little spout still surprises her each time.

She still pukes often. Notice the puddle under her high chair. She's unfazed as usual.

She totally digs the Johnny Jump Up (thanks cousin Kayden for handing it down!) You can hear her from the other side of the house - "woeeek eeghr woeeek eeghr woeeek eeghr" - up and down and up and down. And a giggle and a squeal here and there.

"Do I really want the ball THAT much??!" This month, we started taking Gianna to Gymboree Play and Learn classes. She thinks it's great.

She is playing hard to get while trying to do crunches for her six-pack abs.

And I almost didn't post this one due to the kids' tub in desperate need of white caulk, but alas, it was just too momentous not to. Gianna's first bath in the big bathtub AND the kids' first bath together!!

Happy 8 months, sweetie!

Thanksgiving: Roadtrip to Phoenix

2010-11-27T22:52:00.000-08:00

Jeff and I decided that we'd bite the bullet and go on an adventure for Thanksgiving weekend. We've sort of limited our excursions of late to those that don't involve a long car trip. Just because we, you know, have kids. Enough of that. We hit the road to visit Uncle Godfather aka Uncle Johnny aka Unk aka Wonderful Johnny. A six hour roadtrip.

We packed up the kids and left in the dead of night. Actually, 3:30 am to be exact. We thought Enzo and Gianna would sleep until at least 6 am, which would mean that they'd have to survive a three hour car ride. With a reststop or two, and maybe a nap, no problem. Right?

It was actually great. Enzo was taking in the sights and Gianna babbled to herself and swatted at her dingle dangle toys. She was pissed she was rear-facing, however, and couldn't see the DVD player (thanks Kim family for the loaner!!) I was the one grouchy and uncomfortable!

Thanksgiving Day started off with a hike up to South Mountain in Tempe. And by hike I mean car ride. It was a crystal clear sunny day with just a little chill in the air. Standing on top of this mountain, overlooking all of Arizona, I counted my blessings and felt very grateful.

It was like Gianna had done this before. My mom handed me the turkey leg during our Thanksgiving Dinner at "Hole in the Wall" and Gianna grabbed it with both hands and started sucking. There was grease and juice dripping down her chin. Easy, girl.

Look at her savoring the flavor. Eyes closed.

Mom and Josie, who made the roadtrip as well. About two hours ahead of us.

Uncle Johnny and Gianna, with the exact same expression. Ha!

What I'm thankful for most!

We hit the Phoenix Zoo, partly because it was ranked in the top 5 zoos in the US for children. It was definitely a cool zoo. And the weather was perfect! Check out the giraffes behind us. With super long - and sticky - tongues reaching for the trees.

We see something in the brush. I think we see big-horned sheep.

I love that my mom mounted this oryx, with a boost from me. Enzo wanted a ride, too.

Of all the animals in all the world -- a fox. Just like Enzo's precious, and overloved foxy buddy. With the chewed-off nose that he pulls the stuffing out of. "Booogers."

Monkey buddy.

Enzo discussing his sleeping arrangements on the last night of vacation. He was a super big boy, sleeping in a queen-sized pull-out sofabed in the hotel!

Our little boy is 2 1/2

2010-11-10T21:55:00.000-08:00

He drives.

He is silly and likes to laugh.

He likes to "play cars" and "play churucks." He is an expert truck and car engine-sound maker. He even positions books placed open on the floor with the spine up in the air and calls them "raaamps."

Enzo waving to his fans (with Uncle Godfather). He has quite the charming personality.

Celebrating his first public-toilet pee-pee in the potty with a bribecandylollipop.

I taught him how to take a self-portrait.

Acting shy and coy.

Sneaking into the potty lollipop stash.

On his half-birthday, we reflect on what Enzo can do and who he is becoming.

* Enzo is a very happy and cheer-filled child. He loves to jump and dance. He moves his shoulders up and down, twirls, rolls on the floor and kicks. When he hears music, he moves. A lot. He has begun to experiment with tap dancing, too. Wondering if I should get him in a class.

* He has just begun to seek out other children and intitiate a bit of contact. Up to this point, he has been satisfied parallel playing with kids, as long as they don't move into his personal space.

* Enzo weighs about 30 lbs and likes to be measured on the yardstick in our laundry room every three months. It appears that he grows about an inch and a half every three months.

* We have been potty-training for a few months now. His interest wanes. We continue to bribe him with candy and wonder if it's time for the potty bootcamp. Or the let him roam naked for 2 days.

* He still likes his baby sister, Gianna, even though she has begun to play with his toys. Here's his tactic: If she's playing with something he wants, he calmly brings her a different toy and politely tears the other toy from her hands. He exchanges a random toy for the one he wants. Genius, actually.

* A recent conversation:

Me: Enzo, what were you for Halloween?

Enzo: A cow.

Me: What does a cow say?

Enzo: Trick or treat.

* He wears size 2T in pants and 3T in tops. All the 2Ts are crop-tops on him. I guess he's just too tall. He also wears size 7.5 in shoes.

* He loves to give zerberts on our backs, especially when we are not looking while laying on the floor.

*He gets a kick out of getting his fingernails and toenails cut... hoping the the nails will hit us in the eye. (The only way we can get him to let us cut his nails.)

* Some of his favorite foods include: raisens, almonds, popcicles, chicken nuggets, fruit leather, cheese, salad with ranch, yogurt, ketchup, carrots and snap peas, smoothies and mac n cheese. He's pretty much a vegetarian.

Little Enzo Mateo brings us so much happiness and fun. He has challenged us in new ways but is one of our biggest blessings and greatest accomplishments. We love you GUP!!!

Fall outings

2010-11-04T21:39:00.000-07:00

The past few months have brought with them several opportunities to have a lot of fun!

Gianna learned how to drive from Mimi.

Kayden and Enzo drove circles around each other in the backyard.

A train rolled through the kitchen! (I mean, look at that adorable caboose!)

The La Habra Children's Museum has been lots of fun to visit. Thanks, Target, for First Free Saturdays!!

...And after a hard day playing in the museum, we had a nice picnic in the park.

And the most precious piece of video. Ever.

Kayden turned 1, and we had a lot of fun celebrating at his "I Dig Being One!" party.

And, right in the middle of Kayden eating his first chocolate cake, he passed out! Talk about FOOD COMA!

7 months old

2010-11-01T20:56:00.000-07:00

* Gianna is drinking formula a little better now and has grown accustomed to the oatmeal and rice cereal. She is eating rice crackers and really loves the way they crunch. She's just not sure what to do once she has a big piece in her mouth. And, she's still a champ on the breast. She nurses 3-4 times per day.
* Her cheeks are ridiculous. Almost as ridiculous as her thigh rolls.
* She twists and turns objects over in her hands.
* Gianna had her flu shot and a booster. Just a little cry and done.
* Jumping and bouncing in her activity center are her favorite passtimes.
* She laughs at funny things. And likes TV.

* Today, she sat up unassisted for the first time.
* Her two bottom teeth are in, protruding, and razor sharp!
* She still takes a bath laying down in a sling, although her kicking and splashing give me more of a bath!
* She likes the wearable blanket, which she wears to bed. And she sleeps better when the sound of the ocean/rain sends her off to slumber.
* Gianna takes her daily naps mostly in the swing (and occasionally in the Pack N Play), which has begun to get a little sluggish because she's such a big girl. Put a blanket on her in the swing, and forget it. Doesn't. Swing.
* "Dada" is now a repeated word. That, and a high-pitched "AAGGGHHHHHHHHHHH. (pause and smile or giggle."
* It appears as though she knows her name. She'll turn her head if you call her name.
* She wakes up most nights and occasionally falls back to sleep on her own. We have gotten better with the sleep training (meaning that we don't fear she'll wake up Enzo and go racing across the house to her at her first whine.) As we did with Enzo at this age - and a little earlier, we see if she can soothe herself back to sleep after a few minutes.
* She has begun to wear 9-month old clothing. The size 3 diapers are holding steady. The baby socks are about done, though. She started to wear her first pair of everyday shoes, size 1.
* She adores Enzo and is fascinated by whatever he is doing. And when he screams at the top of his lungs at her ("NOOO DAAANCE, SISSSSSY!" or "MOOOVE OVVVER, SISSSY!" or "MYYYY TOOOY, SISSSSY!"), she just innocently looks at him or gives a little smirk.
Happy seven months, sweetie!

Halloween Fun

2010-10-31T21:12:00.000-07:00

Aren't these the cutest polka-dotted creatures you've ever seen? Enzo=cow. Gianna=ladybug. Muah!

This shot just cracks me up. Don't squish the bug on the ground!

This was Enzo's first trick or treat house. We have been practicing for weeks. "Trruick a trreeat, puhlease. Haaappy Halloweine. Candy puhlease. Thanckyuuu."

Best trick or treating house EVER! They had a spotlight pointed toward their porch and they gave out candy AND balloons. They were the couple from UP!, the movie. Even had the themesong playing. Love!! (Um, yeah. That's Jeff with the hands-free headlamp. Two words: Chilean miner.)

Jeff did this one with the dremel. He was quite proud. Meow!

This one paid homage to Gianna during a bad tummy day. Crying, spewing, gaping. Makes for a sad day, but an awesome jack-o-lantern.

Out of aaaalll the pumpkins, it took Enzo 23 seconds to choose this one.

It looks like this shark is about to swallow my boys!!

Please. What other set of parents send their 2 year old into a petting zoo dressed like a cow??

"Yammie!!!"

This bovine child was VERY popular among the occupants of this travelling petting zoo.

Trunk or treating was AWESOME!! This skeleton hand reached into the trunk and pulled out CANDY!!!!

"I love Halloweeeeen!!"

Befores. Afters.

2010-10-19T20:11:00.000-07:00

Before.

After.

Before.

After.

Let me explain. For as long as I've known Jeff, he hasn't been able to breathe out of both nostrils. He can't smell so great and his taste was beginning to become affected. Since he can't breathe, he doesn't sleep very well, and the docs say he can't pay attention and has trouble focusing because his brain lacks oxygen. I just thought he had selective hearing. After a number of sleep studies, scans, and exams, he chose to have sinus and throat surgery. And, ouch.

Since he is going to be off work for a week, we thought, heck, let's get some stuff done around the house. So, we (and by "we" I mean "the men we hired") demo'd the kitchen in preparation for new counter tops. We leveled off what used to be the bar to create one elevation. Now you can see the messy kitchen from the family room, which is supposed to be an incentive to keep it clean. We'll see.

Both are works in progress.

Jeff is healing slowly, but doing better day by day. I keep ice on his face and head and change his (bloody, gooey, sticky) dressings several times per day. He's been a champ. Really. I can't imagine having the worst sinus headache of your life for 10 days straight. And not being able to eat or drink much because the back of your throat is covered in stitches. But taking care of Enzo, Gianna, AND Jeff -- without the help of a supportive husband -- is killing me.

And, the kitchen. We hope to have fabulous, durable, antimicrobial, heat resistant, scratch resistant, made-from-recycled-glass counter tops in 10 working days. And then we have to agree on a backsplash.

I'll report back when both improvement projects are complete. And hopefully have better pics to share.

Time with family

2010-10-13T21:57:00.000-07:00

...celebrating Mimi's birthday.

...funny face contents with Grandbob - and chicken nuggets and carrots. (Notice the "dipit" variety cups).

...kiss from Grumpy,

Nana,

Auntie Teri,

and Great-Nana.

Grumpy helping me with my shoes so we can go outside and play.

Checking out the ad papers, and the sale at Macy's.

Lunch break.

Hanging out with Auntie Josie.

If you are family not seen in this post, come over for a visit! OR, say the word and we're over. OR, remind me to pull out the camera when we are together so you, too, can make the blog! Have babies. Will travel!

New foods

2010-10-07T21:05:00.000-07:00

Mexican food experiment a la double decker taco.

This monster took serious dexterity!

Today, we introduced veggies to Baby G. Sweet potatoes, it was.

Finger-lickin good.

Gianna's .5 year birthday

2010-10-01T21:27:00.000-07:00

Party on! Yeah!

My little six month old is such a big girl. This is her "I'm feeling my first two bottom teeth poking through" face.

Brother and sister are inseparable. I absolutely love it. Adorbs.

Looks like Enzo is scheming something up. Gianna will surely be his accomplice.

Being vertical is amazing!!!

I mean, don't you just want to knead these legs?? Who wears short shorts??

Enzo hands his Baby Einstein activity table down to sissy. Here is her orientation.

Gianna also likes Cousin Kayden's activity center. This one bounces!!

Here are more 6 month old stats:

*Gianna grabs hold of everything. Hair. Necklaces. Eyelids. Keeping her fingernails manicured has been key.

*She has begun to transfer objects from one hand to another.

*She still isn't a great roller-overer, however she can sit up sorta with her hands as her tripod. Side to side stability isn't so great yet.

*Still not a fan of rice cereal or oatmeal. It's a struggle to get 3 tablespoons twice a day in this little one's mouth. Still being nursed when I'm home with her, and breastmilk in a bottle when I'm not.

*Gianna is an excellent bicycle rider; that is, she furiously and independently rotates her legs in circles like she's riding a bike. Fast. So, what used to be a mermaid thump has turned into a bike ride.

*The mermaid thump comes out still frequently during bouts of stomach cramping. We can't seem to get this under control. My little girl is in pain - a lot - and there is nothing I can do to relieve it.

*Gianna wakes 1-2 times per night with gas, bloating, and pain. The only remedy is a nursing session. Yawn.

*She is officially wearing 6 month sized clothes.

*She smiles at strangers and has begun to heartily laugh - especially at herself in the mirror. Or when I make obscenely twisted and contorted faces.

Happy half year birthday, baby girl!

Quad-fecta defined

2010-09-25T22:31:00.001-07:00

The quad-fecta is defined as visiting or being visited by maternal and paternal grandparents on the same weekend without any of them having to see each other.

Gianna's baptism: Part 2

2010-09-11T22:22:00.000-07:00

After the preparations at the house, it was time to hit the Church for the real deal. There were five other children being baptized during the same ceremony, so we felt like the community was a part of the celebration.

Despite the fact that today was all about Gianna, Enzo was very happy and cooperative. And he was mesmerized by Great Nana and Grumpy. As usual. Here, he gives a big kiss to Grumpy.

Boy, do these cousins look like they are gonna cause some trouble some day. Soon.

That's better.

Who, me?

Briana (Jeff's sister) and Scott (Jeff's cousin) will be great Godparents!

The God-family!

Deacon Jim invited all the children who were present to bless the baptismal water. He told them that without their blessing, the babies couldn't be baptized. I was afraid that Enzo would have none of it. But, he marched himself right back to the baptismal font and stood in line to bless the water with all the big kids.

He was pretty thrilled by it. Mimi was making sure he wouldn't jump in.

Enzo blesses the water.

After the near-drowning that Enzo had on his baptism day, we were better prepared this time. We had an absorbant towel nearby, a change of clothes handy, and we wore dark colors. But this baptism was gentle and calm. And although I know the Holy Spirit was moving within us all, he/she didn't beat us over the head. Deacon Jim scooped up some holy water in a seashell and peacefully baptized our baby girl in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. She leaned back, closed her eyes, and opened up her arms.

Dada and his girl.

Here, Gianna's chest was blessed with olive oil for strength and her head was anointed with chrism, sealing her with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

And when she finally drifted off to sleep, we had to pass her around like a delicate sack of potatoes as each one of us held her while receiving a blessing. Father, mother, Godmother, Godfather.

...and after each blessing and after the whole congregation had concluded in unison, we hear Enzo shout "Ahhhmen!!" Blessing for mom. All alone, "Ahhhhmen!!" Blessing for dad. All alone, "Ahhmen!!" Godmother. Godfather. "Ahhhmen!!" Ahhh-dorable, that kid.

Having some snacks with Papa.

One of my favorite pics of the day.

And now, we have wonderful memories and a new way to celebrate 9/11. Happy spiritual birthday, Baby Girl!

God bless you, Gianna: Part 1

2010-09-11T21:34:00.000-07:00

This morning, Gianna celebrated her very first sacrament and was officially welcomed into the family of God. Below are some shots of her being dressed by her very special Godparents, Briana and Scott.

Moooving beyond milk

2010-09-06T20:56:00.000-07:00

Gianna's first rice cereal meal.

All looks innocent enough. View the video below only if you're not prone to regurge.

I picked you. You picked me. Good choice.

2010-09-04T23:11:00.000-07:00

Five years of marriage. Plus five years before that. Thank you, hun, for one helluva decade.

Friday, we both had the exact same idea for each other: s'mores with a fire in the backyard bowl. Since the traditional gift for a 5-year anniversary is silver and the contemporary gift for a 5-year anniversary is wood, firewood counts. Or a duraflame log, right? And the cooking forks have silver-colored tips. So there. Coupled with two baby monitors, our wedding unity candle, and s'mores supplies, it was the perfect evening together.

Today, Josie watched both the kids all day long, and Jeff and I spent the day together. Doing pretty much nothing. We roamed around the mall. Had drive thru In-N-Out. Got the car washed. Went to two, maybe three, bike shops. Talked with each other. Uninterrupted. And our evening was topped off with a delicious dinner at Dukes on the beach.

Funny story: When making our dinner reservations on opentable.com, in "special instructions" I said something like "Celebrating our anniversary. No kids. Please seat at the most romantic table you have with no kids, crayons or sippy cups in sight." We valet the car, step inside and are greated with exhuberance at the utterance of our last name. It was like, "Helllloooooo Mr. and Mrs. Luna. Weeeeelcome to Dukes." Hostess #1, #2, and the manager. They're whispering to each other, "Table 95. Table 95." Then, "right this way." I'm thinking we are sooo ballers. We weave in and out of all the tables of regular folk, on our way to the best table in the house. We approach the sunroom, with tables directly above the strand and a crystal clear view of the ocean. Then trouble. "Oops. Someone is already at table 95." Back we go to the front. "Thanks for coming," says manager #2 and #3. "Have a good evening." What? We just freakin got here, and some poser is at our table. MY table. Table 95!! "Right this way." We head to the opposite side of the restaurant. To a booth. Four rows of seating from us and the runroom. Next to a table of parents and kids. No kidding. I swear. Crayons and sippy cups.

Water. Workout. Tomatoes. Tools.

2010-09-02T21:19:00.000-07:00

Jeff's workout for the day. Using a broken axl from Enzo's little wooden car.

Enzo's pretty proud of our tomatoes.

This kiddo is pretty handy around the house.

5 months old, 4 month check-up

2010-08-31T21:45:00.000-07:00

*Gianna is all smiles and laughs now. She hasn't quite figured out how to chuckle; she squeals and screams with delight. It's awesome. Her bouts of fussiness seem to be slowly dissapating. We just keep our fingers crossed on a daily basis.

*She is always chewing on her hands, or burp cloth, or my hands, or her forearm, etc. I haven't felt any teeth poking through yet, but she enjoys her cold teething ring (that is, when she's not using me as a teether.) With the amount of biting on yours truly, I'm expecting teeth at any minute. Ouch!
*She likes holding my face while screaming with happiness. It's one of my favorite things. It's like she's saying "Look at me. I'm happy!"
*I swear it seems like she's going to start moving across the room soon. While we've never actually witnessed her rolling over, check out this push up.

*She grabs, holds, scratches, clutches, and is beginning to rake things toward her. She loves to stand and bounce and to kick while she's laying down. She's got her mermaid impression down pat. I often hear her legs pounding away on her mattress before she ever makes a sound with her mouth. And she loves holding her own feet. Here, she does both simultaneously.
*She goes down to bed around 8 pm and has been waking around 11 or 12, 3 or 4, and again at 5 or 6. Makes for a short set of naps for me. I wonder what happened to my sleeping-through-the-night baby I blogged about at 2 months.
*Gianna wears a size 3 diaper and 6 month clothing.
*She has begun to experience the joy of reading. This was her reading her first book solo.

I sort of forgot to schedule Gianna's 4-month check-up, plus I was peeved by our pediatrician (turns out all the unreturned calls were a mix-up with the after-hours exchange). Here are her stats, at 5 months:
weight - 17.5 lbs - 90th%
head circumferance - 41 cm - 30th%
length - 25.5 inches - 75th%
Jeff says, "so she has a huge body and a little head?!" A healthy little/big girl. Check out Enzo's 4 month stats.

After her four shots, Doc sent us for some hip x-rays. (I didn't have time to get scared, or to research the potential threats of infultrating her tiny body with high levels of radiation.) He was a little concerned with her asymmetrical thigh fat rolls which could be indicative of some hip problems. Better to know now than when she's trying to stand and walk, he said. It's probably nothing. Which it was. Thank God.

Family visits

2010-08-28T22:50:00.000-07:00

I have to keep reminding myself that Jeff still feels like a rookie in the "let's get the courage to leave the house with two children in tow" game. Friday, I encouraged him to take the kids to Nana the Great and Great Grumpy's house for a visit while I was at work.

Doting.

Just doting.

Since we thought my dad was going in on Monday for neurosurgery (which he cancelled on Friday due to a gut feeling he was rushing into it), we had scheduled a family dinner at Claire and Tim's in Norco. An excuse for us to eat Tim's slow-grilled carne asada. Mmmmmm.

Gianna reaching out to touch a mini-sized human, like her.

Kayden returning the favor.

For some reason, I didn't take any shots of anyone else there, nor of the probably 1 hour straight dance party hosted by Enzo. "Jump. Kick. Bounce. Shoulders. Elbows. Head. I dance. More songs. Again. Dizzzzzy." We should rent him out for parties. This kid was hi-lar-i-ous.

And the child who has NEVER tranferred well (from the car seat to the house while asleep, for instance), stayed asleep while I took him out of the car, up the stairs, changed his clothes and diaper, gave him a sponge bath, wiped down his teeth and laid him in bed. His head was still sweaty from his mega workout.

Big boy bed

2010-08-21T18:26:00.000-07:00

Afraid that Enzo was doing damage to his internal organs as he daily scaled the vertical slats of this crib, threw his legs over the side, and dangled while folded in half over the siderail (which he insisted we lift and not leave down when he went to sleep), I figured it was time for a big boy bed.

Jeff had purchased the safety side rail online during a 3 am online search over something magic to soothe Gianna's colic (that's another story), so we've had it onhand in the event Enzo showed any interest. With the nightmares lately, and the nightly multiple wake-ups, we didn't want to push it.

But today when I said, "I think it's time for a big boy bed!," Enzo said "YES! Big boy bed."

And in 5 minutes, it was done.

Marguerite

2010-08-15T19:24:00.000-07:00

Today after Mass, a fairly amazing thing happened. We were lunching on the Corner Bakery patio, entertaining Gianna and being entertained by Enzo when a woman approached us. Since she had been observing our family for a while, I had my eye on her. She seemed a little nervous, like approaching strangers wasn't something she normally does. This is paraphrasing what she said next:

"I hope it's okay that I say what an incredible little boy you have here. I am a Christian, and God was telling me that I had to tell you that he is working in your family in ways that you sometimes can't see. Your little boy is very special and has been given many gifts."

I mean, for the past five months, people stop us and oodle and goodle over Gianna. Afterall, she's the cute baby. It was strange for someone to focus so much attention on Enzo, especially since all she could see was the back of Enzo's head for the duration of our brunch (and couldn't really see all the funny expressions he makes). I asked this woman her name, and told her that we were Christians, too. I told her Enzo had recently been having lots of nightmares and had grown increasingly anxious to attend nursery school at Church. She said her name was Marguerite (I would have died if she said ANGELa), and that she, too had been having nightmares as of late.

She asked if she could touch Enzo's arm and offer a blessing. Of course, I said.

So there we were, Jeff holding Enzo (who way spooked by good lady Marguerite), me holding Gianna, my mom, Marguerite and her quiet male companion -- all with hands laid on Enzo praying for him and thanking God for the special gift he is to us -- there in the midst of the Sunday morning rush of a coffee shop. We all hugged, and then she walked away just as nonchalant as she had approached us.

Take a hike

2010-08-14T21:06:00.000-07:00

After a traumatizing morning - seriously, my close friends have already heard about it - we headed to San Dimas to hike Bonelli Park and to have lunch lakeside. It was the hottest day so far this year, so all of us were beat. Except for Kayden who looked bright-eyed and sunkissed. I mean, look at those eyes! Doll!

MeeMee brought Enzo a Dora Squirter (since I'm not a big fan of guns, she found this perfect water toy that Enzo adored!) Here he is, loading it up, unbeknownst to her and Gianna. Little devil...

He goes on the attack!! Too bad you can't really see the little squirter. He's holding Dora's big, full-bodied hair-covered head.

Delightful setting for some family fun in the sun. And shade.

Enzo was beat, and Claire was a trooper with him on her back.

...and shoulders. You go, girl! I had a hard enough time pushing the stroller with baby G inside!

Later Thursday evening, Enzo came across a tiny pack of Lemonheads in the pantry (I have no idea where they came from, by the way.) It was awesome to watch his sour face.

We spent this morning on a walk at Clark Regional Park in Fullerton. Enzo loves the slide. I'll spare you the shot of yours truly "sliding" down the twisty slide.

The whole family (including our first daughter, Murphy).

Unrelated to hiking, Gianna's not sure what to make of her first try at being vertical, solo. Her bumbo chair can barely contain her buff thighs.

4 months!

2010-08-01T21:33:00.000-07:00

* Little G is the cutest thing ever. She smiles on command and I swear I see a twinkle in her eye. Her baby fat is in full affect, and I love kissing and squeezing her thighs, arms, and tummy. Oh yeah, and those cheeks!

*I returned to work this month, so she's been forced to become a little bit more independent. Fortunately, I get to sneek out of the house before the kids are up (or the sun is up, for that matter). When they pick me up from the train station in the afternoon, she is all smiles and seems very happy to see me. It warms my heart. She has become a champ at drinking her breastmilk from a bottle (when I'm not here). Maybe that's where her lovely lady rolls are coming from.

*Gianna's colic/pain/screaming became so bad the week before I went back to work, that I had to try something. So, we tried soy formula for 11 days. No change in her behavior, and no relief to this poor little one. And I longed to nurse her instead of just pumping full time. Couple this with the fact that I was also back at work, trying to keep up my milk supply and really needing to bond with her -- and it was a little rough. Gratefully, mostly just for me. It was back to the boob and us just praying that this "phase" will pass soon.

* I've been able to squeeze her into the 3 month old clothes. Until now. She is officially 3-6 month in her evening wear. She's way too long for 3 month old footed jammies. And we've had to graduate her into a larger Swaddle Me blanket so she can extend her legs. Of course the velcro tabs are too big around, but we're improvising. (She also loves holding her own hands.)

*She has never really been a big fan of the pacifiers (why are my kids the only ones who don't go for them?!) but has become a finger and thumb sucker. She sleeps with them in her mouth:
... and she has them in her mouth when she's not sleeping:

*At her last well-baby visit, I forgot to schedule her next one and just realized that she was supposed to weigh in at 4 months. Ooops. We'll see if we can get in to see the doctor before her next 6-month well baby. We weighed her anyway, and could it be that she weighs 15 lbs??

*Our little girl has come to truly enjoy her bathtime. Almost as much as her adorable brother:
She splashes all over the place.

All while checking herself out in the mirror.

All clean!

Dada out of town

2010-07-31T23:37:00.001-07:00

We tried to pass the time while Jeff was out of town for four days. In Vegas. At a "conference." We made yummy enchiladas. And even managed to save some left-overs for Dada. Enzo soaked the tortillas in chicken broth, helped to fill and roll them, drizzled green sauce and cheese on top, sprinkled green onion, and helped me eat em up.

Enzo stopped screaming "Dada" and "eat. eat. eat." long enough for these two shots at his last swimming lesson for the session.

This is Ms. Rose - his swim coach.

Claire, Kayden, and my mom joined us at the Fullerton Market. We lounged in the grass, played, listened to music and had dinner.

Check this out. I took both my children TO THE MOVIES!! Um, yeah, I did. Only because it was the Regal Family Film Festival in Brea and I figured if Enzo or Gianna couldn't hang, we could always leave. I mean, it's free. And the theater would be filled with other kids whining and being fidgety. After the initial "no. no. no. bye bye. bye bye." I thought we'd be done. Then, the genius that I am came up with "Enzo, it's a giant DVD. And here is a special candy I've been saving for a special occasion." Awww, yeah. Worked like a charm.

Even Gianna was craning her neck to see the flick. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel.

Foxie enjoyed the movie, and the cushy velour seats as well. Before I knew it, the credits were rolling and I was in shock that we survived a movie!! An entire movie. Then I felt lame for making such a big deal about it, until I got a high-five from a fellow mom (she had two girls, maybe 8 and 10) in the parking lot.

If going to see a movie wasn't enough excitement for one day, Enzo and I painted our very first painting, thanks to Brooke for the easle and paper. I put an old t-shirt of Jeff's on him and he rubbed his face into the shoulder and fondly said "Aww. Dada shirt." Enzo is an artiste, just like his Auntie Godmother, for sure.

And this pic was just too cute not to include.

All in all, we survived without Dad. But let me tell you - it will be a long time before we let him out of our sight for that long again. And mad props to single parents out there. It is no joke.

Summer birthdays

2010-07-24T22:35:00.000-07:00

On the hottest day of the year so far, we went to Enzo's buddy Jonathan's 2nd birthday party in San Gabriel. Good thing it was a water party! Here's Enzo wishing a happy birthday to the birthday boy.

Enzo wasn't a fan of all the pools with big kids splashing and being rambunctious, so he chillaxed in the best playhouse ever - complete with grill, cash register, and cell phone. Multi-tasking.

This is particularly funny to me because when I was a kid, I was ob-sessed with cash registers and adding machines. I had about five or seven at any given time and I'd take all the shampoo, soap and toiletries out from under all the bathroom counters and pretend I was a cashier ringing up all the items. When I saw Enzo immediately drawn to the cash register, I was like, yep that's my kid.

My lovely OLDER sister Josie had a birthday as well, and we all celebrated her with a nice dinner at a Japanese steakhouse.

Look at Gianna eyeing the steak. This was right before she opened wide.

Enzo liked mommy's ice cream cake...

... made from scratch, transported an hour to Corona, and eaten by all of us (and the restaurant staff.) There was no way that thing was making it all the way home. It was a chocolate fudge and raspberry slush/smoothie cake. But tasted pretty excellent. Josie's birthday wish came true -- "ice cream and cake and cake."

Back to work: Week 1 done

2010-07-23T23:11:00.000-07:00

On my first day back to the office, this lovely poster was waiting for me on my desk. And since I try to squeeze in four days worth of work on three days and am the earliest to arrive, I had a chance to reacclimate in silence and peace. And had a chance to remember what I do for a living. Yep, I'm back in the saddle.

Returning to work after my second maternity leave is night and day from the first time. After having Enzo, and having just hired a nanny to take care of my precious baby, I had to deal with the fact that a stranger was in my house, hoping the house wouldn't burn down, or my child would be kidnapped. (On top of all the guilt, second-guessing, and stress that comes along with being a working mom.) This time I just had to deal with the latter, being that Brooke has been working with us for more than a year and has done a great job with Enzo. We are at ease with the quality of care our children are getting, and it's pretty much the same for her, except for an additional child. And a larger paycheck.

Gianna looks like she really misses me, huh? Torn. Up.

A pouty kiss sent to me via MMS text. These things keep me going while I'm at work.

And today was Jeff's first day solo with both children. And boy does he appreciate me now. I walked in the door and this is what I saw. Jeff soaked in Gianna's "spit up." Literally head to knees. Does anyone agree that this amount of spit up is NOT "normal?"

Cheap. Frugal. Smart.

2010-07-12T10:39:00.000-07:00

I read on Facebook that my friend and doula, Brenda, was dressing her kids up as cows for a free meal at Chick-Fil-A. I was like, whhaaaatt? So I went to their website and learned all about Cow Appreciation Day, and proceeded to download and print the "cow starter kit" complete with a tail, spots, nose, and ears. Afterall, if you came dressed as a cow, you got a free meal. I'm in.
And Jeff was a little excited about the prospect of dressing up for Halloween in the middle of July.

Yeah. I did it. What?

"Oh my gosh. For a free chicken strip? Really?! You are totally embarrassing me!"

Even Gianna is mortified. But cute in her bovine bib. Presh! A little public discomfort was worth a free $26 meal.

Then, in Real Simple magazine, I read that on 7/11/10, 7-11 was giving away free slurpees from 7 am to 11 pm. So yeah, I put it on my calendar and we headed to our neighborhood 7-11 for a 7.11 oz slurpee.

Jeff has no idea that Gianna is throwing up into his slurpee. By the way - the nicest strip of grass in an alley behind a 7-11 that I've ever seen.

Diving and Dentist

2010-07-11T22:15:00.000-07:00

This week, Enzo had two firsts: swimming lessons and a trip to the dentist. He was a true champ for both occasions.

I had scheduled a consultation for Enzo immediately following my teeth cleaning, just so the dentist could maybe peek inside real quick to tell me how his chompers were faring. I knew that he would not sit through an entire exam. (Afterall, I have to bribe the kid with a vitamin every morning and night in order to get him to brush his teeth for 1 minute.) After about 3 minutes of him wiggling on my lap, he opened wide and let the dentist look inside with a tiny mirror. (Must of been all the practicing I had done with him during the week leading up to the dentist. Oh, and we read Elmo Visits the Dentist over and over again, too.) Then, the hygienist wanted to take a try at polishing his teeth which I was sure was going to be an exercise in futility. After she tickled his fingernail with the spinning, funny, and very special toothbrush, she polished every one of his teeth with bubblegum toothpaste. As he laid there with his mouth open wide. Ah. Maze. Ing.

A few days later, the swimming lesson...

We weren't sure how it was going to go. We had previewed a class before we signed up to see if he wanted to do a Parent and Me class with the other kids. "Yes. Pool." he said, so we signed up several weeks ago. He looked a little apprehensive at first.

It turns out that our little Enzo took to swimming like a fish in, er, water. I taught him how to blow bubbles in the water during our Palm Desert vacation, so this skill was review for him. I've never seen a kid with dimples look so cute blowing bubbles in a swimming pool.

Here are all the other parents and me's. Special thanks to my mom for serving as lifeguard, photographer, and deckside babysitter to Gianna.

The next day, we visited Josie's new home in Ontario, complete with a few community pools.

Here, we practiced "[Eye Contact.] 1. 2. 3. Jump!"

Gianna coo'd and observed from the deck.

Enzo screamed with delight while in the pool with his Auntie Godmother.

Independence Weekend

2010-07-04T23:17:00.000-07:00

We had a fun-filled and relaxing weekend, celebrating the 4th. We had a great time in Yorba Linda at Brent's cousins' house, bbq'ing and swimming. We love when Brent housesits - it always feels like vacation when we're at this amazing home!

Then, Jeff and I had date night - our first one in about four or five months. We left Gianna for the first time but knew that both kids would have a fun time with Auntie Josie. (Thanks, Jo!)

It was dinner at this kitchy Tahitian place, where they served flaming bowls of booze. Or rather, flaming bowls of alcohol-flavored punch, watered down by tons of ice. It was a good thing, though, since we ate lots of ribs. Pictured here: Jeff who was VERY excited that his cocktail was on fire.

...and proceeded to polish it off with the VERY long straw. You should have seen us trying to get a photo that included Jeff's head and the bottom of the bowl while sitting about two feet across the table from him. Hilarious.

The next morning, Enzo and I baked and decorated a festive Fourth of July cake. He was quite excited.

I asked him not to put his fingers in the icing, so he grabbed a spoon when I turned my back. Sneaky fellow.

Here, he carefully applies the sprinkles.

...and then he devours the icing on the spatula!

Voila! The finished product, which this little one was so PROUD of!!

We hung out in the warm sunshine and cool breeze, lounging in the mini pools and playing around with Cozy Coupes. And learned that Briana and Jared are expecting baby #2!! A girl in November!!

Nana and Gianna.

Lukas testing out the water (after the weight of his soaking-wet diaper almost pulled him under.)

Enzo practicing sharing.

...and benefitting from Lukas sharing his deluxe pirate water table.

Lukas the Strong (who recently started walking) pushed his older cousin all the way across the yard.

Enzo thought it was all too much effort.

Gianna got to bond with her Godmother Briana. And I swear she's saying "hi."

3 months old

2010-07-01T20:50:00.000-07:00

It's kind of hard to believe this little one with the double chin is 3 months old. She is our joy.

* She is growing so fast. She takes up a lot more room in our arms, in her carseat, swing, and changing table. She's officially not a newborn anymore.

* Gianna is a smile maniac. A tickle to the tummy, a stroke to the cheek, a funny face delivered with stage presence all make her grin from ear to ear.

* Her gas problems persist. After a whole month of abstaining from dairy and eggs, I determined it wasn't me since there was absolutely no change in her periodic bouts with tummyaches. The doc said it could just be a predisposition to gas or an immature gastrointestinal tract. He assures us it will come to an end soon (ish).

*She has begun to hold on to stuffed animals and other toys. Such a milestone! I seem waay more excited about it than she does. Here, she's rocking out to her maracas.

*When you hold her in front of you, she tries to stand up. Her squats and powerlunges are giving her quite the lower body workout.

*She's able to face forward in the baby carrier aka "front pack" as Jeff calls is. Her head and neck control is improving a lot.

* She loves herself a handwich. Yumm! Especially now that she can get her hands to her mouth unassisted!

*She is definitely finding her voice. She coos, goos, gaahs, ooos, gurrrrsss, kkkkkaaaas, gurgles, and bbpppprrrrrrs.

* In a matter of seconds, Gianna can pump her legs and lift her pelvis, propelling herself backwards so she travels across whatever surface she's on. She seems to be able to get herself to where she wants to go.

* She loves looking at her brother. He makes her smile and whatever he's doing is quite interesting to her. These two are peas in a pod.

* She has begun to notice television, which is rarely on in our home during the week. Here, I propped her up for her first Baby Mozart DVD, which is safe to say she dug.

What I did on my summer vacation

2010-06-21T23:03:00.000-07:00

We had a fantastic week in Palm Desert soaking up the sun, playing in the pool, and being together as a family. This is what we did on our summer vacation:

...hung out on our patio at the Marriott Desert Springs Villas.

...lounged around after a morning at the pool.

...tried to out-mess my own living room with toys galore.

...showered like a big boy with dad,

and got my first kitchen sink bath.

...tested out a few new fashion ensembles and realized this one made by thighs look too chunky.

...went for the wind-blown look,

and realized that it felt kinda spikey.

...chased mom through the sprinklers,

...and then chased the ducks into the pond.

...hung out with Grandbob during an impromtu Fathers' Day visit en route to Vegas.

...climbed trees.

...chilled in the shade looking like a sweetie.

...bundled up indoors (mom and dad cranked the a/c) with my ballet slippers jammies.

...became a pro at the twisty slide,

until my cheeks turned pink from the heat.

...took my first dip in a swimming pool.

...tickled and wrestled,

and napped a lot in luxurious beds. Best vacation ever!!

Fathers' Day

2010-06-20T23:02:00.000-07:00

Gianna is wild about daddy,

and Enzo thinks that Dad is rad.

The best present Dad opened was a story book called "My SuperDad" all about Jeff!!

Here, SuperDad is sliding down a rainbow. Heh.

Three generations of Lunas.

Mom's Day Video

2010-06-14T01:11:00.000-07:00

In case you missed it... AJ enjoyed Mother's Day this year with double the love for her little ones. See it here...

Enzo is Two- Part II

2010-06-14T01:05:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone.... Here is the debut of Enzo's 2nd Birthday moving slideshow. Enjoy!

Hanging out... and dancing

2010-06-13T22:19:00.000-07:00

I looked in the backseat to find this hilarious scene.

Post baths. And Enzo sporting a new do that he styled himself.

Dada wants some screen-time.

Gianna starts to "talk."

Enzo was entranced by the auditions for So You Think You Can Dance. So was I.

Notice the big finish.

Testing out the sommersault.

Evening tickles.

Carney circuit

2010-06-12T21:50:00.000-07:00

My mom and Josie and I made plans to see the Pointer Sisters in concert at the St. Angela Merici church carnival (yeah, you read that right!). As I thought about going to a church carnival without my kids or husband, I felt a little guilty. So off we all went -- and the plan was for the adult girls to stay out late doing the neutron dance to jams like "Jump for my Love" and "He's So Shy."

My mom introduced Enzo to Dots ice cream. And he likey.

I had no idea how excited Jeff gets for cake walks. This shot was taken during round 3, I think. No cakes.

Despite the screaming bloody murder episode wanting to ride the bumper cars, Enzo was not a fan of the merry-go-round. He had to settle on the Tiny Tots Monster Truck ride.

"Truh. Truh. Tow Truh. Dum Truh."

Oh, and the Pointer Sisters, who were scheduled to perform at 7 pm, still hadn't taken the stage at 9:15 pm. We all split and went home. And I was pissed.

The very next weekend, we pointed ourselves to Covina for the St. Louise Carnival. I had organized a little 20 year reunion for my 8th grade class, and had about 12-15 of my childhood friends gather to reminisce using sub-par yearbooks and yellowing photographs.

One of my favorite cheers was "S. SLS. Yes, yes. SLS. (clap)." Genius.

Class of '90. Yep. Yep.

Gianna's 2 month check-up

2010-06-04T21:43:00.000-07:00

"What?!?!? I weigh 12 lbs. 4 oz.? ...and I've been working out!" Gianna is in the 80th percentile for weight. She measured 22 3/4 inches, which is the 70th percentile, and her head is 38 centimeters. As a comparison, she weighed 7 lbs. 10 oz., measured 20 3/4 inches, and her head circumference was 35 cm just six weeks ago.

She was feeling peaceful and proud...

until her first vaccinations. All in all, she was a champ. She got to play at the park when we were all done.

2 months old!

2010-05-31T22:03:00.000-07:00

Gianna celebrated her two-month birthday with three wardrobe changes, nine diaper changes, three smiles and several spit-ups. A few stats on Little G:

* Gianna is developing so quickly. She has great neck control and looks from side to side with just her eyes as well as with her whole head. She opens and closes her hands, especially grasping my hair. She bats her hands and waves her arms. She is always kicking.

(Notice the wink at :03 and the near flash at :10.)

* Today, Gianna graduated to a size 1 diaper. Her chunky legs and tummy were causing (what 30 Rock's Liz Lemon calls) Spanx elastic line infections.

* For the past week, Gianna has slept 6 and 7 hour stretches at night. Awesome! She goes down at about 8:30 or 9 pm and hungrily wakes at 3 or 4 am. She then sleeps for 3-4 more hours. I feel like a lucky mama at night, but tied to my nursing pillow all day. She is super hungry every 2 hours all day long.

* She is very slowly losing her hair. She has a fivehead and side curls like a Hasidic Jew. I wonder, however, if the hair on her shoulders and on her low (LOW!) back will disappear. Her new hair appears a little lighter than her OG hair.

* Her stomach problems persist. She cries and cries and cries, obviously in a lot of tummy discomfort. Her arms and legs flail around. It's painful to watch, but almost exactly the same as what we endured with Enzo. And for the past few weeks, she spits up with increasing frequency and velocity. The Zantac anti-acid prescription isn't doing a thing, nor is the gripe water and Mylicon. Today began my diet restrictions - no dairy or eggs. I'm giving it two weeks. I really hope it makes a difference.

* These two get along great. Enzo has started saying "Hiiieeeyyyyy" in a soft high-pitched whisper. Just like me. He sits on the couch or floor and after getting in position says "Sissssy" with his arms out. This means he wants to hold her. She isn't phased by his rough clumsiness.

* Her smile muscles are getting a workout lately. It's a lot of fun watching her experiment with her new skill: the sideways smirk, the toothless gape, the lopsided silent laugh.

* Little G loves the bath. And looking at the baby who lives in the mirror.

* We had to start a new plastic bin for clothes she's already outgrown. The size "newborn" is a no-go at this point. Throw em in the bin. Baby G is wearing size 0-3 month and the ambiguous 3 month clothing. Does that mean 0-3 or 3-6?? I never know. It's a mystery. She seems to have doubled in weight and seems so loooong all of a sudden.

We love you, our sweet little girl!

Memorial Day fun

2010-05-30T20:32:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Memorial Day celebration at my mom's house. With 84 degree weather, a bbq, and swimming pool -- it feels like summer! Check out the mini lawn chair with attached umbrella!

Cousins Kayden and Enzo sharing toys.

Having fun with balloon rockets.

Enzo's first run through the sprinklers. And he likey.

Big shoes to fill

2010-05-26T21:21:00.000-07:00