Our Little Princess

Halloween 07 074
Originally uploaded by kieshaq423

One of the rare photos of her smiling at the camera and not being goofy.

She's Growing Fast!

Miss Marissa is growing so fast. She is doing so much so fast. This weeks she is 7 months old and for a month she has been pulling herself to a standing position using the couch, her dino (shown above) or whatever she can get her hands on. We are hoping that she waits a little while before she starts walking but she is working on cruising right now so I don't think walking is as far off as I would like it to be.

Also she has been going up the step in the family room into the play room. We finally had to buy a gate because there are so many toys in the play room that she does not need to get into. She hates the gate and takes every possible opportunity to escape. She's a fast one. Chasing after her brother is one of her favorite activities. He thinks it's pretty funny too.

I love watching them together and seeing their relationship take shape. They already love each other so much.

Ruben has a small swimming pool and Marissa loves it. Ruben loves spending time outside, swimming and riding his tricycle. We have also been painting, I will post pics of that next time.

Update on Marissa's cyst

Hi Guys sorry it's been a month since I have posted anything. There has been so much going on that I have had absolutely no time to even check my email or do my usual online things.
Marissa has been to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital 3 times in the last month or so. She went for tests a week or so ago. They had to put her to sleep to do a contrast cat scan of her throat and then they put a tube with saline in the hole in her neck. We knew it did not go all the way through but her doctor wanted to make sure. Marissa did so well, she had to have an iv and they poked both her hands but we were able to calm her down in no time.
I have been a complete wreck for about a month, haven't been able to eat or sleep because I have been so worried. I just knew I would not be able to watch them do those tests on my baby, but so many people have been praying for her and on the day of the tests God gave me peace. I did not panic or even cry when they had to stick her twice to get the iv in nor did I when we had to watch them hold her down to put the tube in her throat or even when they put her to sleep and did the cat scan. I felt tears come when we were in there with her and she was asleep from the medicine and they had to strap her on the table for the cat scan but I said a prayer and was calm again.

Marissa has a thyroglossal duct cyst, that is what the hole in her neck is called. It connects to a small sack inside her throat. It is not bothering her right now but her doctor said that it will not go away and that it will eventually get infected and can grow into other organs and cause lots of problems. So on Sept. 10 Marissa will be having surgery at Vanderbilt. If everything goes well she will not have to stay overnight, only about 10 hours. The surgery however will only be about an hour or so. The tests also showed that she has some nodules on her thyroid, her doctor does not know why because thas is not her specialty but she is going to confer with an endocrinologist and see what needs to be done. The other thing they found weres some clotted blood vessels around her throat area but her doctor is pretty sure this will go away in a few years and they will not cause her any problems.

So we are taking one thing at a time, we will get through the surgery for her cyst first and then see what needs to be done about the other things. Thank you all for your prayers and phone calls, they mean more than you know. I will try to do a better job with updates and pictures on here.

A Few More Pics

Ruben's 3rd Birthday

We just had a small party at home, a Thomas Train party of course. :)
He loved helping me decorate his cake and Erra (Sierra) spent the night before and he loves her.
He got lots of little trains he collects form Thomas Train and he knows all of their names. We got him a punching bag and gloves and also a soccer net that cheers when you make a goal. He got clothes and a dinosour that you can draw on and then it glows in the dark. Oh and also one of his favorite things is the bubble lawn mower he received. He gets out there and mows with me or Jose for as long as we are out there. he will be sweating and his face all red but he doesn't stop until we do. I have to make him go inside and get water and cool down.

Marissa and Mommy's Photo Shoot

I had her all dressed up to go to her Nana's and could not resist doing a quick photo shoot. I got some great shots. Her Mam-maw made her smile and laugh, I just got the serious faces lol.
She is coming alive more and more each day. She rolled over a few nights ago and has not stopped rolling since. As soon as you put her down she starts scooting and rolling all over the floor. I'm afraid it's not going to be like with Ruben where we didn't have to safety proof a lot because he just didn't get into much. This kid is going to be into everything!

My Twins

Everyone tells me that Marissa looks just like Ruben and the more baby pics I look at and the more I see them together, I am starting to agree. Is it me or are they do they have the same expression in the second picture?

Posted by KQ

Little Miss Bunny

This was taken on Thursday. I put the bow in Marissa's hair for mom because she loves her with bows, poor Marissa :). The other one is a close up of Ruben that I love because it shows his beautiful eyes and would be a perfect picture if not for the chocolate on his face, but I guess that is just a typical Ruben picture. That's my boy!

Posted by Kiesha

Do you hear that????????

Listen closely....It's SILENCE!!!! No crying, no constant 'mommy,mommy, mommy! Deana took the kids for two days! Two whole night and days! That means, no washing bottles, no cartoons, no diapers. I can watch an entire tv show uninterrupted, take a bath or shower longer than 15 minutes, sleep past 7:30. Actually, get on the computer without Roo screaming "I want to play Elmo computer game!" I can talk on the phone, and entire uninterrupted conversation, go to the bathroom by myself, stay in bed all day if I want, eat an entire meal without having to warm it up several times. Even stay in bed all day if I like.

Now I know some of you who work may be saying, I wish I could do that to. But keep in mind, stay at home moms do not get lunch breaks, 15 minute breaks, even bathroom breaks, no sick days, or vacation days. We do not get off work at 5:00. So I am so excited that I get 2 whole days to do whatever I what, WHATEVER I want! How cool is that?!?!?

Posted by Kiesha

Olan Mills Pictures taken Feb 22, 07

Our Crazy Family

I love these pics! Ruben is always silly. I was going through the archives on our blog, which by the way everyone can do, just look on the right side. It goes all the way back to 2004 when Ruben was a baby and we still lived in LA. It's great that I have all his firsts and the pictures recorded on here. I have printed them out and I'm gonna put it all in an album.

Today is Mom's birthday. We spent the weekend over there and had a great time. I just realized today is also Jenn's birthday.

Happy Birthday Jenn!!!

Valentines 2007

We went to this wonderful Indian restaurant for Valentines Day this year! It was honestly the best food I have ever eaten at a restaurant. And we tried some things we have never tried. Anyone ever heard of a Hookah??? :) I will save those pics for another time :)

Posted by Kiesha

Ruben, where oh where are you?????????

Finally, I have some time to catch everyone up. So much has happened but we are all doing fine. Well ok, I'm struggling and adjusting to the two kid thing but I will get it. I would be fine if my dear Ruben were here but no, he has been replaced by someone I refer, loving of course, to as the TERROR! Maybe it was all the bragging I used to do on him and how well behaved he was and HE WAS until his sister was born. Now the little boy that rarely threw tantrums and hardly ever had to go to time out, now spends most of his day doing both. I feel like a drill Sergeant some days but refuse to give in to him.


I think it also has a little to do with all the company we have had lately. First uncle Josh and last week Aunt Soledad, Jose's sister, came. I think he likes to show off when company is here.

It was great having Aunt Sole and here are some pics of her visit. However, it was very comical the way Jose and Sole act together. They fight like little kids and I told Jose to stop and guess what he said, "She started it!" I said you are 34 years old and I'm not your mother I'm your wife!!!! lol I guess I just got a preview of what I will be going through in a few years.

This is posted by me, Kiesha, I can't log in as myself only as Jose. Will fix that soon!

She's Growing So Fast!