mateja x 4

Surprise, surprise!!!

2008-07-14T16:29:00.000-07:00

Well, here's my chance to see how many of you check my blog regularly. It's official: I am pregnant with #3, due February 23, 2009! I'm 8 weeks, so not totally out of the woods, but we had an ultrasound and the baby looks happy and healthy, with a strong little heartbeat.

In case you were wondering, this was not planned -- but nevertheless, we are very excited. #3 will be 21 months behind big sis Claire, who is 22 months behind big sis Julia. Could this be our shot for a boy? Stay tuned...

One year old!

2008-06-03T09:22:00.001-07:00

IMG_1197, originally uploaded by mrm95787.

I can't believe our baby is a year old! We celebrated Claire's first in Reno with my brother, Miles, his wife, J.J., and my sister, Sarah. Miles graduated with his MBA and we went to the ceremony. Reno is a neat town, and Tahoe is amazingly beautiful!

Princess Encounter

2008-06-03T09:15:00.001-07:00

IMG_1068, originally uploaded by mrm95787.

Disneyland with an almost three-year-old is a blast! We were waiting in line at the Princess Faire to meet a princess when I overheard an employee say that the line was an hour and 15 minutes from where we were -- and we had already waited 30 minutes! Julia was overtired and I knew that this was not a good idea. As we ducked under the rat maze to exit, an employee came up and gave us a special pass to return in an hour for a private meet and greet with Cinderella. It was so cool! Julia spent 5 minutes or so with Cinderella and her fairy godmother in a private room! She's a very lucky girl!

Claire's First Ears

2008-06-03T09:10:00.001-07:00

IMG_1118, originally uploaded by mrm95787.

Julia was lucky enough to live in LA for a few months early in life, but Claire had her first trip to Disneyland in May. We had a blast! Mark, who formerly grumbled about the commercialism behind such theme parks, asked me if we should get season passes. I guess this is what being a Daddy will do to a guy!

A day in the life of Julia

2008-04-03T15:58:00.001-07:00

IMG_0958, originally uploaded by mrm95787.

One crazy little girl

Easter

2008-04-02T16:52:00.001-07:00

IMG_3950, originally uploaded by mrm95787.

Okay, so it's next to impossible to get a decent picture of the girls together. Oh well...here they are in their Easter dresses.

One swingin' chick!

2008-04-02T16:50:00.001-07:00

IMG_3968, originally uploaded by mrm95787.

Claire having a blast as her Uncle Greg pushes her on the new swing set

Happy Spring!

2008-04-02T16:45:00.000-07:00

The last month or so has sped by...we've enjoyed lots of out of town company and had a wonderful Easter with family. Claire was an early walker at 9 months, and at 10 months is all over the place. Julia is definitely a kid now rather than a toddler. She is loving her new swing set and wants to go on the monkey bars at every opportunity. The weather is awesome right now in Las Vegas and we're loving every minute!

Me and the girls on our balcony

2008-02-13T19:33:00.001-08:00

Me and the girls on our balcony, originally uploaded by mrm95787.

Sunset in Vegas

2008-02-13T19:31:00.001-08:00

IMG_0261, originally uploaded by mrm95787.

The nights and days of our diva

2008-02-13T16:51:00.000-08:00

Okay, so last night I was jolted out of bed in the middle of the night by Julia screaming. Of course, I ran into her room, and it was obvious that she was in the middle of a very scary nightmare. I asked her what was wrong repeatedly, and in her half-asleep stupor, she tearfully responded, "I don't WANT to wear the PINK ones, I WANT to wear my WHITE WEDDING SHOES." Even though I felt really bad for her, I couldn't help but crack a smile. Imelda Marcos or Sex and the City's Carrie Bradshaw could relate, I'm sure.

Today, Julia departed from her usual Disney princess persona and pretended to be Barbie -- apparently prompted by a Barbie valentine she received from a friend. When I would call her Julia, she would quickly correct me, saying "No, I'm Barbie!"At one point, she turned around, smacked her bum and shook it, and said, "I have a Barbie booty." Wish I could say the same!

New city, new baby, new job, new house!

2008-02-10T10:45:00.000-08:00

At long last, after many complaints from friends who threatened to stop speaking to me, here is my inaugural blog post!

It's been a busy year...but we've finally settled into our new life. After a whirlwind tour of South Dakota, LA, and Salt Lake for Mark's rotations over nine months, Mark graduated from PT school May 12. Claire Amelia was born May 17 in Las Vegas, joining sister Julia, who turned 2 on July 19. We are living in Las Vegas to be near my parents and siblings -- plus, it's a great job market.

Life with two kids is hectic as many of you know, but always an adventure. At 2 1/2, Julia is our vivacious little princess. She loves her little sister and does a great job keeping her entertained.

Claire is our happy, easy-going one. She is already eight months old! She's very mobile, crawling all over the place, standing lots, and taking steps here and there. She has a contagious gummy smile with two new teeth and is just a little cutie.

Mark started his first position as a physcial therapist on July 1 and is really enjoying it. He has great hours and a great compensation package, so we can't complain. You know you're officially a grown-up when you care about things like health insurance and 401K plans. I am still freelance writing a few hours each week, which I continue to enjoy.

We closed on our first house at the end of August. The house is 13 years old, so ancient by Las Vegas standards, but it has a huge yard and a big covered patio. Many of you may recall Mark's affinity for the barbecue grill...needless to say, we have enjoyed our outdoor space. Also, our community has a series of lakes -- quite refreshing in the desert!

So for now, we spend our free time enjoying our girls as they grow up too fast, and spending any leftover time and resources on home improvement projects.

IMG_0715

2008-02-08T07:55:00.001-08:00

IMG_0715, originally uploaded by mrm95787.

Claire and Julia