Becerra Family

Long time, no update

2012-01-21T16:27:00.000-08:00

Our kiddos are getting so much bigger! Joshua is now 3 months old, Jayden turned two last month, and Jaycee will soon be 4 years old already. Where does the time go?!

Jayden is her regular-clown self. She is constantly making funny faces and thinks it's funny to play Kung-Fu Panda games. She is truly a tomboy at heart and doesn't think much of the girly, pink things. She is basically her sister's opposite.

Little man Joshua is playing with his hands/fists daily. He thinks they are pretty neat. He tries his best to roll over and will be there soon. He is happy all the time and loves attention from all. Jayden has even been the best big sister. She regularly tells me all the things her brother needs and even gives him hugs and kisses before bed.

Jaycee still loves her preschool. She loves to play with her kitchen set, color art, and dress up. She has an amazing imagination and can create something out of nothing, all while having a very intense conversation. Her vocabulary is awesome (and I'm not just saying that because I'm her mom). She has so many interesting things to say sometimes, including how she's "crazier than Rickie Folwer!" when she's wearing her pink hat. She's a nut :)

My crazy Puma gangsta girl (wearing her lipgloss of course!)

Cutie Pies!

2012-01-16T15:14:00.000-08:00

Little boy Joshua Gunnar will be 3 months old tomorrow! I can't believe how fast the time has gone by. We've had some sad times with Mama back at work, but everyone is finally starting to adjust. The weekends are so much more precious now that the weekdays are gone!

And the dog, Mishka, thought she needed to get involved in the playful fun! She is so good with the kiddos!

(No pics of Jayden because she was taking her usual LONG nap)

Christmas 2011

2011-12-29T11:33:00.000-08:00

We got to start out the Christmas week with Jaycee's preschool program. She was the cutest elf we've ever seen! She did an excellent job singing and dancing. She knew every word to every song! Way to go Jaycee!

Followed by the Santa visit.

Baby Joshua didn't think it was all that. . .

Jaycee's favorite thing to do: dress up! Here is her beautiful RED Belle dress. It fits perfectly! Thank you Oma Sue for that awesome present!

Jayden spent her afternoon in the sand box at Mum and Pa's house. Her serious little face.

Mama's Christmas present: the baby sling for Baby Joshua. He seems to enjoy it so far. He usually sleeps when he's in it, so that's a good sign.

Josh's 2 Month Stats

2011-12-20T14:00:00.001-08:00

Here are baby Joshua's 2 month check-up stats:

Weight: 12lbs. 9.5oz.

Head circumference: 15.75 inches

Length: 24.5 inches

He is very similar to Jayden at this time in age. He is only about one pound heavier, and he has 2 inches on the length and head measurements. He's average for all measurements, except for his length, he's in the 94th percentile for that. Basically, he's long and lean. Can't wait to see what the next appointment brings, other than this horrible pain and discomfort from his first set of shots. It really was horrible. I had a happy, smiling baby. . . Then a shocked, red-faced scared/screaming baby in pain. I hate these appointments!

But on a happy note, the pumping is going really well! We should have plenty of milk for our little man once I go back to work (UGH!). Now, our adventure for this holiday week is to get him to drink from a bottle from his daddy. Hopefully that will go over smoothly since he does take a pacifier at night sometimes now (although he still prefers his mama!).

More Presents for Jayden!

2011-12-19T11:30:00.000-08:00

Here are some more pics from Jayden's 2nd birthday. She was very serious throughout the entire day. Poor little girl always seems to have a cold!

Little Man is 2 Months!

2011-12-19T11:28:00.000-08:00

Here are my Little Man's 2 month pictures. He was officially 2 months on Saturday, the 17th. He has his 2 month appointment this afternoon, filled with wretched shots and pain. We'll have his growth stats for you once that's done. Wish us luck, and the nurse too because I already feel like punching her!

Happy Birthday Jayden Rylee!- 2 Years old!!

2011-12-13T10:18:00.000-08:00

Jayden Rylee turned 2 yesterday!

She woke up to a new Toy Story 3 sippy cup, 12 mini princess books, and 2 chocolate donuts (because she's two now). Her morning consisted of watching her favorite Calliou show, having a bean burrito for lunch, and a trip to Samsclub to order her birthday cupcakes. We finished up the day with a dinner trip to Red Robin (they sang happy birthday and she got embarrassed and hid in the seat) and a painted trip to Painted Earth. Jayden painted a kitty cat ornament, Jaycee a hippo, and Pa a Santa ornament. We get to pick up the finished projects next week to see what masterpieces everyone has made!

Even Baby Joshua was happy for his sister's birthday! (And he celebrated being 8 weeks as well with lots and lots of milk!) Look at those blue eyes!

Excitement at Painted Earth. Look at these cute faces!

Some fun things about Jayden at her 2 year mark:

*Her favorite thing to say is "Yeap, yeap, peas" (aka, Yes, yes, please) and "Oh no" when something goes wrong

*She loves animals (dogs, cats, she doesn't discriminate)

*She has short little legs and still wears 18 month pants because 24 month pants are too long and baggy

*She loves Toy Story 3, Blues Clues, and Shrek

*She LOVES apple juice, eating real apples and spitting the skin out all over the house, and beans from the inside of burritos

*She gives loving hugs by patting your back

*She gives kisses with more smacking sound than lip to lip contact

Jayden may not be much of a speaking when it comes to anything with more than one syllable, but she makes up for it with her lively, funny expressions. She is a total comedian and hardly ever gets into trouble because she makes everyone laugh, even when she does something sneaky!

Pancakes with Santa

2011-12-08T09:48:00.000-08:00

We went to our annual Firefighter/Santa breakfast last weekend. Here are some cute pics from our morning!

Wild Animal Park

2011-11-27T14:32:00.000-08:00

We decided to venture out on a nice sunny Saturday for Baby Josh's first day at the Wild Animal Park. Here are a few cute pics from our day.

One Month Already!

2011-11-17T15:57:00.000-08:00

Little Josh is already one month old today! He is very solid and heavy! He really wasn't in to smiling for the camera today, so here's all I could get. Maybe next month he'll cooperate a bit better :)

Random pictures

2011-11-16T12:23:00.000-08:00

Jaycee holding her little brother again. I love how she looks a bit stiff and he looks like he's screaming for help. The story of his life forever :)

Baby Josh sleeping well on top of Pa's belly

I love how you can see all his hair in this pic

Jaycee striking a pose (This is how "princesses" take their pictures I was told)

And Jayden finally has enough hair for a little pony tail in the back. When it is pulled up, she looks like a boy from the front. We'll be waiting awhile until she wears her hair up full time.

2011-11-07T12:49:00.000-08:00

Our first and only picture so far of just the three of us (Mama, Dada, and Little Josh). Thanks Oma for taking that one! Who knows when we'll get another one. . . Maybe his high school graduation??

And if this isn't cute, I don't know what is! Hello Cowgirl Jaycee! I love it :)

Updates from October

2011-11-03T15:23:00.000-07:00

When is there time to update the family blog? The answer: Never.

Jayden is asleep, Jaycee is at preschool, Daddy is with sleeping Baby. . . This is my break!

Jaycee finally deciding to hold and kiss her brother for the first time. She did a great job. She is very gentle and loving. Poor little guy will despise those traits when he's older, I'm sure!

Uncle Dave and Tay Tay made it over to meet the Baby. Poor Tay hardly got to hold him because the girls were so excited to see her and play like maniacs.

Baby boy sleeping on his daddy

Jaycee had her Halloween recital on Oct. 27th. She did a wonderful job singing the NINE songs and trick or treating at all the classrooms. She was the prettiest little girl there (and I am not just saying that!!!). Her Cinderella bride's dress was amazing!

Jayden enjoying her very first experience of "circle time" at preschool. She thought it was just amazing to be able to participate!

And finally, Halloween. Here are the pumpkins in order from left to right: Jayden's, Daddy's, and Pa's creations. They actually all turned out very nice this year.

Jaycee as the bride, yet again (this is now a daily wearer in our house).

And Jayden was a kitty cat. Apparently we didn't get a single picture of Little Josh (he was a skeleton). Maybe I'll do a better job of taking pictures next year when I'm not walking around the neighborhood with a two week old in my arms.

Oh yes! The two week appointment update for Little Josh:

Weight: 8 pounds 12.5 ounces

Length: 22 inches

Head circumference: 14 3/4 inches

That means he has grown two inches in length in just two weeks! He is in the 92% percentile for his length (very similar to Jayden at this age in life). We can't wait to see how gigantic he is at his two month check up next month!

Joshua Gunnar Becerra

2011-10-21T16:24:00.000-07:00

Joshua Gunnar Becerra arrived Monday, October 17, 2011, at 5:01 a.m.

Weight: 8 pounds 4 ounces

Length: 20 inches

Little Josh is doing very well, as is the rest of the Becerra family. He has adjusted well to being home the last few days and is sleeping for longer blocks of time each day. His sisters are so happy that he is home!

Welcome little man!

Jayden was pleased to meet her little brother :)

Jaycee was thrilled to meet him too! :)

Jaycee showing off her gift from Brother (a pair of glass Cinderella slippers!!!)

Proud Daddy with Baby

Pa meeting Little Josh for the first time

On our way home!

Sleeping soundly on day 3

And still sleeping soundly, even with his older sisters around

Pumpkin Patch Visit 2011

2011-10-13T18:34:00.000-07:00

We went for our annual pumpkin patch visit this past weekend. We got a few good pics, even though there weren't many smiles at the beginning because of the nap interruptions. The girls had a blast. We decided to do the visit before Brother gets here because I thought it would be just a little bit much to visit a pumpkin patch close to Halloween with my two wild girls and a new baby. I have to save my energy for the actual Trick or Treating we'll be doing on the 31st! We have some awesome costumes this year!

What a cheeky face!

And the scariest smile award goes to. . .

Jayden for her creepy Halloween face (this is what she thinks we look like when we smile, how scary and cute!)

A Viking and a Princess

2011-09-29T12:13:00.000-07:00

These pictures explain our girls' differences perfectly. Jayden recently found a Viking hat that we purchased years ago for Jaycee (back when she acted like a Viking). She LOVES this hat and walks around the house wearing it often. She had to eat her pizza with her hat, and once she saw that pictures were being taken, she put on quite the faces to compliment the Viking hat. Here's what she thought was the appropriate face while wearing the Viking hat. . .

And while Jayden was a Viking, Jaycee took it upon herself to dress as Princess Jaycee. Her newest fashion statement is throwing the shoulders off every dress to look more and more like the characters from her movies and computer games. She even found a very small pair of sparkle shoes to accent her yellow Belle dress. This kid is quite the fashion statement maker. Watch out Versace and Dior, Jaycee Lynn will soon have a clothing line of her own. My guess is BLING, BLING, and more BLING in her collection. Watch for it in the coming spring. And no, she doesn't give discounts to family or friends!

Updates

2011-09-18T10:39:00.000-07:00

Jayden finally had her 12 month check-up (at 21 months, but who's counting). Her are her latest stats on growth:

Height: 32.2 inches (34%)

Weight: 23.4 (21%)

Head circumference: 18.75 (67%)

She did NOT like her shots one bit. They gave her two shots in each arm and she was mortified. She had a slight fever for a few days and slept a lot. We're very glad that is over! Jayden's terrible twos tantrums have officially kicked in. Here's an example of the problems in Jayden's world right now:

She wants a drink of her sister's water, which is in a plastic cup with a straw. I offer to help her get a drink. When she realizes she can't hold the cup, she runs away and throws herself down on the ground, slamming her fists into the floor and screaming/crying the entire time. Oh, the issues of an almost two year old!

Jaycee Lynn has been enjoying her school days. This is a school photo from a few months ago. We can't believe how big she is getting. Her feet are HUGE! We also got an opportunity to take her to a Beauty and the Beast play in August. She (and her sister) loved it. They sat through the entire play and thought it was magical, even though the actors were kiddos and the theater was just a small one.

We went in for our last ultrasound Friday to measure Baby Boy. The doctor thought he was measuring a bit big, but everything came in right on target. He is currently 5lbs. 10oz. and the tech is guessing he'll be somewhere in the 8lb. range like Jayden was. We only have five short weeks to go before he arrives! Time is really starting to fly by now. I have one more week of work, then I'll be out until the new year. I can't wait! :)

Baby Boy Becerra

2011-09-10T19:29:00.000-07:00

We went to have a 3D ultrasound done last week. We've had the 3D ultrasound done before with each baby, so we kept the tradition going. It's so much easier to see in person with the live feed, but these pics give the gist. . . He looks very much so like our other kiddos, especially Jayden!

I like this pic because you can see him with his fingers and hand in front of his face.

And this one because he's already smiling. . .

And this one gives you a pretty good indication on at least one side of his face. Between him moving so much and laying on top of the placenta like a pillow, most of the pics have some blurriness to them. We're on a fast countdown now though. . . He'll be here in six short weeks!

Our WILD Animal Park Visit

2011-08-06T11:32:00.000-07:00

We purchased our annual passes to the Zoo and the Safari Park, so we invited Uncle Dave and Tay Tay to go with us. We had a fun day!

Jaycee, Mama, and Tay

Jaycee and Tay

Jaycee, Jayden, and Mama

Getting ready to go see some animals!

Jayden's little face is too cute!

Dave and Tay (with Tay on her "bad side")

Jaycee's favorite thing to do: Face painting (She picked a scary shark even though we weren't at Sea World)

Uncle Dave got some sparkling red lips on his arm, we think from Tay :)

And Jaycee's other favorite thing to do: riding the carousel

And Jaycee's favorite past time (both at home at at school): Painting

Our Summer Break So Far. . .

2011-07-16T11:35:00.000-07:00

Mama has been off work for one month now. This past week alone was a busy one! We had a visit to Sea World, the San Diego Zoo, Seaport Village, and the Wild Animal Park.

Sea World

Jaycee was beyond thrilled to get her picture with the dolphin trainers/actors. This was the highlight of her day!

We caught Jayden trying to watch the computer without her sister seeing her. This is what she thought was best.

Adorable girly girl photos from Seaport Village. The matching dresses are just too cute!

Jaycee got so sit inside the Arctic helicopter at the Zoo. She looks like such a BIG kid in this picture!

And this is the face I get when she doesn't want to have her picture taken. What a scary face that is!

And her content sister. They have very different personalities!

Gorgeous Girls!

2011-06-25T11:19:00.000-07:00

Look at these beautiful girls! I love when we can actually get a friendly, all around happy photo shoot! These pictures came out darling :)

Jaycee's End of the Year Recital

2011-06-19T12:46:00.000-07:00

Jaycee and her preschool class held their End of the Year Recital this past week. Even though Jaycee will be staying in her three year old classroom, most of her older friends will be moving on to Pre-K. Jaycee was lucky enough to experience the thrill of practicing and performing, so she will be an expert by next year's recital! Here are a few pics from that day! Too cute :)

Ms. Barbara and Ms. Lauri are her awesome teachers. Jaycee loves them very much. . . And of course Ms. Cindy too! Jaycee is all smiles when it comes to preschool now. She loves every minute of it and cannot wait until school days each and every week. We are on a constant countdown to the next preschool day.

And she was awarded the "Sweet as Honey" award this year. Apparently we have a child with dueling personalities. She is VERY different at home than she is at school. Oh well, at least she's headed in the right direction with her education. Being a teacher myself, I know that having a good kiddo in school is priceless. We'll take what we can get!

All Daddy's Hard Work!

2011-05-29T11:12:00.000-07:00

Without a doubt, our Dada has been working his butt off for the last 3 years and 2 months achieving a long awaited and deserved accomplishment: his Bachelor's degree in Accountancy!!!

We are so incredibly grateful for everything he does for our family everyday and we are so proud of him for all his hard work.

There were so many nights with Daddy doing his online classes locked in the computer room, so many weekends filled with nothing but work, homework, and tests. . . We are all glad that his dedication and diligence paid off!

He wanted nothing more than to achieve his goal for his kiddos. I commend him for managing to get this work all done with a house full of craziness and noise, and too many crying, whining interruptions to count. I can honestly say that if anyone deserves this degree, it is Josh. I wonder if they'll put a little asterisk next to his name on his diploma showing that he managed to get this done while having a busy, growing family. If anything, it proves that he is able to multi-task like no other, somehow meet deadlines, and keep up a very high GPA at the same time. Josh is a modest person and doesn't like to compliment himself, but he DESERVES this and all the compliments that go along with it! He is a wonderful person, an excellent father, and the best husband a woman could ask for!

We are SO PROUD OF YOU!

We all love you very much!

Love,

Your house full of girls (and the little boy on his way)

Legoland!

2011-05-29T11:07:00.000-07:00

We finally ventured out to Legoland! It was teacher appreciation day, so Mum and I went to Legoland with the girls while Dada worked on a final and homework (our last family sacrifice for this degree!). We couldn't believe how baby/toddler friendly it was! Legoland is built for little ones. It was nice that Jayden was finally able to participate in everything too! Here are a few pics from our very fun day.

Jaycee's Preschool Picnic

2011-05-15T11:43:00.000-07:00

Jaycee's preschool had a family picnic this weekend. We went with Mum, Pa, and Davida. Jayden had a blast! All she wants to do is stay and play whenever Jaycee is dropped off at preschool, so this was Jayden's dream come true!

Jayden and Pa can never seem to smile at the same time. At least they both have goofy faces on at the same time!

Jayden couldn't believe all the "balls" at the school. She kept yelling "ball" and grabbed as many as she could (two of them that is). She was a happy camper with those!

Carlsbad Flower Fields

2011-05-15T11:35:00.000-07:00

Strike a pose! Here is Jayden watching some TV after her shower. She was casually leaning back, taking it all in. Too cute!

We went to the Carlsbad Flower Fields the first Sunday of May with Oma Sue. The weather was PERFECT (sunny, breezy, 80ish degrees, at the beach). The flowers were beautiful and my kiddos loved being outside. After the flower fields we walked around the outlet. Jaycee picked out tons of "size 3" clothes at Gymboree for preschool. She is quite the little shopper. She kept asking, "Mama, can I get this? It's a 3!". She has good taste, so how could I say no. We left with some very cute items. We had an appetite after shopping, so we headed to Joe's Crab Shack for lunch. Very good! We got to see a sea lion swimming in the dock, and the girls played at the beach for a little while. . . That is until Jayden got knocked over by a wave. She was such a trooper! She was flat on her back, covered in COLD ocean water, and she never cried once. Dada had to take her back to the car to undress her, wipe off the sand as much as possible, and get her little body warmed back up. That certainly cut our beach trip a little shorter than expected. (We decided to go back to Joe's for Mother's Day lunch and a little visit to the beach to play in the sand. That worked out a little better!)

And here's Jayden in her mess of toys, sitting in her toy box, while her big sister is at preschool. Jayden loves to climb, including into the toy box!

Easter 2011

2011-05-15T11:30:00.000-07:00

Yes, Easter was almost one month ago, but better late than never, right? It was a colder Easter than years past with even a few sprinkles in the morning. We have a great time coloring our eggs, and Opa Colin and Oma Mary (our family from Spain) even got to participate for the first time ever! As you will see, Tay Tay was there too, getting in the way of good pictures like always! Jaycee and Jayden had a great day. Jaycee was most interested in eating as much candy as humanly possible before even looking for additional eggs. Jayden was content with throwing the empty plastic eggs because "balls" are her favorite item right now. She loves to scream the word and she loves to throw anything resembling a ball as hard and as far as she can.

Jaycee's Easter Recital

2011-04-22T10:21:00.000-07:00

Here are some adorable pictures of our kiddos. Jaycee is the ultimate poser now and Jayden is up to her regular exploring.

Jaycee got to help Mum cook dinner. She even tried eating everything that she helped with, including raw broccoli and green bell peppers. She didn't spit them out, and she kept calling herself the "Top Chef".

Even Jayden gets sad sometimes, even if she is wielding a wooden sword.

And here it is! The cutest pictures in the world of my little preschool girl! She did a wonderful job with her Easter recital and was SO happy that everyone was there to visit her classroom!

Spring Break

2011-04-10T11:21:00.000-07:00

We headed out to San Diego to Sea World this spring break. Both the girls had a wonderful time and the weather was great! Jaycee was a regular maniac with all her faces and running around. It's nice to be able to take her on a few rides and go to shows now that she enjoys watching them all the way through. Here are a few of our favorite pics from that day.

St. Patrick's Day memory 2011

2011-03-23T13:55:00.000-07:00

This is what Jaycee thought of taking photos on St. Patrick's Day at preschool. She told me she was "mad" because she didn't want to take pictures.

She really DOES LOVE preschool, I swear!

What we've been up to lately

2011-03-19T11:03:00.000-07:00

This is some of Jayden's latest artwork. She snuck a marker in her diaper, turned the corner, and proceeded to Jackson Pollack the wall. Then, she RAN away when Dada caught her. Nice work Jayden!

Jaycee posing as a princess, yet again.

What Jaycee looks like early in the morning when you shove a camera in her face.

So I turned on the shower the other day and stepped away from the bathroom for a moment while the water was heating up. This is what I found when I got back. Jayden LOVES the bath and shower so she took it upon herself to get in early. Luckily, the water was still FREEZING cold and not piping hot yet. Crazy water baby!

Jaycee's makeshift office. She brought all her supplies and was ready to go!

Look how big our kitties are getting! They are so even tempered and nice to the kiddos all the time. We couldn't have asked for nicer cats! And both the girls LOVE them with cuddles and kisses everyday.

Jaycee's Nail Salon Special

2011-03-14T12:31:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from last month's nail salon special! Too cute!

Here is Jaycee with Davida (Mum and Pa's neighbor). Both using their cell phones while waiting. . . Wonder who knows how to use their phone better?!?!

Jaycee's Big Day of Preschool!

2011-03-02T12:30:00.000-08:00

Our big girl started preschool yesterday. She will be going two full days every week. She was looking forward to this day just as much as she was going to Disneyland!

She was totally fine with the morning drop off. She didn't cry or hesitate. She went right to playing just like a pro! (now, Mama on the other hand did not do so well!) We called in a few times to check on her throughout the day. She cracked an egg to help make green eggs and ham for Dr. Suess day (she didn't like the green eggs, but she did like the ham). She made an art project with dot art. She even took a nap during nap time!!! (this is a child that has not napped in over 1.5 years!)

When we picked her up, she ran to us crying and happy. She had gotten a bit worried when the other kids started to get picked up.

Overall, Jaycee did AWESOME just like we knew she would. We are so proud of our little lady and all that she is turning out to be!

And then we get home. . . Jaycee developed a high fever last night and probably won't make it to her second day of preschool. Poor baby! Maybe next week we can do both days!

Jaycee turned 3!

2011-02-15T12:18:00.000-08:00

Jaycee turned three this past weekend. We are not sure where the time has gone, but we do know that it is going by too fast! Here are a few pics from her party. We hardly got any because we had so many people go and things were non-stop fun. Jolly jump with princesses, chocolate-chocolate cake, and beautiful So Cal weather of 80+ degrees. We couldn't have asked for a better day!

The only way Taylor got to hold Jayden

Jaycee and her not-so-happy face because of being sang to

Surprise! Another present :)

Pure happiness with her jewelry made for a princess

Uncle Dave's backup profession: stylist

A happy Jayden Rylee

Jaycee is officially a BIG GIRL!!!

2011-01-30T20:59:00.000-08:00

We have a toddler that is going to be 3 in less than 2 weeks and she is finally using the potty! She has been in the process of being "trained" for the last few days, but today was officially the first day of potty time- ALL THE TIME! If you've ever had a child that has gone through potty training, then you know how unbelievably EXCITING it is, especially when you thought it was NEVER going to happen! We are very proud of Jaycee Lynn. She has been going on her own, telling us on her own, and she has had ZERO accidents today. What an awesome job she is doing. Next step, preschool. . .

Jayden Rylee had a bout of sickness just like the rest of us this month. Her's a picture of her at the middle of her drowsiness. Poor baby, she felt awful for a few days.

Jaycee is a big expert when it comes to acting. She performs scenes from her favorite movies, she sings solos from her favorite Disney musicals. . . she's a natural dramatic actress. Here are some of the pictures that SHE wanted us to take. These are her dramatic faces to show certain emotions:

Surprise!

Happiness :)

Sadness :(

And just plain scary if you ask me!

Jaycee was enjoying a Wallace and Gromit movie on her computer. Her little sister snuck in behind her to watch too. She had to stay behind Jaycee so that Jaycee wouldn't run her out of her room. Too cute. Jayden is a sneaky booger!

And this was just too cute to not post. This is what we caught our kitties doing the other day after a long hard afternoon of playing. How adorable! (Yes, that is my bathroom sink. And to think, they didn't like each other when they first got her a few weeks ago. . . How time changes things so quickly!)

Meet our newest additions

2011-01-21T08:47:00.000-08:00

We've added to our family yet again, only this time it was a pair of four-legged furry friends. We adopted Luther and Vivi (short for Vivian) last weekend at the shelter. They have been wonderful little friends and our little girls just adore them both!

Starting 2011 out with a BANG!

2011-01-13T11:21:00.000-08:00

Here is Jaycee doing one of her favorite things to do: paint at Painted Earth. She was able to go painting with Pa. Jaycee painted a dog and Pa painted a tortoise. They both came out very nice!

We decided we'd try a little road trip for the new year while I still had some vacation time left. We headed out the morning of January 1st, stopped for one night in Livermore, CA, to stay with family, then continued our Mini Copper road adventure into Oregon to stay with more family for a few nights. The first night we were in Klamath Falls, Jaycee played in the snow (a first for her). She didn't mind the freezing cold weather at all!

The next morning we suited up in our warm clothes and Jaycee was off to her adventure yet again. Jayden was content as well with her little snow suit.

On our way back home at the end of the week, we decided to break up our trip with a stop in San Francisco for the night. We managed to get quite a few things done while we were there: we visited Fisherman's Wharf, the aquarium, went to Bubba Gump's Shrimp Co. for lunch, rode on the two story carousel on the pier, and drove over the Bay Bridge twice! Everyone enjoyed themselves :)

And what better way to end a fun-filled vacation? How about with PINK EYE! Jaycee got pink eye from her second cousins in Livermore, passed that on to her sister, who then passed it on to Mama. So far, Dada has been the only lucky one to not have the infection yet. Let's hope it stays that way! There is a first for everything, even if it's not always fun first. At least the rest of our trip went unscathed. We are looking forward to going to San Francisco again soon. Hopefully we'll be able to head up there again soon because Dada is almost done with college! Yeah! Go, Dada GO!

Oh yeah, we celebrated our 5th anniversary yesterday too! What better way to celebrate than going to bed with a swollen pink eye?

Maybe next year we'll be able to do something for the two of us again :)

Christmas 2010

2010-12-27T22:25:00.001-08:00

Christmas morning went well in our new little home. It was nice waking up and having a big tree with too many presents under it. The girls had a blast, and we had fun watching them.

Dada was excited for his gift, the Mangroomer! We love you Daddy!

Jayden was so excited every time she opened a present.

So excited she had to hold it in the air to show off! Too cute!

We wanted to get as many family pictures in as we could once we got to Mum and Pa's house on Christmas day. Yes, that is Jaycee wearing yet another princess outfit, tiara and wand included.

Jaycee missed out on some of the family pics because Mum took her back to the house. The mist was trying to come in to create rain, and it got cold fast!

Jayden's photo session was so much fun. She couldn't stop smiling. Once she noticed the pool was so close by, she started to try to get in so that quickly ended our time in the pool chair.

Dada also got a hedger so that he could do some much needed yard work. He was quite happy with this gift as you can tell. (The posing was HIS idea :)

That rose bush sticking out in the picture is no longer sticking out at all. Great job cutting everything to shreds Daddy!

Cannolis and Christmas Eve

2010-12-27T22:14:00.000-08:00

We may not be Italians by blood, but we did discover cannolis this year thanks to Costco. Jaycee and Jayden love the little desserts and ate many of them this holiday season.

Here are a few pictures from decorating the tree, to trying on Christmas Eve presents!

Jayden ate too many of these cannolis!

Jaycee could not have been any happier with her Belle outfit from Beauty and the Beast.

Another cannoli eater.

Jayden taking a rest before crawling over for ever more presents.

One of Jaycee's other favorite items: the 2.5 foot tall Belle cut out. She loves having her in her bedroom!

Happy Birthday Jayden Rylee!

2010-12-12T12:13:00.000-08:00

Our little baby turns one today!

She is adorable, kind, and happy.

She has brought so much happiness and fun to our little family.

We love you Jayden Rylee!

Disneyland and Turkey Day

2010-11-27T12:41:00.000-08:00

Jaycee and Jayden got to go to Disneyland! The weather was great, the lines were long, and the people were everywhere. All in all, the girls had a wonderful experience. And, Jaycee's life was made when she got to meet Belle in person!

Could this kid's smile get any bigger?!

So Jaycee's conversation with Belle went like this:

B: I like your sweater. Do you like horses?

J: Yes. Mum has lots of horses at her house.

Jaycee looks down at her hands.

J: I don't have any nail polish on. I like the color brown.

Poor Jaycee, she had so many thoughts running through her head she couldn't get them all out. She was absolutely mortified that her nails were painted when she saw how elaborate Belle's outfit was. Too cute!

Jaycee doesn't know much about Jasmine, but Belle told her that Jasmine was her best friend. Jaycee accepted her just fine after that.

Jaycee's face painting experience at the princess castle.

Since Jaycee never could find the Beast and Belle after the parade, the Beast got her a present. She opened her present in the car and could not believe her eyes. A Belle jewelry box, with a Belle necklace inside. The Beast sure does have great taste!

If this face isn't happiness, I don't know what is!

Dada baked some chocolate chip cookies for Mama. Looks like Jayden got a hold of one. She devoured them!

Just a few pictures from our Turkey Day. Lots of good food, and tired babies at the end of the day.

Jayden looks like a cartoon character in this picture!

Jayden and Tay Tay hanging out by the sand box.

Jayden's sickness/Elephant visit

2010-11-17T12:18:00.000-08:00

Poor baby Jayden! She finally got over a four day long fever. She got her regular hepatitis B shot on Friday, then the fever broke out after that. Saturday through Monday was not nice at our house! She cried, her teeth hurt her, she couldn't nap or sleep well at night. . . The list goes on and on. She is finally showing signs of happiness. We sure did miss our nice baby!

Here are some pictures from last weekend. Mum's equine vet had a get-together and there was an elephant. She was so nice! She was 43 years old and was a regular on movies and commercials. Her name was Ty and she was very well kept. I am usually against having animals like this, but if you have to see one in captivity, you'd want to see one like her. She had a perfect body, was having fun in the water, and was free from chains. It was crazy to be so close to an elephant without any barriers. Not like the zoo at all! She was so incredibly tall, the pictures give her no justice. Jaycee thought she was funny and especially liked it when she bathed herself with her trunk.

Happy Halloween

2010-11-07T09:22:00.000-08:00

We had a nice Halloween. Jayden celebrated as being a monkey. Jaycee picked out costume months ago. . . A great white shark. She was determined to be that shark, even though the costume scared her when it got here. All went well and the girls got tons of candy.

We know monkeys belong in trees. . .

Apparently great white sharks do too!

Long time, no post. . .

2010-10-24T09:31:00.000-07:00

Here is Jaycee Lynn passed out of the couch after a long day of fun. She's so peaceful when she sleeps.

This is the hand-picked outfit for making "mud pies" according to Jaycee. It was about 90 degrees outside when she wore this. Apparently weather does not matter, it's all about the fashion.

We took our annual trip to Tom's Farm to get our pumpkins. Here are some of the cute pictures from our day.

Jaycee was a bit timid with the feathered friends. I don't blame her.

Jaycee's day spa treatment was the face painting. She was VERY relaxed during the entire process.

And, we capped the day off with a fun ride on the carousel. She loves riding on it so much, she cried when we had to leave. Poor baby. . .

The Things Jaycee Lynn Says Nowadays. . .

2010-10-11T15:36:00.000-07:00

Jaycee's vocabulary development has been fast and furious lately. The other day we went to pick up her painted kitty cat from Painted Earth and on the way home, this is what she said:

"Mama, thank you for being a good helper with my painting."

Then today, she says this:

"Can you close this?" (talking about her ziplock with apple slices in it)

"Can I have your phone?" (taking my iPhone)

"Oh Mama, you have some email messages."

I say, "I do?"

Jaycee says, "Yes. You have one email message on your phone."

What is going on?!?!? She makes us laugh daily with the things she comes up with. If you ever want to know what you really say on a regular basis, bring Jaycee. She'll repeat most of them to you. Too funny!

Here are some cute pictures from the girls daily hang out time. Jaycee now refuses to take her bath unless her sister goes in with her. And Jayden crawls over to the bathroom to join Jaycee as soon as she hears the water running. They enjoy their bath time for playing and splashing. The hardest thing is keeping Jaycee from "helping" to pour water over Jayden's hair.

This is what a day off is for. . .

2010-09-25T22:37:00.000-07:00

Mama wasn't feeling so hot, so she skipped a day of work to get better. This is just what the doctor had in mind. A nice day at the park!

Jayden with her Dada.

(Babies are so much easier to photograph that big girls, as you will soon see proof of.)

Jaycee climbing the rock wall. It's just a matter of time until she does this trick solo.

Jaycee man-handling her Dada, as usual. She is a beast of a child!

Can't you just hear the noise coming out of her at this point?

And Dada's dream of getting a beautiful picture with his two girls smiling will continue. Jaycee could not contain herself, and so Jayden found herself trying to wriggle out of Dada's arms and into the playground. Maybe someday Dada, but not today!

Pool, Computer, & Carrots

2010-09-22T10:16:00.000-07:00

Some adorable pictures from the pool on Labor Day. Little Jayden Rylee looks so cute in her two piece bikini!

How else would Jaycee work on the computer, but with two fingers up her nose?

And Jaycee's newest thing she's eating: raw carrots. She has been asking for them, then getting them herself out of the fridge. What a weirdo!

Little Jayden Rylee

2010-09-20T12:25:00.001-07:00

Jayden Rylee was so tired last week, but of course like all babies, she refused to sleep. I left her on our big bed and this is how I found her a few minutes later. Poor baby, she was so tired.

Cute pics

2010-09-04T18:09:00.000-07:00

The girls have been somewhere between best friends and jealous siblings on a daily basis. They play together, they lay together, and they steal each other's toys. Now that Jayden is close to moving as fast as Jaycee does, Jaycee needs to step it up a notch before she gets her butt handed to her. What goes around, comes around, and Jaycee is in for it soon!

What have we been up to?

2010-09-01T09:58:00.000-07:00

Summer officially took an abrupt end! We renovated our rental home, moved into what used to be our rental home, school started up again, Josh's college is still in full force, Jayden has been getting teeth (and she is cranky!), and Jaycee talks a hundred miles an hour and has major ATTITUDE! We have been SO busy, hence not blogging about anything. Here are a few pics of the home updates we were doing last month. We love being in our new little home and having so much more space. Not to mention, my drive to work went form 55 minutes one way, to a 10 minute drive instead. I LOVE my drive to work now. We still have a few things that we will need to update here and there when we get some extra money, but for now it is our home and we are happy there. More pics to come soon!

Locks of Love: Part II

2010-08-08T10:36:00.001-07:00

So it's been about 16 months since my last hair cut. I decided to donate it again to Locks of Love. Here is the before and after!

Jayden's 7.5 Month Check-up

2010-08-04T10:44:00.000-07:00

Jayden's check-up yesterday went well. Her are her latest stats:

Length: 29 inches (that is longer than 97% of all babies her age. She is almost as big as Jaycee!)

Weight: 17.11 pounds (average)

Head circumference: 17 inches (average)

Jayden is a long and lean baby. She also got her regular vaccines that have resulted in a mild fever today. Poor baby, because she also has TWO bottom teeth finally starting to break through. When is rains, it pours in this house. We like to do things all or nothing. . .

Our Fun Trip to Sea World

2010-07-26T09:53:00.000-07:00

Last week we went to Sea World for the first time since Jayden's been born. It was very productive and very different from past experiences. Jaycee had many firsts on this trip including: watching her first movie (in 4-D), riding on a child's ride above the ground, and watching a sea lion show. Both the girls had a wonderful day and Jaycee keeps asking to go back again. We even did a cute caricature picture of the two of them together.

Jayden's Bananas

2010-07-26T09:46:00.000-07:00

This is a photo experience of Jayden's bananas. She is not thrilled with food in general, so these series of pictures pretty much explain how she feels every time she eats solids.

Jaycee's best imitation of Jayden's face.

And, just like Jaycee did, Jayden enjoys playing on the computer.

A few more pictures from Solvang

2010-07-18T08:49:00.000-07:00

Jayden's 4th of July outfit. Too cute!

Jaycee's first time in a jolly jump. She loved it and gave it a thumbs up!

Jayden's first time in a swing

Jayden was over the mini horses by this point. Look at her face!

Dada was picking raspberries. Look at the size of those bushes!

Raspberry farmer Jaycee

Jaycee loved the anatomy of this statue. It's a girl.

The Horse Back Rider

2010-07-18T07:53:00.000-07:00

Lately Jaycee has wanted to ride on Princess. She even has her own little helmet that she loves. Here are a few pics from our evening ride the other day. She had a wonderful time!

Fabulous Solvang!

2010-07-03T17:12:00.000-07:00

We arrived at Solvang, CA, on July 1st. We had a great drive up with hardly any traffic and only one bottle-feeding stop in Camarillo, CA. On our first day here, we visited the awesome park filled with castles, swings, and play areas. Jaycee had a great time there, then we headed over to the little Red School House in Ballard.

On our second day here today, we headed up to Nojoqui Falls for a short hike well worth the pay off at the end. It was a beautiful day with spectacular weather and sunshine. On our way out of Nojoqui, we found an organic farm on the side of the road where we could pick our very own strawberries! It was so much fun! After strawberries, we headed to another farm of just blueberries. We were going to pick blueberries too, but the only option was a large bucket full. We opted to buy a small pre-packaged bunch instead, so the generous farmer told Jaycee she could pick a few off the smaller bushes before we left. Needless to say, Jaycee ate about 50 blueberries before we got back in the car. She couldn't get enough of them! She kept grabbing bunches and shoving them in her mouth as fast as she could. I don't think the farmer knew what he was getting himself in to!

We followed the berry picking with some walking around town. Jaycee found a candied sucker that she just had to have. It matched her shirt so well, we couldn't resist.

Tomorrow for 4th of July, we are going to watch the Solvang parade, followed by a day at the Mission for some food, fun, and games. And of course, some fireworks at night. It has been a great vacation so far!

Happy Father's Day Daddy!!! 2010

2010-06-20T23:35:00.000-07:00

Dear Dada,

Jaycee is sorry that she is in a phase right now of not wanting or needing you at all. She promises to change that phase very soon and be a Dada's girl yet again. Jayden is very happy that summer vacation is here because she can finally spend some quality-not-crying time with you. And Mama is thrilled to be spending time at home with you (when you aren't working or doing school work). Thank you for all that you do everyday! We know you're busy, but you always manage to find time for us!

Love,

All 3 of your girls :)

Memorial Day 2010

2010-06-05T09:29:00.000-07:00

Our Memorial Day fun at the pool!

Dave flipping into the pool.

Jayden trying on Taylor's glasses. Too cute!

Jaycee's post-swimming nap in the sun.

Jayden's first day in the pool!

The other morning, Josh awoke to this sight in Jaycee's room. She was passed out. We still aren't sure how she got herself into that position, but she must have been tired!

Another day at the Wild Animal Park

2010-05-26T13:33:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since we did this visit, but I figured I would post a few pictures anyway. We have been so busy lately. Life is just flying by!

Jaycee with her yogurt face. She had a great lunch!

Jaycee hiding behind the elephant fence.

All this kid does is talk, talk, talk. And she uses her hands to do it.

Jaycee comparing herself to the giant gorilla.

Jaycee Lynn watching and learning from the gorilla education video.

And even more gorilla education video watching. . .

Where are those elephants?

My little buddies. How adorable are they?

Amanda's Graduation

2010-05-16T08:45:00.000-07:00

Pa with Jayden. I love how their faces are the same here!

Jaycee with Mama.

Jaycee was thrilled with a Tootsie Roll Lollipop. She was showing Amanda how great it was.

The first time Jayden let Mama hold her like a baby since she was a newborn. We need to go to loud parties more often!

Oma Sue with Jaycee (she's now moved on to a cupcake).

Mama, Jayden, Oma Sue, Jaycee, and Mum

Oma Sue, Jaycee, Amanda, and Opa Jim

Congratulations, Amanda! You are now officially a college graduate!

Happy Mother's Day 2010

2010-05-09T21:18:00.000-07:00

Look at this jumbo foot! Big girl Jayden has huge feet!

Jaycee was smiling at the birds while we were waiting for our lunch to arrive. We had a nice afternoon of shopping and eating. Jaycee got me a blue and white soccer ball for Mother's Day. She spent over 45 minutes picking it out. She wanted no help at all from her Dada. And she bought herself a fox and a musical recorder as well. It must have been a gift for all the hard work she put in with the shopping trip!

Our cute big girls

2010-05-06T17:28:00.000-07:00

Jaycee decided to try the potty last week with panties and all. She did a great job and we were extremely enthusiastic for about an hour. Nothing actually made it into the potty, but at least she was willing to try. And with a smile at that!

Beautiful, happy Jayden Rylee.

Jayden was kicking like a man woman and Jaycee thought it was hilarious. She couldn't get over it and kept saying, "Jayden, Jayden, Oowww!". She is just an over-exaggerator.

Just chillin'. . .

The Grossest Blog Yet

2010-04-29T17:23:00.000-07:00

About two weeks ago, Jaycee dropped the baby gate on her big toe. She cried and cried. . . Nothing too out of the ordinary for that type of injury, but she wouldn't stop for quite some time. I actually thought she'd broken her toe at some point until I looked and saw a wiggle or two. A few hours after the incident, Jaycee Lynn would not stop complaining and whining about her toe. Sure enough, there was a blue bruise (a little hard to tell because of the purple nail polish). It started to swell, and swell, and swell.

Then, the night we were on the dinner cruise in San Diego, Jaycee was wearing her fancy evening sandals. While dancing around, she tripped and smashed the front of her toe. She cried and cried. Then she told me she felt better (there was blood and puss everywhere by the point). She had managed to pop the pressurized toe and get some relief. And so, over the last few weeks, the toenail has slowly but surely been peeling it's way off it's original location. These pictures are from today. Quite the progress! And it will grow back. There is a healthy little nail underneath this hideous one. Poor Jaycee :(

Jayden's 4 Month Check-up

2010-04-28T08:21:00.000-07:00

Jayden's stats for her four month check-up:

Weight: 14.10 pounds (50% percentile)

Length: 26 inches (95% percentile)

Head Circumference: 16.25 inches (50% percentile)

To compare Jaycee and Jayden's length, Jaycee was 26 inches at her 6 month check-up. We're not sure where Jayden gets her length, but she is one LONG baby girl!

We've been busy. . .

2010-04-24T08:20:00.000-07:00

We have been so busy these past few weeks! Back to school after spring break, our family visiting from England (then getting stuck in California for an extra week because of Iceland's volcano), Josh in school and working, etc, etc, etc. Life goes by way too fast. Luckily in the mix of everything we've gotten a few good pics of the girlies.

A serious picture of Jaycee Lynn on our dinner cruise in San Diego.

Jayden before her very first cereal eating experience. A happy girl in her big girl high chair.

And the cereal tasting begins. . .

The "what Jayden thought of it" face. She actually didn't mind it at all. She's got such a go-with-the-flow type of personality. She is a doll!

How cute are those eyebrows?!

A Day at the Wild Animal Park

2010-04-08T22:47:00.000-07:00

We had a few hours this afternoon and spent it at the Wild Animal Park. It was a beautiful day with perfect weather. Jaycee got to visit the gorillas, the elephants, and the "park" (aka the kids' play area).

A cute short story:

We were looking in a gift shop, contemplating buying an overpriced little toy for Jaycee. She found little toy animals. I said "Oh, look at the monkey." To which Jaycee replied, "No unkey, gorilla." Ah, yes, she was right. Gorillas and monkeys are different animals. Duh Mama!

Whale Watching

2010-04-06T21:56:00.000-07:00

We went whale watching today in Dana Point, CA. Unfortunately, we did not see any whales, but did see a few pods of dolphins (some common and bottle nose). To make a long story short, Mama and Jayden are the only ones that made it though the day without feeling the motion sickness part. There was no barfing, but there were some upset stomaches and sadness midway though the boating trip (i.e. Dada and Jaycee). And poor Jaycee, she didn't do too well on the winding road over from our side of the mountain either. Two bad motion sickness trips back to back. . . but we all survived and without a change of clothes! Yeah, we might have pushed it a little, but we did get some great pictures.

Easter 2010

2010-04-05T10:59:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Easter morning with lots of treats and smiles.

Easter Day Plateau Walk

2010-04-05T09:40:00.000-07:00

Easter afternoon we decided to go on a hike to the Plateau. We visited the Vernal Pools (which were full of water snakes, eeww!). Here are some of the pics from our day!

Dave & Taylor

The Becerra Bunch

One of Dave's masterpieces

A cute picture, that Tay snuck up on! We had no idea she was behind us until we saw the picture at home!

Jaycee and her Dada

Another nature shot from Dave

The best picture we could get, despite the wind.

Dave's pose of strength

Jaycee with Mama

Dave with Oma Inge (and it was her birthday too!)

OMG- Our camera is here!

2010-04-01T21:46:00.000-07:00

We finally got our new camera; hence the wonderful pictures!

Have Sponge Bob, Will Sleep

2010-04-01T09:11:00.000-07:00

Our little Sponge Bob lover finally got her own big girl bed! She loves it and actually slept her full 13 hours in it last night. When she woke up this morning, she didn't want to get out. She laid around for a long while. enjoying her independence and her little babies to share in on the fun. All it took was a little head and back rubbing from Mama, and this little girl was out happily for the night. Congrats, Jaycee! You're on your way to being a very big, brave girl!

And Jayden continues to sleep soundly in her crib. She actually really dislikes being held when she sleeps (complete opposite from Jaycee when she was a baby). She will squirm and wiggle until you put her down because she loves being sprawled out. No wonder she is so long! Having our bed to ourselves was nice, except for the fact that the cat decided he would fill Jaycee's void. If it's not one, it's another.

This picture is right after Jaycee counted to ELEVEN! I knew she could count to ten, but eleven was a new one! What a smarty pants!

Nice weather= Nice pictures

2010-03-31T10:56:00.000-07:00

Putting the girls in matching outfits has to be the BEST part of having little ones close in age. How adorable are they?

Since it was sunny and warm out yesterday, we decided to have lunch by the pool. Jaycee played in the cold water, ate her pizza, and wore her sunglasses with style! Can't wait for even warmer weather and everyday by the pool! Summer is just around the corner. :)

A Beautiful Spring Day, Again!

2010-03-28T19:35:00.000-07:00

Some adorable pictures from the duck pond today. Super cute!

Up Close Pictures of Jaycee Lynn

2010-03-27T14:51:00.000-07:00

These are some of the same pictures that are shown below, just zoomed in a bit to see that adorable face!

And So Spring Break Begins!

2010-03-27T14:39:00.000-07:00

It could not have been a more perfect spring day today as we went walking at the Santa Rosa Plateau with Mum, Oma Sue, and Amanda. Jaycee had a great time and there were plenty of nice pictures to take.

The Best Kiddos in the World!

2010-03-23T08:19:00.000-07:00

What is better than coming home from work on a Monday afternoon, having spent a wonderful fun-filled weekend, and hearing "Mama, miss you!" from your two year old that is giving you a hug and kiss- followed by the biggest and brightest smile that a 3 1/2 month old can give?

NOTHING! There is nothing better than that welcome!

**Cute little story:

Jaycee went to put on pajamas last night before bed. She reminded me that she needed a diaper because she had "pee pee" in there. Then she told me "poopoo" just to get a reaction out of me. (My reaction is always "Eeww, stinky") When I asked her if she had poopoo, she smiled and laughed and said "NO!". Then as I went to changer her diaper for the evening, she proceeded to tell me "TOLD YOU" in the loudest, proudest voice she could make. Yes, Jaycee told me, and surprise, surprise, Jaycee was right! Now, if only we could get the "told you so" on the big girl potty, we'd be in business! (Jaycee did actually run to the bathroom last night and sit on the big girl potty though. She thought she was going to give it a try. Nothing came out, but she definitely gets a A for effort and enthusiasm! :)