Valentina Deals with the Paparazzi

Well another day, another moment to spend with Valentina. And what do adults do after they have spent 9 months waiting for someone to be born, waiting to finally see what someone looks like? 

Well they stare and they take pictures, lots and lots of pictures, so they don't forget any moments.

 "Please Ma! No More Pictures!"

Valentina's Drunk

Ok so I don't love the idea of pumping and as with the other kiddies, the first few days of breast feeding seemed constant and a little painful, but I always loved the feeling of satisfying and providing for my newborns and with Valentina it is no different. I love when they have had their fill and are so intoxicated with milk they completely pass out. 

Got Milk

Valentina Settles In

Now Valentina has been here a full day everyone is getting used to our new addition and our new addition is getting settled in.

Valentina's first tummy time. After one little yelp she fell asleep. As you can see she already has a pacifier and the reason for that is the doctor said she was a sucker (she was actually caught sucking her thumb inside the womb), so in order to have her not use me as a pacifier she suggested we get her a legitimate one.

Once Lucia got home she raced in took a shower and felt it necessary to read Valentina one of her favorite books.

Grandma's a pro - she has little Val in the palm of her hand

Yep this is all she did pretty much the whole day...being born is exhausting

 And of course the kids wanted to get them some Val love as well. While Lucia is a happy camper who is thrilled to be a big sis...

...Mateo takes this job very seriously

Valentina's 2nd Day

Since I gave birth to Valentina early in the day yesterday, I was given the possible option of leaving today instead of spending another night in the hospital. I was very excited about this, no more night time nurses prodding and poking me, no more weird noises coming from a roommate one curtain away from me, no more bland hospital food and I would get to see my bigger kids, but it would be left up to my OB and the hospital pediatrician. My OB told me she had no problem letting me go, but the pediatrician was more wary. Little Valentina had to pass the test (a test at the young age of 2 days). She had to poop and she had to pass a test that proved she didn't have jaundice.

I love this picture...it was just the two of us resting in the room. Me staring at her and all her peacefulness and her just cuddling up to me...her mama and being totally zen

Yah! She passed the tests!  We are out of here. As you can see she wasn't a fan of the car seat.

But she soon got used to hit. Please note: this layette was provided by Anissa who made sure to give it to Grandma to bring for Valentina

The kids thought I was coming home tomorrow, so you can imagine their surprise when they came home and there I was with their new sibling. Lucia thought she was a doll and as you can see from this picture was totally smitten and in awe.

Mateo is already a pro at being a big brother, but he was also very much in love with his second little sister

Of course Navita had to get in on the action too (notice the watchful eyes of Lucia).

Welcome home Valentina!

Welcome Valentina!

So our lives have been officially changed. What was once a fun family of 4 has now become a fabulous family of 5. There is not much I can say except this was the most straightforward and accommodating pregnancy I have ever had. Everyone was so sure that I would go early given Mateo and Lucia were a week early. Our little one was kind enough not to come early which allowed me to hire and welcome in a new member to my team at work. It also meant I could attend Mateo's piano recital and Lucia's ballet recital. But she didn't come so late that it would interfere with Lucia's gymnastics performance coming up this weekend. Not only that, but Grandma didn't have to come early and got to finish work. I was given two due dates - one from my doctor (June 7th) and one from the hospital (June 10th) and this little lady hit right in the middle. The timing is so perfect that I get to have the whole summer off and go back after Labor Day. Let the games begin!

I started having contractions the night before and just before 5AM my water broke. (Note: with Mateo my water broke which is how I knew and with Lucia my contractions were coming consistently - this is the only one that gave me both water breaking and contractions. This was also the first time that I felt Braxton Hicks weeks before). Here I am ready to go to the hospital...contractions were about 8-9 minutes apart. Let's just say that after this things came on a lot faster than I had expected. I went from 8 minutes apart to 5 minutes apart to no minutes apart rather quickly or at least quickly for me. I labored with Mateo for about 18-19 hours and with Lucia for approximately 15 hours, so I was used to an all-day affair...

Valentina Vielot Gonzalez, however, had other ideas and was born at 12:11 PM. Before lunch time! Only 7 hours...that is a record for me!

Ten fingers, ten toes and one bundle of love

7lbs 9oz , 19inches long

Proud Papa

Grandma Sonia meets her 3rd grandchild

And Aba snuggles with her 4th 

Thank you baby girl for making this so easy for me. We love you so much welcome to our family.

Lucia's Ballet Recital - 2014

Lucia's 2nd year of ballet has come to an end which means it is recital time! We got her dressed, hair and makeup done and ready to roll for her recital. She was very excited and so were we.

Pretty ballerina

She takes her curtsy very seriously

Big bro Mateo is always there to support his little sis

Lucia waited patiently in the auditorium until it was time to go back stage. We showed up early so we could get good seats. That shoulder poking into the picture on the right is actually Grandma. She flew in earlier this year to be here for the newest arrival and luckily she also got to attend Lucia's recital.

Mommy, Lucia and littlest sis (in utero). Papi and Mateo in the background are focused on other things.

Backstage, Lucia met up with her co-stars Amelia (in stylish specs) and Vivy

And of course BFF Alma

All if the performances were inspired by Disney songs

Lucia was in the second performance

Center stage

And there goes the curtsy. I would have filmed it, but we ordered the DVD which turns out was a waste because the girls' performance lasted all of 38 seconds...yep 38 seconds as in the same amount of time as a short commercial. They spent a whole 10 months in ballet and had to attend a rehearsal, buy costumes and tickets, etc for a whole 38 seconds. If you blinked or kneeled down to pick something up you would have missed it. As a matter of fact, Aba and Abu actually did miss it because they were running late. While they were all very cute we were very disappointed. 

No matter, we still took Lucia out to dinner of her choice which was ..."the fire place" aka Hibachi where she showed us her improved chopstick skills

"In yo face!" 

We are very proud of you Little Miss

Lucia Visits Kindergarten

Although Lucia is still technically in Pre-K, today she took baby steps towards her entry into Kindergarten. She has always been excited about the prospect of going to the same school as Mateo and today her future Kindergarten class held an orientation for incoming students. She has visited as a little sister before and seemed much more excited then. Today she was a little shy and apprehensive.

But with some crayons, paper and snacks she got into the swing of things. (By the way she picked this very Latin American looking outfit for today's orientation...not sure why, but she's a cuties as usual)