Spring Forward!

...And that is just what the Sweet Pea is doing! She is a full-scale crawler now. She is officially and entirely mobile! You can tell how she just relishes the freedom of indpendent mobility. She is working to pull herself up into a standing position, and is having more frequent success at this endeavor! Also, she got another tooth this week (the second center tooth on the bottom). I have pictures of all of these really fun updates, but am having trouble with my firewall. I will post more pictures and videos as soon as I can get that worked out.

In other news, Eric has been accepted to Durham University (UK) - so that was exciting!! At this point, we're still awaiting word about funding before we make a decision... hopefully, by the middle of April we will know a little bit more. We will keep you posted!

More fun with the Sweet Pea...

For those of you fans of her crazy hair (which tamed considerably in her fourth month), you'll be pleased to see that something of a rebellious mop is surfacing now in her eighth month. Not as edgy, perhaps, as the spikes of yore... but funky in their own right. Definitely they have a sort of free-flowing personality that mimic's Belén's. Now that she has discovered the possibility of mobility, she has actually become a pretty determined little girl. Cuddle? Not so much. She understands now that there is a world out there and she must learn how she can first access and then conquer it. She will do this first by rolling with authority. And as seen in the picture below, she is very close to full and complete dominion. If only she can master the crawling maneuver. For the present, she pulls her knees up under her... and she's pretty sure she is supposed to do something after that, but she hasn't quite worked out the particulars of how.

Here she is at her play table. She is getting pretty good at holding onto tables to hold herself up. Standing is her favorite thing. That, and when Papa walks her through the house. Here's a little video of that. I know the lighting isn't so good, but the giggle is worth the poor quality of the video.

Oh, and yes, the pearly white prize I promised you last post... here is my attempt to capture it. I admit, it is a little hard to see - but I assure you, it is there and it is sharp like a puppy-tooth. Watch out!

Eight months... wow!

I know we have been woefully remiss at posting new offerings. Life is speeding along at a breakneck pace, and our baby girl is growing far faster than we are wiling to admit. Interestingly, the past four months have been somewhat lacking in updates (except for photos, which most of you are able to peruse regularly via Facebook). http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=56711&id=537904122&l=fdbac

But, I am pleased to report that the last two weeks have been chock full of advances in her development, and so I have been inspired anew to boast, er, publish some of these highlights!

I believe it was February 1st when I sensed her dental discomfort, stuck my index finger on her gums and discovered the point of her first little baby tooth! Sharp little guy, like a puppy tooth. It is the center tooth on the bottom, just right of center. I'm trying feverishly to catch a little picture to post, but it is still somewhat stingy in its revelation. The gums around it are so swollen (presumably trying to push forth it's left-sided counterpart) that I cannot see it very well. Over the last three weekends, though, it is becoming decidedly more apparent. Pictures will surely follow in the next week or two.

Eric and I have been working with her for months to teach her clapping. She is always mildly amused when our hands make that anticipated sound - but she had never once been inclined to mimick it. At best she would grab our hands... for weeks, we would teach, unable to see the fruits of our efforts. Well. Last Thursday, I got home from work late - after 7pm - and as I looked to my left, I saw Belén in her high chair. In my usual, mama's-rather-crazy kind of voice, I exclaimed, 'Sweet Pea!' and looked up with a huge smile and began clapping her hands! She repeated the act the next morning when I walked in to kiss her as Eric was changing her out of her pajamas. :) She is a happy, clapping little girl! I was encouraged not only because she expressed joy at my arrival, but because, while it seemed that all of those weeks of teaching were not yeilding any fruit, they were producing something deep - under the surface, gathering strength, just waiting for the right moment to be revealed. I expect this is one of the most important truths of parenthood from here on out: even if it doesn't seem like they're getting "it" (whatever you may be trying to teach them), do not give up. Your input, guidance and encouragement are sowing seeds that take time to sprout. God is that way with me. I'm so grateful for His patience and persistence and unconditional love.

Another development that will change our lives forever has begun taking place over the last week or so. As Belén crossed the threshhold into her eighth month, she finally got the hang of rolling over expertly. Previously, she would use this skill only to relieve herself of the burden of Tummy Time, to which Eric and I were relentlessly committed for her. Now, she rolls around the room with gymnastic proficiency. She has also begun pulling her knees up underneath her, with her arms extended. She rocks back and forth like that for some time. She appears convinced that she ought to be able to move both knees forward simultaneously, and so she is fixated on that tactic. Unfortunately, this usually results in a face plant and subsequent tears. But she has had a few moments of shining success where she moved one coordinated crawling motion forward before collapsing into the posture of tummy time. Putting her to bed now is a rather futile process. As soon as we lay her down she quick flips over and begins the work of lifting the weight of her midsection up on her toes with her arms extended in front of her. Then she preforms a series of tuck-and-rolls around the crib until she hits her head on the bumper-less slats. I'm rethinking that decision to return the bumper now. :) She will survive.

Now we just pray that Eric and I will survive as she enters this very fun, very new, very mobile season of life.

Autumn with the Lopezes

It has been far too long since we posted here. Really - I think God should reconsider this whole "time" thing to add more hours to the day... Belén is growing so beautifully. Eric and I so often look at each other and marvel that this little miracle is ours. She started giggling last week. I literally jumped for joy last week when I first heard it; it is the sweetest sound in the history of the world.

She just turned five months old last week - we've hit a few major milestones: she now sleeps in her own bedroom, in her own crib (up until last month, she was in the bassinet next to our bed). To be honest, I think it is much more challenging for us than it was for her! She is now sleeping 9-11 hours each night. And a few weeks ago, taking cues from her that her tummy just needed a little something more, we started her on rice cereal. She doesn't mind it - as long as she's not too hungry. If she is too hungry, she has no patience for dealing with a spoon - she just wants the bottle. Standing up is her favorite thing. We try to give her plenty of tummy time to encourage rolling over and starting to crawl, but really, she would rather stand all the time. She can't sit unsupported just yet, but she is getting close! Her teeth clearly bother her sometimes, but we can't feel the teeth poking through just yet.

Friday, we get ready to go visit our family in Georgia - and we can't wait for them to meet her. Who could resist THIS face??!

Here are some of the highlights of fall we have shared:

The coming of the Red Cup is a great tradition in the Lopez family - and this year it was awesome to get to share this goodness with our little girl.

I love how she looks like she just took a scandalous sip of caffeinated beverage... :) (she didn't)

We had a great time visiting the Pumpkin Patch with her!

And, she enjoyed her first Presidential Election! Our friends Todd and Mandy came over to watch history unfold together with us and Belén did her part in a patriotic onesie...
Mandy made an awesome stars and stripes crudite platter with non-partisan ranch dip... and we added some Freedom Fries, and Chicken Wings (Left Wings AND Right Wings) to add to the bipartisan fun. A lovely time was had by all!

It has been a beautiful (and very eventful) autumn season here in Portland. Here is a shot of the trees that line the main road leading to our complex.
And Belén seems to be enjoying all of our Lopez Family traditions.... Good thing! 'Cause we're having a lot of fun with her!

We were walking through the mall on Friday night and were offered a free 10 X 13 photo just for coming in. Not having anything else to do, we stopped in for an impromptu photo session with our baby girl. This was my favorite one (nevermind the watermark that keeps us from stealing them... if you'd like to purchase prints or see the other prints, just go to: http://smilestore.picturepeople.com/my/images?cg=207294587118226435).

She is getting more and more vocal. She loves to sing with me. When I lay her on the changing table, I sing her "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" (because that's her favorite) and she just ooohhs, and aaaahhhhs and coos right along with me to sing her song, too. It is the sweetest thing ever! I try to catch it on video to post, but she is mighty aware of the camera these days and quickly quiets herself in its presence.

She is also discovering her hands; in fact, she is rather obsessed with them. She watches them and while she moves her fingers one at a time. She is now very skillfully grabbing at things in her play gym on purpose. She is also sitting up straight (although she has to be supported still) and doing little baby-crunches. She's going to have Baby-Abs-of-Steel in no time! :)

She has fun on Fridays when she goes over to Miss Michelle's house and plays with Michelle's daughter, Belle, who is one week older than Belén. She does really well when we need to leave her with someone for the day. We get consistent, rave reviews that she is the easiest baby ever. Although, now that I've blogged that, it is sure to change. :)

New Pictures!!

I've posted some updated pictures on Facebook. You can view them here:
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=37840&l=3a9b6&id=537904122

I know - it's not ideal... but when I can, I'll add some of them to the blog page here and comment a little more.

Blessings to you all!

Working Mom

So, last week was my first week back to work and it went well. I did cry on Tuesday morning as I left, but who wouldn't? Thanks to all of you who have been praying for us during this secondary transition to parenthood + working full time... Thank you to my awesome coworkers who have made me feel so missed, and so welcomed back. In fact, special thanks to my boss, Paul Griffin, and co-workers Dave Funk, Russell Lacy, and John Mayner who dressed in costumes and danced to an updated rendition of Y-M-C-A, penned by Dave Funk. This amazing performance put an inforgettable joy into a day that could have otherwise been melancholy. Here are the lyrics for your viewing enjoyment... (Don't forget to do the hand motions!) :)
Young mom, there's no need to feel down
I said young mom, got your friends all aroun’
I said young mom, 'cause you're back in our town
There's no need to be unhappy

Young mom, here’s a place you can go (motion to seat)
I said young mom, ‘cause you're short on your dough
Welcome back here, and I'm sure you will find
Many ways to have a good time

It's fun to have you back, T-A-R-A (rpt)
We have everything, but Belén, to enjoy
You can hang out with all us boys

Young mom, are you listening to me
I said young mom, no maternity leave
I said young mom, you don’t have to feel grief
But you've got to know that one thing

No mom does it all by herself
I said young mom, put your pride on the shelf
And just call her, that is Belén Lopez
I'm sure that you will smile when she says…

It's fun to be with Dad, T-A-R-A(rpt)
He has everything that I like to enjoy
I can hang out with all my toys

Young mom, we were once in your shoes
I mean, we were down and out with the blues
We knew no one answered 5-3-5-5
We felt the whole world was so jive

That's when someone came up to us
Said this young mom, took a car or a bus
To a place there called the Multnomah U.
And there’s no no diapers to do

It's fun to have you back, T-A-R-A(rpt)
Your desk is all clean
It’s just two bucks a meal, You can do whatever you feel


If only I had the pictures or video to show you! :) It was great!

And I'm happy to report that Eric is loving being home with Belén (and he's just the best dad you've ever seen). After her shots last week, it took several days for her to get back to her normal, laid-back self, but they seem to be finding a good routine so that he can get some work done during her naptimes. So, life in the Lopez household is moving right along... God is so faithful to us and we're so grateful for this life we get to live.

Thankfully, I am happy to report that little Miss Belén is about sleeping through the night. At least half of the time, she is sleeping from about 9 PM to about 5 AM. So as long as we go to sleep when she does, we can get a full night's rest! :)

I know I need to post some updated pictures. But those will just have to wait for another day (sorry!)...

Traumatic Day!

Well, I'm sorry to say that I don't have any new pictures to post this time around. But I do want to update you all about her doctor's appointment a few days ago... She had her two-month checkup (a little late... she is now two months and three weeks old). Eric and I had a little wager going about how much she weighs. I am slightly too proud to announce that I hit the nail right on the head: she weighs 12 lbs, 8 oz! She's in the 75th percentile for her weight. And in height, she is 24.5 inches long, which puts her in the 95th percentile for height. She's definitely our growing girl. After all those weeks of not gaining any weight in the beginning, I think she's making up for lost time! The doctor was very pleased with her growth and her meeting developmental milestones.

Then came the shots. OH! It is the sadest thing ever to hold your daughter's wee little fingers and hands while the nurse quickly injects her legs with three separate injections! Belén cried and cried and cried. At first, I was laughing (you know, that really inconvenient emotional reflex that rises up and causes you to react in the most inappropriate way possible to sensitive situations... Am I alone in that?)... but after a few seconds of her screaming cries, I just held her close and cried right with her. It is a terrible thing when you child hurts, even though you know it is for thier own good.

So, even though it was rather traumatic for her (and me,too, I guess!), she seems to be doing well now - all 12 lbs. and 8 oz. of her! Man, I wish Eric and I had bet something good! :) Oh, well...

Right now, we're enjoying Labor Day weekend, and soaking up my last days of being a stay-at-home-mom. Tuesday is the big day for me to venture back to working full-time. Maternity Leave has been so amazing; I feel like I needed every moment of it to acclimate to my new role and to get to know our little girl. It has been a beautiful honeymoon of sorts - where the frightful pace of everyday life mercifully slows to afford us a sweet season to bask in the newness of this parent-child relationship. It is sad to me in the same way it is sad when Belén outgrows some of her tiny newborn clothes: it confirms that life is fleeting and that we cannot cling to any one season too long - no matter how much we love it and want to hold onto it, it is time to move on. Any parent is proud to see their child grow healthy and strong... we wouldn't have it any other way. But I do not think I am alone in mourning the passage of a time that is so new and so sweet...

Silver Lining: I am truly grateful to have such an awesome place of employment with coworkers who are some of the best folks around. My heart is heavy to think that I'll leave my girl for so many hours a day but I am grateful that Eric will get to work from home and take care of her everyday. So, if you think about it, say a little prayer for us as we transition into this new season. And if you want to, send us an email - we'd love to hear from you! ericandtaralopez@gmail.com

Playing in the Activity Gym

We wanted to share with you the joy of watching her discover things... of course, as usually happens, most of her smiles happened off-camera. But, still, it is fun to watch her play! :)

Updates

This is my last full week of maternity leave so we're just trying to enjoy some dedicated, uncomplicated family time together. Eric is still working a lot, but we try to make time to have fun together, too, before the busyness of "the real world" sets in. This week, Belén will have her 2-month check up (even though, this week, she is 2 months and 3 weeks old - that's just when we could get an appointment). So we'll be excited to see how she's growing in height/weight... but in all respects, we can really see how much she's growing every day. It happens so fast! Here are a few glimpses into an ordinary day in the Lopez household...

Belén and Eric like to sit together and think deep thoughts...

And she loves tummy time!

Seriously, this hair is 100% all natural! We don't even do this on purpose! Isn't it amazing?? :)

This is the view I get when I look down to her while she is in the front-pack carrier...
I prefer the Moby Wrap, but sometimes, this one is better for when I'm doing things
around the house with her...

She's dancing on top of the exercise ball! Her legs are so strong!

Belén's Favorite Things

After our big day at the zoo, Belén had a hard time waking up the next day! She was conked out and so comfy, sleeping on her daddy's chest (Eric was fast asleep, too!).

This week with her has been a lot of fun.. She's really beginning to show more of the fun developmental things like smiling in response to us through her adorable, gummy grin. And we're beginning to discover what some of her favorite activites are.

...Like the activity gym (below). A few times each day we put her here and turn on the musical star at the top and she just dances her little legs around and flails her arms to the music. She is just beginning to reach and grab at the toys that hang down from above. She has such fun here! And when she's done (usually after 15-20 minutes) she calls for us by yelling "Ah! Ah!" And then we know she is ready for something new. We love that she is beginning to communicate with us!
This picture was taken just as she was waking up from a nap... she definitely looks like she's up to something! She actually grabbed the blanket and pulled it up over her head that way. It was just too cute to resist!

Another one of her favorite things is BATHTIME! She cannot get enough of the water! She hears the water running and she gets this look of joy and peace. Then I settle her down into the water and she is so happy, so calm. But lately, she's been getting more playful. She is discovering that she can splash the water and sometimes, she tries to kick away from me. I'm certain it is just the budding evidence of her destiny as an Olympic swimmer!

Her hair is still crazy (unless it is sopping wet, as you can see!). Eric and I have decided that it looks like of like the hair of those troll dolls that were so trendy in the 90's... :) But she's still our little cutie! Someone once told me that they believed babies needed two things to be irresistably adorable: chubby cheeks and scary hair. I think we can all agree that, according to that definition, Belén is the most adorable baby on the planet!

Another one of Belén's favorite things is the morningtime. Eric will often give her a feeding around 5:30 or 6:00 am and then they play together for a little while. Then he brings her to our room and wakes me up by laying her in the bed there with us (she usually wants to nurse). But she is just full of sunshine in the mornings. Her best smiles are always during this sweet morning time together. This time I caught her in the act!
She is definitely our little sunshine! :)

Big Day at the Zoo!

On August 6th, we got to have a big day out to the Oregon Zoo! My awesome place of employment hosts a picnic every year where we get to bring our families and enjoy festivities and food and time connecting with each other. It is wonderful! So, even though I'm on maternityy leave, I got to go see all my co-workers... such awesome folks! And Belén got to experience the Zoo for the first time!

Beginning our big day!

Hanging out with the Cougars! (She's actually awake! It's a miracle!)

Happy family photo - with the giraffe! I love how he looks so poised for his photo with us! :)

She is dressed just right for the zoo! But she's had a long day and she is surely tuckered out!

Later that night... I got her this cute hat to keep the sun out of her face, and it matches her giraffe onesie from Gymboree (an awesome gift from Eric's boss). She evidently has serious issues when it comes to accessories. She didn't like this any better than she liked the barrette I put in her hair. :) I think I must be a mean mommy because these pictures of her crying are so funny to me!

The second after I snapped this shot, I was appalled to see a critter hopping along the baseboard of her nursery!! Seriously, a little tree frog was just making himself at home in her room! I stalked it with a box in hand and it hopped up the wall and under the crib and all over the north side of the room. Meanwhile, Belén is still screaming because I've caused her to remain in her undesirable accessory for far longer than necessary. I wouldn't leave the nursery because I didn't want the frog to sneak out into another part of the house... and Eric wasn't home and I wasn't about to touch this frog myself... so I did what any reasonable scaredy-cat would do: I called the emergency maintenance hotline! :) The onsite fellow who came was amused to discover that I had manged to trap it under the confines of an empty wipes box which I then secured with an iron on top. He was less amused to have to leave the confines of his cozy evening at home for my "emergency," which he removed by grabbing the two-inch beast with his hand and promptly releasing him in my front yard. Still, he was gracious, and all was well.

I still can't fathom how the critter got into my home... I kind of wonder if, while walking through the exhibits earlier in the day, he hopped onto Belén's carriage and made himself our own little "Zoo-venier!"

Sometimes, she looks like the tiniest infant... and sometimes she just looks like such a little girl! Either way... she has captured our hearts completely...

I finally did catch her smiling today with my camera in hand!

And that was even after this little episode... (She became rather angry once I placed the barrette in her hair. It is crazy trying to tame that 'do!)

It's as though she is saying, "Fine! I'll wear it, but I'm not gonna be happy about it!"

But she really enjoys it when we get to go on outings...

We finally got to go berry-picking on Sunday after church... we picked Marionberries, Blackberries and Raspberries. Delicious! Sadly, Belén slept through the whole thing in the Moby (my fabric wrap carrier), but we had a great time. The pictures are all on the camcorder, though, and I don't know how to get them off (Eric will have to do that). But Eric is staying busy with lots of work... and I have another four weeks of maternity leave. I anticipate doing a little bit of work from home in the weeks to come. I'll return to work full time on September 2nd... Eric's work is work that he does from home, with the occassional meeting on campus at George Fox Evangelical Seminary, so he will be able to be the primary caregiver for our sweet girl for 95% of the time while I'm at work. We feel so glad that God has worked out these details... it is so much nicer to be able to know that one of us will get to be with her most of the time.

So right now, we're just trying to enjoy every bit that this last month of maternity leave has to offer... soaking up every minute with our growing girl...

Still Getting the Hang of Blogging...

Since I can't seem to get as many pictures as I would like into these pages - here is a link to my Facebook photo albums for your viewing enjoyment!

First month: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=29852&l=4b301&id=537904122
Second month: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=31197&l=b4245&id=537904122

Maybe one of these days we'll be really cool & figure out how to post video! ...But for now this will have to do!

She is almost two months old!

So... we've been a little busy as we have adjusted to this last two months, hence the sporadic postings of this fledgling communique. This whole thing is definitely intense, but it is also really wonderful!

This little white-shirt-with-the-flowers picture (thank you Auntie Keri!) is from June 23rd.



This little stroll is from June 24th. Belén is growing by leaps and bounds... I'll try to be a little more faithful about blog entries from here on out (at least until I go back to work) because we definitely want this to be a place where you can check in to watch our little Sweet Pea grow. We may not have the luxury of living close by, but the Internet sure makes the world a much smaller place and we surely ought to take advantage of it! So, enjoy the photos and either post comments, or send us an email (ericandtaralopez@gmail.com) - we'd love to hear from you!


Belén still hasn't really settled into a schedule, and we're still learning how to guide her into one. But last night, she slept from 10PM to 5AM! It was blissful! Usually, she's just getting up for one middle-of-the-night feeding, so we are hopeful that she'll be able to sleep through the night in the not-too-distant future.


This big, adorable yawn is from July 3rd.

This little pose is from July 19th - she's just five weeks old here.

She is just starting to smile - which is so amazing. What a precious reward for parenthood - just one little smile. It totally lights up our day to see it! She is pretty elusive when it comes to us pesky paparazzi... we cannot catch the smile on film for anything. But as soon as we do, we will post it up for all to see! She has started doing this rather hilarious thing: she has discovered her own crazy hair. She likes to run her little fingers through it, and then, grab hold of it with all of her might resulting in no small degree of discomfort, but she will not let go - she just lay there, crying over the meanie who is pulling on her hair! We try to unlatch her hand from her abundant locks of hair between our own compassionate giggles, but to no avail. At some point, she just wears herself out and relents and, oddly enough, the pain disappears, too! :)

Last Sunday was a big day for her: she stayed in the nursery during Sunday morning church and then, later that afternoon, Auntie Jessica came over to babysit her while mommy and daddy went on a date for their Sixth Wedding Anniversary. She did well for all of these new things, and we didn't fare so badly, either. We actually really enjoyed our date! It is amazing how quickly five hours goes by! But it was a lot of fun... and we had so much to celebrate as we marked this anniversary. We're so thankful to God and His blessings for these amazing years of marriage and now parenthood.

This coming week, we will get to take our daughter for her first trip to the Zoo and hopefully get to go pick some of our luscious Oregon berries! Undoubtedly, she will sleep through all of these adventures, but we will be sure to take plenty of pictures of these escapades, nonetheless! In the meantime, we'd love to hear from you!

Hospital Visits