She's Here!

I am a very proud auntie. Aaliyah Roseann Rasul came into the world yesterday. Cita went into labor at 5:30 in the morning, was at the hospital at 7:15 and delivered Aaliyah at 9:41. I cannot believe it was all so fast. It's hard being a teacher and not being able to just leave your job. My wonderful colleagues helped me out and I left at lunch time to meet my new niece in Santa Cruz. She is damn cute...8 lbs 6 oz, 20 and 3/4 inches. Jake and Cita asked me to be her Godmother and I could not be more honored. I am so excited for the kids to meet their new cousin.

Welcome Aaliyah!

Sparkles

The other day Haley said, "Mommy, I have sparkles coming out of my feet that you can't see. They don't hurt."
Her foot was asleep.

MIA

I realize we have not posted in awhile. January has been a crazy month, just like all the others I guess. 2009 has been treating us well so far. We are all healthy and happy. A woman at work lost her niece suddenly this week and things like this always remind me of how blessed we are and to not take things for granted.

Josh is great. He has organized a family health challenge which will begin Feb 2nd (day after Superbowl).  We have 9 of us who are doing it. I love it because the main focus is health and balance, not necessarily weight loss. He has it down to a system and we all are already talking smack to each other. He got the idea from someone from work and I think it will be a fun, challenging 6 weeks.

The timing is perfect because in late March we are heading to Hawaii for a few days to see Torrey and meet his wife. They are going out there to have a small wedding ceremony and have the families meet. We are looking forward to it.

Ryan is continuing to amaze and entertain. He is so different than Haley (quiet, cuddly) and we love all of these phases all over again. He is sitting up, grabbing the spoon and "feeding" himself, tucking his knees under his body and kind of pushing off, "talking," mimicking, etc. He is so sweet and like every child, his whole face smiles. He is a charmer. What?! I am not biased!

Haley is consistent about asking about the doctor, preschool, and learning how to read. The deal with the doctor is that during one of Ryan's 1st apppointments she asked if it was her turn. We said she wasn't seeing the doctor until she turned 4. She turns 4 in 2 weeks and she will say, "When I turn 4 i am going to the doctor and I am going to get a shot. It will hurt, but just for a second." She has a steel trap memory because after her summer preschool she asked when she would get to go every day. I told her that preschool would be for when she is 4 and 5. I should have said 4 and 1/2 because she asks "when will I get to go to preschool and have a teacher and have students?" This is after we pass by a preschool every day on our way home. The last one is reading. A few months ago she was "reading" a book and said, "Mom? I want to learn to read my books all by myself." I know she is so proud when she writes her name or sees a letter and tells me what sound it makes, but I have kind of let her say the comment without doing much about it. We read books every day and she runs her finger along when it is her turn to "read" to me of to Ryan. I finally emailed a few of my friends today about how I could even go about teaching her about reading. It is so cool that she wants to do it and she has been SO consistent that I don't think she'll let it go.

I have been great. Work is going well. I can honestly say that my homeroom class is maybe one of two of the best groups I have ever had. This is one of those years that is flying by and I know I will be sad to see these guys go. I have been enjoying reading more in the last few months since I no longer am exhausted from having a newborn. I am always reading a book at school (we have 20 mins of SSR every day) and one at home. Not to mention using the parenting books as a reference when needed.

The Russells are good. Laughing  a lot and lovin' life.

Busy Bees

The kids have been providing us with some wonderful entertainment lately. They are just so busy in their own little phases of life.

The other night Haley "made" dinner. She got a new cookbook from Grammy and Tata and picked the recipe out. She decided on corn quesadillas. We went to the store and bought all the ingredients and she told the checker "all of this is to make special burritos." Understand that she LOVES to help in the kitchen and is up on a chair every day while I cook. So, I did the chopping and the hot pan stuff. She did the scooping and mixing and spreading and sprinkling and rolling. She was SO excited that she had made us dinner and it was delicious!

Ryan is moving more and more. He "runs" in his exersaucer and rolls around all over the floor. We don't know how we will find him in the crib each morning. He wakes up happy every morning, just like Haley did. He just kind of talks until you come in to get him. Each night he will turn the pages of the book you read him. He gets SO excited for books (yes!). The other night he was in his crib and I asked, "Ryan, do you want to read....this?!" and showed him the book. He proceeded to punch out his arms and legs and squeal in delight.
Of course everything goes right into his mouth these days...drool everywhere.

These little ones keep us busy and happy. Always a story to tell. I can't believe that Haley will be 4 next month...what?! And Ryan is closer to 1 than he is to birth. So crazy.

That's My Boy

Yes, he is now saying "Mama" too. Just 24 hours later!

"Dada" On Demand

Sure, Ryan has been making sounds for a bit now. About a month ago he started saying "dadada." I told Josh that it doesn't count until he sees Josh and calls him "Dada". Starting last night he would say "dada" on demand. Josh would say it in his ear and Ry would say it aloud. Josh was rather smug. I have been saying "mamama" in Ryan's face and he just giggles and moves on. Damn! Looks like Ryan will follow Haley's footsteps in saying "dada" before "mama." Do they not recall that I carried them in my womb for 9 months?!

The Family

Well, the holidays are over and it's back to the routine of our lives. As much as I LOVE vacation, it's nice to get everyone back into the swing of things. We all had a great time off. Ryan was a bit sick the first week with congestion in his chest and nose. This made for unpleasant evenings when we shared a room with him in Yuba City and Monterey. He is all better now and we have seen a shift in him this break. There is just something about 6 months. We saw this same shift in Haley at the same age. It's hard to explain because he has been responsive and playful long before this, but it seems to mature somehow. He is chatting more and smiling and laughing. He rolls around and gets to different places in the room. Every milestone is just so fun! He is eating a lot and grabbing the spoon and bowl. It seems he just keeps his mouth open for the next bite. He is getting chunkier by the day. He still loves to cuddle in and his demeanor is very sweet.

Haley keeps us laughing. Obviously she has been expressing herself for years, but we continue to be fully entertained by her. She loves to play pretend and tells us who we are and if we are mean or nice. She loves "reading" books by herself and has read some words on her own! She talks non-stop (I wonder where she possibly gets that) and has the best expressions. She should be a personal trainer...the other day she lifted up my shirt and said "squishy, tummy!" Nothing like some motivation! She loves to help in the kitchen and has already picked out several recipes to try from her new cookbook that she got from Grammy and Tata for Christmas.

They keep us busy, tired, and entertained. Gotta love 'em!