Nothing too exciting going on around here lately. For the most part the kids and I have been hanging out around the house. This is largely due to the heat (mid 90's) and exhaustion. It turns out that having 2 toddlers and being 8.5 months pregnant can really take it out of you ;). It doesn't help that Matthew has been waking up with nightmares most nights and then waking up for the day around 5am. We're working on getting all of that figured out...

I haven't taken a ton of pictures this week and of the handful of pictures I have taken, none are really worth sharing. The kids tend to run from the camera on some days. I do have a couple of videos to share, though.

Elise got to enjoy a chocolate chip cookie after her lunch last week. She started playing peek-a-boo with me while she was chewing and I tried to get her doing it because she finally uses both hands and actually covers her eyes. Instead I got a very lazy demonstration along with her face covered in cookie and I was able to get her to say "please" on camera. She's fun.

Untitled from Melissa S on Vimeo.

Matthew LOVES Dance-Alot-Robot on the Disney channel. Very, very rarely do I catch him actually dancing along. I was actually just trying to get better video of Elise walking to send to my mom when Matthew started dancing along with the TV. Too cute.

Untitled from Melissa S on Vimeo.

I've managed to finish the valance for Viviana's room and now I just have to wait for the rod to be mounted on the wall so I can hang it. Next up is the crib bumper. The room decor needs to be put up, too, but I need to get a few more things before I'll really feel like her room is really coming together.

Failed attempt at getting a picture of the belly because Matthew is a glory hog =)



The belly at 35 weeks. I've been told I don't look any bigger. I don't feel much bigger. I just feel like she's shifted her position and my belly is shaped a bit differently.



Matthew kissing his "Baby Ana". Someday he'll fully grasp that her name is Viviana =)



Well, I have the feeling that this little girl will be our first officially full term baby. Matthew and Elise were technically considered preemies because they were born before 37 weeks, but I was lucky in that they both came home from the hospital when I did. I have no idea when I started progressing with Matthew. All I know is that at 36 weeks I was already 4cm dilated. Elise gave me more warning. I knew at 34 weeks that she was getting ready to make her debut and I was already 3cm at that point. This baby has been a little bit more like her brother. No clues. No warning. Braxton hicks contractions every now and then. However, because of my quick delivery with Elise, my doctor and I have felt a little more at knowing early on just what exactly my body is doing. I really don't want to deliver during the 20 minute drive to the hospital.

Having said all of that, I am currently only 2cm and she's not quite as low as she led us to believe last week. This is good considering I want her to stay in there at least another week. A lot could change in a week, but then again, nothing could change at all. Either way, I have the feeling this one is content to stay in a little bit longer than her siblings =)

Two posts in one day! I must be feeling brave. I currently have the kids running (or walking) back and forth between their bedrooms and I'm dreading the mess I'll have to help clean up when I'm done here.

Elise loves to watch her brother get a bath. I think because he likes to play in there for so long. She's not coordinated enough to really play in the tub yet so her baths tend to be pretty quick. Matthew was spreading bubbles out on the lip of the tub and this is what Elise ended up looking like.





Matthew likes to pull the cushions off of the couch and jump on the cushions and climb all over the couch. Elise has figured out she can climb on the couch herself when he does this.



Our girl is walking now!!!

Untitled from Melissa S on Vimeo.

She's improved a lot since this video was shot and I hope to get more video soon.

Matthew got a new Celtics jersey. He also does the Celtics pre-game chant and yells "Rondo!" with both fists in the air. =)





My Iron Man =)

Untitled from Melissa S on Vimeo.

I have a picture of Gilbert peaking over my belly when I was pregnant with Matthew and a picture of Matthew peaking over my belly when I was pregnant with Elise. We're trying to get one of Elise peaking over my belly now and here are a couple of failed attempts =)





We'll keep trying.

Matthew found his Bumblespud this morning (I had put it away for a bit) and he put it together and brought it to me. I'm pretty impressed with what he did.



Now onto what everyone would like to know...

34 Weeks pregnant now and Viviana does not seem to be in a rush to make her debut. I am in some discomfort and pain but I'm hanging in there. According to my doctor at my appointment yesterday, I am 1cm dilated, a little effaced, and Viviana is head down and getting herself ready. She's pretty sure I'll make it to 36 weeks but still saying that I probably won't make it to my due date (does that surprise anyone?). In the mean time, I'm working on getting her room ready, getting my bag packed, and keeping my toddlers happy.

A little peak into her room.

I finished her crib skirt! This is the fabric that I will be using for the bumper and valance as well.



Cute little owl bank I found at Target. I just fell in love with it and decided it needed a home in Viviana's room =)



Flowers for her wall. There are 21 in all and Gilbert will be putting them up soon, hopefully.



The belly

I realize it's been a long time since I updated. Things have been crazy around here as always. I have some good stuff to share, but I can't seem to find the USB cable for the camera and seeing as it is 5AM right now, I will not be rummaging around trying to find it until my family is awake =). So, in the mean time, I'll just talk about what I do have on the computer...

I love seeing my kids like this. This was while I was getting their breakfast ready and they decided to just hang out in the kitchen drinking their milk.



A few minutes later I found Elise watching TV like this



My friend Lisa home schools her 3 kids which allows us to plan "play dates" during the week. I use the term loosely because as much as Matthew likes running around with her boys (who are several years older than him), I think we get together more for our own sake than the kids' =). We've gotten together twice now to take the kids to the splash pad near our house and they love it. I think it's time to plan another trip before I have this baby.

Gilbert's aunt sent this bathing suit for Elise. She's ready to go sit in the stroller at the park (she's not too fond of the fountains yet).





My boy in his Batman swim trunks



Mommy face



Lounging in the stroller eating crackers while the boys play.



We went to Charlie's 3rd birthday party a couple of weeks ago and the kids had a great time. I can't believe Charlie is 3! She's only 4 months older than Matthew.



Blowing bubbles



Matthew on the trampoline with the birthday girl



This is how Matthew was managing to get himself in and out of the trampoline. Elise just likes to follow him around.



I think she thought we weren't watching



Here's comes Daddy to ruin the fun



We went to a record store in Houston to see a band that we'd known in L.A. do an in-store performance. They're called Civil Twilight and they've been playing them a lot on some of the radio stations here in Houston. They're good at what they do. Unfortunately, we missed it but we still managed to show up in time for Matthew to help load up the gear =)





Gilbert did actually get to see the band play that night and he had a great time. We don't have a ton of child care options, so I stayed home with the kids. It had been a long day for the entire family so we figured it would be best for them not to have to get put to bed by someone new that night. I think I was so tired that day that I didn't even care at that point =).

Mother's Day was nice. I got a new bible and an itunes gift card. We went to church, went out for lunch, and then we came home and the entire family crashed for a couple of hours. That nap was amazing. I needed it pretty badly.

My beautiful kids on Mother's Day





I'll updated on more recent events once I get the pictures on to the camera. There's a decent amount to share =)

I promise that some day in the somewhat near future I will update on a more regular basis. Matthew and Elise are both far too busy for me to really get a chance to sit down at the computer at any given point during the day. They're still trading off nap times and I have at least one of them with me between 6:30am and 8:30pm, if not both of them. On the extremely rare occasion that they're both asleep at the same time, I'll take advantage and either rest or do some cleaning that I can't usually get done with grabby hands following me throughout the house.

Well, it's either been busy around here or I've just been really tired. Maybe both. I had my baby shower a couple of weeks ago and that was a lot of fun. It was pretty small and relaxed and since there isn't too much that we need to buy for Viviana, it was fun to just sit around and talk with a few of my friends.

The adorable diaper cake that my friend Brenae made me



The girls broke up into groups and decorated onesies for Viviana. This says "Aunties Aubyn and Brenae ROCK" =)



Natalija and Rachel with their "Team Saldana" onesie. It has a big number 3 on the back =). Natalija also made the cupcakes for my shower and they were so good. Chocolate with chocolate frosting. Mmmmmm. Rachel picked up some tacos and brought those to my shower, too. These ladies know how to make this pregnant mommy happy.



The last picture of me and Vicki with our babies in utero. This was taken on April 17 and Vicki gave birth to a little girl on April 22! So happy Elijah has a little sister and my girls will have a playmate.



Group shot from my shower. There were a couple of other people there but they had to leave early.



The kids are busy being kids. Matthew still refuses to sit still and keeps me on my toes. Elise has made so much progress in the last 2 months that I can't believe anyone ever expressed any concern about her gross motor development. She's starting to repeat more and more, too. She says "Dada", "shoes", "please", and "Matthew". She'll repeat other things here and there but those are the words she has really attached meaning to. She understands several commands and is already learning to clean up her toys =). She's also taken a few steps unassisted. She'll walk across a room holding onto just one of my hands, but she's still pretty hesitant to attempt taking steps on her own. We caught her taking steps between the couch and her toy bin this afternoon and I got pretty excited. She likes to climb the stairs and is surprisingly good at getting back down on her own. I still get pretty nervous about that and I leave the gate up at the bottom of the stairs most of the day just for peace of mind.

My beautiful family getting ready to watch the Celtics game



Complete with clover hair clip





Elise in the church nursery wearing one of the pretty dresses her Grammy sent for her birthday.



Matthew taught Elise how to toast with their sippy cups. Elise gets a kick out of it and it's always fun to watch these two play together =).

Untitled from Melissa S on Vimeo.

Cuddling with Daddy and waiting for another Celtics game to start



I'm surrounded by silliness =)

Untitled from Melissa S on Vimeo.

My handsome boy





Showing off his new Transformers sunglasses



Beautiful girl





It's hard to believe that we're getting close to the end of this pregnancy. I will be 32 weeks on Wednesday and my doctor has told me to be ready to deliver between 35-37 weeks. It will all depend on how much progress my body has made at that point. I'm pretty much counting on making it until at least 36 weeks, which puts me at the beginning of June. I'm starting to get pretty uncomfortable. Luckily the sciatica hasn't been too bad but my hip is starting to hurt a bit. I'm glad that insomnia hasn't been an issue so far. Sitting for too long is uncomfortable, standing makes my feet swell (a whole new experience for me), laying on my side while the kids are awake puts me at a great risk for being tackled by two energetic toddlers, and I'm just plain tired most of the time. Bending down to pick up the kids or clean up is a bit too much to ask right now and Gilbert has had to start taking over bath time with Matthew. Elise sits still enough for me to bathe her quickly. It's an interesting experience being pregnant with two small children and I'm doing my absolute best to enjoy all of it as much as I can. It's hard to believe that I may never get to experience pregnancy again, but I think we may already be borderline insane =)

Here's the tummy shot at 31 weeks. I think it looks a lot smaller than it is, but Gilbert says it's accurate. I'll take his word for it.