merry christmas...

...from our family to yours.



{god bless us, every one- tiny tim}

milo was feeling neglected

With all of the posts on holiday festivities that require baking skills or at the very least basic communication skills, Milo was feeling a bit neglected.

Here he is, showing off his talents:





{i heart him}

zoe: domestic godess

We took advantage of the snow day by letting Zoe bake/decorate some Christmas cookies. She loved telling us about each shape ("look, its a snowman, its frosty!") and was super excited to be able to play with the colored sugar and various other confections.



The cookies were delicious (yes, thats past tense, there's only 2 left!) and we cant wait to make more!



Ian also decided that it would be fun to make a paper chain to add to our tree decor. He, Zoe and I colored on paper and cut them into strips and Ian linked them together to create a really lovely addition to our tree.





Milo spent most of the day cuddled up on my lap, laughing and smiling.



It was such a wonderful winter day.

{hugs}

blizzard (and not the DQ kind)

Winter officially arrived this weekend with the dumping of almost 2ft. of snow in our area. It snowed for about 24 hours and we loved every minute!! Ian didn't have to work so we were able to cozy up indoors and just enjoy the scenery.




Zoe loved watching it fall and got a kick out of watching Ian shovel(and make snow angels). It was a bit too blizzard like to let her play outside, but we plan to do that tomorrow.



The snowfall makes the city look so peaceful and clean, such a nice change from the grit.

more family visits...

While we were in VA, we visited my Aunt Sharyn and Uncle Bill. They were so excited to see Zoe and to finally meet Milo!



Zoe had so much fun playing with all of the toys and she just loved their dogs, Hayes and Chewy.



By the end of the visit Zoe was calling them "Grandma" and "Grandpa". So funny.

milo gabriel & jaden drew = bff

We decided to make an impromptu trip to Virginia this week to visit the "other" Del Rosario family. Jaden is getting so big! He's going to give chunkster Milo a run for his money.





Zoe just loves their Christmas decorations!!



{smile}

making us laugh

This show has been making Ian and I laugh like 2yr. olds for weeks now. We hope it does the same for you:





{lol}

tissues and vicks and snot, oh my!!

I do apologize for my lack of posting this week. The Del Rosario household has been taken over by a nasty nasty cold that has morphed into an ear infection for our dear Zoe. My life has been consumed by wiping noses, watching Disney movies and holding/loving crying babies/husbands (lol).



Milo is is usual happy self, just with a stuffy nose that makes it hard to nurse. Ian is a trooper and made it to work all week (even though he sounds horrible)! Zoe is happily drinking her meds, enjoying lots of tv time and loving the extra "mommy time" that comes with being sick. I have avoided getting sick thus far (knocking on wood) thanks to my super mommy powers and I have lots of hope that this will all clear up soon.

Oh, and I've been surviving on lots and lots of this:



(smile)

Its Snowing in Baltimore...

This weekend we had our first snow of the year! It was just sort of wet and slushy, so nothing that the kids could really play in or enjoy, but pretty nonetheless!



I was able to get out and enjoy a craft show with some friends. Alison, Katie & Ashley were great company and we had a lot of fun! I got a scarf, a makeup bag and some natural lip balm and a little something for Ian (not telling until Christmas!!).



Later in the day, we took the kids to The Creative Alliance in Highlandtown for a childrens show. Zoe had a blast and enjoyed the performance. It was a husband and wife clown team and they had some great tricks!




It was a wonderful weekend!

Our 2009 Christmas Tree!

On Friday night we (finally) put up our Christmas tree. We are still using our "artificial" tree and hope to start cutting down a real tree next year when the kiddies are a bit older. Zoe helped Ian to put the star on the tree, which she was super excited about and she put all of the unbreakable ornaments on (this resulted in 4 or 5 being placed on the same branch). It looks great!





Zoe also had her first cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows. She was more interested in the mini marshmallows than the hot chocolate, luckily Ian bought the super-sized bag! This is such a fun time of year for her! Milo watched the festivities from his bouncy seat and was mesmerized by the lights, Im so excited for him to join in next year!

Monument Lighting in Baltimore

On Thursday, December 3rd, we went to the Monument lighting downtown. There were TONS of people there and finding a place to stand was a bit tricky, but we had a lot of fun!




They set off fireworks to the tune of Christmas music after the lighting (Zoe was NOT a fan of these) and the whole scene was very "Christmasy" and beautiful.

I was able to meet up with my friend, Amber, who I havent seen in almost 20 years (thanks to facebook)! I was also the victim of a hot chocolate spillage, as seen by the large stain on my wrap. Thanks large man in the obnoxiously large coat for storming through the crowd with no concern for those around you.



All in all, it was a lovely evening. Zoe would probably say her favorite part was getting to eat 2 mini cupcakes and a cup of hot chocolate for dinner!

Fun with Friends!

Yesterday, Zoe, Milo & I had a playdate with Ms. Danielle and her kiddos (Claire, Ryleigh and Carson) and Ms. Ashley and her daughter (Cecelia). We had so much fun! I guess we were having so much fun that I forgot to take pictures. Some blogger I am, huh? Zoe really enjoyed playing with all of the fun toys, Danielle's house is a kids wonderland!! The drive home was super terrible, with the wind and the rain the normally 35 min trip took well over an hour. It was so worth it though, the day really wore the kids out and MILO SLEPT FROM 9PM TO 4AM AND AGAIN FROM 4:30 TO 7AM!!! MIRACLES DO HAPPEN!!

Looking forward to our 4 day weekend with Ian which begins in just a few hours!! What a great week, December is really starting off so well!

Milo's 2 Month Checkup

I was so excited to "try out" Milo and Zoe's new pediatrician today! She definately did not dissapoint. She was thorough without being wordy or paranoid and she was willing to listen to my battery of questions without rolling her eyes. Here she is with our big guy:



Milo is growing beautifully (that sounds like Im talking about a tomato plant or something). He is 13lbs 8oz and 24 inches long.



He has gone from 50th %ile in everything to 90th!! Such a chunky monkey! Milo got 2 shots and an oral vaccine and was such a trooper, hardly any tears!



Zoe was a good big sister and got a sticker from the nurse for good behavior. We finished out the day with a typical Del Rosario marathon trip to the mall (seriously, we were there for 4.5 hours). Fun times for all!

Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. Not only does it signify the start to the most magical time of year, but it really brings people together and reminds us that we need to take the time to be grateful for the blessings in our lives. Our Thanksgiving was wonderful! Dinner was delicious and super filling as usual. We traveled to Virginia to see Ian's brother and his family.





They have a new addition who is only a month younger than our Milo and he is absolutely adorable. Both babies were so good all day and we are so grateful for our day together.




Now, let the Christmas music and decorations begin!!

So much to be thankful for!!

Happy Thanksgiving to all! I hope that everyone has a safe and happy holiday surrounded by the those that you love.
I am thankful for my children, my marriage, my family and friends. I am so fortunate to have so many wonderful people in my life.




PS: When I asked Zoe (who is currently spending her days dressed as Snow White) what she was thankful for, she thought for a minute and then replied "Dora, Baby-Lo & Princesses". Awesome answer.
PPS: Milo is smiling up a storm these days! This was my best attempt to capture it on film. He is such a blessing!!
Love to you all!

29 Months & 2 Months

My babies are getting so big!! This month, Ms. Zoe turned 29mos and Mr. Milo turned 2mos! They are getting along a little better each day and our little family is happier than ever. Ms. Zoe is super chatty these days, she is able to identify most letters of the alphabet, count to 13 (or 14 depending on the day) in english and to 5 in spanish (thanks to Dora). She loves to watch "Sid the Science Kid" and "Super Why" on PBS and is a great big sister to Mr. Milo, helping with diaper changes and calming him when he cries. She likes to draw and loves to draw something and have you guess what it is. Mr. Milo is smiling up a storm (have yet to capture a good one on film), eating every 2-3 hrs. with a 5 or 6 hour stretch at night and observing EVERYTHING. He is very intense and likes to be entertained. Still a little fussy in the evening, but its getting better each day. I cant wait to see what next month holds for my little ones!

Meet JoPa

My Dad and Sheila welcomed a new addition into their home this weekend! Meet Mr. JoPa (spelling TBD and named after the Penn St Fball coach). He is a Boxer and is super adorable.

Edit: The official spelling of his name is JoePa. Happy Dad?

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

We went to The Avenue in White Marsh for their annual Christmas Tree Lighting. Ms.Zoe really loved it and had a blast!! Santa was "trapped" on the roof of the shoppping center and the local fire department "rescued" him with the big ladder truck. Ms. Zoe loved watching and has been talking about it for days. Ms. Zoe enjoyed the view from her Daddy's shoulders and Mr. Milo stayed warm in his stroller. It was a nice way to kick off the holiday season.

Playdate/Meeting Mr. Milo

Friends of ours came to meet Mr. Milo for the first time on Friday! It was so nice to see them and they brought their lovely kiddies Hailey and Douglas (which helped to entertain Ms. Zoe while I enjoyed some girl time). Hailey's mom, Molly, is expecting another baby early next summer! So exciting! We had so much fun and hope to see them again soon!

Im a(nother) blogger!!

I am going to try my hand at this whole blogging thing. My goals for this blog are to keep my widespread family tree (and friends too!) up to date on our little "branch" and to hopefully, one day, promote my little business (more on that later...). Enjoy!