Christmas in the Park

 We took Ella and Emma to see Christmas in the Park in downtown San Jose on Wednesday. It was nice to miss the crowds by going on a weekday.

 Checking out the bear log cabin

 "Gingys!!!"

 Ella loved watching the train go around its track.

 Emma, checking out the sites from her cozy hang-out

 Ella loved these parachuting penguins. She has a penguin exactly like these at home.

 Bears riding a carousal, another of Ella's favorite attractions



"Gingys"

 Ella decorated Gingerbread Men today. She calls them Gingy after the character in Shrek.

 I bought a kit this year with the cookies and candy already included. I'm finding it necessary to simply some of our traditions now that I'm juggling the two girls. I put the frosting on for Ella because it was pretty runny and difficult to control.

 Ella wanted me to snap off a couple of arms for her to eat. :-)

 I decorated these two, but I like Ella's creations better.

Emma's Ready For The Jumperoo

I pulled out the Rainforest Jumperoo for Emma today and sure enough, she's ready for it.

Ella was her tour guide, showing her what's fun to play with.

Christmas Ornaments

I've started a tradition with my girls of having them make an ornament for the tree each year. For Ella's first Christmas I made an impression of her hand, so I did the same this year for Emma.

It was a little more difficult getting an impression of a 4 1/2 month old vs. an 11 month old (Ella's age for her first Christmas). This was the best I could do. It might not be as neat and clean as Ella's, but we can see the size of Emma's little hand.

Ella painted a wood ornament this year that can hold a small picture of her.

The artist, focused and hard at work. :-)

The finished product, I'll let it dry and then add her photo to the middle.

Girls Trip to the Aquarium

This is the only picture I got of our trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium yesterday because my camera battery died and somehow I had not packed the spare. :-) Oh well, it might have been for the best that I wasn't trying to take pictures the whole time since it was just the girls and I. Sead is away on a business trip and I'm trying to keep us busy and distracted. This was actually a great outing for a Mama, an almost 3-year-old and a 4-month-old. I had no trouble juggling the two at all.

Ella had just been holding Doggie up to see the otters. Wish I could have gotten that shot. :-)

What We've Learned About Emma (So Far)

This is a great color for Emma and one of my favorite outfits on her. It was a baby shower gift from Vanessa and Liza, so it's only been worn by Emma. There's a kitty face on the back of the pants, very cute!

I can't believe Emma is already 4 months. The months are flying by. I'm just trying to soak up every minute I can. I was totally enthralled with Ella because she was my first, and I'm totally enthralled with Emma because she's my last baby. :-)

We already notice Emma's unique personality. Ella is my little thinker and very sensitive and empathetic. Emma is so happy, smiley, and easy going almost all of the time. I call Emma "my little sunshine baby".

The girls love each other very much! Emma thinks Ella is just the most interesting person ever and Ella loves to entertain her and make her laugh. It's cute to see how proud Ella is of her baby sister when her friends come to admire baby Emma. Ella even explains to her friends how to make Emma smile and how to be gentle with her. Emma is so into toys now that I've started explaining to Ella that there are some that are okay for Emma and some that are "big girl only toys". Ella's doing really well with this concept and I think she's happy to hear that some toys are just for her, the big girl.

Emma's nickname is "Tinys". We were concerned in the beginning that Ella still referred to herself as "baby" and we didn't want her to feel displaced. Ella stopped calling herself "baby" a couple of months ago of her own choosing. Instead she's calling herself by her name and says "I" much more now. Ella also loves to be called "princess Ella".

Emma is definitely a "Mama's girl". Ella was very much a daddy's girl, so it's a new experience for me to have a baby who is so attached to me. She loves daddy, but she only tolerates so much time without seeing me before she'll let her complaint be known. We've discovered that she stays happy longer in my absence if Ella is around too.

I just love having two girls! I think it's the best thing ever! I can't believe I've been so blessed in having two beautiful girls who will share so many interests and have each other as best friends throughout their lives.

How To Entertain Yourself On A Rainy Day

...take off your clothes, put on a beanie and gloves, and run around the sun room.

Holiday Lights 2010 (Gilroy Gardens)

 We made it out to Gilroy Garden's Holiday Lights Saturday night. Ella and Emma had a great time and it wasn't as cold as it was during our visit to Holiday Lights last year. However, this year I'm much more prepared for the cold with tights under Ella's jeans, scarves, mittens, and winter coats.

 The little holiday shopper

 It's really pretty there at night with all the lights and almost all of the rides are in operation. There was a little light rain, but it wasn't too bad at all, just enough to keep the crowds away. :-)

 Emma really enjoyed the lights and shows too. We got to see the Charlie Brown Christmas play and the Laser Light / Fireworks show this year.

 Daddy and Ella on the balloons - no lines for the rides, yay!

 "Pony Up" is doing little horse drawn carriage rides this year

Emma, ready for a nap

This video is really dark, unfortunately, but at least you can see some of the lights on the trail.

Ella Entertaining Emma

A Winter Treat

Ella's thrilled with the Christmas Winnie-the-Pooh mugs that I collected in the early 90s. :-)