Oh What Fun

Pretty much the best Christmas ever.

Uh-Oh

Storytime

Avery read Chloe and me a book this morning. "Mommy duck says, 'Quack, quack,'" she began. "Mommy sheep says, 'Eeeeww!!!'"

"No, honey," I reminded her. "Mommy sheep is a ewe."

Transformation Complete

We're totally that family. That stroller-lugging, tantrum-taming, preschool art-framing -- and now, minivan-driving -- family. Fifteen cupholders? Yeah, we can use those.

Thankful

This Thanksgiving, I'm thankful for birthdays: the day Chloe was born, Michael's 40th (yesterday), my dad's 72nd (today), and every day when Avery wakes up and declares, "It's my birthday!" hoping she'll convince us to put her in a party dress.

Good Enough For Scarlett O'Hara

Avery's comment upon seeing one of our wedding photos today: "Mama's wearing a curtain!"

Jump!

Michael's 40th birthday present:

Family Photos

The results of my attempts to get a nice shot of Michael and the girls tonight:

I'm actually pretty happy with the results.

First Thing In The Morning

Sometimes the best time of day.

First Tooth!

Our suspicions were confirmed this morning -- teething has officially begun! We found Chloe's first tooth this morning, a little one on the bottom left side.

A Spooktacular Halloween

When Avery announced she wanted to be a mermaid for Halloween, Grandma Debby and I went to work on a costume. And when I found an octopus costume for Chloe, I knew we had a couple pretty cute sea creatures on our hands.

Does this make me Octomom?

All the better to hug you with

Ready to go get some treats!

Made for Marchin'

Every little girl needs a pair of pink, leopard-print rain boots. Avery is no exception. This morning she declared, "they're very marchy." She's right; I'm pretty sure they're the marchiest boots I've ever seen.

Future Supermodel

OK seriously. Where does she get this? Here's Avery modeling her PJ's tonight. Some supermodels have "Blue Steel." Avery has "The Squat" and "Statue of Liberty."

Pardon the video quality; this one's courtesy of Auntie Amy's phone:

Hula Girls

It's been a couple weeks since we got back from our trip to Hawaii to celebrate Uncle Paul's 60th birthday. It's not likely either of our girls will remember much about the trip, but I will.

I'll remember being so tired when we got there, and the girls both crashing immediately, their little time clocks three hours ahead. Michael and I deciding to order pizza and spend the evening in watching TV, and how we laughed that we had come all the way to Hawaii for that.

I'll remember sitting on the sand at Hanauma Bay with Chloe beside me, watching Amy and Michael and Avery splash in the water. How it started raining, driving other sunbathers off the beach. How Michael and I gave each other the "OK" sign, knowing the shower would last only a couple minutes and we'd have a nearly empty beach to enjoy once the sun came back.

I'll remember driving to Uncle Paul's beach property and Amanda yelling "Turtle on the beach!!!" before we were even out of the car. How we all rushed to the sand and stared at the huge sea turtle sunning himself on the empty beach. How we snuck over to the neighbor's house when we were done and rinsed off a naked Avery with the garden hose while she squealed with delight.

I'll remember getting up with the sun and going down to the unit my mom and Susie were staying in, enjoying coffee and making plans for the day. How Avery fell in love with Susie, and how that reminded me of myself as a little girl.

I'll remember the party, and how I spent much of it with a fussy Chloe in my arms, walking outside on the deck. How I got to watch the waves and the boats and the sunset with her while the party went on behind us, and how I couldn't have been happier at that moment.

It was an awesome trip, and I'm just now getting through all the pictures we took. Here are a few of my favorites.

It's cool to take your babies to a tiki bar, right?

The two bathing beauties

"Turtle on the beach!!!"

Beach hair

Avery loves her new beach cover-up

Family Resemblence

Can you guess which of these are shots of Avery taken two years ago, and which ones are Chloe, taken yesterday?

Answer: Avery, Chloe, Chloe, Avery. Avery is three months old in these photos. Chloe is two months old.

Month One

A month since Chloe was born? Already? Where has the time gone? Hmmm...well...

Anxiety, anticipation, relief...holding her for the first time...visitors and pictures...introducing Avery...more visitors...singing "Happy Birthday" and "Twinkle, Twinkle"...going home...that terrible headache...settling in...Grandma Lynn coming...family barbeques with Aunt Dottie...going to the park...an evening in Old Town...a trip to the zoo...more visitors...Dada heads back to work...feedings, feedings...diapers, diapers, diapers...laundry, laundry, laundry, laundry...that horrible night spent riding in an ambulance, waiting in an ER, and being sleepless beside a hospital bed...relief again when they said everything was OK...going home to much-needed comfort food...a trip to Alpine...showing her off at work...sushi with the girls...Balboa Park, the Science Center, and another trip to the zoo...and today, flying kites at Mission Bay.

And to think, she slept through almost all of it.

Dinner Out

Tonight was the first time we went out to dinner, just the four of us. The idea of managing a toddler and a newborn at a restaurant was daunting, but we were ready. And aside from Avery's insistence on wearing an outfit of her own choosing (that one's off my "Battles Chosen" list), it went really well.

It was a beautiful evening out, and as we strolled down the street in Kensington to the restaurant, it was hard to tell who was more proud: Michael toting his newborn daughter; Avery sporting her princess dress, multicolor fleece hoodie, and Nike running shoes; or me, walking alongside the three of them.

Hammin' It Up

This one's for Suzi P.

Sisterly Love

We were a little concerned about how Avery would react to her baby sister's arrival. But our fears vanished on the last day we were at the hospital, when my parents brought Avery for a visit. As they were pulling into the parking lot, Avery excitedly exclaimed, "Baby Chloe's house!" And then this happened:

And once we got home:

Let's hope this lasts through the teenage years.

Chloe is Here!

We were overjoyed to welcome Chloe Mae Berberick at 9:36 this morning, July 8, 2010.

Weighing in at 6 pounds, 10 ounces, and measuring 20 inches, her mom and dad agree that she is perfect and beautiful in every way. Big sister Avery is somewhat more skeptical, though it appears she’s warming up to the idea.

Chloe is the piece that was missing from our family, and we're thrilled to finally have her here.

B Minus One and Counting

In about 24 hours, we'll be holding our new daughter. I'm so excited to finally see her, I had dreams about it all last night.

It'll be a little bittersweet for me when she's finally born. Right now I'm the only one who know when she's asleep or awake. I feels her hiccups, kicks, turns and stretches. It's like a secret little conversation that only the two of us are in on, and I'll miss it. Of course, I realize eventual separation is the whole point. But that doesn't make it any easier.

We've been enjoying our last days together as a family of three as we await for our baby's arrival. Here are a few ways we've been passing the time recently:

Dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant

Arts and crafts

A day at the beach

And of course, lots of naps.

Waiting

I had my last doctor's appointment today. At the end, Dr. Barmeyer said, "I'll see you next Thursday," the day of my scheduled C-section. I reminded him that that he said something similar during my last appointment when I was pregnant with Avery. She was born at three the next morning. "Well then, I'll see you at three in the morning," he replied.

He's a little nonchalant that way, and I like that about him. There's so much to worry about when you're pregnant, I find his don't-worry-about-it manner comforting.

Perhaps hoping to spur another early arrival -- though not entirely on purpose -- we ended up recreating the remaining events of the night Avery was born: dinner at Souplantation with friends, an evening on the couch watching "So You Think You Can Dance." No luck; the baby stayed right where she is. I think now Dr. B. was right. Next Thursday it is. I guess I won't worry about it.

Any Day Now!

From the weekly pregnancy e-newsletter I get:

Happy Father's Day!

Today's a day to celebrate fathers. A day for dads, grandpas, papas and daddys. And at our house, it's a day for two very lucky girls (and one on the way) to celebrate one very special dada. Happy Father's Day, Michael! We love you.

Nesting, Again

We're getting close to the day when we'll finally be able to meet our new baby, and we're feeling the familiar nervous excitement and anticipation we felt just two short years ago. If she comes on schedule, we've got a little over three weeks. I know it'll go fast, and so the nesting has begun in earnest. I recognized it was happening when I found myself removing all the jelly jars from the fridge door this weekend so I could wipe off the shelf beneath them. Then replacing the jars in color-coordinated order.

The nursery came together this weekend as well, with Michael hanging the curtains and me finally making decisions on wall art and onesie storage. Like Avery's room, it ended up being beautiful, feminine and serine. We hope that -- unlike Avery's room -- it'll inspire many nights of uninterrupted sleep.

That Makes Three of Us

I often wonder what babies dream about. Avery's been giving us some hints lately, waking up in the middle of the night and making random exclaimations: "It my jacket!," "I jumping," or "I watch [Curious] George."

This morning, she must have been anticipating the weekend Starbucks-with-dad ritual, because she awoke at about 4 a.m., declared, "I need coffee," then went back to sleep. Oh honey, you don't know the half of it.

Happiness

Leave it to a toddler’s limited experience and vocabulary to distill life to its most relevant. Last night, as Michael was in the bathroom brushing his teeth, Avery shuffled down the hall, pushing her doll stroller ahead of her. She stopped when she got to him and asked, “Are you happy? Are you happy, Dada?”

His reply, equally simple and beautiful, came without hesitation. “Yes I’m happy. And you know why? Because you’re my little daughter.”

That seemed to satisfy her, and she turned and headed for the couch, asking for a cup of milk.

It was a small moment, but one that made me very proud to know that even at the tender age of two, my little baby is already asking life’s most important questions.

(Not So Terrible) Two!

Avery turned two today. It's hard to believe that it's been two full years since the day she came in to our lives. I still remember the way she first looked at Michael and me, not with wonder or surprise, but with a calm wisdom and acute awareness. I was immediately convinced that she's a very old soul, and the fact that she teaches us something new each day only further convinces me.

My little baby is now over three feet tall, speaking in full sentences, displaying a wonderful imagination, and demonstrating her strong sense of self and need for independence. But, as I told her today, no matter how old, tall or independent she grows, she will always be my little baby.

Here's a movie of Avery's second year. It's been a busy one!

Bruiser

After a bout with a startled doggie this weekend, Avery ended up looking a bit like a prize fighter.

Good news is that she took it like a champ and she'll be back in the ring in no time.

Expanding Vocabulary

Lunchtime

Cheese! ... and macaroni.

Who needs a spoon anyway?

Parenting

Avery's been reading up in preparation for the arrival of her new sister.