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.