May Mendez News

Before I forget, you all need to go to vote in our baby pool! http://www.expectnet.com/games/LilyMendez

****************

Well, here it is May already!

You guys have already seen the pictures from our VIP visitor this month, but here is just one more. NO ONE got the picture of me shaking the President's hand!!! I'm so miffed. The embassy photographer got some really good ones of Joel, at least. (We've ordered those, but they haven't come in yet.)

I'm happy to say that Wednesday was a red letter day! Abby asked to sit on the potty and actually peed in it! Of course I'm out of M&Ms at the moment to celebrate with. She's been watching this potty training video I borrowed from the Embassy library (It's theme song: "She's a super duper pooper." No lie.) and has been asking to take her pants "Off" which is a new favorite word. Up until today she just wanted to run around naked.

So yes, I just talked about pee for a whole paragraph. Who cares? This is a total big deal in our house! (Can you imagine if I could get her potty trained before Lily arrives, and not have two kids in diapers at the same time?????)

Abby is TALKING now. Not just the occasional word here and there, but she is picking up new words practically every day. We've got clown, cloud, dinosaur, and octopus added to our repertoire now. Elmo has almost been overthrown by the Wiggles as Abby's new favorite show. We've had the video for maybe two weeks (another from the Embassy library) and she has memorized all the songs. And the dances. Oh and this is cute: when someone leaves, she has to blow them a kiss, tell them, "Wuv you, See you, bye bye." She likes to play hide and seek behind the couch, and also say "Who dis?", Where dit go?" And answers "I dunno" when you ask her the same questions.

We finally got an official diagnosis of reflux for Abby. So, with the reflux meds she's been on this month, plus the fact I've taken her off of soy milk, has been the miracle cure this month. Abby is back to being a great sleeper and has put on two pounds in the past four weeks! It has been fantastic.

Lily is still baking inside and doing just fine. She's rolling and flipping and kicking and just having a grand ole' time in there. Me, I'm doing fine. I'm 26 weeks along this week and really starting to feel awkward and big and tired. I'm growing out of my maternity clothes! Well, really out of my winter maternity clothes, as it should be warm now, but nope, I'm still stuck in long sleeves most of the time. I'm really sick of this weather, and I'm ready for summer to be here. And yes, I'll change my mind once I'm stuck in the Alabama heat this summer. My next OB appt is next week. Unfortunately I don't have any decent ultrasound pictures to show you. She's got a 3D ultrasound which looks really cool on screen, but when she prints out the picture - it just looks like a huge blobby mess.

I do have these to show you, though.

Me at 24 weeks. (I was taking of myself in the mirror, so it's fuzzy)

Me at 26 weeks. Still not a very good picture, but you get the idea.

Joel is just a busy beaver this month, working up a storm. He's also been doing double duty this month as the official "heavy duty lifter" in the house. He also got a poker night in.

I had some friends over to scrapbook last weekend, and I'm happy to say that I have Abby's baby album almost completed! I just have to put titles and and journal the last half of the pages, then it's all done!

We've also been working on my business website and I've been plowing ahead with my certification homework. We decided on the logo colors finally. I can't wait to have the finalized website ready to show all of you.

Our plans for our move are progressing right along - we've got plane tickets, and one of our cars sold! That just leaves one more car to get rid of, plus we're trying to get someone to adopt our cat Puzza. We can't keep him at the apartment we'll be staying at for the summer, and it's too expensive to put him in a kennel for three months. So far there are no takers here, because everyone we know is moving too! (Any takers? He's a very sweet and affectionate cat.)

In May, we have a couple of holidays coming up, which I am looking forward to. Not that we really have any plans to go anywhere. We have planned our last trip to Aviano planned at the end of the month to stock up on stuff before we move to Chile. I also have a baby shower that some friends are throwing me, and Joel and I are trying to get all those last appointments in - like dentists appointments, etc.

Abby with Alek, her boyfriendAbby at Brunch (after meeting the President)

Abby loves to give her daddy kisses.

Okay, that's it for us!

Love to all,

Julie, Joel, Abby, and Lily

PS. If you would like to show some support for my little niece Kate and her family during their summer at St. Jude's, her dad Mark has designed some really cute T-shirts and a mug that you can order: http://www.cafepress.com/sugarkate!