Funny

I was helping Mateo put his shoes on the other day... This was our conversation:

Me: Mateo, put your shoes on.
Mateo: Ok, Mama.
(Mateo puts his left show on his right foot, I go help.)
Mama: Let's put your shoes on the right feet though.
Mateo: "What's feethough?"

Teething Biscuits

I tried a homemade recipe for teething biscuits today for Francesca. She is loving putting things in her mouth even though there are no apparent teeth sprouting yet. Did you know that babies with DS often get their teeth in a very different order that other babies? For example, Francesca might get her two incisors before her two front bottom teeth. (If she did, we would have to change her Halloween costume from bumblebee to vampire!) And, once teeth do start to bud, we might see them one day and not the next. Should be interesting.
As I was making the biscuits, Mateo came down after waking up from his nap with a BIG smile on his face. He said, Hi Mommy! And I asked him "What's up little man?" His answer: "I wake up a morning. I wake up a bed. Daddy sleep like this (Mateo snored). I watch Elmo please?" Yup, that about sums it up, Mateo.

Labor Day - Francesca 9 months

It is official... Mateo sleeps in our bed more than in his own.

Francesca turned 9 months old on Labor Day.  She spent her special day riding home in the car from the cabin!  

At 9 months, Francesca is rolling ALL OVER to get from one place to another or to reach a toy just out of reach.  She sits alone for minutes at a time and sometimes likes to go "swimming" by balancing on just her tummy and waving all her appendages in the air.  Francesca loves to spend time kissing the baby she sees in the mirror and sometimes picks up two toys - one in each hand - and bangs them together.  There are days when she is very vocal and loves to get attention by giggling, blowing raspberries, cooing loudly (sometimes borderline screeching) and saying "da, da, da."  She's made her way through all the stage one foods - green beans, peas, sweet potatoes, bananas, pears, apples, carrots, prunes, squash, avocado (although I guess we still haven't tried abuelita's favorite - papaya).  She also loves to grab her toes and roll from side to side while holding on.  When we read books, she loves to touch the pages.  She is ready for bed by 7:30 each night and only cries when she is tired.

She is 26 1/2 inches long, weighs 16 lbs. 15 oz. and has a head circumference of 42 1/2 cm.

pedicure

Yesterday, when I got home from school, Mateo gave Francesca and me a pedicure.  First he got out the nail polish - a blue lego - then he got the brush - an oversized paintbrush.  He took off my socks and started painting my toenails, "dipping" the brush into his "paint" for each nail.  Mateo painted with such care and precision that it was almost as relaxing as an actual pedicure in the salon - no joke!

In the mornings, as I am getting ready, Mateo often lays next to Francesca and plays with her. Sometimes he shows her a new toy - other times he just talks to her and says sweet things like "Hola, Princesa!" or "Cesca happy!  Cesca so beautiful!"  He is a wonderful big brother.

Idea

Lately, Mateo is saying some of the cutest things:

Mama, I have idea.  (I have an idea.)

I back, wait one more.  (I'll be back in one minute.)

Yesterday, I was sitting on the floor and he came and sat in my lap and lifted up his shirt so I would scratch his back.  He got that idea from his Daddy.

Superman

It's a bird!  It's a plane!  It's SUPERMAN!  Es un pajaro, es un avion, es SUPERMAN!

When danger strikes... Cuando el crimen ataque...