Movember...that’s not a typo...read on

So some of you may have heard of Movember...it’s a mustache movement...and Mark has been participating. But enough’s ENOUGH! It’s not November anymore, it’s December!!!! But today he finally removed the animal that has been living on his face. Check out the before and after.

Decorating for Christmas

It’s amazing how much longer things take to do when you have kiddos. The task of decorating the tree seemed to take us the whole weekend. But it’s finally up and shining, and we had fun doing it!

Dinner at Mimi's

It’s been so much fun having Mimi living only 3 miles away. This evening we hopped over for a yummy Italian meal. She’s such a great cook....always delicious and gourmet!

Sisters

We are so blessed to be able to take this picture! What beautiful baby girls we have! Last night as we looked at this photo, Mark and I stopped to take it in...We are a family of four! What joy these two little girls bring us each and every day! Thank you Father for blessing us with these two sweet bundles of joy.

Baby Chaos

Grandma and Grandpa came in for a visit to spend time with Isabella and the newest additions to the Carvajal family...Grayson (born August 18) and Victoria, just 6 days older. A bit a chaos, but a lot of fun!

I Didn't Do It!

"I didn’t do it!" Hmmm...not so innocent. Already picking on the little one.

Double Trouble

Mark loves being a daddy...I’m so blessed to have a hubby who loves spending time with his girls...all 3 of us!

Family Fun

We had a great time with Rod and Denise who came to visit the fam in Austin. Even though it was a rainy weekend, we still had a good time relaxing indoors. Thank you Uncle Rod and Auntie Denise for spending time with us! We miss you already!

Maybe the BBQ will do it

We’re just 8 days from our due date, but we’re hoping that a heaping plate of brisket and ribs will get little Victoria on the move. Isabella joined this outside world after a plate full of Italian, so we’re thinking her little sis will be more of a barbecue gal. So we hopped on down to the Salt Lick to see if tonight’s the night. Boy, am I ready to meet her!

Belly Mug Shots

May

June

July

August

Today the doc confirmed that I am 1 cm dilated and 30% effaced. He’s still banking on her arriving on her due date, August 16th. Check out the growth:

Welcome to the Cove!

We’ve met a few of our new neighbors in our cul-de-sac, and they all seem so sweet! The family to the left of us has already blessed us with a fajita dinner on the night we moved in, and tonight they excitedly knocked on our door and greeted us with big smiles and a homemade cake! Yum!

Boxes Galore!

Well, yesterday was moving day...finally! And it went as smoothly as we had hoped. The movers moved us out of our old casa in 3 hours...WOW! But now we have this mess to deal with. But we have already been blessed with SOOOO much help! Yesterday, Pop, Kathy, Donnie, Kyle, and Rick spent some time helping us out in the yard, garage, and the inside! Today, we’re being blessed with more help from Pop, Kathy, Brisa, Christina, and Jose. What gracious givers!

I’d be a hot mess without all their help....oh wait, being prego already qualifies me to be a hot mess. With three more weeks until her due date, I’m moving slower and slower. So a HUGE thanks to everyone who helped because we’d still be unpacking boxes in October without you.

Like Father, Like Son

Happy Father’s Day! Mark spent his first Father’s Day at home with Pop grilling up some fajitas for the family. Yup, you read that right, HE did the cooking, which was what he wanted to do. No problem with the ladies! Boy, were they yummy!

We've Finally Found the One!

After months and months of searching for the perfect home for our growing family, we finally found it! We started looking back in December, and we thought we’d found the one, but God showed us several times (in His own unexpected ways) that He had something else in mind for us. We placed offers on several different houses, but were turned away for a number of reasons. So five or so months later, He showed us what He had been saving just for us. We are so thankful to Him for His provision and for leading us down the right path. We are also thankful for the patience He gave us during those months and months of searching knowing that our new baby girl would be arriving sometime this August. So today, we closed on our new home on Casimir Cove.

Friday Morning Playdates

Isabella and I always look forward to Friday mornings when we can both get some time with friends our age. Isabella enjoys rolling around with Luke (13 months) and Olivia (7 months), while I get some girl gab time with Mandy and Rebecca. Never would have thought that I would meet such amazing friends on the way to the mailbox!

Partners in Grime

Boys will always be boys. Mud will always be fun to play in, especially when you have a partner in grime to join you. Mark and Donnie were partners in this years Ride and Run challenge.They worked together to run and bike through muddy trails and obstacles to come to the finish...a mud pit! It is definitely a fun and unique race to watch!

Cousin Belly Bumps

Cynthia and I have been cooking our little “buns in the oven” for over six months now and we can’t wait to meet them. Three more months to cook...Lord willing! Cousin Bumba is due just 10 days before our baby girl is scheduled to arrive.

Happy Anniversary

We just celebrated three years of marriage and had a blast spending some time ALONE together at the Lost Pines resort. Mark planned the perfect weekend, only 35 minutes from home but far enough to feel like we were on vacation. While our Sweet Pea was being spoiled by her Mimi at home, we were enjoying the beautiful grounds that this resort has to offer. We stuffed our faces with yummy buffets, treated ourselves to some much needed spa treatments and watched families make s’mores at the firepits. Times like these are rare these days, but even though it was only a night away we were both anxious to get home and hold our little girl.

Three Generations

Mom’s in from El Paso, and will be spending the next few days with us. We had been anticipating her visit for a few weeks now and she’s finally here. It’s so much fun to see Isabella babble and smile at her “Nana”. We could only wish that she lived closer to us so that Isabella could enjoy her Nana on a more regular basis, just as I could with my sweet grandma. Well, we are sooooo thankful for the convenience of iChat.

Leave Daddy in Charge And...

So this morning, Mark offered to feed, play with, and change our Sweet Pea while I went back to sleep. How sweet of him to let me get another hour and a half of sleep! It’s a win-win situation, as I get to hit the pillow again and he gets time alone with Isabella.

When I woke up, Isabella was already in the midst of her first morning nap and Daddy was no where to be seen as he had already left for a workout. An hour or so later, I could hear little sweet noises coming from her room as she awakens herself with her baby chitchat. I tiptoed in to take a peek and this is how I found her. Leave Daddy in charge and you never know what you’ll find. Today I found camo in the middle of February. I guess it’s still hunting season in the Carvajal house.

Be Mine

Well, our babysitting plans didn’t work out as had hoped, so our little girl joined us for a Valentine’s night out. She wore her Valentine jammies (in hopes that she would be fast asleep at the restaurant) and “cowboyed up” for a nice dinner at Louie’s 106 on Sixth Street. It turned out to be a perfect date with both of my Valentines. Even though Isabella never fell asleep, she was an angel and let Mommy and Daddy have a peaceful and yummy dinner.

Things I Love

God has blessed us in so many ways, and in honor of February, the month of Love, here are some things I absolutely love and am thankful of:

1. -our healthy baby girl who loves naps and sleeping through the night
   

2. -Isabella’s cheerful demeanor
   

3. -my loving hubby who works so hard for us and loves spending time with his girls
   

4. -the blessing of another “bun in the oven”
   

5. -an easy first trimester
   

6. -family that loves us so much
   

7. -friends that are so thoughtful and willing to babysit
   

8. -new stay-at-home mom friends who are “real” and so fun to be with

Go Spurs Go!

Mark and I had a great time hangin’ with the Spurs at the Tuxes and Tennies event in San Antonio. Yup, you read right.....the attire was formal with the fashion faux pa of tennies. So, one’s things for sure, we were both comfy. Here are some photos with our some of our favorite players: Manu Ginobili, Kurt Thomas, and Michael Finley.