CARLOS SANTIAGO

Here's our new little guy. He was born on Friday, August 25th at 9:50 p.m., weighing 6 lbs 14 oz and measuring 20 inches.

Alex kissing his brother

Baby Santiago

As you know we are on our way to being parents of 2! I am 38 weeks along and our little one has decided to start following in the footsteps of his brother early...he has already managed to wrap himself up in the umbilical cord! We figured it was not such a big deal because he is still very mobile and his heart rate has been completely regular up until yesterday. At my appointment the doctor noticed that his heartrate was somewhat low, 110...when she poked at him it would go back up to the normal 140 but apparently the cord is starting to constrict him a bit. So, we are watching this and I have to go back to the doctor again on Friday to check things. We are still hoping not to go through another cesarean at this point but if he gets as tangled as his brother, we will probably have no other choice.

Here is Alex, playing and "fixing" his favorite car...Lightning McQueen. He got it as a birthday gift and is IN LOVE with anything to do with this movie. (Cars) He is shown with some presents his Aunt Jen sent him...the frog shirt and hat and some shorts and a rhino shirt. He LOVED all of the things she sent and now whenever I ask him who got him a certain book or shirt he always says, Aunt Jen! He is also shown here flexing his muscles. We have told him that milk makes him strong and he'll flex his muscles.....but then he'll try to be sneaky with us and say "Sprite, make you strong!" He thinks that way we'll give him some sprite :) but we won't! (although "we" obviously have before...against my better judgement!) He is doing really well still with the potty training...I guess we could say he is potty trained. He is also still taking swim classes, though we plan to end them at the end of this month. We hope to join a pool and just go swim for fun, since that's basically what we were paying a teacher to do with him anyway. So, that's what's new with Alex for now. I haven't written because I'm always tired and then when I do actually try to post some pictures, the pictures haven't been posting right. So, today I got lucky.

alex swimming with his teacher

big boy pants

For the past week, Alex has been in training... potty training. He is doing SO well with it. The diapers came off last Wednesday and since then he has been learning to go potty. He hasn't had too many accidents and usually can tell me when he has to go. The trick is going out in public and making sure we make it to the potty. I'm so proud of him...it sounds silly but once you've been buying diapers for two years...you get really proud and happy when you don't have to buy them so much anymore. Of course in a few weeks we'll be buying way more diapers than we've had to buy in a while, but one child in diapers is much better than two.

I have been feeling so nostalgic lately. My time alone with Alex is about to be invaded and I'm just not sure what to expect. I hope he will do well with a little brother too. We talk alot about the baby and I know he understands a little bit about a new baby. He has helped me get out clothes and wash blankets and we've looked at the baby toys and teething rings together. I think I've prepared him as much as I possibly can...but I know it will still be so shocking for him. I just hope I can give him enough attention and time alone so he doesn't feel left out. I am going to miss my time with him. Of course we are so excited to be having another little boy and are anticipating the day we bring him home...it's just that we don't know how it will be for our Alex.

Swimmy Alex

Alex has been taking swimming classes since the beginning of July. He really likes the classes and his teacher. For children his age, the classes are one on one. He has been doing great. Mainly he just plays while his teacher shows him how to kick his legs or blow into the water with his mouth. They have lots of toys and pool noodles and things for him to play with, so for him it's just fun. He is the loudest kid in the whole pool usually. All the other students are focused on kicking correctly or floating and there's Alex, bouncing and squealing and happy as can be.