Merry Christmas!

Christmas morning at the Lovio's

A Few Pictures

Our friend Jason always buys Sydney gigantic stuffed animals, so for Christmas Tysen got Winnie the Pooh. We had to take a picture with Sully, Tigger and Pooh. Tysen was thrilled! :)

This is the Christmas dress my Grandma Tonks (my dad's mom) made for Sydney. She loves getting dresses from "Mom Tonks" and was excited to pose before church.

Soapy Santa Claus- HoHoHo

Tysen, 3 months old. He is so smiling and laughs all the time. Such a fun age!

Weekend in San Diego

This past weekend we took a little family trip to San Diego. We left Friday morning for the drive down and both the kiddos slept the whole way. It was nice to have a chance to visit with my husband with no interruptions. :) By visit, I mean me talking mostly and him listening. Poor Daniel! We went straight to The New Children's Museum in downtown San Diego and Sydney had a blast. She jumped in an inflated tube, rode bouncy horses, made a kaleidoscope and danced to barn yard tunes. She kept saying, "I'm so excited!" I think she just adored having mommy and daddy play with her and give her all of our attention. Tysen was there also, and he was a champ. Such a good baby, no tears all day, just smiles. We then headed to the hotel. We stayed at the Hilton Resort just down the street from Sea World. They had a gorgeous tree and Sydney said, "Look its Tismas time!" Bryan and Shandie were also staying down there so we met up for yummy Mexican food and a ride on the carousel. Sydney could pick one person to ride with her and she chose Bryan. Ahhh!

The next morning after yummy breakfast we headed to Sea World where we met up with Randy, Kelly and Rhett who drove down to spend the day with us. It was pretty chilly but so much fun. Sydney was on cloud 9 having all of her buddies there, especially Rhett. We saw the Shamu show, fed the dolphins and the kids played in the Sesame Street play area. It was the perfect little weekend getaway and we are already planning the next one!

Thanksgiving

We had such a great Thanksgiving this year! We spent Thursday at my mom's house and it was a day of fun and laughter. I love having so many siblings, especially now that we are older. We all get along so well, they truly are my friends and I look forward to every chance we get together. On Friday we had Danny's mom, stepdad and little sisters over. I was pretty nervous because it was my first time hosting, with the turkey and all. It turned out pretty good and was another wonderful day. It was nice to be closer to family, so the holiday was relaxing, not rushing from house to house.

Saturday we decorated for Christmas. I know it is early but I was too excited to wait. It is nice to be in a house where we can put lights up. Sydney loves it and gets excited every night when they come on. Oh I love this tie of year!

Family Pictures

By Kristine Woolf www.kristinewoolf.com

All Night

So it is official, Tysen is the best baby ever! For the last 5 nights he has slept all night long. This means that he goes down around 7:30-8pm and wakes up at 6:30am or 7 am. Seriously!! I thought the first night or two was a fluke, but it has been consistent. Now, I do know that probably since I decided to blog about it he will revert to his old ways, but for now I am one happy and well-rested mother. Except for the whole toddler in my bed thing... she had a fever last night and came to our room. Sydney kept kicking me in the back, having to go potty and asking for water. I woke up this morning tired and sore, but better off than Syd. She is still running a fever, but tells me she is "All better" because she wants to ride Small World. Even sick she wants to play, play, play.

Halloween

Halloween was so great this year. Sydney really got the hang of it and received tons of candy! We kicked off the holiday on Friday. Glendora hosts a trick-or-treat event in their downtown area, with all of the businesses handing out candy. So we went there with some friends from church and then had Trunk-o-Treat that night. On actual Halloween Danny's sisters came over, along with Danny's brother Chris and his wife Laura. We went to my mom's neighborhood so the big kids could get some candy and I could stay at my mom's with Tysen. I love Halloween and all of those cute kids dressed up! :) Big thanks to the Bryce's for Tysen's costume. Love having friends we can share things with. heehee

Alexus, Bobbi & Sydney

Family Shot

My little Giraffe!

Sydney sneaking more candy from Grandma's house

Tysen's Birth Announcement

I just had to share this because I thought it turned out so beautiful! My aunt Kristy came over to our house and took pictures of him at 2 weeks. They are all precious and I am so grateful to have someone so talented in the family. :) Then her sister Sherrie designed the announcement for me. She is a graphic designer and has amazing custom announcements, baby shower invitations and best of all, Christmas cards! I still have not decided on which one I am going to do.

Check out Kristy's website at http://www.kristinewoolf.com/ and SherMyDesigns at http://www.shermydesign.blogspot.com/. So fun!!

Tysen's Blessing

This past Sunday we blest Tysen and it was such a great day. We had a double whammy and celebrated Dallin's homecoming the same day. It was perfectly planned because all of our out of town family only had to come once. We got to spend the weekend with my brother Devon and his adorable wife Cailey. They live in Utah so it is always exciting when they are here. Cailey is pregnant and due in December. She is so cute and has the tiniest little belly. Makes me glad that we are not pregnant together because I was a house! :) My dad's brother Paul and his family also came, as well as my aunt Darla. Such a wonderful celebration of a missionary and new baby. Danny gave a gorgeous blessing and I was so proud to be his wife and the mother of his kids. Our best friends the Bryces and Reeves also came, and they were subjected to my large and crazy family. They were good sports though! Afterwards my mom and Victor provided a yummy Mexican feast for all 60 of us (yes, 60 people!). Oh, and Tysen was a doll and slept through the whole blessing, not a peep!

All the men who participated in the blessing

Bryce, Lovio and Reeve families.

Tonks-Hernandez Family. Far left is my dad's brother Paul and his family. Everyone to the right is my brothers, sisters and parents. Oh and my grouchy daughter in front, go figure!

Tysen is also now 6 weeks and so precious. He is coming into his little personality and smiles all the time. He is also cooing and gurgling at you, which is so fun. I took him to the doctor and he now weighs 12 lbs 9 oz and is 23 1/2 inches long. He is a growing boy and such an amazing addition to our family. I cannot imagine what we did without him here. Sydney loves him so much and every time he smiles at her she says, "He likes me!"

First Bath

All Smiles!

3 Weeks Old

Tysen is now 3 weeks old and it is hard to believe that I just had him. Although the proof is here, just watch me try to squeeze into my old jeans, not happening! :)

We feel so blessed to have this little guy. He is a really mellow baby and sleeps all day. I don't remember newborns being this easy! He also wants to eat constantly which means he is quickly developing a little double chin and thigh fat. Oh I love it! He sleeps really good at night, first stretch is 5 hours and then another 3 hrs before he gets up for his morning feeding. Sydney is still a loving big sister, although she squeezes him a little tight at times. We have to constantly watch them. I caught her "nursing" her baby doll the other day and had to laugh. Apparently she is paying attention. For those of you wondering, I am also doing good. I feel great and am ready to start venturing out with 2 kids. Here are a few pictures...

Double chin shot

Sydney used to sleep like this and it cracks me up that he does too. We called it her "Freeze!" position. :)

A rare moment when his eyes are open!

Fell asleep in the Baby Bjorn. I love that thing! This time I got the dishes unloaded.

Tysen is Here!!

We are excited to announce that our little guy is here. Tysen Daniel Lovio was born on September 10, 2009. He weighed 8 lbs. 6 oz. and measured 21 1/2 inches. I had a really great delivery (especially once the epidural kicked in!) and my only complaint was that Sydney was not allowed upstairs. Because of the swine flu no one under 14, including siblings were allowed upstairs. She played in the lobby, but kept asking for Tysen and Mommy. Danny was amazing and has been ever since we have gotten home. He has really taken to being a dad of two and manages to potty Syd, make me breakfast and take care of Tysen all at the same time. Sydney is also a dream and a good big sister. She is constantly giving Tysen kisses and wants to hold him. She is still learning about being gentle and has had a few meltdowns, but overall is great. Now if I can just get them to nap at the same time! :) Tysen is a mellow baby and nurses like a champ. I think he resembles Sydney but is all boy in person. I feel so blessed to have such an amazing little family and I am grateful for the support of all my family and friends. Here are a few pictures from the hospital and the day we got home. Keep and eye out for more to come.

The Face

This started about 3 weeks ago and I had to blog about it so I will never forget it. One morning Sydney woke up and asked for milk as usual and then she gave me the cheesiest smile ever! I started cracking up and it has stuck. Whenever she wants something or is trying to be funny she gives us "the face." I personally think it is the cutest thing in the whole world. The best part is she holds "the face" for at least a minute, to get the maximum affect. She sure knows how to work it, and so far it works on all parties in the vicinity. :)

Beach House 2009

Finally some pictures from the Newport Beach House. Hope you enjoy!

Baby's Room

Wanted to share pictures of Tysen's baby room. It took awhile to get it all painted and pulled together, but it is finally done. Now if I would only have the baby...

End of Summer

Don't you just hate when it comes to an end? Honestly though, its not like I work or go to school, so the whole year is summer for me (don't hate) but you can still feel the change. Everyone is busy, back to normal life and things are not as relaxed. Although this heat makes me wish it was not only the end of summer but well into Fall! The other day after Danny had cut the lawn we turned on the sprinklers and Sydney could not resist. I also had to get a few pictures and to me it was just the perfect ending to an amazing and fun summer.

Potty Trained

So I was afraid this day would never come, but it is done. I must admit that I have been a little lazy and did not really want to jump into the full potty-training mode because of the mess. But if you have seen me lately there is no denying that a baby is on the way and I did not want 2 in diapers. So this past week we spent a week in Newport at a beach house with my family (pictures to come) and I figured, "Hey, not my carpet and we pay a cleaning fee!" heehee So Monday night we started the process. Tuesday was a tough day because there were 20 false alarms to every 1 triumph. Thank heavens I had more hands than just mine because I was about ready to give up after running to the bathroom every 2 minutes. By Wednesday though she was telling me "Potty!", going poopy on the toilet and had only 1 accident. She can even hold it like a champ. Friday we were at the beach and she said "Potty." Well she was wearing a swim diaper so I said, "Its okay to go in your diaper." I know, awful potty training mom, but I could not run across the sand and up the block to the toilet. She started crying because she did not want to go in her diaper. So Danny picked her up and made a break for it. He said that she was holding on so tight and saying, "Don't run!" I am sure it was killing her poor little bladder, but she made it all the way. Yesterday church was our big outing and she went twice there, and again no accidents. I am seriously proud of my smart, amazing little girl and cannot believe this milestone has been reached. She just seems so old as she is washing her hands and running off in her Belle panties.

Simi Baby Shower

My lovely friends in Simi Valley threw me a baby shower last week and it was so lovely! It was wonderful to visit, enjoy yummy bundt cake and of course the gifts! I am new to the world of boys and I have to say that they have some cute clothes. I can hardly wait for my little guy to get here so we can play dress up. (Don't tell Danny! heehee)

Naked Babies

There is nothing better on a summer afternoon than babies in their diapers. If was a kid I would wear nothing but a diaper all day if I could, and so would Sydney if I let her. Sunday was just one of those days. We had ribs and watermelon for dinner so we decided to strip them down. They were so cute I had to capture the cuteness. Dylan was not partaking of the ribs but he needed to be in his diaper to complete the picture.

Can I tell you how smitten I am with this little guy? Geez, I cut my own kid out of the picture! heehee Sydney would not smile, but nothing keeps Rhett from smiling. :) 

Wedding Weekend

This past weekend Danny's brother Chris was married in Oxnard. Danny was the best-man so we got to participate in all of the festivities and I got to see him in a tux. Yes! ;) Friday night we had the rehearsal and then dinner at the park. It was a lot of fun and very laid back. Everyone played catch, an impromptu game of soccer and ate pizza. Our friends the Bryce's let us crash at their place and it was nice to catch-up. Saturday morning Bryan and Shandie blessed Dylan. Such a special moment, Bryan got me all teared up!  Thanks for letting us be apart of it.

 

Next it was back to Oxnard for wedding photos and the actual wedding. It was a very lovely and small ceremony. The weather was perfect and Sydney was an angel! She was the flower girl and I was so nervous about her posing for pictures and walking the aisle, but she loved the whole thing. I think she felt like a princess in the dress, because at the end of the night she cried when we had to put her pajamas on! She danced, ate cupcakes and ran around like crazy. What a great weekend! We are so happy for Chris and Laura and wish them a happy marriage. We are also grateful for wonderful friends who we cannot get enough of. :)

4th of July

It took me a little while, but I finally got our 4th of July photos together. I have to say that the 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays. There is something about swimming, barbecuing and watching fireworks that makes me happy. It is a simple day filled with fun. No running from place to place or trying to buy gifts for people. For the second year in a row we went to the LaVerne fireworks show with my family. This year most of my aunts, uncles and cousins also came which made for happy chaos. Sydney had a great time swimming, dancing to the live band and then watching the fireworks. She does not get scared and at one point actually fell asleep. I had to keep nudging her to stay awake. It was such a great night and I am sad it is over. Until next year! Happy Birthday America! 

Swim Lessons

On Monday Sydney started "Mommy & Me" swim classes as the local pool. She loves swimming at Grandma Shannon's house but the first day of lessons was a little rough. She did not like the "organized" swim especially when she said, "All done!" and I would not let her get out. Each lesson we sing several songs, do back floats, tummy floats, dunking, etc. Sydney's least favorite part is when the 2 instructors take turns swimming with her. It is to get her used to people other than relatives holding her, but the first day she cried and then hit the instructor! I was so mortified!! So everyday as we drive over we have "the talk." It consists of me telling her that she has to be nice and that there is no hitting. So far, so good. No more hitting and no more tears which is progress. Danny came yesterday and was able to get some pictures. She has one more week and we are excited to see what she can learn. 

Practicing her tummy float

She loves the kickboard and pretending to be a motorboat.

I had to include this picture because it is classic Sydney. She is done and wants to get out and I am explaining that there is one more song to sing and then we can get out. She said, "No more songs!" Trying to reason with a toddler!

After every swim lesson she likes to sit in this little spot in the sun to dry off. She usually enjoys a snack as well. We are always the last people at the pool.

A Couple Things

I thought I would just blog about a few random things and include recent pictures so you can all see our little family. First, since Shandie has not done so I wanted to blog about Dylan. He is the cutest thing ever and so good! Last time I was out in Simi I had to take a few pictures. I got to just sit and hold him...hmm baby bliss!

Here is Sydney in her Elmo costume being silly. It was like 100 degrees outside but she insisted.

 

We still have the cardboard house that my dad Victor built for her back when we moved in. She loves it so much I think it has become a permanent fixture. :) He wanted to add a 2nd story recently with another box but I had to draw the line. heehee 

Sydney always bugs me to get in but I tell her that I am too big. Danny being the good sport that he is agreed. I had to capture the moment because it was too funny! Getting his top half in was not enough for her and she kept saying, "Feet in!" Not gonna happen!

Last, is a picture of me. For all of you I am now 29 weeks and looking like I am ready to pop (according to me). I always get embarrased by belly pics hence the red face. :) But I realized that I have documented this pregnancy a whole lot less than Sydney and decided it was time for a picture.