10 takes of Month 2

10 quick takes of our 2nd month with our little bouncing babe:

1. Anabelle must really love us!!! At 6 weeks she started sleeping through the night (a whole 8hr stretch!). This act of kindness really let's Babba Karim get his rest for work the next day. Ahhhhhh, how sweet life is :)

2. Anabelle made her first furry friend! During our visit to TX she became acquainted to my youngest sister's dog: a gender-confused, female imperial shitzu named "Hombre." They compete in their degree of cuteness and I believe Anabelle finally met her match in someone who owns even more ridiculous outfits. During our visit we saw Hombre sport everything from bridal attire to batman and clown outfits!

3. It was such a gift to celebrate our first wedding anniversary with Anabelle! We spent the day in Napa with breathtaking beauty, every-which-way we turned. The day was filled with laughter and great peace. Anabelle took a long "napa" in Napa as we visited a couple of vineyards. The day was topped off by a surprise discovery of the Carmelite Monastery. Finding it nestled in a beautiful vineyard was a true reminder that all the blessings we had received this year came from the fount of His alter. Kneeling in the monastery with Karim reminded me of that pivotal moment at Our Lady of Mount Carmel just a year ago when God poured His love into our hearts and fused them as one.

4. Speaking of weddings.....Anabelle was a little party animal this month! She got to live it up at her aunt Tina and uncle Jayson's wedding! She loved being cuddled with in the loving arms of people who had been praying for her all these months and also struck a move on the dance floor under the romantic chandeliers of a rustic flour-mill.

5. Our visit to TX also proved one thing to me....Anabelle would have very different hair if she lived in the Texas. The saying "the higher one's hair is, the closer one is to heaven" totally applied to our little Californian as she experienced a TX summer for the first time! With a sweating baby- modesty was thrown out the window and most days were spent only in diapers. It was cute to see her wakeup with a little flip at sunrise, play around in tight curls at noon, and fall asleep with a little afro-poof by sunset.

6. With babies: accidents happen. Yes, I have been out in public with my shirt drenched in baby spit-up....Yes, I have been out in public with a little baby urine here and there....and alas...Yes, I have been out in public with a big baby poop stain on my shorts. Just one of those things about mama-hood that one doesn't ever daydream about in prenatal yoga. ;)

7. I think we have a little book worm in our house. Even though we only have  a couple of books at our home here, we still haven't been bored by them- Anabelle loves cuddling with a reader while she listens intently as she follows gestures, and the colors, patterns and shapes of the different pages.

8. Driving through San Francisco- a new meaning has been ascribed to 'tunnel-vision.' If you haven't seen a baby's facial expression as you go through a tunnel- you NEED to put it on your bucket list! (or maybe just watch this youtube video to get the gist: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0p97UFCA_Zk).  ;)

9. Anabelle is one reverent baby. San Francisco has some BEAUTIFUL churches and the majority of the time spent in them has been peaceful. If she's not sleeping, she loves listening to the church hymns, smelling the candles and flowers in the little grottos, and looking at all the different light patterns and colors of the stained-glass windows.

10. Anabelle's smile gets cuter and cuter each day! We can't get enough of it!!!! :)


Thank you, Anabelle, for this month of having celebrated weddings, our anniversary, and our daily life. Each sweet moment, you have let us grow in your love!

We love you Anabelle!

-Teresa :)

Photos from TX, Robert & Olivia's visit, and our anniversary celebration! :) 

Getting to know Auntie Kara! :) 

Our dear Kathryn who baked our wedding cake surprised us with a delicious anniversary spread!

Still can't get over my gorgeous sister!!! :)

Thanks for the memories TX! 

Comfy in the carrier while we enjoy a hike @ Muir Woods :) 

This love birds are just too cute! :) 

My little chubster is just tooooooo cute! :) 

Napa was simply BREATHTAKING!

God's little detour in Napa to find the Carmelite Monastery :) 

My handsome fella :) 

Twirling! The only appropriate thing to do when you find a big open room :) 

We're going to cherish these last weeks in SF! :) 

10 Takes of our 1st Month

10 Quick Takes of Anabelle's first month:

1. We've discovered that Anabelle is an AMAZING traveler! This little girl is convincing us that we might be able to travel the world as a family. Anytime we're out she's either lulled to sleep by the movement of the car and carrier or wide-eyed and taking in the world.  Hmmmm... Europe and Lebanon could very easily be on the horizon for next year if we keep this up!

2. Anabelle was very patriotic on the 4th of July in sporting her nation's colors from head to toe. But...half way through the day it was...zzzZzzzZzzzZzzzz... :) Slept right through the fireworks outside our window. Guess we'll have to try again next year!

3. Last week Anabelle made her first appearance in mama's dreams! While a "baby" had been a reoccurring appearance in the dream sequence, last week was the first time a clearly characterized "Anabelle" took full stage in the unconscious. Pretty cool to see her personality, facial expressions, and minute details leaving a definite impression :)

4. Baby sneezes are the CUTEST thing on this earth! The "a-choo" followed by the sweetest coos of having accomplished a bodily feat truly melts our hearts!

5. San Francisco has been a wonderful place to enjoy this first month of life. Daily walks on the Embarcadero and piers breathe energy to an often sleep deprived mama. hahaha, and who wouldn't get a kick out of watching people running after work to catch a ferry boat home! It's a rather funny New York minute nautical scene.

6. Poop, urine, and spit-up: has officially stopped phasing mama and babba! Way to go little girl! A good diaper explosion is always worthy of a cheer.

7. Even though it was a little rough at the beginning- We totally got this feeding thing down now! Mama-Newborn, high-five!!! There is such a beauty in breastfeeding. Even on the days where I look around and feel like I didn't get anything done. That dirty diaper and sleeping baby remind me that my body has been working to sustain another human being! Pretty cool in my book :)

8. Last week we received our first REAL smile! That wide-awake, looking into your face kind of smile completely stops time! What a treasure a smile is. One of the most memorable ones was early in the morning as Karim was going to work and saying goodbye, Anabelle gave the biggest smile! It was as if she was giving him a little gift to carry for the rest of the day :)

9. I really hope that this first month hasn't stunted Anabelle's musical abilities! A bit sleep deprived and with 12+hrs of soothing and comforting....Mama's lullabies were never Grammy winning. If humming wasn't cutting it, mama usually resorted to the only songs she knew: church songs, and Christmas songs! So if you, Anabelle, ever have a craving for hot chocolate and Christmas shopping in June later in life....you know why!

10. We can't believe how much Anabelle's changed in just a 4 week period! Is this feeling of life blazing by going to characterize a majority of our parenting?! It appears to be a definite possibility,  and with that in mind we'll do our best to savor every bit of Anabelle's sweet looks, trusting embraces, cute sounds, and wide-eyed looks of discovery.  Anabelle, you remind us to see the world anew and always search for that playful and creative penmanship of God that He meaningfully designed each of us with. You also remind us that even after a long day, we are truly blessed to have had a good meal, be bundled up in our pajamas, have received good night kisses, and be falling asleep with the reassurance that those closest in our lives are blessed with a similar slumber. We know you'll bring this love to many in your lifetime and we will work as a team to share this joyful, beautiful light of peace with others. :)

We love you Anabelle! Happy 1st month!!!

Photos from, as you can guess: 4th of July weekend :)

View from our apartment as we wait for the fireworks...
we weren't sure if we would actually see anything!

Mateo's first fireworks show!