ava & evelyn

Thank goodness for Ava!  She is such a big help with Evelyn.  She loves to hold and play with her.  She is such a good big sister and just loves her baby sister.
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one month old!

Baby Evelyn is now one month old.  That first month was a crazy blur!   She is such a good baby and so sweet, that her daddy nicknamed her, "little sweet."

evelyn camille ochoa

Baby Evelyn was born a week before her due date, on September 2 at 2:23 pm.  She weighed 8 pounds 2 ounces and was 21 inches long.  This time around I had a really easy labor and delivery.  The baby's heart was checked for the same defect that Dahlia had and it is completely healthy.  I really wanted to have a normal experience with a newborn, but once again that isn't the case.  I was hit hard with postpartum depression/anxiety along with severe insomnia.  I went THREE days without sleeping and almost checked myself into a psychiatric hospital.   It has been one of the most horrible and insidious things that I have ever been through.  I have sought help and I'm hoping that recovery is possible.  Needless to say, I am so DONE having babies!

 My sister, Lauren, took these cute newborn photos.

5 years old

Today Dahlia turned five years old!  It sure doesn't seem like it has been five years.  We just had a new baby and it's been pretty rough around here, so I wasn't able to throw her the birthday party that she deserves.  Dahlia is such a special girl and I am so grateful for the five years we've had with her.

back to school

The kids had their first day of school on Monday.  This year I was a little too excited for them to go back, due to the fact that I am nine months pregnant and exhausted.  Everyone had a good first day, even though the school day starts earlier this year than last.

Laila 2nd grade

Ava 4th grade

Aiden 7th grade

Dario 8th grade

beach vacation

Last week we went on a relaxing vacation to the beach, for three days.  We had a blast spending time with my sister's family and my parents in a beautiful beach house, that was steps from the beach.  It was just the break that I needed to help get me through the last miserable month of being pregnant!

fourth of July pictures

We had a wonderful Fourth of July.  We went to my parents house this year.  It was a big celebration with lots of family, lots of food and lots of fun!

twelve!

On June 13, Aiden turned 12!  This year he wanted a party with some of his friends.  So, we planned a glow in the dark party at Brian's parent's rec. center.  Brian set up a bunch of black lights and all the boys had fun playing dodge ball and running around shooting nerf guns at each other.  Next week Aiden goes to Boy Scout Camp for the first time.  Hopefully camping all week in the hot Texas weather isn't too torturous for him!

memorial day weekend

During Memorial Day weekend we took a family trip to the Houston zoo.  We hadn't been in several years and it was lots of fun to go back and  see all of the new exhibits.  This was Dahlia's very first visit and she loved seeing all of the animals.

There was a brand new dinosaur exhibit that had just opened and the kids loved it!

last day of school!

Aiden got this t-shirt from his math teacher for participating in an online math program.

He came in second for scoring the most points in his school.

The kids had their last day of school today, they were so excited!    It is nice to be out before Memorial Day, it seems like school normally gets out the week after.  Everyone did really well in school this year.  Here's to a nice relaxing summer (yeah right)!

way to go dario!

Recently, Dario was chosen to participate in the Duke University talent search because of the high score he got on an assessment test, the STAAR test.  For the talent search, he was given the opportunity to take the SAT in 7th grade.  He is one smart guy and scored well on this test!  This past Saturday an award ceremony was held to recognize all of the students who made high scores on the test.  We are so proud of Dario and this awesome accomplishment!

My parents were so sweet to drive down and attend the ceremony, which was really long!  Dario was glad they were there to support him.

mother's day weekend

I had a wonderful Mother's Day.  Brian always does a wonderful job of spoiling me!  The weather was so beautiful and we decided to make the most of it, before the hot Texas summer sets in.  Over the weekend we went to the beach and the park.  It was so nice to be able to relax on the beach and enjoy the cool ocean breeze without sweating!  It was also nice because Dahlia doesn't really like going in the water.  She loves to walk along the shore and look for seashells, and we didn't have to worry about her overheating.  It was such a fun weekend!