happy halloween!

 Evelyn was a sleepy skeleton

 Dahlia was Doc Mcstuffins and I could not get her to smile

 Laila was a cat

 Ava was Alice

 Aiden was an emoji

 Dario was also an emoji

eight years old!

On Saturday we celebrated Laila turning eight years old.  She was so excited for her birthday.  We had a party with both sides of our family and we also celebrated Ava's birthday which is on November the first.  We love our spunky Laila and can't believe she is now eight!
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photos from ava and laila's birthday

pumpkin patch

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!