a day at the park

On Saturday we went to my favorite park.  It has a beautiful, peaceful botanical garden in it, with a pond that has lots of large Koi fish in it.  We bought some bread to feed the fish.  In the park there is also a board walk that goes out into the swamp.  Luckily we didn't encounter any aggressive alligators!

little sweet

reeses

We got a dog!  Last week our house was broken into.  I was asleep in my bedroom and was awoken to the loud sound of shattering glass.  Someone had broken our kitchen window and grabbed Brian's wallet that was on the windowsill.  It was so scary and luckily they did not come inside our house.  Brian's brother offered to give us his dog to keep watch over the house.  The dog is an outside dog and Brian's brother's yard was not fenced in or big enough for the dog.  The kids named the dog Reeses.  He is a good natured dog and is good with the kids.  Hopeful he'll be a good guard dog too!

10 years old

This time of the year, we have lots of birthdays in our family. On November the first Ava turned double digits!  She is growing up too fast!

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.