New blog page - nueva pagina blog

Mateo and Francesca now have a new joint blog page! Check it out at
www.coguakids.blogspot.com

Ahora Mateo y Francesca juntos tienen una nueva pagina blog. La puedes ver a
www.coguakids.blogspot.com

First Smile - Primera Sonrisa

This morning, Francesca was on our bed laying propped up in her Boppy while Mateo and I were sitting and talking with her. Mateo was pointing to himself and saying "Mateo" and then pointing to me and saying "Mama" - he is a great teacher already! Francesca was looking back and forth at each of us, and then... she SMILED at me and then she SMILED at Mateo. It was a precious moment!

Esta manana, Francesca estaba acostada en nuestra cama soportada por una almohada "Boppy" mientras Mateo y yo hablabamos con ella. Mateo apuntaba a si mismo y le dijo "Mateo" y despues me apuntaba a mi y le dijo "Mama" - es un buen maestro ya para Francesca! Francesca nos miraba uno al otro, y luego... me SONRIO a mi y despues le SONRIO a Mateo. Fue un momento precioso.

Aunt Noody

Mateo has affectionately termed Aunt Janelle "Aunt Noody." Here are some long awaited pics of Aunt Noody with Francesca!

exercises - ejercicios

I do exercises every day to strengthen my neck and tummy. I am getting very strong. I can lift my head all the way up all by myself. I can roll from my tummy to my back. And I can turn my head from one side to the other. Look what I can do!
Hago ejercicios todos los dias para fortalezer mi cuello y barriga. Ya estoy muy fuerte. Puedo levantar mi cabeza solita. Puedo dar vuelta de mi estomago a la espalda y puedo dar vuelta a mi cabeza de un lado al otro. Mire lo que puedo hacer!

Hello! Hola!

This is how I start out. Asi empiezo.

Then I move my head to one side. Entonces muevo mi cabeza de un lado al otro.

My big brother Mateo always cheers me on. Mi hermano mayor Mateo siempre me anima.

See how high I can lift my head and neck? Ve tan alto que puedo levantar mi cabeza y cuello?

Then I start turning to the other side. Sometimes it takes a while. Despues empiezo dar la vuelta al otro lado. A veces me cuesta trabajo.

Look, I did it! Mire, lo logre!

Wow! That was tiring! Wow, ahora si estoy cansada!

December 7 - One month old

Francesca is one month old! We celebrated with cake and ice cream and sang "Happy Birthday" even though it's one month and not one year. We did the same with Mateo when we first got him, too, celebrating his 9th and 10th month in Colombia.

Daddy brought home beautiful red roses and Francesca's godfather, Aaron Murray, provided the cake. It was a wonderful celebration of her first month of life.

With cousin Emma

With Great Grandma Helen

The roses Daddy brought home

Con mi papa

Sleeping

My homecoming - Thursday, December 11

We got the news early that Thursday afternoon... Francesca was coming home!

Francesca's nurse, Melissa, telling us the final important information

Signing the discharge papers for our baby girl

Daddy was excited, even insistent on dressing me in my going home outfit - a special outfit my abuela Edelmira had gotten me!

I'm ready!

Getting her arms through the coat sleeves was tricky!

Making sure the carseat fits me just right

Let's go!
Leaving the NICU
Down through the lobby
Hop in!

Brrrr! It's cold

Outside my home

Look who was waiting for me!

Love

I'm Here!! Ya llegue!!

Francesca Sue Cogua was born on Sunday, December 7, 2008 at 6:13 am. She weighed 7 lbs. 4oz. and was 19 1/2 inches long.

Francesca Sue Cogua

Hi Momma!

Hola Papa!

Mommy and Daddy love you SO MUCH! Te amamos mucho!
Bebe! Cesca! Mateo adora a su hermanita

Grandma Sue, I love you!

Grandpa Jim, when can we go fishing?

Mi abuelita me adora!

Por fin "Prospera Agapita" conocio a su abuelo!

With Dr. Jones
While the doctors monitored her heart, Francesca got to stay a few days in the NICU at Methodist. The nurses were all WONDERFUL. She had a great stay, but we were sure glad to get her home!

Labor and delivery went surprisingly quickly ... mom started having contractions around 11:30 Saturday night. We arrived at the hospital at 3:30 am and she was born 2 hours and 43 minutes later. Mom only had to push for 15 minutes and then Francesca was here! It was amazing to finally hold her in my arms.

She is our little angel! Her name means "open-hearted" or "smiling" and we are certain these will be perfect descriptors of our precious little girl. Unintentionally, we ended up naming both of our babies with names significant to Jaimie's mom's side of the family. Mateo is Mateo Fernando, his middle name after his Daddy. Fern was Jaimie's maternal grandmother's name. Francesca Sue has her mama's middle name and Frances was Jaimie's maternal great-grandmother's name. Again, unintentional, but certainly significant.

Grandma Sue and Grandpa Jim were at the hospital - they actually made it there before we did. Los abuelos Edelmira and Jose came a little later with big brother Mateo. Everyone was overjoyed to meet Francesca.

Soon after she was born, Dr. Jones (certainly the best OB/GYN in all of Omaha!) came to our bedside and said, "I would like to tell you some things about your baby. Francesca has Down syndrome." We were totally taken by surprise. Our first reaction was an overwhelming response of emotion that can only be expressed through tears. I to cried out of surprise, joy, grief, loss of the dream of a "perfect" baby... and yet I had an underlying sense of peace. You see, Francesca is our miracle baby. She's the little girl we have hoped and prayed for for so many years. Francesca is the little soul that God has been preparing for our family since the beginning of time and we know she is PERFECT for us. So even though the news of her Downs was a surprise, and certainly we have been processing everything through a whole range of emotions, we are greatly overjoyed to have been chosen as the parents of such a special little girl. She is our ANGEL.

And we can't wait for you to meet her!

El nacimiento fue sorprendentemente rapido … mami empezo a tener contracciones a eso de las 11:30 el sabado en la noche. Llegamos al hospital a las 3:30 de la mañana y ella nació 2 horas y 43 minutos después. Mami solo tuvo que pujar por 15 minutos antes que Francesca naciera. Es increíble que la pueda tener finalmente en mis brazos.

Ella es nuestro pequeno angel! Su nombre significa “generosa” o “risuena” y estamos seguros que estos son descripciones perfectas de nuestra pequeña nena. Sin intención, terminamos poniéndole nombres a nuestros hijos que tienen mucho significado para la familia de Jaimie, especialmente en el lado de la familia de la mama. Mateo, es Mateo Fernando , su segundo nombre es el de su papa. Fern era el nombre de la abuelita de Jaimie (la mama de su mama). Francesca Sue, tiene el segundo nombre igual que el de su mama y Frances era el nombre de la bisabuela de Jaimie (también del lado de la mama de Jaimie). Una vez mas, esto no fue intensional, pero en realidad muy importante.

La Abuelita Sue y el Abuelito Jim estaban en el hospital, en realidad ellos llegaron ahi antes que nosotros. Los abuelitos Edelmira y Jose llegaron un rato después con el hermano mayor Mateo. Todo el mundo estama superfeliz de conocer a Francesca.

Al rato de que ella naciera, la Dr. Jones (en realidad la mejor Ginecobstetra en todo Omaha) vino al lado de la cama y nos dijo “Quiero contarles unas cosas sobre su bebe. Francesca tiene síndrome de Down. Nos tomo completamente por sorpresa. Nuestra primera reacción fue una respuesta abrumadora llena de emoción que solo podía ser expresada a travez de las lagrimas. Yo llore de sorpresa, alegría, duelo, de la perdida de el sueno de un bebe “normal”… y aun asi en el fondo sentí mucha paz. Ustedes saben que Francesca es nuestra bebe milagro. Ella es la pequeña bebe que nosotros esperamos y por la que oramos todos estos años. Francesca is la pequeña almita que Dios estaba preparando para nuestra familia desde el principio de los tiempos y nosotros sabemos que ella es PERFECTA para nosotros. Aunque la noticia del síndrome de Down fue una sorpresa y que sin lugar a duda hemos estado procesando todo a travez de una cantidad de emociones, estamos muy emocionados de haber sido escogidos como los padres de una nena tan especial. Ella es nuestro ANGEL.

Y no casi no aguantamos para que ustedes la conozcan!