I'm in love.

I am so in love with Emilio it isn't even funny. He is so sweet and so fun to hang out with, especially the 20 minutes after he wakes up from a nap. He smiles with his whole body and his knees come up to his chest with excitement. I catch him just staring at me and spontaneously smiling. I have no other choice but to kiss him from head to toe. I am so in love with him. That is all I can say.

BIG

We had kind of built it up. "We are going to buy you a BIG boy bed!" Ignacio became increasingly excited over the coming days. As we headed to IKEA a bit too close to Ignacio's nap time I thought, "This is either going to go really good or really bad." I was so excited to see the little beds all set up for display with colorful comforters. Ignacio was more interested in the play area. Priceless. We quickly decided on one, went to the loading area where we hauled our big cardboard boxes of pieces onto the cart. (Ikea is famous for the "assemble yourself" motto.) Ignacio wailed the whole way home because he didn't believe there was a bed in all those boxes. Okay, maybe we had bought him a mattress but that is no bed. Given he was over-tired there was no convincing his two year old brain that the bed was in the boxes so we gave up half-way home. To top it all off he forgot his puppy stuffed animal while playing at the store and had a total meltdown after I had to break the news to him it was gone forever. Grief and loss at 2 is hard. Needless to say we made it home and later that afternoon Angel assembled the bed. Ignacio requested that we put it on our bed. Classic. Only Ignacio would want his bed IN our bed. We delighted in watching Ignacio's eyes light up at seeing his bed but I know in the back of our minds we were thinking, "...but is he going to SLEEP in it?" After pulling a "Supper Nanny" technique for 20 minutes my big boy was asleep in his big boy bed. He looked so BIG with his pillow and choo-choo blanket. I was going to take a picture of him but didn't want to risk waking him up! So, Angel and I are back to sleeping side-by-side and our nightmares of chasing Ignacio around the house every nap and bed time have been put to rest. He is going pee-pee in the toilet and sleeping in his own bed. Before I know it he will be picking me up from work to pick out the tux for his wedding. Although he is getting bigger, the diaper sticking out of his puppy pajamas and the Big Bird under his arm are a great reminder that he is still my little boy.

What's for dinner?

Ignacio asked if he could cook Emilio tonight. Must not have been such a good day to be a big brother.

All smiles :)

Emilio David is over 14 pounds!! The nurse had to stick him on the scale twice just make sure it was right! He is not only surviving...he is thriving. He is so SWEET!! His smiles light up a room...or at least the one in my heart. He sways his head back and forth with excitement and his knees come up to his chest with joy. Most parents have to put a crying baby back to sleep at 2am. Last night Angel came and got me in the middle of the night with frustration. "You do it. I'm frustrated." I listened in the dark but heard no crying from the other room where Emilio was. I shuffled out of bed with Angel in tow. As I looked down at Emilio on the changing table he was smiling. "He just keeps smiling and laughing at me and won't go to sleep." Cute? Yes. Not so cute for a tired dad but a great treat for a rested mom. My baby boy. Such a joy. Oh, and he took 2oz out of a bottle today! Big Boy.

Teacher

Ignacio continues to grace me with his toddler wisdom. So far I have learned from him that...

Raccoons eat sausage.
I am the Virgen Mary and Angel is Jesus.
Emilio can hold things, talk and stand up but just chooses not to.
Tomorrow he might go see an impala.
The reason Sesame Street ends is because Elmo has to go take a nap like Ignacio.

I love the mind of my little boy.

Shout out to mamas...

I woke up to Ignacio at my head with a card saying, "Happy Mother!" a.k.a. "Happy Mother's Day." My third Mother's Day. This year a mama of two. Where to begin? Tired?...yes. Overwhelmed at times?...sure. Irritable?...okay, yea. In love?...of course. Proud?...you bet. Excited?...most days. Happy?...always. I am now an example to two little boys, one a baby and one a little boy who will one day grow up to be men. Two men. It is hard work to raise two men. I am thankful I have a strong one by my side to help me. I reread my blog from last year and I was definately more rested, feeling stronger and had more freedom than this year but it only gives me hope that next year's blog will resemble last year's. Happy Mother's day to all the fellow baby mamas. Hardest job on earth, little lucrative pay, no vacation but a WONDERFUL benefits package including memories to last a lifetime. I'll take it...I can't quit now anyway!!