Shooting Star Update

I had another prenatal appointment this morning and Amy said things are looking right on track. The little one is really active and had a heart beat of 150. Our ultrasound is set for the 20th of October...and no we are not finding out the sex. I need the suspense some days to keep me going! Good news is I can eat sushi as long as it isn't raw. It's the little things! I continue to hold this pregnancy near and dear to me and can't wait to meet the newest addition to our family. I am entering my fifth month so things are movin' along! We ask for continued blessings during this special time.

Damn Monkey

For the past three nights there has been a monkey in Ignacio's room. Two nights ago it was accompanied by a "gorila grande." He wakes up screaming and trembles as you try to reassure him that it is only a shadow or perhaps just a bad dream. At 22 months neither of these explanations hold much water or understanding. Ignacio has discovered shadows and, if you haven't noticed, there are a lot of shadows at any given moment, especially at night. So what are parents to do with a little one going through this stage? Last night I attempted to tell the monkey "goodbye" which seemed to work for a good half an hour. You can stay with him but, unless you are prepared to sleep on the floor next to his crib, good luck trying to sneak out of the room once you think he is alseep. We tried bringing him into our bed but he just crawls around on all fours and pretends to be a kitty licking my face at 3am. We set up the pack-and-play in our room last night as a last resort in case he woke up for the third time screaming that the monkey was in the corner, but he didn't. I had rocked him into a DEEP sleep, placed him in his crib and left the lights on really dim. Who knows, maybe I am the crazy one. Maybe we need to call animal control to come get the damn thing.

Change...Good Change

The fall leaves were hitting my windshield as I sleepily made my way to the hospital to be with my sister and Adia early on Sunday morning. I just remember thinking, "I am about to meet my little niece for the first time and my life will never be the same. She is here." As I peeked at her under her white blanket while laying on Krissy's chest she was pink and wrinkled and warm. I dug my nose in the folds of her back and wished I could crawl in and make myself at home. She was perfect. I am so proud of my sister for bringing her into the world and applaud her for giving it her all even when it is really, really, really hard. I barely know Adia, already love her and can't imagine life without her. Adia made her first trip to Auntie's house and Addison ran around playing with everything that was not officially a toy but easily could be given 5 minutes in his hands. He is such a loving big brother, bringing Adia her pacifier and placing the wipes and diaper on the couch for Krissy. Auntie loves you Addison!

Little Adia is little everywhere except her face, where you can easily see she LOVES her mommy's milkie milkie. Her little blue eyes tried to focus at the lights at Auntie's house and her little legs wiggled up onto my chest as she nestled in.

Uncle Angel remembered very well exactly what to do with a newborn...except when it came to changing her diaper..."Now how do you clean THAT?"

Ignacio is over the moon that Adia is here. He calls her "baby Adia" and is very conscious of where she is and what she is doing. It is great practice for what lays ahead for him!

While Ama was here this week Ignacio spent every waking moment with her while they read books, she took him for trips around the condo in the suitcase and they danced to the WONDERFUL (AHHHHHH) children's CD she bought for him. How many ways can you sing the alphabet...let me tell you...TOO many!

I love...

I love that...

Ignacio pretends to breastfeed his stuffed animals...such a nurturing soul.

he says, "Salud" to himself after sneezing.

I have to have my whole arm wrapped around him when he is scared.

he smiles and says, "mami" when he sees me in the morning.

every night he says, "te" and then Angel has to say "amo" (I...love you in Spanish).

he tells himself to "be careful" and "its okay" throughout the day.

he is who he is.

Pool Party

There are only a few hot days left and Ignacio spent yesterday with his cousins at the pool.

Ignacio plays "horsey," "pez," and "baby" with papa in the pool. By the end of the night the boys were holding on to an adults hand and jumping into the deep end of the side! Good thing they had floater outfits on! No better than to watch a sunset from your roof while in the pool!!

We brought this plastic pitcher and it was a hit! The boys put the toys in the buckets, filled them up with water and dumped them out. Then tio Miguel started a water fight!

We were all prepared for Krissy to have a water birth at the pool but no such luck! What is she thinking?...."Get this baby out of me!!!!!!!!!!"

Addison was happy when Chad got home from work! Play time!

Round Two

Well, our first peanuts are 6 weeks apart and our second little ones will be 6 months apart. People think we planned this but I can assure you there was NO planning involved! Although Krissy and usually do things together it was our children this time who sought US in the universe. They all just wanted to come at the same time! Cousin time!!

For Auntie

Here are pictures to keep Auntie's spirits up during the last days of her pregnancy!!!!

Recognize that face?????

Tree hugger!

LALO!!!!!

4 and Counting!

Little shooting star is now in the fourth month and is so strong. I have already felt the baby and it is active. At my second prenatal appointment Amy had a hard time finding the heart beat because the baby was moving so much. I think Angel will be able to feel the little one any day! I am doing my best to take good care of myself, recognize my limits and NOT freak about the flu season that is quickly approaching! I continue to ask for strength and blessings as this little one continues on its journey to our family.

Lovey Dovey!

We have been enjoying our last days of summer now that I am not puking all day! We went for an afternoon to Lake Calhoun and had fish fries at the lake and ice cream for dessert. It hit me when looking at these pictures just how big Ignacio has gotten. He is such a beautiful little ball of light that makes me smile and believe in the possibility of anything every day. There really are no words to describe just how in love I am with my kid and what my family has become. Ignacio is funny, kind, empathetic and smart. He keeps me on my toes and some days in the past few months has kept me just going in general.

"Lalo, lalo, lalo.....!!!!!!" It echoed through the pavillion at the park. It's Ignacio's way of saying ice cream in Spanish and as I sat and ate my food while Angel took him to stand in line for "lalo" I could hear Ignacio screaming with excitement that in only a few short seconds an creamy and cold dessert would be in his hands. Ignacio lives "out loud" and it is one of my favorite things about him.

Ignacio's language is taking off. Here are some of his most recent achievements:

I sneezed and he said, "Salud mama!" to which I looked at him in wonderment and said, "Gracias!"

When I was dancing like a dork he said, "Go mama, go mama."

When sitting at the dinner table he mimicked me and said, "Mama says no!"

He can count to 10, knows four colors and four letters. Kindergarden? PLEASE!!!!

Ignacio is a character and he has started to intentionally do things that make us laugh, much like a jester. His sense of humor is RIGHT up my alley and I love that I "get" my kid. With a goofball for parents his chances of turning out perfectly "normal" are minimal but, as my mom used to say, "Do you want a "normal mom?" How boring is normalcy!

Table for four please! Ignacio has really taken to all his little amiguitos and this night at dinner he decided they were all dining in. He is so kind and generous to his little friends, often offering them food and drink from his. Recently however a few of them have been acting up because he is frequently telling the kitty and elephant "NO, NO!" I'm not getting in the middle of that one!

Ignacio always has to leave the house with something and that is why our living room and my car's backseat are a revolving toy box. He always grabs the biggest item in the house like his sit n' spin and looks at me, hoping that today might be the day something bigger than a kleenex box will make it out the door. I then break the news to him that it is staying home and, at the point when most kids would have a nervous breakdown and throw themselves into a tantrum, he drops it and picks up something else substantially smaller and makes his way past me.