The Saucey Scoop

in a funk

2012-01-17T21:10:00.000-06:00

I'm in a funk. I wake up. Go to work. Come home. Tend to Emma and the house. Go to sleep. Same thing Monday thru Friday. Every once in a while, I get the motivation to pump out a workout. I live for the weekends, but don't fully adjust to the weekend until it's nearly Monday again.

I'm not me right now. Cynthia is usually motivated, successful, on her A-game all the time and in every aspect. But, I'm tired. I just want to cruise for a little bit. Be a low performer. Take a break. I want to spend money as if my bank account magically replenishes itself nightly. I want to eat sugars and carbs and greasy food till my stomach hurts. I want to sit on my couch and watch the television every evening. I want to block out the world around me for a few weeks. The only thing about these irresponsible actions, is that they are followed my an unnerving remorse that eats up a person with my type of personality.

This is only a season and as surely as the sun rises every morning, I too will rise.

potty trained

2012-01-17T20:48:00.001-06:00

In case the title didn't give you the slight indication of success, let me just say it: Emma is potty trained!

We tried this whole potty training business in June, before Emma was two. I wasn't nearly prepared for what was to come. Emma absolutely hated the entire experience. She refused to go in the potty and by the end of the third day, we were both crying in defeat.

I decided to quit the potty training and throughout the summer, we attempted a few other times, unsuccessfully.

The last week of my Christmas break, I decided that she needed to learn to use the potty. We had a rough first days, but after enlisting my mother's help, she finally started using the potty! No more money on diapers! No more changing dirty, dirty, dirty, diapers! And, no more wipes. Although, we have moved on to the flushable wipes.

And, although I would like to fully rejoice in her accomplishment, I must say that going potty in public places is a hassle.

snow days

2012-01-10T08:39:00.001-06:00

West Texas went through much of a drought this past summer. We got very little rain and our sources of water were at an all time low. Water restrictions dictated when we could and couldn't water our lawns, first 3 times a week, then as the drought worsened, only twice. Talks began that the following year, we wouldn't be able to water at all.

Citizens in West Texas bowed on their knees and prayed for rain. Many church congregations held prayer sessions. The words, "Pray for Rain," were on every church sign and many billboards, serving as a constant reminder that we were, indeed, in a very desperate state. On a few occasions, we got rainfall and people danced in their front yards and rejoiced in our blessing. For rainfall was now perceived as a blessing and not a simple act of nature.

A month ago, we had our first snowfall. Schools and businesses closed down as is usual at the sight of snow for West Texas. But nobody would have predicted what was to come. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day we had a little more snowfall, about 5 inches in our backyard. Then after a beautiful, mild weekend, we received 10 inches of snow yesterday. West Texas has not seen this amount of snow since the 1940's, 19.5 inches to be exact.

Now, although this snowfall doesn't remove us from the drought state and our water sources are still low, we must all rejoice in the fact that our awesome Lord heard our prayers and is faithful. As I look out my back window, I see His faithfulness beaming thru the sun rays and reflecting off the beautiful white blanket of snow. It's a sight to behold.

mae

2012-01-08T19:48:00.002-06:00

Today, we got our new puppy Mae. She's a Chihuahua/Yorkie mix, a Chorkie! She's extremely cute and adorable. The poor thing doesn't even realize that her new owner is a 3-foot giant who loves to torment little puppies like her.

Exactly seven years ago, we got our puppy Sari. She was a miniature Poodle. My mom and dad bought her for us and she was delivered to us in a tiny basket. We always said that we wanted a puppy so that we could prepare for a baby. Ha! Such naive thinking on our part. Puppies in no way prepare you for a baby. They are much, much easier. Anway, Sari was our baby until Emma was born. Then, we had to give her to David's parents because she was very jealous of Emma.

I promised that I would never, ever get another puppy, but when Mae was offered to us as a gift to Emma by one of David's coworkers, we just couldn't resist.

We love her already!

random thoughts

2012-01-04T23:23:00.000-06:00

Random Thought 1: This is my 100th published post.

Random Thought 2: I like Rihanna's song, We Found Love. I'm sure you've heard it on the radio. I don't usually like her music, but something about this song draws me in. Maybe it's the struggle she reveals through her lyrics. Maybe it's the beat or the melody.

Random Thought 3: I don't want to work anymore. I want to be a stay-at-home mom. I keep conjuring up ideas that would allow me to stay home, but they all have the same end result: I'll never be able to stay home. It's a bit funny though. You see, before I was a mother, I thought that motherhood should never define a woman. Motherhood was to be taken lightly. A phase, more so than a journey. What should define a woman was her passion. Mine has always been bilingual education. Dr. Sauceda. Has a nice ring to it, right?

Then, I became a mother. My dreams have been put on hold for a little while. I no longer feverishly seek to have a Masters within a two year span, choosing to be with my daughter over the stress that comes with school. Cynthia Sauceda, Ph.D in motherhood. Sounds even better.

Random Thought 4: I finally took down the Christmas trees. Now all that stands in its place is Emma's small table against a barren, tan wall. All decorations are in the garage, to be forgotten for 11 months. I'd like to say that it saddens me a bit, but to be honest, I'm relieved that the holidays are over. I'm a routine girl. And although I don't like to go back to work, I do enjoy the routine that comes with it.

Random Thought 5: I need to blog more. Document life more. Take more pictures. I seem to think that I will be able to remember all that goes on, but I can't and don't. My memory fails me and the thought of not remembering Emma as she is right now, frightens me a bit.

Random Thought 6: After 6 months of working out, I can now do a push-up. Touch my nose to the ground and come back up. I used to have no upper body strength, now I do. Yep, I'm bad.

christmas eve

2011-12-26T23:32:00.004-06:00

Traditionally, we celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve. We have dinner together and open gifts at midnight. First, with David's family, then with mine.

This year was no different. We had an intimate dinner with David's family and opened gifts. Emma was showered with gifts, both material and emotional.

Then, we celebrated with my entire family. It's always a good time, but even better now that we all have our own children.

And, of course, I can't end this post without stating that we had our first white Christmas since 1997 (don't quote me on that year, I may or may not have made it up). Christmas gleams a little brighter when there is snow.

the polar express

2011-12-11T22:34:00.001-06:00

Emma, David and I went to visit some friends, Lyneta and Toby, in Lubbock this weekend. The main event: The Polar Express.

Emma, Elisabeth (Ebeth, as Emma calls her), Lyneta, and I all stood in line, in thirty degree weather, with high heels, to ride on the Polar Express. In case you've never been, the Polar Express is an actual train ride that takes you all the way to the North Pole to see Santa and his elves. Waitresses serve hot chocolate and sugar cookies. And all those who believe walk away with a silver jingle bell given by none other than Santa.

The girls were entertained and Lyneta and I enjoyed watching them dance and giggle. Not to mention that the conductor provided us with constant entertainment as he rehearsed what would seem like his stand-up routine over the speakers, referring to himself as Tom Hanks. All jokes aside (haha), the girls were delighted when we arrived at the North Pole, a cotton field with cardboard elf homes lighted up in the beautiful clear West Texas sky, to see the elves and Santa dancing. Emma was shrieking, "Co Clos." She waited for him to board the train so that she could tell him that she had been a good girl all year long. Only thing is, she's really shy so she froze when he talked to her and the only thing she could say was, "thank you" as he handed her the bell. I imagine she was star struck and in a similar situation, my reaction wouldn't vary much from hers.

Emma danced and made up the words to "Jingle Bells" on the train ride back. She would certainly dominate karaoke.

After the train ride, Lyneta and Elisabeth ran back to the car and Emma and I had to walk, since I wore shoes with high heals (extremely cute, don't regret my shoe decision). She kept saying, "Mami, corre," but I just couldn't afford to suffer a fall.

Next year, we will go again and I'll wear a long pajama shirt, tights, Ugg boots, and a North Face jacket since that's what seems to be in style near college campuses.

all i want for christmas

2011-11-26T10:19:00.001-06:00

Emma has her wish list ready for Santa.

Of highest importance, ranking first on her list, are two packages of Oreo cookies.

Second on her list is "dos monas" (two dolls).

Lastly, a puppy. I hope that by puppy she means a fake one. Maybe one of those toy puppies that comes equipped with everything but real emotion.

Anyway, I'm sure Santa will bring everything on her list since she's been so sweet this year.

thankful

2011-11-23T15:35:00.001-06:00

Today, I'm thankful that I serve a merciful God who surrounds me with His love and grace despite my failures. Because of Him, I am free.

I'm thankful for my husband and best friend, David. I've loved him ever since the first time he made me laugh.

I'm thankful for my daughter, Emma, who breathes life into me. Her being is reason alone to be.

I'm thankful for my parents, who continually support me. I know their love for me and Emma is a constant.

I'm thankful for family. All of them.

I'm thankful for my friends. I don't have very many of them, but the ones I do have are golden.

I'm thankful for my job. I love to teach. I love my students.

I'm thankful for our home. It's not extravagant, but it's everything we need. It's my haven.

I'm thankful for our backyard. It's where we escape to during the evenings. It knows our stories and holds onto them.

I'm thankful for laughter, as it fills my soul with light.

I'm thankful for my camera and my iPhone which allow me to keep all the memories that are dear to me.

What are you thankful for today?

filled heart

2011-11-21T23:25:00.001-06:00

David and I have been wanting to go to church for a long while. We've been on hiatus since July. July!

Here's the story.

Emma always did well when she was in the nursery. I remember dropping her off at four months and wanting her to cry for me. Yet, every time we picked her up, she was happy and we always got a good report.

Fast forward a few months. When Emma turned one, she moved into the toddler room. The first time we dropped her off, she gripped on to me and kicked and screamed, "Mommy, vente," as I walked away with tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat. We, of course, attributed it to a new room, new children, new teachers. The lead teacher encouraged us and asked us to continue to bring her to class. We did, but Emma never adjusted.

Fast forward a few more months. A month before Emma turned two, David went to check on her and the teacher was walking with her through the hallway trying to calm her down. Emma's eyes were swollen. At that point, we decided not to take her to the toddler room. Her once enthusiastic teacher, agreed with us.

Lately, my heart's be aching and longing for community. Not just community for David and me, but for Emma.

Sunday, we listened to our hearts and went to church. I prayed for Emma on our drive and as I walked her to the 2-year old room. She cried, so I decided to walk her in and stay for a few minutes. She yelled for her daddy and she tried to walk out of the room several times. Then, a woman who knew Spanish told Emma, "Vente. Yo te cuido." Emma went to her and stayed. I expected to be called out during the sermon to go pick her up, but it didn't happen. After the service, we picked her up and her teachers filled my heart with positive comments.

God knows the desires of our hearts. He hears us even when we aren't speaking.

conversations with a 2-year old

2011-11-21T23:08:00.001-06:00

Emma's vocabulary is expanding at a tremendous rate. It's like there are explosions in the linguistic sector of her little brain and words just magically pop out of her mouth in English and Spanish.

To be honest, I've been a little concerned with her speech development. Compared to other children her age, she seemed to have a slight delay. I spoke to one of the speech pathologists at school about her and she reassured me that Emma was okay. She said that children who are learning two languages simultaneously often times experience what would seem like a language delay as they work through the two languages. She helped settle my fears and not too long later, Emma started making amazing strides in language.

Everyday, she surprises us. For example, last night she informed us she had hiccups, "Emma tiene hipo."

When her hair is in her face, she'll express her frustration, "Mugre pelo" (Don't know a direct translation for this phrase. Perhaps, stinkin' hair). Then, she uses her entire hand to push back a bit of hair out of her face. Silly.

And, this morning, while she was taking a bath, we had this conversation.
"Mami, no hay champu" (We don't have shampoo.)
"Tienda, mama. Vamos." (Let's go to the store.)
"Mama no tiene dinero." (Mommy doesn't have money.)
"Emma si tiene. Piggy." (Emma has some in her piggy.)
"Me prestas?" (Can I borrow some?)
"Nope."

I love our conversations, but perhaps, I love her intonation and her facial expressions a little more.

oh christmas tree

2011-11-21T22:54:00.001-06:00

For the first time ever, I put up our Christmas trees before Thanksgiving.

For the first time ever, Emma helped me trim the tree, handing me each ornament with her sweet smile, "Tenga, mami."

Her sweetness turned sour all to quickly as she made a run for it with a few of the ornaments off the tree. "Haha, mommy!"

After chasing her around the dining room table, she yelled through her giggles, "Emma, put back."

Luckily, I invested in shatter-proof ornaments last year. Traded in my turquoise, gold, and peacock glass ornaments for red and green plastic ones. So, go ahead, little lady. Run around the house, throwing the ornaments at your daddy.

Happy holidays!

hide-and-seek

2011-11-06T22:36:00.000-06:00

Emma loves to play hide-and-seek. Well, mostly she just likes to hide. She's been known to hide behind the couch, in the shower, behind doors, and her favorite-under the covers. When you least expect it, the little monster jumps out and yells, "booo."

The other night, I was getting ready for bed, when she ran into the bedroom yelling, "Esconder, papi" (hide from dad).

Frantically, she looked for a good hiding spot. The closet was her best option. "Sh!, Mami. Emma esconder aqui."

"Papi! Papi! Donde 'sta Emma?" She invited him to come look for her.

She thought she was being so sneaky and that she had picked an awesome hiding spot.

I couldn't help but laugh! Silly Emma!

lost

2011-11-06T22:15:00.000-06:00

We made a family trip to Academy today. David went to go look for some work gear and Emma and I stayed in the women's section looking for workout pants.

Emma was looking through all the clothes saying, "Mira, Mami. Pretty." Then, all of a sudden I couldn't hear my little partner.

I walked to the other side of the clothes rack and I didn't spot her. Then, my walk turned into a jog, as I began calling for her, "Emma. Emma. Where are you?"

I looked in the middle of all the clothes racks, thinking she was hiding from me. Nothing. My heart starting pounding. My eyes filled up with tears. I started yelling her name, "Emma! Emma!" Strangers were staring at me, but nobody offered to help. I began to panic. What if she had just walked out of the store? What if she was looking for her daddy? What if I didn't find her? What was I going to tell David?

Then, I heard a faint voice, "Mami. Emma aqui esta."

"Donde, Emma?"

"Aqui."

I ran toward the front of the store and there she was. On a stationery bike, trying to spin.

"Mami. Emma bici. Subete Mami. Jugar."

fury

2011-11-04T23:23:00.001-05:00

Before I begin the content of this post, I want to state a few things for the record:
1. I am normally a very pleasant person;
2. I try to have poise and grace;
3. I don't usually drop the F-bomb.

The following is a true story. What you are about to read would make British nobility lose their composure.

My friend, Magdaelena, and I go to the mall playground every other Friday. We let the kids play for a few hours while we catch up. Today was no different.

After about an hour, a family of four came to play. Dad was holding a newborn and mom was holding a toddler (2 years old). The toddler immediately went to play with the steering wheel that Emma was playing with. Emma quickly reacted, "No. Emma," and moved his hand away. I could tell the mother didn't like that. I told Emma to let the kid play and so she went to climb up the jungle gym. Magdaelena and I continued our conversation.

Suddenly, I heard the man saying something in a stern voice. I looked up and he was yelling at Emma (no, I am not making this up). "If you're mother isn't going to discipline you, then I am. You shouldn't shove other kids...."

This is about the same time I lost above-stated poise and grace. The man and I went toe-to-toe for about 5 minutes. I can't remember exactly what was said, but I do remember him saying these things. "You shouldn't be a mother if you can't discipline your child." "You are a horrible mother." "In the rules, it says to monitor your children at all times." And the kicker, "I wouldn't be surprised if she turned out pregnant at 15." Yes, he did.

I did lose my composure. I did yell. And, I may or may not have dropped a few F-bombs. I can't quite remember all the details.

Meanwhile, the lady was rambling on and arguing with Magdaelena. I heard Magdaelena say, "Really?!? Really?!? That's the best you can come up with?"

The woman said she was going to call mall security, I told her she should since they were verbally abusing my child and me.

They left. Magdaelena and I talked about it for a few more minutes and laughed.

He wasn't half the man he thought he was. And, I'm sure his child won't be either.

now

2011-11-02T22:37:00.002-05:00

Before Emma was born, I spent a lot of time thinking about the future. I thought about what it would be like to own a house. I thought about the day I would find out I was pregnant. I imagined myself holding our little baby. I imagined my baby growing up. I lived my life for the future.

Well, the future is now. I have an incredible husband and a beautiful child.

Now, I live my life for the everyday.

Now, I live my life for the seemingly mundane.

Now, I live my life for the giggles, the hugs, the smiles, the "I love you's."

Now, I am living.

halloween birthday party

2011-11-02T22:10:00.002-05:00

My cousin, Jerika, hosted a Halloween party for her oldest son. This was the biggest birthday bash I had ever attended. Twenty-five boys in costume, party music, musical chairs, cakes, cookies and a lot of sliding on the dance floor.

I'm not going to lie. I was a little overwhelmed by all the intensity and energy in such a small space. These boys were loud, sweaty, and fast. They talked fast. They moved fast.

Despite all the noise and movement, I enjoyed breathing in their zest. Oh to be young again...

halloween

2011-11-02T21:22:00.000-05:00

Halloween was a renunion of forever friends.

Halloween was an evening at Crossroads Night of Light.

Halloween was a toddler who was overwhelmed by all the people and the costumes.

Halloween was Chiquita Banana, a baseball player, a ladybug, and two cute little puppy dogs.

Halloween was a toddler who was too shy to play at any of the game booths.

Halloween was Tio Edgar mistaking Emma's costume for Celia Cruz (haha!). And passing out candy to all the trick-or-treaters.

Halloween was fun and exhausting and entirely too many Tootsie Rolls (maybe even 1.5 pounds of weight gain).

tonight

2011-10-22T00:26:00.002-05:00

Tonight, we picked up dinner, parked near a busy intersection, rolled down the windows, pulled back the sun roof, and ate as we listened to the traffic.

Tonight, we munched on ice while sitting on the couch, watching some television.

Tonight, we played baseball inside our house and used our arms as bats.

Tonight, we jumped on the bed.

Tonight, we sang the Itsy-Bitsy Spider and the Wheels on the Bus about 7 times each.

Tonight, we enjoyed being our little family of three.

funnies

2011-10-10T22:16:00.001-05:00

Emma has developed a very witty, creative, silly (sometimes, sassy) personality. She and I have many laugh out loud moments during the day. Today, I was able to stay home with her and just be silly together.

For example, today she got the pop-up, mesh hamper and put it over her head. It actually covered more than half of her body. Then, she walked around the house with it on for about 30 minutes, randomly shouting, "Hello," in her British accent, of course.

Then, she stripped down and ran through the kitchen as I was washing dishes, yelling, "Nalgitas" (butt cheeks...not so cute in English).

This morning, I asked her if she wanted to help me with the laundry. She said, "No, mami. Tienda. Bolsa. Vamos" (No, mommy. Store. Purse. Let's go.).

Today, after she woke up from her nap, she got really close to my face and tried to take my contact out of my eye. "Mami, no move."

She also tried to tickle me, her daddy, and her Tio Josh. She holds out her thumb and her index finger, and says, "Tickle, tickle." Then, she giggles uncontrollably.

She is so sweet and lovable and funny and cute and.... I could go on forever and ever. She is my favorite person to be around.

our village

2011-10-09T23:07:00.001-05:00

I'm sure you're familiar with the proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child." Well, thankfully, our village is densely populated and the entire population, in some sort, dedicates itself to raising our child.

This is our village, who I am eternally grateful for:

I am thankful for a mother and mother-in-law, who watch my child during the week so that she doesn't have to attend daycare. They drive 35 miles at 6:30 every morning. If that's not love, then I don't know what is.

I am thankful for my brother, Josh, who plays with Emma, who consoles her when she cries, and who holds her just because she wants to be held. He shares his big heart with her and loves her abundantly.

I am thankful for my brother, Ed, and his wife, Kristin, who always have the energy to entertain Emma. They take her to the park to feed the ducks. They let her play with bubbles. And, they always, always have an Oreo cookie for her. They teach her rules and social norms (and some un-norms, like picking her nose). They positively influence her. She loves them and they love her.

I am thankful for my grandmother, who wants to be an active part of Emma's life. She keeps her every Thursday and always has a story to tell about Emma. They have conversations and my grandmother often shares those conversations with me. I love that about her, but most of all, I love that Emma has had the pleasure of spending time with the most beautiful, noble, God-loving person I know.

I am thankful for my brother-in-law, Chris, who loves Emma unconditionally. They have an incredible connection that doesn't seem to be hindered by time or distance. When he is around, Emma fixates her eyes on him, as if her soul is reaching out to his.

I am thankful for my dad and father-in-law, who have become children again since they became grandparents. They crawl on the floor. They play hide-and-seek. They feed her and even take her to the grocery store with them. Most of all, they have shown her what true love is.

Our God has certainly humbled us in parenthood. Yet, because of it, we have learned the power of family. Our village is wise, sensitive, strong, united, and beautiful.

fair

2011-10-06T23:56:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago, Emma, David, Kristin, Megan, and I all went to the fair. Emma really enjoyed seeing all of the animals, especially the donkey. She didn't quite understand the rides, but she giggled at her Tia Kristin and her daddy when they were screaming. Most of all, she enjoyed her fattening, fair dinner: a corn dog, fries, and a lemonade.

She didn't enjoy riding the pony, feeding the goats, and of course, the lady who was trying to coerce her into throwing a dart at a balloon.

We all had a good time! Especially, Megan, who rode the mechanical bull.

tears

2011-09-11T22:55:00.000-05:00

I lost my memory card that held all the pictures I took in July.

It wouldn't be so bad, except for in July:

We took our first road trip with Emma.

Emma turned two.

Emma had a birthday party.

I participated in "A Week in the Life." All of those posts are written drafts, waiting for me to liven them up with pictures.

They are all gone. It's like a month of our lives has been erased from my memory. I'm hurting. I'm not going to lie, there were some tears shed last night as I frantically looked for the card.

Lesson learned. Don't wait two months to back up your pictures. Do it regularly.

these shoes are made for emma

2011-09-11T22:54:00.000-05:00

Emma has a slight obsession with shoes. Somewhat comparable to my obsession with make-up. Well, her shoe obsession may run deeper.

We change her shoes out about four times a day. Black sandals, brown sandals, tennis shoes, Converse, Twinkle Toes. It's a battle I'm not willing to fight because I will lose. And, there will be sweat and tears involved.

She wore a pretty white dress last weekend with her Nike tennis shoes. These aren't regular tennis shoes. Mommy bought her the most unstretchable, no-tie shoes on the market. They don't have enough give for Emma's chunky little foot. It almost always takes us 4 minutes to get these shoes on. Of course, they are Emma's favorite pair.

Recently, Tia Kristin bought her a new pair of Stride Rites. The velcro kind (thank goodness). The only problem is that Emma refuses to take them off. We had to wrestle her to take them off at bedtime. The next morning, the very first thing she said to me was, "Mama, shoes." Good morning to you to, sweetie.

My mom let her wear during her naptime. She felt her try to take them off mid-nap and promptly told my mom, "No, Yeya."

Let's just hope her obsession with shoes tapers by the time she's in fourth grade and has a size 8 foot.

make-up

2011-09-11T22:32:00.000-05:00

It's no surprise that Emma likes make-up. She's been watching me put it on since she was little-bitty.

It's no surprise that her daddy has forbidden me from buying her any type of pretend and play make-up. Stating concerns of prematurely making her grow up.

Friday, we came home from work and Emma had four new eye shadows. Mommy didn't buy these shadows for her, so we are assuming that Abuela Sylvia bought them.

I found it a bit ironic that a certain father, who outspokenly opposes all things make-up, was the model for these eye shadows.

Hmmm...I'm not one to make precipitated assumptions, but it seems like a certain little girl reigns supreme in our household.

labor day conversations

2011-09-05T21:36:00.010-05:00

This morning I was cleaning the bedroom while Daddy and Emma were outside fixing a cable/internet line. Emma comes into the bedroom and says:

Emma: Mama, papi oushide (outside). Ven.
Mama: Emma, mami no quiere ir para afuera. Ve tu.
Emma: No, mama. Ven oushide. Papi oushide. Papi, up.
Mama: Ay Emma. Bueno, vamos para afuera.

We went outside and David was on top of the roof, waiting for me to come out so that I could hand him a screwdriver that he had dropped. He said that he had asked Emma to call me out there.
I told Emma that we were going to go to her Tio and Tia's house. About 45 minutes later, she started getting fussy. Conversation between Daddy and Emma went like this:

Daddy: Emma quit being fussy. Are you tired? Do you want to go night-night?
Emma: No. Eeyo, Eeya, Troy. Go.
Daddy: I think we need to go night-night.
Emma: Eeyo, Eeya, Troy. Yo, mami.

Emma looked desperately at me, wanting me to clarify what she was saying. I told Daddy that we were going to Tio and Tia's house to see their dog, Troy. Then, Daddy understood and all was great.
As Tia was putting Emma in the car seat, Emma points at the seat and tells her Tia:
Emma: Eeya, ven. Aqui (Pointing at the seat again).
Tia: No, Emma. Tia's not going this time.
Emma: Eeyo, patos. Eeyo, ven.

Her Tio Edgar had asked her if she wanted to go feed the ducks. He told her he would take her tomorrow, but she didn't want to wait.Her vocabulary is expanding every day. She speaks both languages and although sometimes she lacks the words, she knows how to communicate clearly.

I love this age.

running

2011-08-11T22:45:00.003-05:00

I had a grand idea about two weeks ago...I should run a 5k.

My train of thought:
I need a partner.
Who would possibly want to run with me? I can't train by myself!
I know! My sister-in-law, Kristin.
She'll reject the idea. I have to present it to her in a convincing manner.
Who am I kidding? She's not going to want to run.
I know, I'll just tell her I'm running a 5K and so is she.
No complaining allowed. I'll pick her up at 8. Be ready.
Yep, that's how I will approach it.

She agreed to it. I downloaded a Couch to 5K app on my phone and we started with by doing an interval jog/walk for thirty minutes. After our first run, she sat down in her chair and gave me the "look." I excused myself by saying that I had to get home because it was getting late. Honestly though, I thought she had a few "choice words" for me. So, I escaped before I suffered any type of verbal abuse.

She said, "I don't want to see you tomorrow. Don't come back until Wednesday."
I said, "Yep!"

For the record, she usually doesn't scare me. That night, I was terrified! Ha!

chores

2011-08-09T21:37:00.004-05:00

Today was a day of chores. I faced the chore of returning to work, and sat thru an entire day of staff development. Throughout the day, I just wondered what my little Emma was doing. I wondered if she missed me. I wondered if she understood that I wasn't going to be at home with her anymore. I daydreamed about being a stay-at-home mom, suddenly feeling envious of all the mommies who were, at that moment, dealing with a tantrum, or chasing after a toddler who was destroying their house, or cleaning up a pee-pee accident. I wondered if these mommies knew how lucky they are to be able to have an inquisitive, little friend who follows one around, exploring and learning the world around them. My heart was with Emma and I struggled to keep my mind on "Professional Learning Communities" and "Scholarly Behaviors." I had to constantly remind myself that teaching is the best job other than being a mommy. Right? After dinner, Emma helped out with our daily chore of washing the dishes. Usually, I try to wash dishes when she is down for the night or napping because she splashes water everywhere and gets soaked. Today, though, I wanted her to help me wash the dishes, realizing that I should let her be little. Cleaning up after her and taking off her drenched shirt didn't seem so much of a burden today. Funny how a day back at work can redefine one's perspective.

Ten more months, my love, and we'll be together again.

week in the life: tuesday

2011-07-26T22:05:00.007-05:00

Thoughts and Observations
Morning
Emma slept in today (7:44 am) and she woke up in a bad mood. She didn't want to get dressed. She followed me into the garage to get a shirt out of the dryer and she decided she would stay there and play with Daddy's tools. I'm okay with that. No sense in forcing her to come into the house. I'll just dress her in the garage.

I think learning how to breathe has helped me during my work outs. I have to make an effort to remember to breathe and quit holding my breath. I've been working out for six weeks straight now. Success.

Late Morning
Emma and I went to Target. I finally found a way to bribe her into staying in the shopping cart-Mini Oreos. It's really the only time she gets to eat 14 small cookies in one sitting. She's satisfied and I get to shop without any major meltdowns.We ran into my mother-in-law at Target and we invited her to eat with us at Chick-fil-a. I'm so thankful that Emma is close to both her and my mom. She's blessed to have both sets of grandparents in her life.

Afternoon
Sometimes, I still watch Emma while she naps. I love to touch her hands. They are so soft. I love it even more when those little hands reach over to make sure I'm still beside her.

After her nap, Emma started jumping on the bed while talking on the phone with her "Yeya."Mid afternoon snack was Lucky Charms. Of course, Emma picked out all the marshmallows and tried to feed her doll the rest of the cereal. Silly girl.

Emma loves to look out our big window into the backyard. We are always on the lookout for the "dillas" (ardillas is Spanish for squirrel). We had one squirrel visit us this afternoon.The drought has really taken a toll on our front and back yards. We can only water twice a week. The dried grass makes our town look desolate, like a scene from the movie, The Book of Eli.

Early Evening
Daddy's home. Yay! We always look forward to 5:00!

I bought Emma over-sized painting paper and we decided to paint. She really isn't that interested in painting, but she enjoys painting with a brush more than finger painting.Daddy thinks we should swim. Why not? Emma and I get into our swimsuits and jump in. She loves the water and pretends she is swimming. Why didn't I enroll her in swimming lessons? It was my intention to do so. And so it remains, intention without action. By the way, I would much rather be swimming with Emma than cleaning house, any day.
Emma loves a song by a Mexican band, Reik. I don't even know the name of the song. I asked her in English if she liked the song and she responded in Spanish, "Ti."

Evening
Text from Tia Kristin inviting us over for dinner. Emma loves her "Eeya" and "Eeyo!" She thinks they are a lot of fun, especially when they dance in the living room with her. She's also taking a liking to their bulldog, Troy. I'm so thankful for my family. Edgar and Kristin are such a blessing to me. They are my biggest supporters. Really. I don't have a sister, but Kristin has fulfilled that role. I'm just happy her sister, Megan, shares her with me.Daddy went to the driving range. He said he really liked his new driver and explains how he had to change his swing a little bit to adjust to the new driver.We didn't get home until 9:30. I have to work on getting Emma back on a normal sleeping schedule.

Every night, the three of us get down on our knees and say our prayers. Emma always ends the prayer by saying, "Thank you, Jesus." I love her and am happy I was chosen to be her mother.

week in the life: monday

2011-07-25T22:07:00.005-05:00

7:08 am- Emma wakes up and kisses me until I wake up. She wants me to imitate her arm movements. We stay in bed playing for 20 minutes.
7:28 am- Get up. Get dressed. Brush teeth. Wash face. Fix hair. Emma plays with water in the sink while I finish getting ready. She makes her way to the living room and turns on the laptop.
8:02 am- Breakfast on the go. Today: strawberry yogurt Cheerios and a banana.
8:16 am- Out the door. Morning drive to the gym.8:23 am- Running late. Class already started. Work out for 90 minutes.
10:01 am- First breakfast for mommy: strawberry shake. Emma gets a vanilla shake with strawberries. Leave gym.
10:15 am-Playground. Emma slides, swings, and socializes with two boys her age. I have a conversation with another mommy who was let go from her position as a special education teacher. These are hard times for many people around us. I become overwhelmingly grateful for my job. Perspective. 11:05 am- Fun is over. Emma is hungry. We drive home and talk to "Yeya" (Abuela) on the "pone" (phone).
11:20 am-Making Emma sopa. She is crying and doesn't want to help me cook. She is too hungry.
11:40 am- Food is finally ready. She has lunch in the living room. Sopa and water. I have an apple with peanut butter.
11:52 am- We sort bears by colors.
12:00 pm- Get ready for nap. Grab blanket, turn on white noise and humidifier.
12:06 pm-"Mama, cold, cold." I cover her up and she plays with my face as she falls asleep.
12:12 pm- Emma is already asleep. I slip out of bed and jump in the shower. Afterwards, I check email and text David.
1:01 pm- Curl up in bed besides Emma and read a book, Bringing up Girls by Dr. James Dobson. Eventually, I doze off also.
2:43 pm- Waiting on Emma to wake up. Today, she has napped longer than usual. I guess she was tired from the weekend.
3:00 pm- I fix my hair and put on my makeup while Emma plays with the water in the sink. 3:28 pm- Dress Emma. Fix her hair. Talk to my aunt who wants me to pick up Kandyce, my cousin's daughter, while she works out.
5:00 pm- David is home. We drive to Midland to a golf store. I drop him off and Emma and I hit the mall. We eat Dippin Dots and stop by Old Navy. 5:40 pm- Pick Daddy up from the golf store. He finally bought a new driver. Well deserved. Drive back home.
6:00 pm- Drop Emma and Daddy off at home and I go pick up Kandyce. Call her parents to let them know that she will be with me instead of my aunt.
6:16 pm- Back home. Daddy and Emma already set up the swimming pool. I get the girls into their swim suits.
6:25 pm- The girls have a lot of fun swimming! Their giggles make my heart swell up. 7:05 pm- Get the girls out and into the bath. This is Emma's first time to bathe with somebody else. They splash and dump water all over the floor. 7:35 pm- David, Cecili (Kandyce's parents) and Kaleb arrive. The kiddos play with Emma's tea set. We only have two children's sized chairs, but they put them together and all three sit. Problem solvers!
8:05 pm- Cecili and I go get us dinner at Rosas. The kids sit at Emma's table. They all are having the same things to eat, bean burritos and rice, but they take bites out of each others food, as if they all had different foods.
9:00 pm- David, Cecili and the kiddos leave. Emma goes to sleep.

Beautiful day.

week in the life

2011-07-24T21:37:00.002-05:00

From Monday to Sunday, I will be participating in Ali Edward's "Week in the Life" project. The purpose of this project is to document the everyday, the ordinary of our lives. It's about giving perspective to your life and realizing that the everyday can often times be extraordinary.

My hope is to update my blog every evening, with the exception of Friday-Sunday because we will be going out of town.

Grab the button on my sidebar and join me if you wish...

daddy and emma

2011-07-16T23:29:00.003-05:00

He supports her, loves her, and teaches her.
She is in awe of him.

fashion icon

2011-07-16T23:16:00.003-05:00

I have a feeling she will be a fashion icon.
Accessories...check.
Stripes...check.
Complimentary colors....still a work in progress.

This was her fourth outfit of the day.

She's got style.

this morning

2011-07-08T22:44:00.003-05:00

Emma.

2 years old.
8 a.m.
Before our morning workout.
Yellow purse in one hand.
Keys in the other.
Cute as can be.

San Antonio

2011-07-08T21:47:00.004-05:00

On the Road This was Emma's first car trip outside of the 40-mile radius that she is usually confined to. I set low expectations for the car ride, expecting a crying, fussy toddler for 5 hours. She far exceeded my expectations, only getting fussy on the car ride home. Luckily, Emma and I rode with my parents and they put on a show to keep her entertained.Zoo Saturday, we went to the zoo. I was really excited to go! Why wouldn't somebody be excited about seeing exotic animals that we've been showing Emma in books since she showed interest in reading? I dragged David and Josh with me. It took all of 5 minutes before all my excitement had worn off. The heat and humidity beat us down and even heavy consumption of water wasn't able to keep us hydrated. Even the animals were hot. Most of them were hiding in the shade. A simple performance was far beyond their interest, which made it hard for a toddler to be excited. When we saw the elephant, I tried to hype Emma up. "Look Emma, the elephant. What sound does an elephant make?" She didn't even look my way. She held a blank stare as the elephant stood still under an umbrella. She did show interest in the "pio-pio" (birds).Sea World Sunday morning, we went to Sea World. Our first stop was the whale show. Emma really liked the "fish." For me, watching her reaction to the whales was more exciting than watching the whales. Then, we took her to the Elmo Splash Park. We spent most of our day there. Emma loved the water! After waiting in line fore an hour for lunch and holding my sweet 35 pound baby for an entire hour while she napped, we decided it was time to leave. We watched a dolphin show and left afterwards!

two

2011-07-01T21:49:00.002-05:00

Life with her has been entirely different than what I imagined it to be. Her being has brought perspective to my life. Small things matter again. The ordinary has become interesting. Joy has taken on a new meaning.Her ingenuity marvels me. Her sweetness elates me. Her energy enlivens me.
She was fearfully and wonderfully made.
Happy second birthday sunshine!

fatherhood

2011-06-19T21:26:00.008-05:00

You were the first one to meet her. She inhaled her first breath of air and took your breath away. You followed her as she got weighed and I anxiously awaited a reaction from you. Your voice trembled as you said, "She's beautiful." In an instant, you became a father.You are her tata, her papa, her dad, her daddy, and her first love. As you journey through fatherhood, you should know that you are an amazing daddy. Emma will never know a love like yours. I love you...

summer has arrived...

2011-06-16T22:48:00.004-05:00

Summer is here, unashamedly boasting its 106 degree days with zero humidity, giving more meaning to the word "scorcher" than I care for. Emma and I have been keeping cool inside, only leaving the house in the early morning or during the evenings, when the temperature drops to a cool 98 degrees.

Nonetheless, I'm excited to be at home with Emma, and even more excited about the freedom that comes from not having to set an alarm. That's right, Emma is my new alarm clock, and she doesn't ring until 7:30 these days.
So, what does a mommy-daughter duo accomplish during a hot summer day? Absolutely nothing. We have banned to-do lists until the fall, and we spend the majority of our day playing with buckets, water, tea sets, and in the sand. When we are really bored, we sit on the potty to read a book.

play house

2011-05-05T22:07:00.007-05:00

A few weeks back, David's parents bought Emma a play house for our backyard. The house came with a 26-phase instruction booklet, 60 parts and 132 screws. It took David four evenings to fully assemble it and Emma helped by distributing all of those screws throughout the backyard.

We were really excited for Emma to get to play in her playhouse. It is, in fact, a dream house complete with a sink, stove, phone, and wall clock. I imagined her spending afternoons in there. She had spent the night at my parent's house the day that David finished building it. This is how the events unfolded the first time she saw her completed house:

Emma runs into her house.
She attempts to turn on the faucet. "Bah," she says.
She attempts to turn on the stove. Clicks her tongue in disappointment. "Bah."
She picks up the phone and waits for the dial tone. "Mah."
"Mama."
"Mama!"
"Mama! Agua! Bah!"
Her complaints quickly turn into a cry.
She walks out with tears in her eyes, finds an empty water bottle on the ground, runs inside and fills it up with water from the water dispenser, runs back to her playhouse and pours the water in her sink.
"Mama, agua."
All is good again.

She is getting used to the idea that the faucet doesn't release water and that the stove will never get hot. Mostly, we just go sit inside the house. She and my mom eat lunch in the playhouse about twice a week. Perhaps she will host a tea party when her imagination develops a bit more.

Jumpers and Jackets

2011-05-02T22:57:00.004-05:00

Well, this weekend's weather got a little out of hand, but this is to be expected where we live. We had a beautiful (windy) Saturday and a chilly Sunday.Emma rocked this cute jumper on Saturday for a birthday party. Too bad that she also wore it in the backyard when Daddy was staining our back fence a Redwood color. You can imagine what happened when a certain little lady decided to help out. I asked her, "Do you know how much I paid for your outfit?" and she just replied, "No." Soon, she'll find out that these type of questions are really just rhetorical, and they are better left unanswered.

Look at her face in this picture. We call it the Robert De Niro face. I think I'll teacher her one of his quotes from the Goodfellas and have her make this face when she's saying it. I can already hear her sweet little voice repeating his words, "You learned the two greatest thing in life, never rat on your friends, and always keep your mouth shut."
Sunday, we experienced temperatures lower than average for this time of year, so we wrapped up and headed out. Doesn't she look cute in her hat? Love it.Her daddy tilled the yard and she spent her time picking up chunks of dirt and pounding them down on my flowers. Then, she tormented by coleus plant. It's the only one I have left and she picked the leaves off one by one. Complete torture. Chanting, "Ah-ha" after each leaf landed on the ground. I chased her around the yard and she giggled.

In totally unrelated news: I have completed my first semester of graduate school.

Easter

2011-04-26T21:02:00.006-05:00

We spent our Easter with my cousins and their children. Emma had a good time, although she really wasn't too interested in Easter Egg hunting. She picked up about four eggs, then followed me around as I showed her to more eggs. She would look at the eggs and simply shake her head, say, "No" and walk away. Maybe next year. I love to watch her interact with other children, especially since she is an only child. She mostly played with Emma Marie, who is three months younger than our Emma. They are learning the rules of social play and it's interesting to watch.

Of course, she and Kianna spent some time together. Kianna likes to show Emma how to execute her girlishness. Here she is showing Emma how to properly wear a bracelet.
We tried to take a picture of all the girls, but this can be a rather difficult task when there are five busy bodies under the age of 5. This is the best one I got:

Can I just say that these five are nothing but drama princesses. We had a great time celebrating and rejoicing with our family.

sunshine

2011-04-22T22:07:00.004-05:00

Sometimes, when people ask me how old Emma is, I hesitate and unwillingly, reply, "almost two." The truth is, in two short months, she'll be two. She's a little wild thing, unrestricted and untamed. My complete opposite.

Today, when we were manipulating her name with magnetic letters, she would pick up the "E" and proudly say, "E, Emma." Little genius.

Her vocabulary is expanding. Mostly every word she knows, she can say in both languages. Gracias/Thank you. Mama/Mom. Papa/Dad. However, her primary language is Spanish and I couldn't be happier.

She's a picky eater.

She loves to sing and dance. When we ride in the car, she gives me a thumbs up which means for me to turn up the volume. I'll turn the music on full blast and watch her sway side to side from my rear-view mirror. She is obsessed with shoes and sandals. She has me change her shoes about four times a day. Her favorite pair at the moment are some Nike's that my parents bought for her. She also loves her rain boots. Last week, at Target, she found some flip-flops, took her shoes off and put the flip-flops on. My mother had to buy them for her.

She helps me wash dishes. She drags our kitchen chair to the sink for added height. Usually, she ends up wet from head-to-toe, but it keeps her busy and momma happy.

She is busy and chatty. She loves being outdoors. She loves to bathe, but not when I wash her hair out. She jumps and runs. She tickles her daddy. She is our sunshine.

all in a day's work

2011-04-09T23:50:00.003-05:00

Emma keeps us and herself pretty busy throughout the day. She helps us pick-up her toys, fold the laundry (her favorite), vacuum, sweep and mop. Her newest challenge is measuring our backyard to help Daddy with the sprinkler system. Daddy asked her to double-check his measurements and she, as always, was happy to lend a hand.

lately

2011-04-08T23:32:00.002-05:00

Lately, I've been really appreciative of the small things in life.

Lately, I've been wondering about the characteristics that will define my little Emma.

Lately, I've been spending some time with the hubby and getting on his nerves mostly.

Lately, I've working on my garden and desperately trying to learn about drought-tolerant perennials

Lately, I've been drinking water and backing off the cokes.

Lately, I've been reflecting. Makes me thankful for my many blessings.

mud and a shovel

2011-03-25T21:02:00.004-05:00

Nothing like playing with a little bit of mud, shovel, and a bucket.

She tracked in mud, walked to the bathroom and ran her own bath water.

I rise

2011-03-09T21:22:00.005-06:00

At the beginning of the year, I declared that this year I would focus on one word and let it serve as a guide for the way I wanted to live my life. I chose the word renew because I truly felt like I needed a restoration. Last year, I was stuck. I was trying to make progress, but I just couldn't. I lost focus.

Today, I'm celebrating as I make small changes that I know will lead to great progress.

Have you read this book?
I'm going to go ahead and admit that I started reading it once before, but I couldn't finish. Within its simplicity lies so much power and I wasn't ready to accept the truth. I recently started reading it again, from page one, but this time I'm reading with intention and with an open heart, as I know that change is imminent and necessary.

As my spirit began its restoration, so did my body. Pregnancy brought a lot of changes to my body and it's been difficult to adjust. Clothes don't fit the way they used to and, for the first time in my life, I'm not comfortable in my skin. I wish I had genetics working in my favor, but I don't. Yet, I refuse to live under the oppression of a negative self-image.

I also started master level courses. Actually, just one course, School Public Relations. Although I was reluctant to enroll for fear of becoming overwhelmed, I've welcomed, even enjoyed, the challenge.

I'm living. I'm rejoicing. I'm transforming.

I'll end it with this quote: "Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.

big girl

2011-03-04T19:59:00.012-06:00

Where was mommy when you became a big girl?

You do big girl things all the time. Just this week, you learned seven new words: agua, mas, ya, gracias, thank you, night-night, mine. You've even said your name, "Memma." I love that you're learning both languages.

You understand everything that we say and follow simple commands. Mommy thinks you're a little genius. You thrive in routine, but show amazing flexibility when events change your daily routine.You love animals. You've become really good at imitating animal sounds. You meow like a kitty, bark like a dog, moo like a cow, quack like a duck and sniff like a rabbit.

You're an awesome helper. You enjoy helping me unload the dishwasher. You use your wipes to clean everything.

You are developing your independence and this often presents problems for us. You want to feed yourself, brush your teeth, brush your hair, dry your hair, scrub your body in the bath. I usually let you help me do all these things, but this small taste of independence only leaves you wanting more. Mommy can't always compromise with you.
You like your baby carriage, except for you rarely carry your doll in it. You use it more like a cart, picking up various objects around the house (crayons, dishes, shoes, sippy cups). You've also been known to ram the carriage into people's calves and yell, "Boom."You have amazing balance and show great agility. Yep, you rock! Your movements are graceful and you rarely fall. You've been attempting to jump. You've been successful a few times, but mostly you just bend your knees and reach.You love for us to dance with you. This usually happens during the evenings when your daddy turns on some music. I pick you up and we dance around the coffee table. You do nothing but giggle.

You're mommy's little friend. You usually follow me around and just watch. You learn behaviors from me everyday. I take the responsibility of guiding you into becoming a bold, young lady in love with God very seriously. You live in a world that is constantly pushing social and cultural boundaries, but I hope that my actions reflect the awesomeness of our Lord and that you are able to develop a close relationship with Him.Your favorite book is Baby Cakes, by Karma Wilson. We read it several times a day. Sometimes, you just want to look at the illustrations, and I'm okay with that.

You know all the movements to the song, If You're Happy and You Know It. Stomping has presented a problem for you, but you compensate my banging your hands on the floor.

You love to play outside, especially if a water hose is involved.Every night, before you go to sleep you tell your daddy, "Night-night, daddy." Our nighttime routine isn't as involved any more. It usually consists of you and I talking about your day until you drift to sleep. My favorite part: just before you fall asleep, you reach over and kiss me.

Several times during the past few weeks, you've slept through the night. I was very reluctant to publicize this for fear of regression. Hopefully, this is a start of a new season for us.

You amaze us everyday. It's such a blessing to watch you develop and learn new things. Sometimes, I look at toys that you have mastered and are no longer interested in and it saddens me. Yet, they are a constant reminder of your growth and intelligence. I am so proud to be your mommy!

I love you, my inquisitive, determined, sweet, love-bug.

grumpy

2011-02-20T19:49:00.009-06:00

My Dearest Emma,

You and I fought today. We went at it all day long. It all started at 9 this morning when you wanted to stand on my bare feet while I was fixing my hair, just so you could see yourself better in the mirror. Let me remind you, once again, that mom's feet should not be used as a stepping stool every time you need an extra inch of height. I kindly told you to stop, but you decided to ignore me. So, I took you off my feet, knelt down to your level and gave you a firm "no." Immediately, you started bawling, went to our bedroom, and threw yourself on the floor. I, of course, don't have all the solutions, so I ignored you. After a few minutes of kicking the floor, you ran past the bathroom, gave me an ugly glare, and went to your room. Then, your cry escalated to a higher decibel level. You opened the closet door and locked yourself in. A quick check assured me that you were okay and I continued on my hair and make-up. When you figured out that I wasn't going to go rescue you, you came into the bathroom, pulled your bow out, pulled your pony tail out and walked out. Really, Emma? By that time, I was finished getting ready, so I told you to get your backpack and water so we could go. You stopped crying and did as I asked you to. I'm still confused on your reasoning for crying in this manner. What exactly were you trying to accomplish?
This was only the first of your meltdowns. Throughout the day, you cried because I didn't give you cereal since we were out of milk. You cried when you woke up from your nap. You had a huge meltdown when we were waiting on drinks from Sonic. You got upset when Daddy told you to get out of the guest bedroom. You yelled when you couldn't fit the puzzle piece correctly. You yelled, you cried, you kicked, you screamed. You were only happy for about three hours today. Usually you get to do whatever you want. This is a natural occurrence since you are the only toddler in our immediate families (yes, first grandbaby on both sides of the family, and she's a girl). However, mommy and daddy have to set limits for you. Throwing yourself on the floor, flailing your arms, and screaming will not get you what you want. Who taught you to act that way, anyway? Your daddy and I have never modeled such behavior. I know that it stems from your inability to express yourself, but it does make for long, trying, frustrating moments.

Yet, at the end of the day, you are still my sweet love bug. Really, I feel for your daddy, who only has a brother and has never experienced girl drama before you and I. I have an overwhelming feeling that he has a lifetime of princess attitude to deal with.

Love you, sweet girl,

Mommy

19 months and 3 days

2011-02-06T21:16:00.004-06:00

I waited 19 months and 3 days to finally hear her say "mama." I patiently waited as she called her daddy every name imaginable (tata, dada, daddy, papa). I was sure that she was about to say it when she started stringing "ma" in a sing-song. I saw 18-months come and go, and still, nothing. If she ever needed to get my attention, a simple "tata" would suffice. I was getting used to the idea that I would be "tata" forever.

Then, Friday when I got home from work, I asked her to say "mama," and then it rolled off her tongue as if she had been saying it for months. I didn't know how to react, so I started screaming with joy. Thrilled with my reaction, she said it again. I screamed again. She said it again and again, getting louder with each time. And, I screamed. Now, she doesn't just say, "mama." She yells it. My heart couldn't be happier.

cold conditions

2011-02-03T17:46:00.005-06:00

It seems like all anybody talks about is the weather. This is certainly the coldest blast that I have ever lived through, but, I for one, am tired of it. I'm tired of being confined to my little home and I'm certainly tired of wearing jackets that weigh me down. Then, when I begin to complain about the cold, I realize how lucky I am to live in our modern world. If we were to suffer a power outage, we could just go rent a hotel room. I've been thinking about the cold conditions that people before our time endured. I'm sure my grandparents have stories about living in small adobe houses, with nothing but wood-burning stoves as their sole electrical and heating source. So, today, I'm thankful for heaters, 45-minute power outages, remote start for my car, and the ability to check the weather forecast on my cellphone so that I have time to adequately prepare in case of an actual snow-in.

I'll continue to wish for warmer days with my sweet girl, the sound of the sprinklers, and green grass, while I enjoy my coffee, in my pajamas, on this bitter, 17-degree cold day.

top picks

2011-01-18T20:09:00.007-06:00

I very rarely derail from my usual blog topics, but I thought it was about time that I made a confession: I am mildly obsessed with cosmetics. If you know me well, then I guess that my confession was no surprise to you. I think you will find it more surprising to know that I hadn't bought any make-up, except for foundation and mascara, since last July.

I recently made a trip to Ulta and Dillards and splurged on cosmetics. And, just in case you were wondering what my favorite products are, I made a list:

Skincare: Philosophy
I owe this fabulous find to my friend, Ashley, who I can honestly say shares the same obsession as I do. We can talk make-up for hours. You think it's lame, I think it's awesome.

Foundation: MACI fell in love with MAC foundation when I lived in Lubbock. When I moved to Odessa, I had to find a replacement, since our stores didn't carry MAC. Then, in July, a nearby Dillards opened up a MAC counter and our love story continued. I like their Studio Fix Powder Plus foundation, but since its winter and my face is a bit dry, I've switched to the liquid.

Blush:
To be completely honest, I don't have a preference for blush. I usually just change colors every season. I do remember loving one by Clinique a few years back, but it's been discontinued. I'm currently using a cream blush by MAC and I've really liked it.

Eyeshadow: Too FacedI like a lot of eyeshadow, so this was a hard one for me. After much deliberation, I have decided on Natural Eye by Too Faced. Their eyeshadow lasts long even if I don't user eye primer. I also like MAC eyeshadow because they too have a long wear.

Mascara: Tarte
This is a recent find for me, but I'll never use a different mascara. It's called Lights, Camera, Lashes by Tarte. If you've never tried it, go out and get it today!

Lip gloss: NARS
My all time favorite lip gloss is by NARS. My favorite shade is called Orgasm. It has a pink tint and I really do think that it would look beautiful on any skin tone.

busy

2011-01-12T21:39:00.007-06:00

This little busy body

builds towers
bakes in her kitchen
talks on the phone

climbs every chair that isn't pushed inalways plans her next move
and makes my heart swell up.

introducing...

2011-01-06T22:38:00.005-06:00

Olivia Claire

born today at 3:30

9 lbs. 4 oz.

20 inches long

Meet Olivia

Isn't she beautiful?
I simply adore her.

Isn't her mother beautiful too?

Linda is my closest friend.

We were dorky children together (glasses and all).
We were gregarious teenagers together.
I stood beside her as she married her high school sweetheart.
I was there when her first-born, Noah, came into this world.
Today, she became mother to Olivia.
I've seen her glow before, but never as she did today.

I love that I'm still celebrating life beside her.

renew

2011-01-02T19:47:00.006-06:00

Setting resolutions is kind of silly to me since I seem to forget about them by the end of January. Most times, they are vague and meaningless and set with the intention of not completing them. I mean, how many times is my resolution going to be to lose weight. This year, I almost didn't set any. Then, a quick google search on the origins of the word, informed me that resolution is defined as "the mental state or quality of being resolved or resolute; firmness of purpose." It is synonymous with the words determination, perseverance and declaration. With this in mind, I decided to set one resolution for myself, write it down, and publish it. This way it will be more purposeful and have intention.

I read Ali Edwards' blog and she challenges people to choose one word to focus on throughout the year. I thought this was a creative way to set a resolution and took up the challenge.

This year, my word is renew. I don't know how this will manifest itself in my life, but I'm excited to see a change.

I didn't want this post to be pictureless, so here is our family on Christmas Eve.

love

2010-12-30T23:08:00.006-06:00

I love that Emma enjoys group hugs. While I'm holding her she'll usually reach out for David to hug us too.
I love that she squeezes my cheeks and uses "baby talk" to talk to me, as if she's the adult and I'm the child.

I love that she's such a good helper. She knows where everything goes and she picks up random objects around the house and puts them in their rightful spots.

I love that sometimes when she runs, she wiggles her entire body, as if wiggling will make her faster.I love that she always wants us to read her books. She'll usually go choose a book, come sit in our lap, and demand that we read it to her.

I love that she's a dancer. As soon as she hears music, she'll start moving. Her moves differ according to the genre of music.

I love her laugh and the nerdy smiles (scrunched up nose, closed eyed, ear-to-ear smile).I love that she loves her Tio Edgar and Tia Kristin. She's going to learn a lot from them.I love everything about her.

parenting style...

2010-12-26T23:39:00.011-06:00

Two weeks before Emma's birth, during a birthing class, our doula, Carla, asked David and me what type of parenting style we were going to adopt. What? Parenting style? I didn't even fully comprehend her question. I was going to be the type of parent I needed to be for Emma, right? She gave me a 300-page parenting handbook by Dr. Sears and suggested that I read it before Emma was born. Seriously, I was due to have a baby within a 4-week period and I didn't even know what type of parent I was going to be? How could this have happened?

I began to feel overwhelmed as I stuffed my brain with parenting techniques. Millions of thoughts and questions began to weigh me down and I began to worry about my abilities to parent my child. Emma's birth only deepened my insecurities. I was trying as hard as I could, but according to society, to books, to "the experts," I was failing miserably. I had never failed in this manner.

I began to dwell on all the difficulties. Emma didn't sleep through the night at 8 weeks like every other baby around me. She had horrible colic. She got sick often. You get it...

Everybody offered their advice, except for their advice didn't fit me. I was trying to fit into a mold that had been made by society and I was spilling out. One day, a change happened within me. I can't even describe the circumstances surrounding the change, but I was no longer a failure, only a new mother trying to be understand my new life with a child. I understood that I didn't have to stay within the parental guidelines that had been delegated to me by our culture. At that point, Emma started sleeping with us and it was the best decision we could have made. I also lost all shame that surrounded my inability to breastfeed. Rocking my baby to sleep didn't seem as burdensome. Instead, I embraced the ten minutes that I spent rocking her to sleep, realizing that soon, she would be too big to rock. I let go of every inhibition, and I stop trying to conform to something or an idea, rather, that wasn't me. Even with all my imperfections, I'm exactly the type of parent Emma needs.

college grad

2010-12-17T19:57:00.004-06:00

I'm happy to announce that we have reached an entire new level of success in our family! My hubby graduated from college last weekend! The road to success has been undoubtedly difficult, marked by many discouraging moments, yet his perseverance prevailed and now his graduation is more of a triumphant victory, instead of an everyday act. I found this quote to be most relevant:

"When you get right down to the root meaning of the word "succeed," you find that it simply means to follow through." - T.W. Nichol

David-I'm proud of your unfaltering commitment to follow through with your education. You have set an excellent example for our daughter and now, college won't simply be an unreachable goal for her. Instead, it will be an expectation. Thank you for not giving up, because, in doing so, you have given our child wings to soar and that, my love, is beautiful.

changes

2010-11-11T20:28:00.004-06:00

Not really much to say tonight.

Thinking about how fast little Emma has grown and all that comes with being a mother to a very active and determined toddler. How will I ever keep up with her?
Yesterday evening at Target, she threw an all-out, kicking, screaming, arms-flailing fit. Before I had Emma (when I was an excellent parent with all the right answers) I would stare at parents with fit-throwing toddlers out of the corner of my eye and think, ''my child will never act like that in public." And then she did. My heart was racing, I was in a sweat, and all of my genius solutions were out of reach. So, I did what I only thought was appropriate, picked up my toddler, sat her down in the shopping cart, and paid out as she cried. I couldn't believe how much attention we attracted. We live and learn, right?

Later that night, right before bedtime, we whispered "I love you" to one another and she fell asleep with one arm around my neck. Same child, different environment, different situation.

Every week, she grows and learns. Every week, we adapt.

And the fit at Target is just another story to add to my memories.

happy halloween

2010-10-31T17:30:00.008-05:00

Emma, David, my brother, Josh, and I went to a trunk-or-treat on Saturday with some of our friends and their two daughters, Ana Faith and Karli Hope. Now, that I have my own child, I'm really appreciative of churches that put together trunk-or-treats.This was Emma's first year to dress up for Halloween and after hours of searching for the perfect Halloween costume, I decided she should be a ballerina. She was the most beautiful, dainty, ballerina that I have ever seen.She had fun, but I think she'll like Halloween a lot more when she is older. She didn't really know what to think about all the costumes, especially Gumby. It didn't take her long to figure out that she was supposed to choose candy and put it her bucket. After the trunk-and-treat, we went to Tio Edgar and Tia Kristin's house to get some treats, but Emma was already exhausted. She picked out a few candies, and we made our way back to the house.
Any time that Josh is with us, he automatically assumes the role of photographer and we rarely get any pictures of Emma and him. But, yesterday, I happened to get this shot of them!Happy Halloween!

I love being a teacher...

2010-10-31T16:51:00.003-05:00

My favorite holiday during the school year is Halloween. It's the only day that the students get to express themselves creatively in their dress. This year, our students had to dress up as storybook characters and, of course, the teachers were encouraged to participate. I chose to be the oh-so-popular, Junie B. Jones. If you aren't familiar with Junie B., she's a quirky character with a lot of adventures and she's most definitely a classroom favorite. {my co-worker, Connie and I}

I wish I could post pictures of my students. I had a few princesses, Indiana Jones, Superman, a witch, Cindy Lou Who, and even a ninja. Even though the kids were a little on the crazy side, I really enjoyed myself. {Aubree, my coworker's granddaughter, dressed up as Junie B. Jones also}

question for you

2010-10-24T17:57:00.004-05:00

Emma, Mommy has a question for you. Do you love the Red Raiders?Your face says it all!

happy birthday david

2010-10-24T08:45:00.008-05:00

Today is David's 27th birthday! Yep, I said it, 27. That means (in case you can't do simple mathematics) he's closer to 30, than he is 20. Well, but I don't fall too far behind.

David and I've been together for about 9 years. We've been through many seasons, some filled with joy, and others in which we have deeply struggled to stay afloat. We have fallen, but we have risen together. I've had the opportunity to see him grow as a man, husband and now, as a father and soon, a professional.

David, I'm proud to call you my husband. I'm blessed to have a strong man to share my life's most difficult and most happiest moments with. And even though I may sometimes forget to say this in the hustle of life, I do want to slow down to tell you that you are my everything. I love you...{David and Emma last year}

I want to remember...

2010-10-17T20:36:00.004-05:00

I want to remember the shimmy dance you do when you are delighted.

I want to remember how, just moments before you fall asleep, you hug me and pat my back.

I want to remember how you kiss daddy and me when we come home from work.

I want to remember how you hear every sound, from the rustling of the leaves on a breezy fall afternoon to the dog barking across the street.

I want to remember the southern twang in your voice, when you say "bah" (bye).

I want to remember how you sit on my lap and ask me to read your favorite books.

I want to remember how you lift your wooden roller coaster toy onto the couch, then climb on the couch. Then you sit and play with the toys, uninterrupted by anybody.

I want to remember how soft your touch is.

I want to remember your excitement and constant energy.

I want to remember you, as you are, right now. I simply adore you, little one.

corn mazes and fall fun

2010-10-17T20:01:00.004-05:00

Saturday evening, our little family went to a local corn maze/pumpkin patch. Emma was totally in her element, mommy was not. It didn't take her long to sit down in the dirt and start digging, with no regard of her cute little outfit. ha.

We all had an awesome time. Emma and I took a ride on the cow train. Then we went on a hay ride and she chose her very own pumpkin.

She really liked the farm animals, especially the little calf. She didn't ever get too close to the calf, only close enough to really focus in on her and learn her. We ended the night at Sonic, where we ate our meal in our car.

Days like these, remind me to slow down, breathe, and rejoice in the blessing that is life.

15 months

2010-10-03T16:19:00.004-05:00

Emma turned 15 months on Friday! What?!?

She's making huge developmental strides and everyday she surprises us with something new.

At 15 months, Emma:

Blows kisses and says "bye."

Jumps when she's excited and walks backwards when she's being silly!
Calls it a night at about 8:00 and sleeps till 7:00. Her sleep habits have improved since the summer. She only wakes up twice per night now!
Loves all things pretty and girlie! She loves her purse and carries it around with her everywhere we go. She also loves to play with my purse. She drags it around the house!

Is almost always a happy baby, however she has began to throw some fits. I know that fits are inevitable, but we are trying to teach her different ways to express herself.
Is starting to like books! She has even sat on my lap long enough to listen to an entire book. She really like this book entitled, "If you Give a Cat a Cupcake," that we got in a happy meal at Chickfila.
Is becoming a picky eater. Her favorite foods are fruit and macaroni and cheese. We can't get her to eat much other than that.

My sweet Emma, you are the light in my world. I continue to write these blog posts about you in an attempt to hold onto to you, in this moment, for just a little bit longer. I know that you must grow and I know that I can't slow down time, so I try to just simply enjoy you every moment of every day! I love you more than you could ever imagine!

to have and to hold

2010-09-26T11:24:00.006-05:00

Last Saturday, Cesar, my cousin, married the love of his life, Lorena. Their wedding was long awaited after their year-long engagement.
David was a groomsman and little Emma was one of the flower girls. Emma didn't walk down the aisle, but did valiantly take a few steps down the aisle before being terrified by the people staring at her and running back to find me, while yelling, "Dad! Dad!" She still doesn't say mom, mami, ma, mommy, mama, momma or anything that resembles mother, so when she does need to get my attention, she'll call me "Dad!" (insert sigh here). She did look awfully cute in her dress. Kandyce, Emma's cousin, did walk down the aisle, and before she went, she made one last attempt as she called for "Memma" to come with her and hold her hand! So sweet!
Have I ever mentioned that I love weddings? But really, I just love brides. I love the dress, the make-up, the shoes, the hair, the veil, but mostly I'm captivated with how they glow from excitement, anticipation, passion, and a love that has not yet been through trials or hardships, a love that radiates directly from their hearts. Lorena was breathtaking and I know she is Cesar's happiness. I wish them a life filled with boundless joy!

Cesar and Lorena rented a photo booth for their reception. I leave you with a pic of the crazies:

new school year

2010-08-31T20:58:00.005-05:00

The new school year has already started. I've been extremely overwhelmed with my move to second grade. The first three days were especially hard since I was trying to deal with incredible heartache that stemmed from parting from my sweet baby. By Thursday of last week, I had finally found some kind of peace and it was evident to the students. One student even commented on how nice it was to see me happy. I explained to her that her comment perplexed me because I always smile. Her response to me was, "I know you always smile, but today is the first day that your smile has been real." It took everything within me to hold back the tears. I can't even explain why I felt that way, but I feel like Thursday was the day I allowed myself to connect with the students and it felt good.

Anyway, enough of my emotional writing and let me move on to a few pictures of this sweet 14-month old, who, by the way, has been spending a lot of her time practicing her dance moves and talking on the phone....oh-oh:

summer is slowly fading

2010-08-08T20:24:00.006-05:00

Summer, where did you go? Didn't we just finish up the school year? I feel like you're slowly slipping away even through my desperate attempt to hold onto you!I will always have fond memories of you as my first summer as a stay-at-home mom. Now that my return to work is so close I can smell it, I really appreciate your long, carefree and unscheduled days consisting of nothing more than playing, napping, fun, and pure contentment.Now, I must wait another school year until your next arrival. I will look forward to it every day, not because I don't enjoy my job, but because I would much rather be at home with my sweet baby. Do you blame me?Until we meet again....

daddies are for hugging

2010-08-02T20:42:00.005-05:00

When Emma woke up from her nap today, she immediately went to her daddy for comfort. She let him hold her for about 15 minutes. So I grabbed the camera to capture this moment of rarity and complete bliss.

13 months

2010-08-01T13:41:00.005-05:00

Emma is 13 months today! I have enjoyed this past month with her. We have spent every day together and I am discovering so much about her. She's a bit peculiar and likes things to be done in a certain manner. For example, when falling asleep, she dislikes to be covered up with her blankie. I have to wait until she is in a deep sleep before I cover her, otherwise she'll rip the blankie off of her in a hurry.

At this stage Emma:

Loves to kiss and hug!
Really likes fruit, especially strawberries.
Loves, loves her doll, Lala. She rocks and pats her. When she hasn't seen her all day, and runs into her in the toy box, she kisses her incessantly!
No longer needs a pacifier and we are working on weaning her from the bottle.
Sleeps from about 7:30 to 7:30, but she still wakes up about 100 times a night (no exaggeration). We tried many sleep inducing methods, and none have worked up to this point. We are still working on a solution. One day, you will sleep!
Practically runs!
Loves kids! She greets them with a hug and kiss (which has been the cause of a lot of grief since some kids don't appreciate being hugged and kissed by complete strangers, which in turn, shatters my little Emma's sweet feelings).
Giggles quite a bit, especially in what seem to be ordinary moments. Sometimes, we'll be going about our business and she'll just crack up! I love that about her!
Loves to be chased around the house, especially if you hype her up by yelling, "I'm going to get you!"
Refers to every four-footed animal, big or small, as "Jax", who is my parent's dog.
Always wakes up in a good mood!
Weighs about 22 lbs. and is about 32 inches tall.

This was her last year:And now:
Look at how you've grown! I love you!

"Surely, goodness and love will follow [us] all of the days of our lives." Psalms 23:6

swimming

2010-08-01T13:15:00.007-05:00

We took Emma swimming this past week. She really loves the water. Unlike her mommy, she has no inhibitions in the water! When we first arrived, she wanted to just watch the other kids!
It didn't take long before she was pointing out the places where she wanted to go.She kept looking at an older lady who was sitting near the pool. At one point, she started giggling. I looked back to see what was so funny, but the lady was just sitting. Nothing giggle-worthy. She must have spotted something I didn't.I think I was holding onto her for dear life, instead of the other way around.Next summer, her and I will enroll for swimming lessons (next year, I will conquer my fear of water).

duck pond

2010-07-19T14:59:00.008-05:00

Emma and I went to the duck pond this morning. Emma was really excited when we got there! She is definitely an outdoors baby, even when the sun is out in all its glory.

She spent some time walking around the pond. She would wave at cars as they passed by.Then she saw the ducks. I figured she would be afraid of them, but she wasn't. I think that I was more afraid of them than she was. I gave her bread to feed them. She would extend her arm, offering the bread, but as soon as the ducks would get close to her, she would quickly stuff the bread in her mouth. Silly girl!After she fed herself (and not the ducks), she chased the ducks into the pond. I tried to get some good pictures of her, but I was afraid that she would fall in. She is blazing fast now!

parenting

2010-07-14T21:37:00.000-05:00

A few months ago, a college friend, Jessica, posted about the woes of parenting here. I've been meaning to sort of follow up on her post for a while now.

This past year of being a parent has been the most difficult, yet rewarding year of our lives. I always mention the rewarding moments, but I rarely write about the difficult moments. Emma isn't always the happy-go lucky child that is depicted in my posts. We have survived sleepless nights, colic spells, ear infections, throat infections, bronchiolitis, extreme teething, gas, and our latest, separation anxiety. Each one of these has brought forth different struggles. Now a days, she breaks down if I step out of her sight for a second. This can sometimes make for long days. In the midst of her crying, she looks at me with her beautiful eyes and I exhale and know that this struggle, too, will pass.

Emma, has taught me to live in the present. We live our days minute by minute and know that even if the current moment involves a meltdown, the next may be of a happy smiley baby.
As David likes to put it, "Being a parent is, by far, the most humbling experience we've been through." We live and learn and see another day.

summertime

2010-07-13T19:44:00.001-05:00

Emma and I our enjoying our summer together. Our days consist of eating, playing, napping, and the occasional dramatic breakdown!

Today we played with our toys inside in the morning.
After our morning nap, we went outside to play. We played peek-a-boo.
Then we played in our swing!

While on our swing, we saw a few birds and listened as they chirped. (No Tia Kristin, we didn't even think about shooting the birds).
Then we played in the sandbox and may or may not have eaten some of the sand!
Then we went to the dreaded Wal-Mart with Abuela Sylvia (insert breakdown here)! After our trip to Wal-Mart, we took our afternoon nap.

When we woke up, we decided to head outside again to water our garden. Except for Emma was thirsty, so she drank the water from the hose!
Our day ended at 7pm. We have ordinary days, with extraordinary moments! I love summer!

happy birthday Kianna

2010-07-10T20:28:00.006-05:00

Today we went to Kianna's 3rd birthday party. Kianna is Jerika's daughter. Jerika and I grew up together and I imagine that my love for her is like that of a sister. It's a surreal experience for me when I attend family functions as I see all of my cousins assuming the role of parents (excellent parents). I watch our children play together, yet I still feel young and the thought that we have become grown ups is conflicting with the imagery that lingers in my mind. Anyway, I hope that our children become great friends and maintain close relationships.

Now to the important part of my post: pictures!

(Kianna)

(us)

(Kandyce & Emma)

(Emma & the birthday girl)

(Emma Marie)

(Kaleb & Kandyce)

(David)

happy birthday to you...

2010-07-04T11:15:00.009-05:00

We celebrated Emma's birthday this past Saturday with our close friends and family. The party was planned to be in my in-laws backyard, but the rain brought the party inside. We all still had a good time, well all except for the birthday girl!Our little Emma was in need of a nap. She wasn't too impressed by the guests, her cake or even her gifts! I don't blame her! It must be scary to be two foot tall walking amidst a bunch of unfamiliar giants!
Here are a few pics of the party:
The only family picture taken at the party. David shirt is wet from the rain. This is Noah, my best friend's son. While Emma was napping, he kept saying, "I want to sing happy birthday to you Emma."

This is Emma Marie. She is my cousin's daughter. She and our Emma were born only three months apart, so we're hoping they become close friends. Isn't she gorgeous? This is Kandyce, Emma and Kaleb. This is the best picture that I could get of the three! Kandyce and Kaleb our my cousin's children. Kandyce is the oldest. She is followed by Emma, and Kaleb.
Kandyce and Emma.

365 days later...

2010-06-27T23:05:00.006-05:00

365 days ago, our journey together began.
365 days ago I met you for the first time.
365 days ago, I fell in love and left a life that is now unfamiliar.

My sweet baby Emma, the last 365 days with you have been filled with emotion. We've experienced long days, yet blissful days. Days of exhaustion and sleep deprivation, yet I always felt enlivened by your presence. Days of struggle and somehow we always fell in accordance with one another.I dreamed of you for nine months, and on the day you were born, my dream became a reality. You came into my life, I inhaled your joyful spirit and I fell for you.In the last 365 days I have learned that...
You are bold. You are confident. You are determined. You are graceful. You are beauty. You are joy. You are mine and I am yours.
Happy birthday, my love.

Happy Father's Day

2010-06-22T19:52:00.005-05:00

It's Emma again. I wanted my mommy to make a list of all the fun things that Daddy and I do together so I can always remember.
Daddy:

Rocks me to sleep
Takes me outside to help him water
Plays with me before bedtime
Introduces new music to me
Teaches me to throw a ball (mommy would never do that)
Gives me the best kisses
Tells me I'm beautiful
Makes me smile and giggle
Knows exactly where to tickle me

I love my daddy. He fills my heart up with happiness!David-
Watching your transformation into fatherhood has been amazing. You and Emma have grown together and within this year, I have seen a more loving, tender side of you and I know that Emma has brought that out in you. I love that you enjoy being a hands-on daddy who has constant, vibrant interaction with our daughter. You are establishing an incredibly strong and loving foundation for Emma. She will never know an earthly love as honest, true and deep as yours. I am blessed to have you as a husband, but Emma is even more blessed to have you as her father.

I love you...

past my bed time

2010-06-17T22:14:00.009-05:00

Hello everybody,
My mommy hasn't updated her blog in a long time, so I figured I should do it for her. For those who don't know, I'm only two weeks away from my first birthday! I know, I know....already! My mommy can't believe it either.

Let me show you what I've been up to the past few weeks.
First of all, I started walking. I still wobble quite a bit, but everyday I walk a little more and I get better.
I started swimming and I really like it. My swimming pool isn't very big, but I'm working on convincing my daddy to buy me a bigger one.My parents also bought me a crawling tube, and I love crawling through it. It always makes me happy.Now that its summertime, I love to spend time outside.But more than anything, I love to spend time with my mommy and daddy!

I got to go to sleep now because if my mommy comes to check on me and catches me on the computer, I'll be in big trouble. It's way past my bed time!

Bye, bye!

Emma Sofia

Nine Months

2010-04-08T20:55:00.011-05:00

Emma, you are nine months! I know that I say this a lot, but I can't believe how fast you have grown. It seems like every day you do something different and grow a little bit more (could you possibly stop?). You have been an absolute delight lately.
Here are a few facts about you:

You weigh 18 lbs 6 oz.
I'm almost 100% positive that you will never sleep through the night. My grand optimism has slowly dissipated. Even a five hour stretch will be nice. I guess you really are a free spirit like your uncle Chris said.
Your hair is CRAZY. You pull off all you big hair bows, so mommy has had to learn how to fix your hair. My favorite do: pigtails!
You finally started giggling without us having to perform for you! Now, you just randomly laugh in the most completely unfunny moments.
You crawl like a mad-baby! When you see something you want, you duck your head, shriek "ooo, ooo, ooo," and take off!
You started pushing your baby carriage around. We bought you the carriage a few weeks ago, and one day, you just pulled up on it and started walking. Silly girl!
You talk all day long. We're trying to teach you Spanish and English, so sometimes it sounds like you're speaking in one language over the other. Recently you have started saying "ta-ta," which of course melts your daddy's heart.
You stand by yourself for about five seconds before you realize that you aren't holding on to anything and fall. You do fall gracefully though.
On Saturday night, you took three steps by yourself! I didn't see you, but your cousins did and they clapped for you!
You clap whenever you're excited and when we sing "tortillitas."

Emma, you are the absolute joy of my life. I only wish I could remember everything about you!

I love you sweet baby.

Emma Crawls

2010-02-08T16:50:00.011-06:00

A week ago, Emma started crawling backwards! She got really good at it about half-way through the week, so I figured she would be a backwards crawler for a while. She seemed content with her reverse crawl, mostly because she was finally mobile. However, there were those times when she would want to reach a toy, but instead of moving towards it, she would move away from it! Needless to say, we had quite a few meltdowns last week.

Yesterday, we lured her with every fantastic toy available, hoping that the flashing lights and fancy music would encourage her to crawl forward. Nothing worked so we finally gave up and let her continue with her reversing. Without thinking, I set my phone down on the floor and she crawled towards it. David and I stared at each other in utter amazement! It was probably one of best moments of my life (and of her life, I'm sure)!

She still mostly crawls backwards, her main motivators are electronics-remotes, cameras and phones!

Emma=Love

2010-01-09T18:04:00.010-06:00

Sweet Emma,

You are six months! You are such happy baby and most days you make my job as mommy incredibly easy with your sweet smiles! You can sit up now, and this has opened up a whole new world of opportunity for you. You prefer to be sitting over being on your tummy or back. You have daily conversations with us that range from you saying the vowels to you shrieking in delight. When I come home from work, you always have something to say about your day with Abuelita. You still love Sari, even though Sari's love for you changes from hour to hour. I'm sure that she will be your main encouragement for crawling.

Mornings with you are my favorite. You make me happy to be alive with all your sweet cooing. Your hair is crazy and you already had two haircuts. Most days, we don't know what to do with it, but both of your Abuelitas are good at giving you pigtails!

Among all of your accomplishments, my favorite is that you have a reaction when you see your Daddy or me. Everyday, when I come home, Abuelita and you wait for me at the door. As soon as you see me, your face brights up with a smile and you start flapping your little arms in excitement. In this moment, my heart warms up and all the noise surrounding me is silenced. You are the daughter we created. You are the daughter we love and who loves us back.

The day you were born changed my life forever. At first, I must admit that the change was hard for me, but after six months of living with you, I have realized that you have shown me how to live this one precious life that I have been granted.

I love you my sweet baby!

Five Months

2009-12-13T23:48:00.006-06:00

Emma, you are five months now!

You are all smiles! You are always in such a good mood!
You finally giggle! The first time that you did, my heart pounded like never before. You fill my heart with so much joy!
You eat rice cereal, carrots, applesauce and bananas.
You are a power napper. You take 4-5 thirty minutes nap a day.
I don't think you will ever sleep through the night. You wake up 3 to 4 times a night. After 4 weeks of only waking twice per night, we regressed after you got sick in November.
Your bedtime is anywhere between 7:30 and 8:30. You wake up at 7:30.
You weigh 15 lbs. 7 oz and are 26 inches long
You love, love, love Sari (our dog)! You think she's the funniest thing on this planet!
Nothing makes you happier than looking at yourself in the mirror! You can be upset and crying, but once I place you in front of the mirror, you smile immediately!
You talk a lot! We think this may be a problem when you go to school!
You do great in public, especially when I carry you in the Moby Wrap!
You love your jumperoo!
You have pigtails!

Santa Baby

2009-12-13T16:41:00.005-06:00

David and I took Emma to the Museum of the Southwest for "Christmas at the Mansion." The museum decorates all of its rooms with many beautiful Christmas trees! Emma was very entertained looking at the lights.

But the best thing about our visit to the museum was that Emma had her first visit with Santa!

We thought she would be scared of him, but instead she was in awe!

By this time next year, Emma will be a year older, and will maybe understand Santa a little better. Right now, she just enjoyed his beard and brightly colored suit!

All Giggles

2009-11-21T21:51:00.005-06:00

Last night, Emma finally giggled! Our friends Linda and Emmanuel and their son, Noah came to visit us before heading out to dinner. When they rang our doorbell, our dog, Sari, started barking and startled both Emma, who was trying to nap, and Noah. Noah began to cry and Emma began to make the funniest little noise I had ever heard (something like a little piglet squeal). I have to admit that I was scared that she was having some kind of panic attack because Sari had scared her with her loud bark, but she was giggling! I don't know if she was laughing at Sari or at Noah because he was crying, nonetheless, it was a giggle and it made my evening.

For some time now, Emma has been trying to giggle. Usually her squeals were proceeded by a smile, but she couldn't quite coordinate the two. David and I have been in somewhat competitive mode, both making our best efforts to make her giggle first(including a bit of chicken dancing), but apparently neither of us is as funny as Sari and 20 month old Noah.

Today, we tried to make her giggle again, but as luck would have it, she has been all smiles and no giggles! It's back to our silly charades until one of us finally makes her giggle or until Noah comes to visit!

Tutu

2009-11-12T18:11:00.010-06:00

The other day, my mommy decided that she would make a tutu for me. She worked hard for a day until she finished it. I have to admit that the tutu was beautiful and fitting for a princess, so I didn't oppose the photo session my mommy suggested. When mommy put the tutu on, I loved it and wondered why Mom had waited so long to find an outfit that suited my status.

Then I realized that the tutu was making me itch. I had to figure out a way to take it off! My first plan of action was to just rip the tutu off myself, but oddly enough, my arms and hands don't seem to do what I tell them to do, so I had to think of another plan. I tried to eat it off, but my mommy kept pulling the tutu out of my mouth.

Then I thought that rolling around would automatically untie it, but that didn't work either!

So, then I just resorted to crying. That did the trick...my mom took the tutu off immediately!

Being a princess is hard work! I was worn out after our photo session and fell right to sleep.

Maybe I wasn't cut out to be a princess after all (but don't tell my mommy)!

Today in 2008

2009-11-09T20:07:00.004-06:00

One year ago, we found out we were pregnant! Today, we have a beautiful four month old! What a journey it's been!

Ears Pierced

2009-10-08T20:40:00.011-05:00

You can see her left earring in this pic. Aren't I cute?

You can see her right earring on this pic.

Last Friday night, we went to Claires to have little Emma’s ears pierced. I think she knew what was coming, because I soon as we took her out of her stroller she started crying. We picked out a pair of studs and David held her during the piercing. I couldn’t bear to watch, so I stepped outside. I guess I had fear written all over my face, because at least two people asked me if my child was getting her ears pierced and they quickly tried to console me. The piercing was quick, but Emma cried and squealed until we got to the car. On the way home she took a nap and by the time we were home, she was smiling.

Although I was reluctant to piercing, I’m happy we went through with it. The piercing hasn’t gotten infected and it doesn’t seem to bother her when I rotate the earrings!

Three Months

2009-10-08T20:19:00.005-05:00

Emma is three months old already! She is so much fun! She is very attentive and interactive. She now has somewhat of a bedtime routine. She usually sleeps from 9:30 to 8:30, only waking up about twice per night. She can grab different objects although letting go is difficult for her still. She loves her playmat and is very intrigued by her reflection in the mirror. She slurps on her hand like if it were a popsicle-sometimes fitting her entire fist into her mouth! She loves being outdoors and she now holds her head up like a champ! She is in love with her daddy and her smile just lights up a room! We are so very in love and proud to be her parents!

Shots

2009-09-11T16:44:00.007-05:00

We went to Emma's 2 month appointment yesterday. She now weighs 12 lbs, 2.5 ounces (45th percentile) and is 24 inches long (95th percentile). Her pediatrician basically said she looked like a skinny four month old!

At her appointment, she received her shots....2 on the right leg, 3 on the left leg, and one that was administered orally. I hoped that she would be the type of baby who cried for 5 minutes and then be okay, but that wasn't the case. Emma was miserable for the rest of the night. On our way home, she fell asleep, but periodically she would wake up, cry, and go back to sleep. It was almost as if she was yelling at me for putting her through pain! So far, one of the hardest aspects of parenthood has been the inability to protect Emma from pain. Yet, I know that this isn't limited to infancy. Throughout life, she'll have to experience both emotional and physical pain and I won't have any control or an immediate solution. What will I do when somebody doesn't want to be her friend? Or when a boy breaks her heart? Or when she falls and hurts herself? I'm tempted to just shelter her for the rest of her life, but I guess I have to resist the temptation!

Anyway, I'm amazed by how much she has grown in the past ten weeks. Here is a picture of her when she was only a week old:
And a picture I took yesterday:
Isn't she beautiful? (I'm not biased, am I?) I just love her!

5 year anniversary

2009-08-28T10:16:00.006-05:00

Five years ago today, David and I were married. This morning is all too reminiscent of our wedding day, as a cloudy sky threatens rain, the same way it did on our wedding day. David played golf as I frantically ran around hoping the rain clouds would leave in time for our pending outdoor nuptials.

In our five years of marriage, we have stretched and grown. We have failed and succeeded. We have cried and laughed. We have experienced utter somber sadness, and extreme joy! Yet, all our experiences have taught us to love deeper and to rely on God as our foundation.

It's been a good five years and I wanted to share some of our memories:

Our first apartment was extremely small, yet we always had visitors crashing on our couches or living room floor.

The first meal I cooked at home was spaghetti. We ate in complete silence and watched Everybody Loves Raymond.
Once, when we only had 15 bucks to our name, we WALKED (gas had just spiked and we didn't have any in our cars) to Long John Silvers and spent our last dollars.
Our first New Year's Eve, we stayed at home and rang in the New Year with a toast of Boone's Farm...classy!
I attempted to make chicken spaghetti with angel hair because we were out of spaghetti noodles. The noodles stuck together in what became a saucy mush, but you still ate it and even said it was good. haha
We pulled an all-nighter watching "Playmakers," a football series that only lasted one season, that aired on ESPN or HBO.
We used to think that waking up at 9 for work was early....we didn't have a baby then.
We used to spend countless hours in our computer room. You would do homework, and I would scrapbook.
We used to set the couch about three feet from the television and play Halo. Weird, I know.
You helped our dog, Sari, give birth to her three puppies at 2 am. Then we stayed up for the rest of the night, watching over them.
We worked hard all year and saved our money so that we could go to New York. When we came back, we were almost completely broke, but we were happy.
After four years of marriage, we became pregnant with Emma Sofia. Now, we are proud parents to a beautiful baby.

David-The day that I married you, I didn't think I could love you any deeper. Yet, I was proven wrong because with each day that passes, my love for you only grows stronger. I look forward to spending the rest of our lives together and creating new memories with you.

Four Weeks

2009-07-23T13:49:00.016-05:00

Emma Sofia is four weeks old today!  I can't believe how fast time has passed by. I don't want to speak too soon, but Emma is a great baby! She does wake up three times per night, but luckily for us, most nights she eats, burps and is back asleep within thirty minutes.

We finally came back to Odessa.  My mom is usually with us though.  She's been great and I really don't know what I would have done if I didn't have her around.  I always imagined that from the moment Emma was born, I would automatically be transformed into the perfect mommy.  I was under the impression that by some act of nature, I would know exactly what Emma's needs were and I would be able to meet them.  Motherhood, however, doesn't quite unfold itself in this manner.   I have experienced some frustrating moments and long nights of crying when all I could do was rock Emma until she finally fell asleep.  Then there are also those moments, when everything aligns itself, when Emma will stare into my eyes and just take my breath away.  With one gaze, she can look deep into my soul and captivate all the love that I have for her.  These are moments of absolute perfection in which I am overwhelmed with the joy and blessing of being a mother.  In an instant, I come to the realization that although motherhood has been a difficult adustment to make, I love being Emma's mommy.

The other night after feeding her, I realized that this is the only time in her life that I'll be able to hold her this way. It won't be long before she is crawling and my arms will no longer be her favorite place. So, I held her tighter and kissed her face in an effort to capture the moment forever.

At this point in her life Emma: 
Loves to stretch...I'm hopeful that she'll inherit more athletic genes than I did
Places one hand on the bottle while I feed her
Makes the funniest faces while she sleeps-I'll have to record them all.
Can hold her head up for at least 3 to 5 seconds (she must be the smartest baby in the world)
Loves to curl up in the fetal position on my chest, and I must admit that I love when she does this too.
Always places one hand on my face when she falls asleep at night.
Has conversations with us
Places one hand on her cheek when she sleeps

Emma Sofia

2009-07-09T12:15:00.011-05:00

I would like to introduce everybody to our beautiful daughter, Emma Sofia.

She was born last Wednesday, July 1, 2009. She was two weeks early and completely unexpected.

I labored with her for 27 hours before I had to be taken into an emergency C-Section. Emma Sofia never descended and mommy started having a fever, so our best option was surgery. Although it wasn't the birth that I had wanted, I am thankful and blessed that both Emma and I are safe and healthy. Emma has only been here a week and she has already taught me that life events don't always occur as planned.

Right now, we are in Andrews with our family while I recover, so I'll post more pictures once we are back home!These are some from David's phone:

21 Days...

2009-06-24T16:08:00.006-05:00

21 days to go! What?!?

Actually, I'm just about ready....I am now approaching the stage in pregnancy that is never talked about. The ugly stage-my hip hurts, I can't sleep, it takes me a solid 45 seconds to turn over in bed, I have Braxton Hicks contractions, I could probably cry right now for no reason at all, I constantly crave food, and I feel like cleaning all the time but my hip prevents me from doing this. Needless to say, I am super excited that we are getting closer to delivery and I know that once I touch Emma, I will the ugly stage of pregnancy will be forgotten!

All of my posts have been concerning Emma Sofia and I have neglected to announce that David and I moved in with my brother and sister-in-law, Edgar and Kristin. They graciously accepted us with the condition that we would leave soon, but now I think we may just stay for the rest of our lives (just playing, Kristin)! Our new living arrangement has made for some eventful evenings. There is never a dull moment in this house! We could probably make a lot of money if MTV or TLC would make a reality television show about our lives!

Honestly though, I love living with my family and sharing this time in my life with them! Edgar and Kristin are really excited about Emma's arrival and I know that truly love her already!

Oh yeah, the nursery is almost finished...I'll post pictures soon!

Emma's Arrival (not yet, still have five more weeks)

2009-06-11T22:41:00.005-05:00

Here lately, I've been having dreams of what childbirth will be like! For some STRANGE reason, in all of my dreams, Emma makes her arrival without causing me any pain. I go to the hospital and two or three minutes later, there she is... in my arms, bow in hair and mittens on her hands. I fear that God grants me these pleasant child birthing dreams so that I can experience some kind of serenity about the painful process I will soon endure. Just in case you don't know, I have bravely decided to try to give birth naturally. Earlier in the pregnancy, I wanted to have a water birth, but many factors prevented this from happening. Now, I have hired a doula to help me through the process. David and I will begin our child birthing class soon. Yes, I have clued in to the fact that it will be the most pain I have ever or will ever experience, but nonetheless, I want to try it. If something happens in the process, then I will joyfully take my epidural! But at this point, ignorance is bliss!

As her arrival day gets closer, I constantly think about our precious Emma. I'm not really interested in what she will look like, but in who she will be. I anticipate the moment in which she is handed over to me and we finally get to meet. Throughout the pregnancy, I have been able to develop a strong connection with her, but in one instant, I know that our connection will transform into a relationship. A relationship that cannot be broken and that only mothers can experience. I'm ready to feel her touch and for her to feel mine. I know that only then will I experience true happiness and all the pains and woes of pregnancy will be long forgotten as I stare at the miracle of life that the Lord granted us.

I love you my Emma Sofia!

34 weeks

2009-06-02T19:22:00.006-05:00

Six more weeks to go....I can hardly believe it! I had a doctor's appointment today and he actually said that I will be full term in 3 weeks! This means that Emma could come a lot sooner than predicted! Well, I'm not quite ready for Emma Sofia, so it would be best if she just stays in her safe place until July 15 (those were our original plans and pregnant women aren't very flexible).

These last few weeks, I'm going to focus on preparing for Emma's arrival, but how do you prepare for the unknown? There are so many bouncers and strollers and bottles and diapers! If it weren't for Linda, I probably wouldn't have known what to register for. She spent about thirty minutes on the phone with me trying to remember all the baby products that she used with baby Noah. This is exactly why Emma has to stay for 6 more weeks...it will give me plenty of time to figure this "baby thing" out.

Lately, I've been craving a lot of food! Making the top of my list: powdered sugar donuts, dove candy bars, monster-sized diet cokes, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, ice cream sandwiches, pizza, bean burritos, hamburgers and french fries! I think the healthiest meal that I had last week was a hamburger with fruit for dessert! I can't seem to get out of this mindset. I'm in some type of self-inflicted, self-created, self-indulgent hell in which my first thought when I wake up and the my last thought at night is of food! Mind over matter, right? Not quite so when you're pregnant. I'm pretty sure my weight gain will be incredible these last few weeks, but I just look at it as my reward for being so healthy throughout the previous 33 weeks of pregnancy.

I leave you with this: my husband is the biggest crybaby I know. I haven't washed socks since three weeks ago. Will somebody please buy him a pair of socks for his entry into fatherhood? This may ease the constant complaining!

Pictures are here!

2009-04-29T21:44:00.006-05:00

The pictures that Cassy took came in today. She is an amazing photographer and we love the pictures. Here are some of our favorites:

Maternity Pictures

2009-04-18T19:35:00.006-05:00

Today, David, Emma, and I took maternity photos with Cassie Wilkerson! She did an amazing job and we're really excited to get all of the edited photos!

This is one that David took:

This is one of Daddy:

13 weeks to go

2009-04-12T22:14:00.011-05:00

I will soon be entering my third trimester. Some websites say that this is the week, but others have the third trimester beginning next week. That is all irrelevant though because what really matters is that we only have 13 weeks left! Where did the time go? Sometimes I find myself wondering how we got to this point! Weren't we just a couple of teenagers getting married? I vigorously try to live in the moment everyday, but moments just seem to pass me by so quickly.

So, in an effort to somehow stop time (at least momentarily in my mind), here is a list of second trimester memories/moments:

1. I sometimes craved Vienna Sausages (gross, I know) with cheese crackers.

2. I always craved Twix candy bars.

3. I no longer gagged when I stepped outside (I did this a lot in the first trimester, and D thought it was funny)

4. I began my yoga class and fell in love with the workout...so much so that I seriously considered a water birth! (check out the website at: baby-mine.net)

5. I felt the baby move at 20 weeks and now she is constantly moving, especially when she hears her daddy's voice.

6. Sometimes when Saucey moved, I would just stay still and wouldn't tell anybody, because I didn't want to share the moment with anybody (it's just that every time she moves, I feel so alive and I don't want to let that feeling go)

7. David began to lay his head down on my belly to talk to Baby Saucey and it melted my heart the first time he did it!

8. I got my first stretch mark and although it was difficult to face at first, I soon learned to deal with it.

9. I really began to show and random people started noticing that I was pregnant.

10. I thought about Baby Saucey every spare moment that I had (I still do this)

11. I was constantly out of breathe and going up the stairs became a daunting task.

12. Baby Saucey gradually transformed into Emma Sofia (at least Emma Sofia is her current name, we may find a better suiting one later)

I leave you with pictures from the second trimester:

15 weeks

19 Weeks

23 weeks

27 weeks

Conversations with five year olds

2009-03-20T13:54:00.006-05:00

Well, it's been a while since I updated my blog, but nothing noteworthy has really taken place. Saucey has really started to move, especially during the night! I'm already 23 weeks...it has gone by so fast! Only 17 more weeks to go!

My Spring Break is nearing its end and I'm not too excited about going back to school! I love my job, but performing common school activities, such as sitting on the carpet, now require a lot out of me.

My students, are very excited about Baby Saucey! They have known that I was pregnant since November. For a long time, they all thought that I was having a shrimp instead of a baby because I showed them a picture of what the baby should look like at 2 months and at that point, she really did look like a shrimp. The pregnancy has prompted many interesting conversations between my students and I. One in particular went like this:

Student: Sauceda, why are you eating a pickle for snack and we get pudding?
Me: Because the baby wanted me to eat pickle.
Student: Well, I really like pickles too! How do you know when the baby wants to eat and when you want to eat?
Me: Well, I usually don't want pickles, but I was craving it, so I knew that it was the baby.
Student: Is that all she eats?
Me: Yes.
Student: So when you eat lunch, that's for you and the baby only wants pickles.
Me: Yes! (getting frustrated because I knew that I couldn't really explain what cravings were)
Student (about five or ten minutes later): No wonder the baby isn't growing, you're eating all the food! You need to eat more pickles or the baby is going to stay the size of a shrimp!

That's it for now!