How Long Will I Do This?

I don't know how long I'm supposed to journal about my family life and kids for. I had this grand idea that I would have a book printed for each of my children up til their first birthday. So now I haven't printed off Mila's yet, and I just finished Nayelli's. Now that I'm done, do I continue on? Do I catch up once in a while? Dunno. Who's to say?

So..... just in case.....

For Halloween we dressed up as Wizard of Oz characters. I found this perfect rainbow dress for Mila so that she could be the Good Witch. Luke agreed that he would be the Tin Man. I made a little apron for Nayelli to make her look like Dorothy and sparkled up some socks with this red glitter glue, but it all ended up coming off as she walked. Last minute, Aldo dressed up as a Munchkin, I was the Scarecrow and Bandit was the Lion.

Happy Halloween - Oh, My!

In November we went to visit Aldo's dad in El Paso. Time was due to see Abuelito. Nayelli and Mila attached to him like a magnet. And the car ride was fun and one to remember because every major stop the kids got a fun present to unwrap.

  

Visiting Abuelito in El Paso, TX

The Alvidrez Bloodline

The Christmas Play was a hit! We did a Disney-themed musical that went through the life of Jesus. I obviously was obsessed with the two group performances that had movements. They were so powerful! One was to "He is Not One of Us" and showed how the crowds rejected Jesus before he was crucified, and the other was to "He Lives In You" and was the salvational message/lesson that the main character learned. I'll tell you this - I will NOT volunteer to make theatrical flats again.

This year for Christmas, we stayed within budget, which was pretty cool. And I think for the first time I actually have the budget saved. Luke's big present was my old iPhone. Mila really wanted the doctor Barbies and I was planning on building her a cardboard Barbie house. The house ended up getting saturated when I tried to modge-podge the wallpaper on, and so I tossed it. She was still happy with her Barbies though. Nayelli got a train to ride on. She wasn't overtaken at first, but now she's all about it. Mila and her will hide random toys in the back, and Mila will push Nayelli on it, or they'll fight over it. So good buy. Mila and Luke are also very into LEGOs. It's neat to see them work on things together. Nayelli on the other hand is at a hair-pulling stage.

Aldo got us into football sometime in the middle of last season, and he was absolutely stuck on watching every Chiefs game this season. Well, he awakened the monster. We ended up hosting a Super Bowl Party that the Chiefs WON!!!! FYI, I had no doubts. Though I may not go to downtown to see the parade, or try to have every sign or show my support on FB, I do cheer for my KC teams.

    

Reppin' Chiefs & KC Every Sunday

 

World Champions 2020!

• Aldo is still loving his job. His boss was in Thailand for the winter and it seemed like he had off for a long time, and had snow days, and could go in late, but now we're back on a schedule, getting ready for the season of roofing to take off again I suppose. And, he's mentioned a few times how he can see himself running this business with a friend/partner in the future. Hmm...
• You can read my update in the last post.
• Luke has been taking Bandit to dog training on Sundays. Bandit is going through anxiety, which I didn't know that they go through that around this age...??? So he's chewed up three leashes within the last month, and he really, really, really feels comfortable in his kennel. But last week we worked outside and Bandit did a lot better. So cross your fingers that Bandit continues to work out of this anxiety phase and do well for Master Luke. Luke also has been enjoying the Percy Jackson series this year. We started off reading the first two books together, but then he got so far ahead that I had to stop.
• Mila has enjoyed the old princess movies like Snow White, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty. She's also gotten really protective over her room within the last week. I'm noticing that maybe it's best that she have alone time in her room to play without Nayelli. So much she has to share, that it's good to have her own thing at times. Mila, like I said, does well enough in homeschool and she's excited to go to Kindergarten with a playground and other kids. She loves art and play-dough. Her hair is down to her bottom, and the other day I convinced her that it's ok to cut because we won't cut it so short that it looks like a boy's.
• Nayelli is learning more and more each day. She calls Luke - "Ook". She calls Mila - "Beela". She calls Bandit - "Dit". She calls poop - "po-po", Papa - "po-po" and popcorn - "po-po". She understands so much, and right now I'm trying to get her to understand the difference between YES and NO and the head nods or shakes to match. Nayelli likes to get in the dog food because she wants to help feed Bandit, but then she also will eat his food, or fling it to him piece by piece. She likes holding onto phones or tablets or remotes, and other devices. I think she feels the power. But she also has a tendency to call unknown numbers or have important items selected and ready to delete with a click of the red button. She takes one nap a day from 2:30 to about 4:30. And recently, she likes story time at the library. It's almost too long for her, but I know that it does give her and Mila something different. She likes the theme song to Gilmore Girls and dances to it, just like Luke used to run to Big Bang Theory, and Mila used to to whatever we watched during her early years. Mila has taught her the Baby Shark song and I am not annoyed with it yet.

Til next time. Doo-doo do do.

When All You Can Do Is Laugh...

So it's been an eventful two weeks. This is how it went down...
It started with our big camp meeting that we have every year. During the prayer, when the leaders spoke against opposition, I couldn't help but feel a little weird. This year has been different for us, especially financially. We've donated more than we have ever before, more so that even with the past years put together this year's donation was more than that figure quadrupled. On the way home, the only "opposition" I could think of was when we tried to find babysitters for the kids. So I talked about it with Aldo. He calmed my weirdness over the situation referring to the story of friends holding up Moses' arms during the battle against the Amalekites. In a way we were stepping in to hold up the arms (financial burden) during a time when our friends experienced job loss. That settled things.

Not even a day later, the opposition came. If you're one to look at it that way, I guess. We were in a meeting at the church and were just about ready to go when Luke climbed up the welcome booth for some unknown reason because he's usually not a "climber" (a booth that was on wheels to be thrown in the trash) and it fell over on top of him. Thankfully he was thrown as it fell down so that it only fell on his feet. Thankfully it bounced so that he could remove his feet and didn't get stuck underneath. Thankfully, Mila had moved closer to me seconds before to say she was ready to go home. And thankfully, Aldo made it to the meeting because he hadn't been feeling well that morning and took off work (otherwise he would have been a closer and wouldn't have been at the meeting). It took only seconds. But it felt like I stood there for 10 minutes in shock. I honestly cannot tell you what I did in between the time I saw Luke's face after the impact and getting Mila in the car. I remember the breaking of glass and initially thinking Luke was crying because he broke something that belonged to the church, not because he had hurt his feet. The face he made is forever ingrained in my head. It breaks my heart that I didn't react more quickly. Aldo, on the other hand, went into calm, yet fast, parent mode and asked the all the right questions. We made the decision to take Luke to the ER. I'm sure that Aldo was worried, he just never let it on. Mila came with us; it was already late and she was worried about Luke. She said, "Luke's crying so Mila's crying," and talking about getting Luke a band-aid.

I hate going to the ER. It seems like if you are gushing blood and guts coming out (sorry for the graphic imagery), they just take their sweet time. But I am thankful for doctors and nurses and everyone that is working hard to get you in and out. On the way there, all we could do was tell Luke to breathe through the pain. We waited for a while in the waiting room, then we went to triage, where they decide the urgency of your care. Then we went to his room and waited some more. In between all of that, I saw that Luke was tearing up and asked if he would like me to hold onto his glasses. So I was put in charge. By the time we made it to his room and Luke went to the restroom, the glasses had disappeared. No one has found them since. One minute I had them hanging on my shirt. I did not touch them. And the next minute they were gone. Aldo has no words for it either. Probably because we just picked up our new glasses two days before. And probably because that night we had found the camp flashdrive that I had "lost" in my computer bag. Pregnancy brain... it's a real thing. So while waiting, I was also mad at myself for losing Luke's brand new glasses. Let's just pile on the bills, shall we?

They took x-rays and ended up putting Luke in ace bandages on both feet and a splint on the left foot, which was tender, already bruising, and swollen. They also gave us crutches and told us we could follow up sometime in the next week with our doctor. It was about 5 o'clock in the morning when we were discharged. Aldo went to go get the car while we waited in the waiting room. Mila had fallen asleep finally after going between laps, coloring, and eating everyone's hospital snacks. A minute later I got a call - we had a flat tire. Aldo said to never pray for opposition ever again. I didn't pray for it! All I said was I felt weird!!! As Aldo was changing out the tire as the sun came up, I was in the waiting room hoping someone would turn in Luke's glasses before we left the building. :( It never happened though. We made it home at 6:00 am and were exhausted. I called in to work. It was supposed to be my first Wednesday going in early... but there was no way I'd be able to function on an hour of sleep.

On the way home, Luke said, "Mom, I'm lucky. It could've been worse. The booth could have fallen on my legs!"
Me: "Or on your body and broken your ribs!"
Luke: "Or on Mila!"
Me: "Yeah, bud"
Luke: "Mom, I think God was watching out for me."
Me: "Luke... I think he sent angels around you!!!"
He's so sweet. I am proud of the young man he is becoming...

But that's not all!

Wednesday morning we were woken by a phone call. The ER told us that they were looking over the x-rays again and were pretty sure Luke had fractured his foot, so we should get a follow up right away with a pediatric orthopedic specialist. (Note: Something of concern for Luke's age are the growth plates.) That day we went in to the specialist -- awesome, awesome doctors and nurses -- and found out that Luke's foot was broken in two places... the right foot. Seriously? Luke had been walking around on a broken foot?! It took them less than 15 minutes to put a cast on Luke's broken, right foot with a walking shoe and a boot on the other foot. The other foot was too swollen to see fractures or breaks at this point, but better to err on the side of caution. We made an appointment for a week later to get x-rays again and look at the left foot. Then, we proceeded to Walmart where we had the tire fixed.

Two Broken Bones in the Right Foot

Our Trooper (& First in Our Family to Break Something)

I must also mention, prior to all of this I had asked Luke what he wanted to do for his 8th birthday and his one request was a Skating Party. As it turns out, I never got any contact information for his best friend from school, who I really wanted to be there. And both of Luke's cousins are out of town for the entire summer. We agreed that it wasn't worth the money to have the party without the people he would want to be there, and especially because he can't skate. We made plans to take him to the Omaha Zoo with some of our best friends, who would definitely make his birthday special. After the entire foot debacle, we had to tell Luke there would be no Skating Party. He was devastated. (He didn't know about the Omaha Zoo surprise coming up that weekend.) He said, "I guess I'll have a Dinosaur Party". I found this really cool cast design that makes it look like scales and a dinosaur/dragon foot. When I showed him, I said, "Luke, do you want to be a real hybrid?" His eyes LIT up. (We tease, but not really, that the kids are hybrids because they are half Mexican and half American. They think it's cool that they have the best of both worlds. Man, how the world has changed...) So back to Walmart - I let him walk through the isles and show me what toys he liked. Indoraptor (aka Utahraptor). LEGO Pachycephalosaur set (the one that looks like it has a skullet and rams into things). Anything from Jurassic World. Which is ok since he would actually play with it. Luke and Mila have been building a Jurassic Park out of LEGO men, plastic dinosaurs, stuffed animals and babies, and just about anything else they can get their hands on. Their summer project. Daddy said he couldn't get anything that night, but maybe he would get something on Friday (hinting at a zoo-type something from our day trip).

The zoo was so much fun! The car ride was long, and a little uncomfortable. Luke didn't try to guess where we were going or question much at all - even when he saw the sign for Omaha! It wasn't until he saw the desert dome that he put two and two together. And we chose the perfect company to come with us. The kids were all excitement. So much so that we had to continually tell Luke to take it easy. Although the weather seemed like it might get unbearably hot, we chose to see everything outside early in the day. A good choice. And everything inside during the afternoon. Mila wasn't scared of the skylift at all. She said, "We're flying!" and pointed out the rhinos, the big birds (ostriches), and the lions. We did get Luke a wheelchair, but for that first part he had to walk. And he didn't care. Toward the end, he was offering ME the wheelchair. My favorite parts had to be the butterflies (that Natalie is scared of and Mila loved), the aquarium that you walk through (we saw divers go in with the sharks!), and the lied jungle (with free-flying bats that Natalie is also afraid of). We had it easssssy this year - only a single bat sleeping in the long tunnel! Luke told me today that all he can think about is the monkey that was picking his behind. I mean, he was digging! At several angles!! :P Yuck! Oh, and there was the "escape ape", the orangutan that started to unscrew his glass enclosure. While the husbands went to get the cars, the wives and the kids checked out the after-hours family festival. They had vendors everywhere. When we asked what was going on, all they said was that they come twice a year and everything is free, so go get something. We took the bubbles ("that help with asthma"), went to the photobooth, made some sensory bags, grabbed some cotton candy and free Dip N Dots too!! That's when we found out that it was for special needs kids. !!!! Good thing the husbands called for us to pack up because we would have done balloons and face painting too! Instead we went down the walk of shame. Haha! The misadventures of us!

Our Day Trip to the Omaha Zoo

(I didn't get many pictures because we were travelling with a professional photographer, who blocked all my shots... but that's alright... 

I expect to see some good ones posted.)

You would think after that, we'd go back to something "normal".

Well, it's not so much family-related, but this week has been crazy at work too. There's construction going on outside. The road in front of the library will have improvements later on, and to prepare for that they have to move the water line, which is right at the entrance of our parking lot. The first day coming in this week, no one was here to let me in. I had to chance my key code and hope that no cops showed up. The second day, there was a huge hole in the entrance and I wasn't expecting that until the following week, so I drove around thinking we might be closed if no one called me back. We had to park on the street. It was also the day of a bus trip. The hole got filled in right before that showed up. And then the guys cut into our phone and internet line. Nice. It's been a wild week at work.

So then, there's today. Today we went back to the pediatric orthopedic specialist to see how Luke's left foot is (the one in the boot). The Dr. still couldn't see any brakes or fractures on the x-rays, but was certain that something was broken because of the amount of swelling, discoloration and tenderness in certain areas. We go back in 3 weeks. For the time being, Luke has to wear his boot most of the time. The exceptions are at night he can take it off to sleep, when he takes a bath, and possibly the pool (but if he's at the pool, he's not really swimming... it will be hard for him to move around and he can't get hit either). Then, getting into the car to go home we hear a hiss coming from the vent. And then the cold air was gone. I'm hoping with all the hope that I have for my car, that it's just a valve come loose and let all the freon out. Because at this point... all we can do is laugh and keep going.

Camp is 9 days away. <sigh> And boy am I counting down...

The Other Side

Today I got to see how the other side of the birth story is. Maecy had baby Mateo early this morning at 2:44am (not 3:02 mom…). Yesterday I was on the edge of my seat ready to leave at a moment's notice. And I asked Maecy and Juan to keep me updated. They said they would let me know throughout the night. I didn't even get a picture. I got a text that said, "Baby Mateo is here!" and that's it. Mom got pictures. Friends got pictures. I got nothing. I was like --- Hey! I'm the sister! Annnnnd… Juan's family was there through the night! I didn't get to see him until around 10 o'clock. So lame.

I drove mom and granddad there, Mila with us. She had Mateo at Overland Park Regional (not a bad looking hospital, and the inside is very nice… might check into it for the next baby). I asked Mace the story; they didn't say much except that she was a 4 and then an 8 and then he was there. And it hurt. I want details!!! I guess not every person is like me. I like knowing what's going on. I like the intimate facts. It must just be my personality though, respectfully in everyone's business. I like the psychological. I realized that. I might make a good councilor someday.

So for the future I was thinking, maybe I will allow mom back in the room for the next baby. If there is one. That way she can see the pain I go through. And be able to tell people I'm exhausted, go away. And congratulate Aldo on how well he takes care of me. And keep everyone informed so Aldo can focus on baby time and me. I guess this time was a little different because we needed someone to watch Luke. Otherwise I think she would have been at the hospital, definitely earlier than what she made it. But my mind isn't settled on that. It can always change. And again, it's just me. So if they don't want all the details and if they don't want to be there, then I guess they don't have to be. 

On a more positive note… (that was kind of depressing)… here's some pictures of my handsome nephew - I will say this: I liked being pregnant at the same time as Maecy. Not a bad experience. Without further ado…

Mateo Sebastian Tarin

Born 10/15/2015 @ 2:44am

6lb. 12oz.

Proud Auntie Erryn

The Tarin Family

Proud Grammy

(Look at how Mila reacts to her kisses… :D hahaha!)

Announcing to their Neighbors

Double Baby Shower

Maecy and I had our "Double Baby Shower" yesterday. Wore me out! But, hey, it was a success.
Decorations were supposed to be mint and peach, but it kind of switched to mint/lime/aqua/greens and peach/oranges/pinks. There was an 80th birthday party at the church the day before, and they left up their decorations, so we kept them. Pink and lime hanging puffy balls with tulle-covered balloons - so cute. And it was a huge help because I did not want to hang all those puffy balls we made. We used ours on the present table instead. Mom made these cute letters for Mila and Mateo in our colors that also went on the present table.

Mila & Mateo's Gift Table

Decorations Achieved :)

All the circular tables were covered with green or pink table cloths and had a diaper centerpiece I made. Surprisingly those weren't difficult to make. It was the puff balls I didn't enjoy doing. Anyway, the centerpieces had hand-picked fabric on them (by yours truly) tied into bows. And on top were bath time animals that I let Maecy keep afterward. Mom put down Easter grass. (Could've done without, but it was still ok.) And we also put M&Ms in mason jars with curled ribbon and candles Mom had bought. Sometimes she goes above and beyond. 

I absolutely loved the food table though. Both our colors mixed on each side. Fruit tray, veggie tray, cupcakes by Erica, and meatballs by Ruby (which I didn't get to try). For drinks we had mint-colored sherbet punch and lime/grapefruit infused water.

Seriously the Best Cupcakes Ever!

We started off with Maecy's party. She had more guests than I expected. Quite a few people from church, some of Juan's family, our family, friends, etc. She wanted an Alphabet Book that guests would choose a letter and draw in, so that took up some of the beginning portion. Then Maecy went right to presents. I really wanted to buy her a rocker or bouncer for the baby OR a pack-n-play, both being really expensive. But Dad ended up going in half with us, so we bought her the pack-n-play that she really wanted. After she opened presents (and during) more people showed up for both of us or for just me… that was the weird part. So we switched to breaking out the food and playing games. 

I planned out two games - "Mateo's First Portrait" where guests draw their best impression of baby on a plate that is on their head and Maecy chooses the winner. The other was supposed to be a version of "Name That Tune" but it didn't work out. So last minute we had switched it to a "Nursery Rhyme Fill-in-the-Blank". Honestly I thought the library ladies would win that one, but they didn't. Miss C's table did, which had all younger girls and Kari. I'm impressed. Prizes I picked out were swaddle blankets (the good kind) and nursery rhyme books. I know… clever, right?

Baby Shower Fun & Games

I heard that the guys were elated because they had never been invited to a baby shower before.

Glad they could join in the honored celebration.

After games, it was my turn to open gifts. I was tired by then, so honestly I just tried to get it over with and get people home as fast as I could. Got a ton of clothes, some that probably won't even fit her. The cutest story was that Ember picked out an outfit just for Mila all by herself. When I pulled it out, it looked like doll clothes, they were so small! After looking at the tag, she had picked premie. But she was deadset on the outfit. Kari said that they couldn't find it in any other size. 

I let Luke open his big brother gift in the middle because he looked like he was slowing down a little. He had been such a big help delivering presents over to Maecy and then to me, and getting the other kids in on it too… Mr. Bossy. I picked out a swimming pool, some animal water shooters, and water balloons for him. I thought it was a good idea for these hot months, and something to get him away from the TV and also, something active. Not just wrestlers. He also got a big brother present from the library. How sweet are they?! Minion glasses and a Jurassic World book.

It was fun while we had it, but I was glad when it was over. 

Pros - I wasn't the entire center of attention. 

Cons - It felt like everything lasted too long. 

Next time, I'm not throwing the baby shower while pregnant. #notetoself

So, Mila… Mateo… We're ready for you now!!!

The "Must Take" Picture

Way to Go, Mama (Can you say "pregnancy brain"?)

Take #2

<3 My Fave <3

Family Trip 2015

Our family trip was so great! I think my "OCD" is worse now that I'm pregnant… because I planned that sucker every which way. But it's ok, because I have a husband that doesn't mind a little bit of planning. And we had fun.

We went to Omaha, Nebraska AND St. Louis, Missouri (...because we couldn't decide and it was Aldo's birthday wish). Early Thursday morning we left for Omaha, first stop Love's for beef jerky. (Aldo's blow money was gone the first day!) We arrived at City Market around lunch time, but none of us were hungry and I can't remember why. We walked around a couple blocks there because that's what you do at a City Market. I liked the brick roads and the oldness of the buildings, but it seemed like it was all antique places and expensive food joints. We went into one antique Hollywood-ish store; they had a whole bunch of old-fashioned candies, records, and collections on display like PEZ holders and lunch boxes. Nothing you could actually buy. I was basically bored and even though we had been in the car all morning, I wanted to sit down. So we went on to the recommended Spaghetti Works for lunch. Not a bad start at all. Food was good and the Italian Soda was delicious and refreshing. Afterward we went to the Family Fun Center XL. The website looked amazing and advertised glow golf, laser mazes, bazooka ball, etc. so I was really excited to go. It reminded me of Chuckie Cheese's except that the pizza was killer. As in, it could kill you. For real. I ate a salad and grapes if that explains anything. We played glow golf (we were the only ones there) two times. Once regular, and the next with bent rules like put with your foot (I blame my loss on that). Even though it was up to par on my glow golf expectations (forgive the pun), it was still probably my favorite thing we did there. Luke also tried out the rock wall. We all three went in the laser maze. Aldo and Luke first, but Luke got scared and came back out. Me and Luke next, Luke again came out. Finally Aldo and Luke did it again and made it through completely. It was really hot in there; I wasn't sure how I was going to bend through those laser lines with my pregnant belly, but I did it. We played laser tag just in time before all the kids arrived. Luke was on my team of course, and we won. Before we left, we relaxed a little and Aldo taught me some pool. First impression of our room wasn't the best because it smelled like eggs, but I slept great and Luke had his own pull out bed in the other room. Poor Aldo was sick throughout the night, but thank goodness he felt better in the morning.

Best Quote of Day One: Aldo reciting "Boy Meets World"

Amish Man: Young friend, how far art thou traveling?

Cory: Me?

Amish Man: Yes, thee.

Cory: Ah, well I'm going to Philadelphia.

Amish Man: Well, I'm going as far as that farmhouse, there.

Cory: That farmhouse there?

Amish Man: Yes. That farmhouse, there.

Cory: I see. Well I'm going to Philadelphia.

Amish Man: Well, I could take you as far as that farmhouse, there.

Cory: And that's very nice of you, but maybe I'll just wait for some form of transportation that involves...combustion.

Amish Man: I understand. But if you change your mind, I'll be at that farmhouse, there.

Cory: Yes, but see if that's as far as you're going then it does me no good.

Amish Man: That is true. But my intent was just, and my heart is pure. [rides off]

Cory: Also does me no good.

Love's Beef Jerky - Be jealous.

The next day we went to the zoo, and completed the entire thing (Imax included) in less than 6 hours. I will tell you this, last time we didn't go to the desert or to the jungle. WE MISSED OUT! Those were our favorite parts!!! I'll give you all the high points because there is just so much at a zoo to experience. We rode on the Skyfari and train, saw a sea lion training, and near the end of the day went to a kamodo dragon feeding. I fell asleep for a minute or so during the Humpback Whale showing at the Imax. The desert is not as stinky as they say. The big news going around was that the silverback gorilla had broken the glass the day before (and we had to walk through the gorilla exhibit several times because of construction). Kingdom of the Night exhibit was awesome, because how many times do we see alligators and beavers in swampy surroundings? Bats and armadillos under red light? And our final place we went was the Lied Jungle. It was our greatest and most remembered part, there were bats out in the open. And lemurs out in the open. And a sloth out in the open. They could come sit on your shoulder if they wanted. But didn't. The bats were the craziest… 

Aldo decided to take us through the exhibit again, but on the floor level (off the beaten path). Pregnant lady is tired, right… So we go. As we're walking, we duck down to go through a small cave, Aldo and Luke leading the way, me behind. I look up and there are two bats hanging upside down from the ceiling out int he open. Are they supposed to be out? Oops.. Then a group of teenage boys come through screaming like girls - the bats awaken and swoop through us so that we can literally feel the wind of their wings on our necks. !!! As we walk out, Luke is clinging onto Aldo's leg and we come to a huge wall covered in bats. Some on the side, others flapping all over the place. We made a video, but it doesn't do it justice. And I apologize that the video isn't that long - the "elevator creeper" showed up and we stopped filming. We went to the gift shop and bought our family animal poop. Your welcome.

Oh and I forgot, Le Solo Mio (the restaurant) is now a family ritual, even with it being a $100 bill. Best Italian I have ever had in my life. In. My. Life. Tiramisu of your dreams.

Best Quotes of Day Two:

• Butterfly Pavilion - Aldo sings "Little Mermaid" rather than Ace Ventura Call

• Aldo in Bat Video & Now Luke Quoting Him… - These vicious creatures are attacking us right now. Let's see if we can get closer [in Crocodile Hunter voice]

• Luke on Car Ride Home -  My skin is sleeping

Family Trip to the Omaha Zoo - 2015

The Butterfly Call

Aldo really does have gorilla hands

Nerdiest glasses ever. And Luke really was all about the map.

Escape Lizard in Desert Dome!

Lied Jungle - Off the Beaten Path

Even though the ride was longer from our house to St. Louis than it was to Omaha, it didn't feel like it. We had a great mix of music, we took a fantastic pit stop at Steak N' Shake half way, and ended the ride with a travel game. This was the part of the trip that got a little more spontaneous too. Since we had left especially late, we were able to check into the hotel right away. Highly recommend the Embassy Suites on Lone Eagle Dr. because they were so nice, the breakfast in the morning was amazing, pool and wifi, remarkable room, out of the city… we had everything we wanted in a hotel stay. After relaxing a bit from the ride, we went to City Museum. Most dangerous and crazy indoor/outdoor children's/adult jungle gym there ever was. It's made of recycled material (all metal). As a child, you could stick an arm or a leg through your tunnel (made of bars) 2 or 3 stories up in the air. Over concrete! Aldo said there were so many paths to take to get to one place, a lot of them being tight spaces. An adult could get lost! Anyway, I kept Luke mainly in the ball pit for younger kids, which nobody followed the rules in. So "mama bear" was out. I felt like the over-protective mother. Everyone was letting their kids go nuts, and I wouldn't take my eyes off my child. This is where we found our souvenir cards. We were so exhausted by the end of the night. When we got back to the hotel, we said we would swim, so we did that. Luke had such a blast wearing his new floaties. And he was able to play Torpedoes with Daddy. They also had a jacuzzi which Aldo utilized for a bit. And I was worry free, weightless, and we were the only ones in the pool. :)

Best Quote of Day Three: Luke playing car game - "How many did Louis get?"

Getting super sweaty in the ball pit

 

Metal Mazes & Slides for Days

Our final day was more relaxed, meaning not too hard on the body… We went to the Free Science Center and learned about the St. Louis Arch and different ways to build, etc. They had a huge dinosaur that Luke was interested in. And some other cool displays. We left with plenty of time to get down to the levee to park, but there was so much construction we got lost. And made it just in time. The day was kind of dreary because it was sprinkling. Aldo said he enjoyed the sightseeing cruise, but it reminded me of something Grammy and Granddad would do. We were probably the youngest ones there. Then we headed home. Job well done. 

Best Quote of Day Four: Luke on Sightseeing Tour - "Oh… I'm dying."

Arch Complete!

Learning about Bridges

More Cool Scientific Stuff

Rainy Days in St. Louis

We hadn't spent that much time together (consecutively) for a long time. Something must have been off before because I can't imagine not talking or joking, hanging out (more than watching a movie), and not missing just BEING with them for hours and hours in a row. I'm so glad we went on this trip. It was a reminder of how big of a role Family Time really is in life.

Gender Reveal

Same Day

I had been drinking water all day because I knew that I had to for the appointment. So when we got to the doctor's office, I had to go to the restroom really bad. Immediately they pointed us to another waiting room for the sonogram. They said to wait and ask the technician, but I couldn't hold it and nobody was coming, so I went. (I've done this for 9 mo. with Luke and 4 mo. with this one… you think I would be a pro at the pee test, but I'm not.) I guess while I was gone, the technician came out two times looking for me. Oops. So when I got back, we were led to the room right away - a small room, some seating on the left, my spot in the center, a tv screen in front of me on the top of the wall, and her computer station on the right of me. She got out her squirty stuff and wand and found the baby right away. But, of course, someone called her out of the room. As she left, she swiped the wand across my belly, so the tv still showed an image of the baby's face, but it was sort of stretched.
While she was gone I whispered to Aldo, "Hey, it kind of looks like a chimp."
Luke overhearing said blatantly, "Mommy, the baby can't be an animal. It's a human. You can only have humans." Precious. The whole time I was thinking, Luke would think the baby looked strange, and maybe one day when he's mad call the baby "ape face"… but no, he's a sweetheart and would think nothing of it.

When the lady got back, she scanned my tummy again. She had to take measurements while looking at everything. So first we looked at the baby's whole body. She said that the baby was skinny looking because there's hardly any muscle right now. So the bone structure, etc. will all look thin. And then she skipped to the privates. I didn't think she would tell us right like that, but she did. She said, "See these three lines…" And I thought, "Yes, two legs and something in the middle… it's a boy". "… it's a girl." WHAT?! I had to look at Aldo to make sure I heard right. We were both open mouthed. I think Aldo teared up a bit. Luke was excited. I was in shock I think. I was certain this baby was going to be a boy. Just because I've been knitting girl things, everyone's been saying how we need a girl (like I can control  it), and because the odds weren't looking that great. Wow, a girl.
So I guess, when looking at those pics, if you see three lines that are the same length, it's a boy and if you see a W then it's a girl. Sounds complicated and too close to me. Afterward, I asked her about it - I said, "Now, these things aren't certain, so how sure would you say you are with that reading?" 98%.
We're having a girl!!!!

The rest of the time she measured and counted things. Head length. Arm bones. Leg bones. Placenta. 2 arms, 2 legs. Lip attached. 2 kidneys. Everything looks good, everything is healthy. Right now she is breech position, which means she would come out booty first. HOWEVER, the lady tech also said that she is "feisty". She would not hold still for any of the measurements, she'd move for the pictures, and she wouldn't get in the right position either… the doc wanted a nice profile picture, but she kept looking right at the camera it seemed… and then she turned around completely. Hahaha! Doomed. We are all doomed. :)

The tech gave us a lot of pictures! Probably because this is our first sonogram with this little one. My appointment with Dr. Holmes was cancelled, so we had to reschedule for Thursday.

On the way home, we decided to eat and call the family. I had a gender reveal planned… Luke opening a box of balloons, either blue or pink coming out. What I failed to realize is that it's March and there are no leaves on the trees at our house. An ugly background. We threw that idea out the window and decided to call. First calls were to Lily, Vero, Lalo, Dad, Mom, Maecy, Stacia, the Gutierrez family, and Zac & Rose. I later in the day let the Tomlins, Springers, Jul, John Stalic and Ruby know. Somehow Jerad found out (Ruby!), and when we went to show Granddad mom's new utility vehicle, we announced that we were having a girl to him and to Millie. On Saturday, Mom, Luke and I helped paint the new church building and I had to tell all of the Pastors. So… there's not too many people left to tell with a gender reveal. But we're going to take a picture anyway and post to Facebook. I bought the pink shoes for it! It's a must!

Aldo is excited and nervous. What is he going to do with a girl? We've never raised a girl before… He wants to take the childbirth classes again. I'll tell you what though, this family is amazing. I'm blessed.

Baby Girl Alvidrez - March 24th, 2015 - 4 Months Along

Smiling at Luke

When we left, Luke asked which pictures were his. I said he could have the one where she's smiling at him. Then he asked for more - 4 to be precise.

Skinny Butt

She hasn't developed a lot of cushion yet they said. I guess we'll have to wait and see who she takes after here.

The Reveal Photo

Do you see the "W"?

Boy or Girl?

20 Weeks

Today's the day! A while ago I was excited and couldn't wait for this day. About two days ago I started getting nervous. (I have no idea why, I'll be happy with a boy or a girl.)
Last night I couldn't sleep! We stayed up late watching some tv episodes; I was so exhausted and could have gone to bed early, but apparently my subconscious was anxious and kept me up all night. And my mind was BLANK. For the first two hours I thought of nothing. The rest of the night is kind of blurry - I don't know how it went so fast. At one point I do remember a dream about eating a cup of frosting in the snow…???
Anyway, the day is here. The minutes are ticking by.
This morning I asked Luke one last time what he wants (he's such a flip-flopper). Girl. "Because she can help beat up daddy." But then he said one of each. Then he said there has to be two boys and two girls altogether. I don't know if he was including Aldo and I in that count, or if he was thinking 4 kids in the family. All I can say is - we'll see.

Oh, Boy!

Clifford didn't last long. It was probably just that one day. We're still stuck on Elmo.
Except he will watch other shows. "I Know" (which is the tv series "Psych") and movies with recognizable objects or animals like "Stuart Little" and "Kung Fu Panda".

Before I forget to mention it, I just wanted to say that Luke can now count to 10 in English and 3 in Spanish. I try to speak in Spanish, but he seems to want to learn English more with me. Anyway, as we jump down the stairs we count... one, two, thee, four, fii, ix, circle, a, ni, ten! I don't know where the "circle" came from. It just happened that way. My mom says that it reminds her of when I was little and I would say that "the dish ran over the spoon". He also knows what a star is (we put glow-in-the-dark stars up on his ceiling). And he can repeat colors and sometimes pick out the correct one. Body parts his knows - hair, eyes, ears, nose, mouth/boca, tongue/lengua, chin, neck, teeth/cheese, cheek, button, pitties (major attachment to deodorant, so we had to buy him his own travel size), big cheeks (thank you tia), and toes/piggies.

More importantly... he is such a BOY!!! I knew it would be different than when my sister was little. But wow! He is such a boy! He wants to rough house, make huge messes, etc. His goal every day is to - in one word - DESTROY! Daddy has taught him especially well on how to wrestle and fight. When those two play it is so funny how Luke swings those arms and belly flops on Daddy. And he's smart! So I've had several complaints on Luke hitting other kids. Sigh... how do you teach a child that it's ok to "play" fight with Daddy, but you can't "play" or "serious" fight with other kids? Tough lesson. But we're trying. And it doesn't help that he has two boy cousins that were just as rough with him when he was younger, and act crazy. The other day I heard a story that while Luke was hanging out at the cousins' house, they were fighting over some toy probably. Luke, I guess, didn't want to argue, and instead grabbed his cousin by the hair and pushed him to the floor. The cousin, a heavy-set almost-three-year-old, started crying. Sigh again. I really don't want to raise the bully.

The good news is - he loves his mommy!

What's The Matter With Boys

Lately I've been thinking about the day I found out I was having a boy. Just before, my mom told the nurse, "We don't WANT boys. We don't LIKE boys." I don't know what she was thinking... I only wanted a girl because I had more experience with girls, I had a name picked out, and she would have been the first (new clothes and lots of attention). But by no means did I have anything against boys.
I think about that day when I see Luke's eyes light up when he sees his Grammy and reaches out for her. When they're playing on the living room floor. When she's taking pictures and showing him off. When she volunteers to babysit for the night. He's certainly changed her mind.

When Luke was little, Aldo brought to my attention that boys are rough. That Luke's going to be coming home with scrapes and bruises. As a mother, I feel protective and always worrisome. I don't want to see that little guy hurt. The other day he was helping in the chicken coop and the space heater fell on his head. Thankfully I wasn't there to freak out. And also thankfully, he didn't have a bump or sign of it anywhere. Lucky. He also had his first temperature this weekend. It got all the way up to 101.2 in his armpit. I, of course, took it to the extreme and had Aldo call the nurse hotline, thinking Luke was going to be in ICU or something. Turns out babies can spike a temperature from about anything.
All in all, I don't think I'm ready for the roughness. I'm not ready for scrapes and bruises. I don't think I would mind to have wimpy kid. It hurts me to the core when I have to let him sit there and cry on the floor, instead of running to his side for help.

This feeling has probably come around more and more with Luke exploring and testing out new things. The other night I was relaxing on the couch while he was playing on the floor with his toys. Usually when he's tired of them and wants me to pick him up, he'll crawl over to me and just look up. This time he came over, lifted his hands to my pant legs, and pulled himself up to his knees, almost his feet. When they stand, they fall. I hope I can just get through this.