The Before and Afters

It took 6 weeks, but we're finally done! Well, not really, but almost. There are still projects to do, like drywall here and there, painting, transitions, and more, but for the most part, the house is done. We are so happy! You can see the before and after pictures HERE. I'm only sharing them with a few friends and family, so the facebook album isn't visible to everyone I know. But I'm sharing them because 1) It's been the biggest project we've ever taken on and I'm proud of all the hard work my hubby put into the remodel, 2) Okay, and I'm proud of myself for managing to help and unpack and make the house a home with 3 small children constantly pulling me away from it all, and 3) Before and After pics are just FUN! Aren't they?? I think so.

Here's a peak:

BEFORE

AFTER
So go see. :) Once again, to all those who helped in any way, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!

My Baby Girl

SQUEEEEZE. That’s what I want to do when I look at this picture:

Just want to squeeze all three of them.

I want to write a few things about my one year old girl.

At one, Eliana:

-Stands alone, cruises, and has taken a few steps. I doubt she’ll walk any time soon, though. Her balance is not so good.

-Says mama, dada, baby, eyes, ouch, hi, bye, and guys. Her favorites are hi and bye. She says that allll day to anyone who looks at her. The second she sees Marcelo or me take out our keys, she knows it means we’re going somewhere and immediately says, “Bye!”

-Signs eat, more, sleep, please, and nods her head yes. Actually, she nods her head to say yes to any question you ask her. I need to make a video. “Eliana do you want to eat?” Yes. “Eliana can I change your diaper?” Yes. “Eliana is mommy crazy?” Yes.

-Her “babble” sounds like this, “Whoa whoa whoa?” Like she’s asking a question. She’ll grab something she’s not supposed to touch and I’ll say, “No!” And she’ll hand it to me and say, “Whoa whoa whoa?” while nodding her head. Like, “Oh, is this what you were looking for?”

-Is very aggressive and kind of mean. See picture below.

 

She was not happy that I was making them sit for pictures. Celo was just trying to give her a hug and she grabbed his face and squeezed as hard as she could. She does that a lot.

What else?

-Loves rice and beans, chicken, oatmeal, yogurt, cheese, and warm milk. Juices must be room temp or she’ll throw her cup at you. Water too. She hates most cold things (excluding yogurt), and the feel of slimy fruit. Although she’s finally starting to like watermelon, grapes, and mangoes. Still working on bananas, but I’m pretty sure she’s going to hate those forever. Hated them at 5 months, hates them now.

-Does not own a single doll. She has a couple of girly toys (a pink stuffed pig, a flowery rattle), but she only likes to play with the boys’ toys. So trains, tractors, cars, and blocks. Oh! She does love the magna doodle! That’s girly, right? And she’s drawn on my new tile floor with crayon like 8 times. Seems like she’s going to be into art like her momma. She mostly ignores the play kitchen, but I’m still hoping she’ll eventually like it. She did have a doll at one point, but she was afraid of it, so we left it at Tata’s house. She seems to be afraid of any toy with a face, although I think she’s getting over that.

-Loves to make her brothers laugh. Loves to scream. Throws major fits when something gets taken away from her. Throws major fits anytime something doesn’t go her way. She’s a major fit thrower. My first big screamer. The boys encourage it, which makes things just a tiny bit harder for me.

-Has SO much hair. Really. And it’s so wavy/curly. It’s a mess. But I looooove it.

I’m so happy she came to us a year ago to complete our family. Life just wouldn’t be the same without her. We love our little hispanic rapunzel girl.

Eliana’s Birthday Party

Eliana turned one last week, but because we were all sick and our home owner’s association took forever to get me a key to the neighborhood pool, we had her party today. All of our family came to celebrate, swim, and eat. :)

My mom made the goody bags. I love how they turned out!

I made cupcakes topped with flower shaped Starbursts. It took a long, long time.

We decorated the princess’s throne:

Grandma and I posed for pictures with the birthday girl:

Ellie (or Pinpinela as Tata calls her) and Tata:

I think Eliana looks a lot like my dad. They have the same expression, and the same mouth:

Lots of fun in the sun:

Best we could do. Kids in the pool do not want to pose for pictures:

And then there was cake:

Check out those tan lines on her wrist.

She was a fan. AHHHH I love those bows, even if one is falling.

I just love her expression in this picture. I was a genius and planned her party during her normal naptime, but besides this grumpy/serious face for the first hour, she did great.

Presents! She got lots and lots of clothes (which she really needed)!

I love my family oh so much. I recently heard a girl in a movie say that when she heard moms say they love their life she always thinks they are just pretending. I’m not pretending.

Happy Birthday to Eliana

My baby is ONE. I had her one whole year ago. And now she’s going to start walking, and talking, and having boyfriends, and going to college, and leaving me.

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

But first she’ll be little for awhile. Like for as long as it takes to blink. This year, I vow to take more pictures of her. I’ve taken way less pictures of her than I did of the boys, and I didn’t even have a very good camera back then.

Here is Little Miss Bedhead first thing in the morning on her birthday.

And here she is playing for a little while before I had to leave to go to the world’s worst doctor appointment ever. (You will not be getting any details. You should thank me for that.)

And then she stole her brother’s drink.

And then she chatted on the phone.

And later, we sang happy birthday to her.

She tasted cake.

She got covered in cake.

She enjoyed every minute.

And then it was bedtime.

WE LOVE OUR ELIANA! I think about her and my heart almost bursts.

Teenage Grown-Ups

I should be blogging about Diego's graduation or about our summer plans or something like that. But instead, I've just gotta get something off my chest. And since I have like 2 readers (Hi Mom and Dad!), I feel like I can say this on here.

Remember high school and all the drama that surrounded it? For me, that was 10 years ago. I'd like to think I have changed A WHOLE LOT since then. Sadly, not everyone has.

Most of the time I'm pretty good about letting negativity just slide right off my back and not let the attitudes of others affect me. But sometimes I just want to talk to those people and tell them to grow up.

I was recently reading an article in the Ensign that was aimed at the young women. It was called "Remember This: Kindness Begins with Me". One part was talking about unity. Part of the definition given was "wanting the best for others as much as you want it for yourself." Wouldn't it be nice if everyone was like that? I'm so happy I can say that I have many people in my life who want the best for me as much as they want it for themselves. I can also say that I, too, feel this way towards the people in my life.

Sometimes facebook drives me crazy. It brings out so much ugliness. When I see something good happening for someone, it makes me geniunely happy for them. If I see someone sharing a talent or doing something and doing it well, I congratulate them on it. Whether it's cooking, crafting, photography, dancing, singing, or whatever, if I see it and like it, I will tell you. I just don't get people who can accept the compliments, but just can't find it within themselves to say something kind to someone when they accomplish something. I really just don't get it. Maybe it has to do with jealously or envy. I think that is one of the ugliest feelings in the whole world. And at the risk of sounding judgemental, I think that people who purposefully try to cause jealous feelings in others are just as guilty as the ones who are constantly envious of others. It's all just ugly. When I see faceboasting and facebragging and so many other things, I feel like I'm back in high school. There are great things about facebook and I love being able to be connected with people who are far away, but I need to do a better job at ignoring the negative. Maybe I just need to use my "hide" button more.

Being a young Mormon mom, I see a lot of competitiveness and women striving to outshine others. This baffles me. We're taught about sisterhood and I know I don't have a sister but if I did, I can't imagine that I would have that kind of attitude towards her. I definitely don't feel that way about my brothers. I want nothing but good things for them, and when they accomplish something, however big or small it may be, I will be the first to celebrate with them. I really really hope my kids grow up to be like that with each other. When it comes to these wives/moms that I see, I've always had one question. If you DO feel like you've won the imaginary competition and you are "the best", what does that give you? Is the goal to have the rest of the wives/moms feel bad about themselves and wish they were you? Or is it to have the rest of the husbands/dads wish they were with you? If the answer is yes to either of these, something is wrong with you. You should get that checked out.

I'm sure I'm coming off like a giant hypocrite as I sit here and preach kindness in a not so kind way, but this topic has really been irking me for a couple of months now and I just had to get it out. I hope I haven't offended anyone. I blame my case of the grumps on the fact that the kids and I have been sick for weeks now. If you are reading this, you can rest assured that it is not in any way aimed towards you.

Okay, vent over. I'll go back to posting cutesy stories of my kids now.

BE NICE, everyone. Just be nice.

I Love A Boy Named Diego

Before and After pics will have to wait awhile. Our family has been slammed with health issue after health issue after health issue after…you get it. It’s been kind of ridiculous. Being sick and caring for the sick has made the unpacking process move at a snail’s pace. There are also a gazillion projects to be done (like finishing the flooring in the hallway, finishing the kitchen countertops, putting dry wall back up on part of the wall that we tore down, and on and on). But I don’t want to sound negative because even though we’re exhausted, we’re so happy and so grateful for this time in our busy little lives. Though our health has been kind of a wreck, we’ve been really blessed in so many ways. So today I want to talk about one giant positive that has been making me smile daily.

Diego.

I’ve always known that Diego is an incredibly sweet, tender hearted boy. But despite his loving nature, he’s also challenged me in a lot of ways. Really, this is my own fault for not being more patient with certain aspects of his personality. At times I’ve been guilty of focusing too much on the little things that get to me instead of focusing on all the amazing stuff. So today I’m focusing on the amazing stuff because lately, it’s been pouring out of his ears. Ever since we moved into this house, he has been the happiest kid on earth. I don’t know what it is. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that he feels so free here. At our old house, I had to set a lot of restrictions and he wasn’t able to be as independent as he wanted to be. At this house, he’s able to do more for himself and it’s like that newfound independence has made him age by a ton overnight. It’s hard to explain, but it’s very clear that he is in such a joy-filled place right now. He tells me he loves me at least 4 times an hour, and at least half of those also include the phrase, “You’re the best mommy ever.” What mommy doesn’t want to hear that 48 times a day? Whenever he sees me doing something, like sweeping or cleaning up, he says, “I want to help. How can I help you? What’s my job?” He sweeps, he wipes down counters, he puts away laundry, he cleans up toys, and he gives hugs and kisses. Diego and I have seriously been in a state of bliss lately. Even though I have boxes and boxes to unpack, I wanted to get on here and write this all down (type it out…whatever) because who knows how long it will last? I want to remember how extremely sweet he has been and how much he teaches me daily. When he sees me with my focus face on and he gives me a great big smile, it reminds me to stop being so serious and enjoy each moment more. When I tell him to go put away his shoes and his reply is, “Sure sure sure. But first I want a hug,” it reminds me to be more loving in any little situation. He is so quick to be helpful, so quick to forgive faults, and so positive when faced with new situations. The boys went to our new ward on Sunday and Diego had nothing but positive things to say about it. He has always been able to adapt easily to new things and I admire that about him.

He starts kindergarten in August. KINDERGARTEN. I drive by his giant new school and get a lump in my throat, and it’s only May. I think, “How on earth am I going to send my sweet, sensitive boy to this big scary school where he will be exposed to all kinds of things that I’m not ready for?” I see big kids playing on the playground and I just want to cry. How does ANY mom send her kid to kindergarten?? Oh man, I’m a giant wuss. It’s going to be hard. I don’t want him to be tainted. I don’t want him to be hurt. I don’t want him to grow up so fast. But it’s happening. And it’s heartbreaking. Seven years ago, I didn’t even have him. Seven years from now, he’ll be in middle school. It’s scary how fast the time goes. I just hope nothing ever crushes his spirit, his sweet personality. I know that it’s unrealistic to expect him to always remain this innocent and untouched by the ugliness of the world, but today, I’m not yet ready to face the reality that one day, he’ll be exposed to all of that. Can’t he stay bright eyed and sweet forever? Please?

Oh and the GIRLS. This week, when I was waiting in line to pick him up at school, one of the girls’ mom’s said to me, “My daughter has been keeping me up to date on Diego all week. ‘Diego wasn’t at school today. Diego was back today.’ She was very concerned when he wasn’t there.” Another mom chimed in and said, “Oh yeah, Diego’s a ladies’ man. My daughter talks about him all the time.” I went into his class to read a book to all the kids and I saw it for myself. The girls love him! I understand that at this age it’s innocent and all, but it also reminds me that the day when it’s no longer all that innocent won’t be far off! I mean, my brother was only 7 when a little girl knocked on our door and told my mom, “Tell him I have the hots for him”. Not ready. Not ready. Not ready.

There are a lot of things I’m not ready for. In our new neighborhood, there are a lot of kids. A couple of houses down, there are brothers who are 8 and 5. Across the street there is another 8 year old. These kids play outside by themselves a lot. The 5 year old acts like an 8 year old because that’s what he’s around all the time. I’m not ready to let Diego and Celo play out in the front yard without me there to watch. So I sit out there like a helicopter mom, hovering over the boys. Sorry, but Celo is not even 4. The backyard is a different story, but the front yard? By the street? Where cars drive by? Nope. Not going to do it. These other kids cross the street as they please, and ride their bikes up and down the street with no parent in sight. I understand that the time will come for my boys to get to do that. But in my paranoid mom opinion, 5 and almost 4 are not the age for that. At least not in today’s world. (Oh my gosh, how old am I that I am saying these things?)

Aaaaannyway, since there’s nothing I can do to slow down time, I hope I can enjoy every moment with my 5 year old Diego. And I hope it’s not unrealistic to wish that when he’s 15, 25, and beyond, he’s still super loving towards his momma. One more picture of my handsome boy.

Still Crazy

I'm at my parents' house using their computer for a minute and wanted to quickly pop on and give an update. We moved into our new house on Saturday. We were blessed to have a lot of help, so it went pretty quickly. I would have spent the rest of the day unpacking, but we had to drive an hour and a half away to go pick up the rest of the flooring we needed. They couldn't find the flooring for an hour, which meant we didn't make it home until 8:30pm, too wiped out to do any unpacking. At midnight, I went to check on the kids and found Celo throwing up in his bed, half asleep. I couldn't help but laugh as Marcelo and I finally crashed at 1am. I said, "Nothing like washing sheets and showering a kid at midnight to let you know that you're a parent." In the morning, the kids all woke up early, so no sleeping in on mother's day. They were too excited about being in the new house, and also too sick to be able to keep sleeping. Celo threw up some more and then just lounged on the couch. After breakfast, Diego started throwing up too. After cleaning up the 4th round of vomit, I just laughed and laughed and told Marcelo that this was the best mother's day I had ever had. It was also a great way to break in the new house. It's a good thing our floors are all wood and easy to clean. The whole situation made me think about the time I was 8 years old and we had just moved into a new house and I threw up on the new carpet. My mom made me stand in the tub while she hurried up to scrub the carpet. For a loooong time, I would bug her about it and say, "I can't believe you left a shaking, crying 8 year old in a bath tub while you tried to clean your precious carpet." But now I understand, haha.

I felt bad leaving Marcelo with two puking kids and a fussy baby, but I had to go to church for a little while. When I got home, he left to go be with his mom for awhile on mother's day, and I stayed with the kids. Diego threw up again, and then we all took a nap. When I woke up, the stomach bug hit me. Hard. This time, there was no laughing. I couldn't find the humor in the situation anymore as I make trip after trip to the bathroom. I have felt really crummy for the last few days, which means hardly anything has gotten unpacked. But my angel of a mother in law helped with other chores that needed to be done, so that was great.

Oh and then yesterday Diego woke up with a really red eye that I thought was pink eye, but the doctor determined it to be an allergic reaction. So he's on some ridiculously expensive eye drops, and the poor kid is miserable.

Despite all this health stuff, we're soooo happy to be in our new home! I love love love it. :) Once I finally get internet up and running at home, I'll start posting before and afters.