Merry Christmas!

From my family to yours: I hope you have a great holiday celebrating with those you love and stuffing your face with those foods you love.

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram! 

Six Years.

Yesterday was our dating anniversary and today is our wedding anniversary. Our dating anniversary is particularly special because it marks ten years of being together. All I have been able to think about over the past few days is that while our story isn't a fairytale, it is a love story nonetheless. I've also thought about how perfect our first dance song has been for us (John Legend's "Stay With You"). The past year has been full of ups and downs, heartaches and pains, and friends who have come and gone, but through it all, we have stuck together.

In six years of marriage, we've lived in Boston and Miami and we've had two kids. In ten years together we've gone from singlehood, couplehood, marriagehood, and parenthood. Here's to many more years together and a happy, quiet, and uneventful year seven!

Life Lately

Trying to "have it all" is easier said than done. Trying to do it all is even harder. I'm four weeks away from being done with school and it's taking all the energy I have to sprint to the finish line. I'm still waiting for things to get "easier" with the girls  and although some things have gotten easier, things have gotten so much harder. Both my girls are mobile and, while they're demands may be different, they still demand a present and participating mama. My lap and arms are prime real estate around here and as soon as one child vacates the space, the other jumps in to fill the void. Dr. Seuss said it the best when he said, "Life's a great balancing act."

Whenever people ask me how I'm doing I always say I'm surviving. Each day is a triumph. There are moments of frustration, meltdowns, tears, and big emotions. But, there are also moments of spontaneous kisses and "I love you very much." There are sweet sisterly exchanges that capture my heart and tender hugs that remind me why I choose Alex to live this crazy life with. Everyday is about surviving, but it's also about enjoying those moments that make you smile at the beauty that is a life well lived.

The updates on life have been sparse around here. The one thing that always gets neglected when things get busy is the blog. I have so much to say but when it comes time to put those words down, there's always something else that needs to be done first. Today though, there will be an update. In the past two months:

• I have become an aunt. Carolina Michelle was born on September 29, 2012 and was 8.5 lbs of baby love. 
• I have said good-bye to my sister as she left Miami to live in Austin, Texas. I miss her so much and not having her here makes Miami feel so empty. 
• We went on our first family vacation. The last time we went to Disney we had just started dating. To go back now, with two kids, was such a surreal moment. 
• I spent a whole weekend alone and it felt sooo good. Alex was away for work and the girls stayed with the grandparents. I ran with the wind, ate without sharing, slept without interruption, and missed the girls incredibly. The breaks was long overdue and I felt so refreshed and ready to take on another day. 
• I spoke to my mom after more than two and half years of not talking. It was shocking and different and, as with everything, it's all a process. 
• I booked a flight to Austin, Texas to visit the family over there. I can't wait to see my sweet niece again and I am just a tiny bit terrified of traveling with two children by myself. 
• Elina has started to take assisted steps, somehow has a mouth full of five teeth, and has started to drink formula (more on that later). 
• Cati has started yoga and loves to test boundaries, particularly with Alex. She is in the categorizing stage of development and has begun to pay attention to labels and groupings. While I know this is normal, it saddens me that I won't be able to control the way she sees the world anymore because she is paying attention to the labels and groupings other people used. For example, it broke my heart to hear her call herself "shy" because someone at school called her that and it bothered me to hear her say she liked a toy because it was a "girl" toy. I don't want her labeling herself when (a) she doesn't know what the word means and (b) what if she sees herself differently? I also don't want her seeing things as only for boys or only for girls because then she is going to start limiting or censoring herself. 
• I have had to learn and learn and learn again that parenting is hard and it isn't always what you think or want it to be (see above). There is so much we don't have control over as parents. I just hope I am doing a good enough job that allows the girls to accept themselves wholly and approach the world without restraint. 

And that is life lately. It feels like a lot has happened in the last two months and, at the same time, it feels like barely anything has happened. Either way, time keeps on ticking and soon tomorrow will be here.

By the way, any tips on traveling with kids? How about things to do in Austin?

First Family Vacation

We took our first family vacation two weekends ago and decided to go to the happiest place on Earth: Disney. We drove up to Orlando on a Saturday (after my first ever 6-mile AM run!) and drove down to Miami on a Monday. Because we stayed at my aunt's house we were able to stay longer and be in complete comfort. There were many tantrums (on the first day Cati cried and cried because she didn't want to go to Disney), interesting sleeping arrangements, and a lot of picture taking. Despite not being able to ride much with the two girls, we were able to do quite a bit. We went to all four parks and even had dinner at Downtown Disney on the first day there.

The first park we went to was Magic Kingdom and this park had the most rides for us to ride. Cati's favorite was the "It's a Small World" ride and now she sings the song around the house when she's in a good mood. My favorite part about this park was seeing Alex and Cati ride the race cars together.

The second park we went to was Animal Kingdom and this one had the most opportunity for character pictures. I thought Cati would be freaked out but she loved all the characters, especially Minnie Mouse, Tigger, and Daisy Duck. It was also at this park that we found out how scared Cati was of dark rooms and loud noises (Rainforest Cafe and The Bug's Life show). The best part about Animal Kingdom was seeing how excited Cati was during the safari ride. While at this park we told Cati she could have whatever she wanted from the Rainforest Cafe store. Do you know what she chose? A pink hat. With all the toys and stuffed animals and candy, she chose a hat. I love that kid.

On our last day in Orlando we went to Hollywood Studios and Epcot. We ended up doing both because there wasn't much for us to do at either park except walk around. This was the perfect way to spend our last day in Orlando because it was low-key. We even got to do something adult-ish with the Food & Wine Festival at Epcot.

Elina was the "easy" one on the trip and spent most of the time in the sling. Cati had her tantrums and thought bedtime was a game, but, for the most part, she behaved so well. So well, in fact, that we can't wait to go back again.

I do.

On our wedding anniversary we took professional pictures. The pictures were originally meant to be taken when Elina was three months old but we got rained out and it took a month to reschedule for a time when Alex was off. Because the shoot landed on our anniversary I thought it would be fun to have the girls get some pictures with my dress. Despite some yellowing, my dress has held up nicely in the last five years. It was so weird to see my oldest daughter wearing my wedding dress. Seeing her in it made me think of how young and full of hope I was and how far the promises we made on our wedding day have brought us. Cati and Elina are the most beautiful and amazing products of my marriage to Alex. On June 24, 2007 I said "I do" to spending my life and creating a new life with Alex and on June 24, 2012 I got to see the physical embodiment of that "I do."

Cati was actually scared of my dress. I had to tell her stories and give her my bracelets to calm her down. Elina, on the other hand, was intrigued by my dress. And doesn't Elina look adorable in her romper my friend Jamie made?

I can't wait to see the professional pictures!

Five Years

Last weekend we celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary. I'm left in awe of all that we have done in five years. We went from being happy newlyweds to even happier parents. In our five years together we have moved from Boston to Miami, bought a house, started residency and school, and welcomed two beautiful girls and two rambunctious dogs into our family. We have grown together and been able to fall in love with the people we have become as parents. I feel so lucky to have fallen in love with Alex in the first place that falling in love with the father he has become seems like something straight out of a fairy tale.

To celebrate our anniversary we went out to Serendipity 3 on Lincoln Road. We left the girls at home with the grandparents, I had a Cake Martini, we ate burgers, and shared a frozen hot chocolate. It doesn't get better than that.

I look forward to many more years of falling in love over and over again. I couldn't imagine sharing this life with anyone else.

Happy Father's Day

I always used to be indifferent to Father's Day because the relationship with my own father was complicated. Then Cati was born and I had a reason to celebrate. Not only had Alex become a father, but I also reconnected with my own dad. Cati, before she was born, was already able to bring out the best in people. There's nothing like reflecting on the shortness and beauty of life than the beginning of new life. Happy Father's Day to all those fathers who try to be the men their children need them to be. And to the number one father in my life, thank you for having beautiful girls with me and for being the man all other men will be measured against.

Happy Birthday Love

February is a month full of love for me. Two of the most important people in my life were born this month: Alex on February 12th and Cati on February 14th. Yesterday we celebrated both birthdays with a party for Cati (more on that later) and a small gathering of family and close friends for Alex. I didn't get Alex a gift this year (apparently I bought it for him months ago?) but I wanted to make sure to get him a fun cake. Just because you aren't having a party yourself, doesn't mean you shouldn't have cake! Luckily, my ultra-talented friend Shelley was able to make a special cake for the special man in my life. To say that he loved the cake, is an understatement. He was floored by it! I mean, how could you not be with a cake that looks like this:

I knew Shelley would make an amazing cake, I just didn't expect it to be this cool looking. And so, after all the kiddies and extended family went home, we grilled up some burgers, sang "happy birthday," and the love of my life blew out his candle with our daughter. To see these two together, I am reminded of how lucky I am to be so overwhelmingly in love and to have my past, present, and future all tangled up in a mess of hugs and kisses.

Life just wouldn't be fun or have as much meaning if I had to go through it without Alex. So happy birthday love. Thank you for being born. For loving me enough to not only want to spend the rest of your beautiful life with me but also for loving me enough to want to create new life with me.

2011/2012

And that's it. It's 2012 and 2011 is officially a thing of the past. I'm sure it's going to take me a few days to get used to writing that out. I can honestly say 2011 was a good year; a lot happened and a lot didn't happen. There were new beginnings, new memories, and, of course, there were sad things and losses in life and friendships. I didn't meet my goal to read 52 books in 52 weeks, but I did realize that I could handle going back to school. That right there was a huge boost to my ego. In 2011 we celebrated four years of marriage and Cati's first birthday. We saw an explosion of growth and imagination in Cati and realized that despite feeling so blessed and fulfilled, we wanted more. Talk about greedy, but God must have thought wanting more was OK and he sent us Baby D. All things considered, life really couldn't have been better in 2011.

The new year brings with it so many hopes. As with anything new and unknown, the expectations are high and the hope is for things to somehow work themselves out. This will be a huge year for our family. Cati will turn two, Baby D will be born, and Alex will begin the interviewing process for fellowship. The date for the next big move is inching closer and it's exciting to think of the possibilities.

Nearing the end of the year was filled with mixed emotions for me. 2012 is the year of Baby D's birth, something I wanted to both keep at a distance and draw nearer. There's excitement and fear, happiness and apprehension all bottled up in the birth of one little person. So many questions, with the biggest and most pressing being "how much will things change?" As the due date nears, I find myself looking at Cati and feeling overwhelmed with guilt. She is so precious and perfect and wonderful; will a sibling take that away from her? I know it won't but emotions get the better of me and I wonder if it is really, truly possible to feel so madly in love with two separate beings. So while I want this pregnancy to slow down, I also want Baby D to be here so I can finally know what and how to feel.

So with all that, I welcome you 2012. I welcome whatever ride you are going to send me on. All I want is to survive and to be able to love as fully and devotedly as I did in 2011. A little more patience would also be a good thing. And for you, dear readers, I wish you the best in 2012. May it bring you health, happiness, and enough new beginnings and memories to make 2012 worthwhile.

Christmas 2011

I can't believe I'm posting about our Christmas. I especially can't believe that I am posting about our Christmas on the last day of the year. When did the holidays come and go? This year was nice and it was fun seeing how much more Cati actually understood. Last year she didn't get the decorations, traditions, or gifts. This year she was better able to understand things even though the meaning was still something she didn't quite get. One thing she definitely understood were gifts! As soon as she found out a gift was for her, she would open it. Her favorite things to say were "Cati regalo" ("Cati gift") and "regalo mas" ("more gifts").

My new favorite picture: candy cane face

From us, Cati got a few books and some clothes. I've been in major declutter mode so I didn't want to get her any toys that would take up a lot of space or toys that had a lot of parts. She got a few toys from others in the family, but those have all been hidden and I'll be taking them out once the new baby gets here so Cati has something new and entertaining to play with.

Other than that, gift giving this year was all about giving meaningful (aka functional) gifts. We spent both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at my in-laws' house so the weekend was very extended-family-filled. Thankfully Alex managed to get both days off so we were able to get some quality family time in there.

My favorite part of the Christmas weekend was honestly us three (five including Perla and Baby D) being together and doing our own small family traditions of reading "Twas the Night Before Christmas," making cookies for Santa, having a special waffle breakfast, and opening gifts in Christmas pajamas. With Alex's work schedule, these are the moments I live for. I would easily do without all the gifts, decorations, food, celebrating with extended family, if we could just get more time with Alex.

Waffles for Breakfast

Whenever Alex is actually home on a weekend morning he requests waffles. Waffles are his favorite breakfast item and because he rarely gets to have breakfast with us, I always comply with his request. I'll be honest and say that while I enjoy eating waffles, I hate making them. They use up too many bowls so early in the morning! This recipe, however, is worth all the work. It's your simple, basic waffle, but it's so perfect for a lazy morning. Cati especially loved the waffles (although she couldn't decide if mine tasted better or if hers did) so I consider this recipe a hit.

 

Wonderful Waffles
Source: Nicola on allrecipes.com
Serves 4

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons butter
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 egg yolks
1-1/3 cups buttermilk
2 egg whites

Directions
This recipe's Ingredients were scaled to yield a new amount. The directions below still refer to the original recipe yield of 6 waffles.

Preheat waffle iron. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks. Blend in flour mixture alternately with buttermilk.

In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the batter, then quickly fold in remaining whites until no streaks remain.

Spray waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray, or lightly brush with oil. Ladle the batter onto preheated waffle iron. Cook the waffles until golden and crisp. Serve immediately.