11 Months!

Mateo is 11 months old today, just one month shy of his first birthday. Hard to believe. He uses anything and everything (laundry basket, empty diaper box, stools, etc.) as a push toy these days and is practicing his balance, although he hasn't ventured a solo step yet as far as we've noticed. He loves vacuums (yes, vacuums), enjoys climbing back and forth through the side table in our living room until he's dizzy, has given himself yet another bloody lip (well, last time it was a bloody nose) by smacking his face on the hardwood floor, and has learned to sign "more" (particularly handy during snack time; see photo above). And he thinks his sister is the funniest person on the planet.

Emilia, who cannot be forgotten, has become a little fish. It helps that her amazing father takes her to the swimming pool four times a week. She is now swimming on her own and can even show you how she does the butterfly (she doesn't have the arms down yet, but the butt action is spot-on). She also loves dancing, although she isn't exactly the most graceful (must be genetic). She takes dance class at school once a week and enjoys showing everyone her ballet moves, but "dance party" is her favorite style by far. Oh, and "Dancing with the Stars" is her favorite TV show. Come on over and you won't be left out; get within a mile of one of her dance parties and Emilia will command you to "Dance! Dance!"

Double Digits!

Mateo is officially ten months old today! He is super vocal these days (although we don't kid ourselves with illusions that he's intentionally saying "Mama" or "Papa") and loves giving (well, receiving, really) high fives, playing with Tupperware, bashing his head against almost anything or smacking himself on the head, chewing on anything and everything (including electrical cords--ooops!), and playing "Soooo big!" He's a pretty laid-back little fellow (he kept accidentally rolling down the hill at my aunt and uncle's house on Easter and wasn't fazed in the slightest). We really couldn't ask for a better baby.

Proof that this summer is going to be very interesting

Tupperware!

Big blue eyes!

Exploring new finger foods

The bibs are almost as fun as Tupperware

The kids hard at work in their kitchen--these two are already best buds.

Happy Easter!

Painting Easter eggs. Emilia's fingers were more dyed than the eggs!

Emilia does a pretty awesome rabbit impression....without even trying!

Emilia enjoys a little "Strawberry Fluff" with Great Micky.

"Papa, Papa, come help me find eggs!"

"Found one!"

Nine Months!

Our little boy is nine months old today! This is such a fun stage, even if his curiosity often does get the best of him (and us). Mateo has been crawling since five months of age, and has been pulling up on things and "cruising" (walking around by holding onto things) for about a month now. He likes to practie walking with his little push toy and just recently started pulling up on things and then going "no hands." And yesterday he crawled up his first stair. He is very ticklish and loves to laugh almost as much as we love hearing him do it. He also loves playing with the door stoppers ("boing!"), digging in the house plants, playing with the door on the DVD player, and, more than anything, chewing on shoes. We need to start taking babyproofing a little more seriously, I guess. Oh, and did I mention he gave himself a bloody nose the other day when he was just laying on his stomach on the hardwood floor and decided to bonk his face on the ground? How do you babyproof for that?! He's had the front two bottom teeth for awhile now, but the top two and a few others are suddenly making themselves known. As a result, Mateo has developed a fondness for Barbie--apparently her long, slender appendages make great teethers for those hard-to-reach back teeth. So, without further ado, here are some of my favorite recent pics of our growing little boy.

Visit to Spain in Photos

As has become our tradition, we headed to Spain right after Christmas to spend New Year's, Reyes Magos (when the wisemen were believed to have brought their gifts to baby Jesus), and our nephew Javi's birthday with Agustin's family. Here's a little taste of our trip in pictures.

Emilia waits with her seeded, peeled grapes to ring in the new year. It's tradition in Spain to eat twelve grapes--one with each "dong"--when the clock strikes twelve on New Year's Eve.

Emilia helps Papa prepare a "tarta de galletas" (cookie cake!) for Javi's birthday. Below, Javi blows out the candles and Emilia continues to be helpful, this time with the eating part.

Three generations

The newest additions to the family, Mateo and cousin Alejandro, get to know each other. Our next visit, when both these guys are entirely too mobile, will be interesting!

Agustin and I prepared an all-American meal for the family. It was a tight squeeze with 20 people, but great to see everyone.

Mateo's make-shift bath

Mateo and Bob the Builder, a new gift from the Reyes Magos

Emilia tries out some of the loot she scored at the Reyes Magos parade. Watch out Hollywood!

It rained way more than normal while we were there (hence the umbrellas on the stroller), but we did our best to not let it keep us indoors!

Above and below: We were lucky enough to get to see one of our old roommates and his family (including two daughters who are each just a few months older than our kids). Although they don't live in Sevilla, we've been able to get together with them for a few hours when they were passing through town during our last two visits. If Emilia had her way though, she'd play with Celia every day (last year she came home from Spain and named a doll after her new friend).

The boys--brothers and cousins

Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas to all of you who celebrate, and happy new year!

These pictures make me disappointed I was on top of things and got my holiday cards made (although not sent out) early this year. These are way cuter than what we sent out!

Emilia Turns Three (and other November Highlights)

Time has gotten away from me again! And things are only getting busier with the holidays upon us! Emilia turned three about two weeks ago and, as such an occasion requires, we celebrated for almost a whole week. First we had a birthday party with my parents and friends of the family and their three kids. Emilia's favorite part was getting her face painted by her friend Liza, then painting Liza's face. Then Emilia celebrated with her friends at school another day, and on her “official” birthday our immediate family had a special birthday dinner. Emilia is so “sited” to be “free” (excited to be three)! Oh, and is the fact that my daughter's favorite present was, at only three years of age, clothes reason to be concerned?

Last week Emilia had her three-year check-up, and we learned she is in the 90th percentile for height—looks like she might have gotten her dad’s genes in that area.

In general, we are pretty crazy about our little three-year-old. She is smart, funny, imaginative, creative, sensitive, and caring. She’s quite the talker and is picking up a lot of Spanish these days, not to mention repeating anything and everything she hears (we need to start being more careful about what we say). For awhile she said she wanted to be a “doctor and a dentist” when she grows up, but today she said she wants to be a mom or an actor. She said she’d try each out to decide which she wanted to be “for a long time.” I explained that you can be a mom and something else, so she decided that’s what she’d do.

Last week we celebrated Thanksgiving with my dad’s side of the family. In practice for her acting days, Emilia performed the play “Hansel and Greta” (apparently a modern adaptation of the original by a similar name?) for the group. However, she has not actually seen that play yet (we have tickets for later this month) or even heard the story, so it was a lot of dancing around and singing, “Haaaaanselllll….aaaand…..Greeeeeettaaaaaaaa…..” Needless to say, she loved the attention!

Mateo, who will be six months old within the week, is a little mover and shaker. He has been crawling for a few weeks already, although in a bit of a worm-like fashion. He loves Emilia’s doctor kit and piano, and often goes straight for them when you set him on the floor. We just started him on “solids” (there is nothing solid about baby rice cereal, in my opinion) this week, and with every bite he seems to be saying, “Where have you been hiding this insipid stuff all my life?!”