8 months!

The other day as I reached my house, I realized I had drifted off into thought and wonder for maybe 15 minutes while driving home from my parents' house.  It was one of those moments when you snap back to regular consciousness while driving and think to yourself, "Oh my!  How did I get all the way over here already?  Did I really just drive all the way here?"

It's a 15 minute drive from my parents' house.  15 minutes!  The two smaller organisms in the car had been quiet enough to allow me to drift off into thought for 15 minutes.  Not a peep was made.  Not a cry, or a giggle, or a moan.  Complete silence!  This means that at 8 months, Mateo is FINALLY a good car baby! It's so refreshing to know that the worst (in terms of car rides) is now over! 

Other Tater Tidbits

• You said "Mama"!  You said "Mama"!  You said "Mama"!
• You've been going to sleep earlier around 7:30 or 8 pm.  But you still wake up at least once in the night at 3am.
• You pretty much hold your own bottle, so every morning I give it to you while you're laying in your crib and it allows me to have more time to get ready in the mornings
• I started giving you Gerber puff treats and it's fun to watch your hand/eye coordination.  The puffs don't always make it in your mouth though.
• You're not crawling yet, but according to my notes your brother started after two weeks of completing 8 months, tick-tock!
• Grandma scoffed when I tried to give your brother a mohawk, but she thinks a mohawk rather suits your face frame

Mama's 8-mos Tidbits

• Still no luck on the increased lactation front.  It's actually gone down from producing 8oz. a day to 6 oz.  I'm feeling like it's almost time to call it quits.
• I finally bit the bullet and bought a video monitor for the nursury, and I'm so glad I finally did.
• My hair continues to be cooperative regarding frizziness, but oh my it is soooo thin :(

Olympic Redemption

I reached my Olympic moment yesterday (sorry - my house has Olympic fever right now - how about yours?).  Like an Olympic athlete, I have been working hard for years as a mother.  One of the gold medals I was vying for was in the sport of saying "mama" before "dada".  Like Lolo Jones, I was on track for the gold the first time around, but was eventually robbed by the glitz and glamour of Dada. So I kept up my regimen in hopes I'd fare better the second time around.

This is where Lolo's and my Olympic story diverges.  I pity Lolo's story and appreciate that mine turned out differently. 

Diego, Mateo, and I were sitting on the couch.  Diego was silently playing on his Kindle Fire when out of nowhere, Mateo said "Mama" clear as day.  I looked to 2 year old Diego for some kind of acknowledgment since he was my only witness.  The toothy smile that appeared on Diego's face in the seconds after my Olympic moment was validity enough.  Then his smile turned into giggles, and finally he spoke up.  "Brother, mama!" he said and laughed.  It was weird for the both of us.  This little chunk has been in our lives for just about 8 months now and hasn't spoken a word.  So Diego and I had a blast hearing his brother take on a new human trait. 

I can now retire from this sport, a gold medal winner.   In yo' face, Dada!

Reveling in my motherhood moment of glory- Shirley

Home is where the Pumpkins Patch

After a few weeks of over-planning to go to the Annual Pumpkin Festival in our area, wouldn't you know that it ended up being a cold, wet, and dreary day? In addition to that, my hubby worked in the morning, missing part of our family Sunday time.

He has been working so hard so that we could achieve our goals set for the end of the year. I know he has only good intentions, and that is why Diego and I don't complain about his hectic schedule lately. We know where his heart is. It's in the pumpkin patch...

My Blue Angel and Golden Child

I'm not going to write very much in this post. I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Watching the Blue Angels airshow in San Francisco
• Having the LIVING DAYLIGHT scared out of ourselves when a plane snuck up from behind and scared all of SF residents with a demonstration of sudden G-force and breaking the sound barrier. (see Diego's happy tears photo)
• Diego's first time riding on his dad's shoulders
• Continuing to be a tourist in our own city

Qori can't do that!

A few weeks back, while I gave my golden retriever my dinner scraps, a bean went down the wrong pipe and in one mighty cough and heave, he chucked the sucker out. From the left, an unexpected hearty chuckle came out of Diego. His laugh was so uninhibited that it made me laugh, for understanding the punchline.

I am amazed at his understanding and ability to find comic relief in so many things. They say that dogs retain at the reasoning level of a 4 year old child for their entire lives, but Mokee has never laughed at Qori for choking on a bean before. You have to understand that prior to Diego, my only mothering skills were those associated with caring for my golden retriever, and my Pomeranian before him. And to this point, I have found so many things to be so similar: The way I talk to him in baby talk, the way I show him affection, the way he needs me to be on top of his feeding schedule, the way he explores his surroundings. Of course my dog never needed diaper changes and to be fed with a spoon, but those are just the details.

Now, he is beginning to do things that are more "human" in nature. These new mannerisms are quite frankly scaring me silly as they are confirming after 8 months that I am a mommy to a human baby boy. I've spent so much time comparing him to my experiences with Qori.

He shredded some papers; Qori always does that. He cries for attention; Qori always does that. He's chewing on his toys; Qori always does that.

Now that he is surpassing Qori's level of development, I feel as if I am entering a new world.

He used his two homo sapien fingers to rip a long sticker off of a pillow; Qori could never do that. He grabbed my purse and started taking things out with his hands; Qori could never do that. He accidentally called his grandmother on my cellphone; Qori could never do that. He laughed at something funny; Qori could never do that.

Just yesterday while I was editing a video blog and Diego was quietly sitting on my lap, I almost forgot he was there. Until he started laughing again. I looked at him, and he was looking at the screen. I had unknowingly freeze-framed on me making a funny face. Each time I moved the frame, leading to yet another funny face, Diego would burst out into laughter again.

Qori could never do that.

But Diego still doesn't crawl or give high-5s. So don't worry Qori, you're still in the running for now!

Diego Can't WALK!

A story as told by one of my sister's good friends while discussing my sister's impending marriage, tentatively scheduled for 6 months from now.

Daughter: Mommy, do I get to be a flower girl again?

Mom: Yes, Sweetie you will.

Daughter: Will I be walking down the aisle with Michelle again?

Mom: No Sweetie, I don't think that Michelle will be coming to this wedding.

Daughter: Then who will I be walking down the aisle with?

Mom: You'll be walking down the aisle with Diego (currently 8 mos.) and Mokee (my sister's chocolate Labrador).

Daughter: Don't be silly, Mommy!

Mom: Why am I being silly?

Daughter: You know Diego CAN'T WALK!.....