Happy Birthday to me!

So, this is what 43 years old feels like?

Not too bad....i'm just amazed (okay, and a little shocked!) that i got here so very, very fast. But i'm happy here and don't wish to be another age. Really, while lots (and lots....) of fun, my twenties, well, i really didn't have a clue.
In my thirties, i was in the process of figuring things out like what i wanted and what i didn't want. It is only in my forties that i'm comfortable in my skin. Oh, sure, there are things that i would like to be different; but these are mainly physical things like i wish my nose was different and i would love to weigh less. But for the most part, i'm in a good place.

The past two years truly have been wonderful years. Robert came into my life and i became a mother. It's a happy and content life as i enjoy being a wife and mother and try my best to take care of those around me. And i continue to figure out what matters most in life. A friend recently sent me an email with the phrase that "life is not a dress rehearsal" and while it's so very, very true, i think that i sometimes act by putting off what is truly important or indulging for things that are not. Passion sometimes takes a backseat to actual production, balance takes a backseat to busyness. So, for this upcoming year, i plan to reshuffle things slightly by spending as much time as i can with family and friends, taking better care of my health by eating well....and yes, that means exercising regularly. To make a life filled, i need to discover what matters most to me and make my daily life a true reflection of those ideas, those beliefs and those attitudes...

And on a fun note, i got the best presents this year!! I got my very own ipod (my husband is tired of my using his and loading stuff onto his, lol) and a bunch of beautiful lilies delivered today. It's been a good day....a very good day.

The above photos were made into a "montoge" for our homestudy. It was fun to gather photos of us...i need to re-do it and add the best photo of all:

Go Tennesse Titans!

 
 
 
 

Robert, Emma and i attended our very first Tennessee Titan game today! We didn't last long, but i learned a few things about Emma today:

~She LOVES people and crowds (unlike Mommy....but that's another story)
~She loves hot dogs (like Mommy!)
~She loves to ride on Robert's shoulders
~She can't sit still very long (a lot like Mommy)

We didn't last very long at the game which is a shame as Robert has fantastic seats in the Club Section. I think that we really had high hopes of lasting till half time, but we barely made it to kick off. Emma was more interested in playing with the lady's hair who sat in front of us who wasn't a very kid-friendly type of lady so i thought it best for us to walk around. Luckily for Robert, he has a really nice HDTV at home to watch the game.

And Emma? She fell asleep on the ride home from the game and is napping soundly with Mr. Cupcake.

Photos from a year ago today....

 
 
 
 

It's amazing to me to see how Emma has grown in just a year. These were taken last year today...what a cutie! Yeah, yeah, i know, i'm the Mommy, so of course i think that...but really these photos show her happy nature and joy.

The little blonde girl in the photo with Emma is her cousin, Viktoria, my sister's daughter. I am hoping that we will see her at Thanksgiving so i'm able to get a few photos. Luckily, Viktoria doesn't mind posing for photos!

Off to look back at a few more photos...

WOO-HOO! No tears today!!

Today, i dropped Emma off at her classroom for her (my) Mother's Day Out morning. The past few weeks, there have been tears, wailing, crying as i've left her with Ms. Cindy but today, you ask?

No crying. No wailing. Her little eyes filled with tears, but she didn't cry.

She toddled off to read a book with Ms. Cindy, glutching Duck-Duck in her hand.

I go between feeling happy that i have the five hours to myself to feeling like the worse Mommy in the world because i have those five hours to myself. I do think, though, that the Mother's Day Out Program at the church is a good thing for her; she gets the chance to interact with other children and play on the church playground. Emma is always smiling when i sneak in to see her before pickup time...and that's a good thing.

But i do miss her when she's there....and i love how she calls me "Mama" when she sees me at pickup.

Beeee Happy!

 
 
 
 

The hunt for a Halloween costume has begun. I loved her Bee Happy Costume from last year; but no way is she going to fit into that costume again. Notice the not-so-happy Bee Happy face on Emma in these photos-it was at least 89 degrees outside when Robert and i took her outside for this photo op. She was a trooper, though, in the hot bee costume while i snapped away and Robert did the video thing.

I wonder what Emma will be this Halloween....

A princess? A frog? A cow? A chicken? A fairy?

I know! How about a dirt eating farmer?!?! ;)

Today, you ate dirt....

 

Dearest Emma,

Today you ate dirt. I know, i know, how in the world did i let that happen?!?! I try to always to be there to watch, to make sure no danger is in your path but today, well, the door bell rang and it was the FedEx guy and i was only going to be gone for just a second....and it seems that was all it took for you to get into my Ficus tree (it's a really big tree that you so love to sit under and look up at) and remove the rocks and have a taste of dirt. Had i not been so horrified at the fact that my cute, little daughter ate dirt, i would have snapped a photo; you know, to have so i can embarrass you when you get older. I immediately had to scoop you up, carry to you the sink and get all of the dirt off your face, hands, shirt, shorts, hair. You know, because it's dirt. You were not happy....and then it hit me: it's just dirt. And you wanted to touch it, feel it, and okay, taste it. And this is what toddlers do...and you are a toddler.

So, i grabbed my running shoes, you and your stroller and we went to the park. I wanted you to truly play in the dirt.

There will be so many things that i can't protect you from as you grow up. Friends who may look like friends but aren't, people who say mean things without reason, boy friends and girl friends who won't call when you think that they will, and the breakup of a first cherished boyfriend. I guess a part of growing up is experiencing these things; it's how you learn to grow up into the woman that you'll become. Dirt, is a part of life. It's my job to give you the tools to pick yourself up, brush off the dirt, and deal with whatever may come at you. It's my job to love you, cuddle you, sing to you and help you become the young woman that you will become. I hope that i can instill self confidence so you can get back up, wipe the dirt off...and go forward to your next big adventure.

I love you so very much....

Mommy (who sat with you in the dirt and mulch today at the park and played....)

Why is she so quiet?

 

 

Usually, Emma and i are joined at the hip. She's taken to running through the house while i clean up and playing "hide and seek" and while fun, it's scary to me when she "hides" too well. Of course, my little one thinks it's all in a day of great fun and will jump out as i'm about to call the police and report her missing and will shout "boooooo".

"Boooooo" indeed.

Yesterday evening i had someone come up to help me with window treatments. I have the decorating ability of a man so this is truly necessary. Melinda (Martha Stewart's clone in a pants suit with amazing hair and taste) loved Emma's room and i tried not to let my chest swell so much with pride that i couldn't breath. It's the only room in our home that i truly love...and yes, "i" did it! I came up with the room design, i painted, i decorated! It's the rest of the house that i don't seem capable of doing on my own....maybe it's just that unless i can decorate for a child's taste, well, i'm clueless.

During this time, i noticed that my little pink and brown clad toddler had left us. As Melinda and i came downstairs, my daughter is no where to be found. A few long seconds later, she prances down the hall, running, holding the toilet paper in the air as if it were a flag, giggling all of the way. Thank heavens i only had one roll in the hallway bathroom instead of the three i normally have stashed there....

It's never boring with a toddler, is it?

After this, she managed to get her hands on a printer cartridge that my sweet husband left on the desk, too close to the edge of the desk. I was too horrified to take photos of this, as Emma sucked on the cartridge and i had to call poison control to make sure that a run to the emergency room wasn't called for.

We all went to bed very early....

Just a photo...

Just ramblings.....


I've not added photos of you, sweetie, but i think that i'm going to go back and add some. This is one of my favorite ones that i took when you woke up early one morning. Too cute, don't you think? :)

Up Past Bedtime....

 

 

 

A lesson for new Mommies everywhere: keeping a little child up past their scheduled bedtime is a very bad idea. No matter how badly the Daddy wants to see the baby....make note of this.

The range of emotions that my little sweetie can go through at the drop of a hat when tired is amazing...

Photo One: Happy with Sippy Cup and Snuggle Bunny

Photo Two: Not so happy with Sippy Cup and Snuggle Bunny

Photo Three: Dropped Sippy Cup and REALLLY not happy.

Yep, from now on, we STAY on our daily schedule! :)

Sad news

I think that when you start a blog, especially one that deals with children, you want to keep it happy. You know, funny stories, lots of laughs but of course, that's not real life, is it? In those moments of happy, there are not-so happy times....

My grandmother in Spain passed away very early yesterday morning. At the age of 95, she's had a healthy, happy long life filled with grandchildren that she has been able to spend time with regularly. She's outlived 3 of her children: my mother, my uncle and an aunt. Only one of her children remains; my Aunt Miguela. I can't imagine how my aunt's heart hurts right now as in the past year and a half, she's lost my mother and my uncle (both to cancer) and now her mother. There is still lots of family left as my cousins have children, but i know how sad that she must be.

I have lots of memories of my grandmother. My mother and i lived with her and my grandfather in Zaragoza for almost 5 years while my dad was stationed in Iceland and other posts that family wasn't allowed to go. There were the animals that she brought home to me...little yellow chicks and a much loved dog name Toby. And there were the treats that she smuggled to me when my mother wasn't looking, too. She always ate vegetables, very little (if any) meat and always drank water and went on long walks that i would often tag along for. I suppose that's one of the reasons that she lived so long-she truly took care of herself. But then, my Mom did, too...
and still died at 59 of cancer. I guess that's life and as my Mom would tell me "you have to do all you can do"...

I'm sad that Emma will never get to meet my grandmother. We are planning a trip to Spain when Emma is a little older--travel isn't much fun on a plane 12 hours with a little child, i'm sure. But i would love her to meet my cousins and see Spain and a little of where i grew up. Maybe one day soon...

Little known Isabel fact: i didn't speak English till i was in the first grade. Of course, not speaking Spanish will quickly put one at a disadvantage to not speaking it at all but i'm slowly gaining a lot of it back from speaking to Emma. Rest assured, though, if you need to find a bathroom or order a beer, then i am your to-go-girl.

I'll miss you, abuelita. But i take great comfort in the fact that Grandpa, my Mom and my uncle where there in heaven, waiting on you to show you what a wonderful place it is. My Mother, i know was thrilled to see you as she loved you so very much. So while i'm sad....i am also happy that you all are together again.

Love this.....

I love politics...i always have. But what do i love more?

Yep, to laugh at a clip like this from Saturday Night Live!

It's a Snuggle Bunny!!

 

 

 

 

Introducing Snuggle Bunny...Emma's newest 'friend'! He's been a huge hit with her thus far; we were looking for something to maybe replace Mr. Cupcake (who stinks to high heaven even after a bath!) and something that i could let her take with her to Mother's Day Out. He's about 12 inches and made from the softest material.

My friend Denise makes these cute Snuggle Bunnies and sells them though her Etsy site. She also makes a Snuggle Bear, which is incredibly cute with it's little tu-tu. Her link to her blog is on my "Blogs I Read" list under "There's Always Room For One More"....go check her blog out and read her "Espresso" post! Too funny and cute.

Emma is just days away from being 19 months old. She's growing, laughing, chattering and loves to "read" to us. I struggle sometimes with being "in" the moment and not two steps ahead of myself; it is so important for me to be enjoying what happens daily with Emma. Laundry can wait for later, dishes can wait for later but "reading" and playing chase in the house with Emma? It can't wait for "later". All too soon, these moments will pass....laundry will get done, the dishes will be done when she's asleep. The time with Emma is too precious to put off because of my need for an orderly house...