THANKS 2009

This is the last day of 2009. We have so much to be thankful for. Mateo has been the best gift that this year has brought us. Thanks for all the good times with him. He makes us be more patient, loving and better parents every day. Today we are happy to spend the last day of this year with our family in Ecuador. We really hope the new year brings us lots of good things. We look forward to our move from California to Ecuador and to the beginning of our lives here. Mateo will start walking and talking in 2010, I can't wait to see that!

Happy the three of us

Looking forward to the next year

Busy days

Abuelita left for Ecuador yesterday so Pat and I have been taken care of Mateo full time. We have worked around our jobs to be with Mateo and still get most of our things done. It has actually been fun to be only the three of us. Since Mateo came, my mom has always been with us so we have never really got the chance to deal with ALL the demands of baby on our own. We really miss my mom! She does so much for us. 

Tomorrow will be our last day of work and then we will be off to Ecuador for 3 weeks! I am sure going to love to be with my guy all the time and visit friends and family in my country. We will also go to our land in the rainforest. This place will be our primary home once we move to Ecuador next year so we hope to have a good time with Mateo.

Celebrating Quito from California

Today my Ecuadorian-American friends Valeria, Mary, my mom, Jesse, Mateo and I had an excuse to get together and celebrate the Quito Foundation Anniversary only this time from California. We made a nice meal and had good conversations. We also enjoyed Mateo's squeaks and squawks and his new found crawling abilities. I have not celebrated Quito's foundation for almost 10 years and it is very possible that next year we will be in Ecuador so we will celebrate with friends and family in Quito. Viva Quito!!!

Dando Gracias (Thanksgiving)

It is my favorite american holiday and yesterday we had a great time as usual with Andy's family. We had the pleasure to have the Duveneck House all for us. Mateo was very entertained by everyone and all their sounds. I took many photos and videos so we can remember this day, next year when we are in Ecuador. I can believe that last year I was pregnant and this year Mateo was interested in everything. Next year he will be running around.... We will miss everyone and this great tradition.

Food all over

Mateo loves solid food now! All we are giving him to try seems to be of his taste. It is also very fun to watch him eat and enjoy the food in (and out) of his mouth. 

These are some memorable pics of his meals trying to make it to his stomach. 

7 months old!

Seems like many new milestones are being met at this age. Mateo is now able to sit by himself on the ground and stay entertained with his toys for a long period of time. His crawling skills have also improved and now he reaches things placed within one or two feet of distance. I think he will be crawling in Ecuador next month.
He is eating more and more things... we have gone from apples and bananas to butternut squash, sweet potatoes, rice, potatoes, carrots, spinach and getting ready to keep tasting the world of food. 

He also seems to have memory because when we ask "donde esta la muneca" (where is the doll) he looks at the wall, exactly where she is, and when we say "where is the dog" he looks right at where he is... as you can see he will be bilingual!
In the last week, I have take him out for a short walk in the afternoon just when the sun is heating up the green grass. There are lots of birds eating underneath the oak trees, and when I point at them and say "birds" he smiles and looks at them very intrigued. I tell him, he will help us preserve our Ecuadorian land so many birds can live in the trees, he looks at me and smiles.
Today, we moved things around the house and he seemed to have noticed that his crib was in a different place. He was very vocal the rest of the day and he would look at certain places of the bedroom and make the sound like he was telling us something. It was pretty cool to see him do that. Mateo keeps growing and growing and so our love for him. We are very happy with him!!

In memory of Mr. Filiks

Mateo my son:  

Today was a sad day at home, we had to put to sleep our dog and companion of 6 years- Mr. Filiks. We had not choice. He tried to bite you last week when you just place your little hand in his ear. He has never been too close to you in your 6 months of age, maybe because he has been always jealous of all the attention we give you now. He was our "baby" and companion before you and we did not know how your arrival might impact his behavior. Your father and I did not want to take the chance that he will hurt you. We will always hold the good memories with him. 

I love my life!!!!!

Time flies! I am so busy day after day but I love my life! I love being the mother of Mateo.

A typical day starts between 5:30 and 6:30 depending when Mateo decides to come back from dreamland. We cuddle, laugh, sing, change diaper while still in bed until around 7:00. Then Pat takes Mateo and hangs out with him while he makes coffee in the kitchen. I shower, make breakfast and hang out with Mateo until 8:00. Before I leave at 8:30, I feed him and put him down for a nap. I am gone to work from 8:30 to 1:30 so my mom takes care of our baby during this time. Pat is lucky to stop by the house at least once in the morning and he also sees Mateo and my mom walking around the farm. Since I am working part time I make the most of my time at work and get many things done, feeling very efficient and accomplished. When I am back from work, we have lunch and I spend time with Mateo. In the afternoons we go for a walk around the fields, go to the store, play in the ground or nap together. In the evening Mateo gets a bath and goes to sleep before 7:00 or 7:30 at the latest. Then is the time to listen to Pat's kitchen party while he makes dinner. After usually very yummy dinners, I spend time doing some more work. After that Pat and I enjoy music, a comedy show or just quiet time taking care of our own business. Around 10:30 it is bed time again.... and here we go again.....

Eczema

"Oh, what a cutie, I love his rosy cheeks", people would comment on Mateo's face. It is not that he is rosy... he has baby eczema and it is driving him and us crazy! It started when he was 3 months old, exactly 2 days after I went back to work. His doctor does not seem to be too concerned because according to her, it is common in babies at this age and it will go away in a few months. Doctors, books, websites, blogs, message boards and I do not know what is causing it. It could be allergies to the dairy I eat, the pets, the weather, the clothing, the soap, anything! It is difficult to live with this baby condition because I see my baby get very rosy and uncomfortable when the flare ups happen. It becomes very itchy and he hurts himself when he scratches.

We are trying different things to see if we can figure out the root of the problem but no luck so far. I guess I just need to be patient and see the beauty beyond those rosy cheeks of my Mateo.

I do not care I have eczema, I am happy anyway!

Sleep-Sleep

My beautiful baby is pretty good going to sleep and staying asleep. Since birth he has napped every 2-3 hours during the day, at first very short naps and now they can go for more than 1 hour. This week he took a 2 1/2 hour nap in the morning! Of course, after being awake from 3 to 4:30! Night time sleep is also easy. He still wakes up every 3-4 hours to nurse but goes right back to sleep, except this week that wake up twice to just hang out.  Oh well, naps and night time sleep are easy for the most part. 

What is challenging has been making him fall sleep. My mom rock him to sleep for naps and I nurse him to sleep for the night. However, lately he has been fighting sleep more and more. My little bundle of joy is not so little anymore. He is heavy (almost 18 lb) and putting him to sleep carrying him around was not working anymore. So this week my mom started to put him awake but sleepy in the crib and it has been working very well. I have been nursing to sleep and then have my mom do the final magic to get him in lala land. It is working! It might not be my 8-9 wonderful hours of uninterrupted sleep I used to get when I did not have Mateo but I am okay with what I get. After all, I have this little guy to cuddle with every night. 

We are six months today!

Look at how much Mateo has grown since birth to 6 months.

At birth: 8 lb 2 oz ( 3.685 Kg) -- 20 inches ( 0.51 m)

At 1 month: 9 lb 7 oz ( 4.281 Kg) -- 21 inches  ( 0.54 m)

At 2 months: 12 lb 9 oz (5.698 Kg) -- 23 inches ( 0.58 m) 

At 4 months: 15 lb 8.5 oz (7.045 Kg) -- 26 inches ( 0.66 m)

At 6 months: 17 lb 12.5 oz (8.066 Kg) -- 27 inches (0.69 m)

He is a little man now ready to continue to explore his world with all his senses. He is beginning to crawl and soon getting in trouble. He is beginning to eat solid food and soon sharing our meals. He is beginning to attempt to say ma-ma-ma and soon he will call me mama and Pat daddy. What a miracle! Just a few months ago I was pregnant and waiting, and now I can't stop time and get a hold of what is happening. It is happening so fast and it is filling our lives. In just a few months more, we will be leaving to Ecuador- for good! We are getting excited as time passes. There our lives will change and we will continue to grow with Mateo. Happy 6 months little one!! 

Eating solid food

Thanks to Sarah, our neighbor, Mateo ate apple sauce made with apples grown in her backyard (once our backyard). So far this little hungry guy has tested organic bananas from Ecuador, fresh organic strawberries picked in the lower field and Sarah's apple sauce. I will continue to let Mateo taste different fruits and veggies without taking away his breast milk as his primary source of nutrients until he is nine to one year old. He was a happy camper when it came to try the apple sauce! 

Experiencing new things

On Monday morning Mateo cried for the first time as I was walking out the door in my way to work. He has never done that and it made me happy and sad. Very happy because he now seems to really know who I am and he misses me! and sad because I did not like to leave holding in my mind the picture of him crying. So what I did was, I came back and entertained him for few minutes and when he did not expected I took off. My mom says he did not cry atfter that. 

Yesterday, Mateo eat a whole strawberry for the first time! It was so fun to see his excitement eating the yummy fruit and the mess he made of everything around him, including himself. We are lucky to live on a farm where organic strawberries are grown. Mateo got to have one of them as his first meals. 

And today, my boy experienced rain for the first time. Since it has been raining pretty hard all day, my mom and I could not take Mateo for a walk around the farm as usual. All we did is watch the rain and wind from the window and door. Once there was a little break in the rain, I took Mateo out of the house for a short walk. I could not believe his enthusiasm and happiness being outside and looking at everything. He is definitely going to be an OUTDOORS boy!

Plant a little garden, eat a lot of peaches ...

This weekend Pat, Me and Mateo, and my mom had a good time working in our garden. The first year we really have a garden. So far we have planted and harvested tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans and zucchini. Now we have 6 beds ready to plant green veggies. We planted some broccoli and lettuce. Hope to plant lots more. 

Mateo was very happy in our arms and when we got busy, just sitting in his stroller and watching us work was so much fun for him. Look at this darn cute hat! it is a Red Sox hat. Does it make him a fan of them? Who knows...

Helping dad to put compost in the beds

Love hanging out in the weel barrow

Well deserved rest after working outside

Baby Gear

It really takes a lot of time and effort and gear to entertain a baby. Before Mateo our house did not have much stuff laying around everywhere, now we trip on it.

First we used the car seat and the stroller for going out of the house, then the swings to rock little Mateo and just have him down. We also have the crib and the mobile with the music. Once Mateo reached 4 months he did not want to stay down, he would rather be in our arms and looking forward, learning everything. Our arms and back got tired! we got the moby wrap, baby ergo carrier and the baby bjorn. Later we found the baby jumper, the umbrella stroller and the bumbo seat. The top 3 baby gear that helps us entertain this little guy are: the stroller for going out everyday, the baby bjorn for carrying him in the house and for walks and the baby jumper for his own little world of entertainment where he jumps like a monkey and laughs of happiness.

Did you pay the parking fee?

Can't be still!

It has been chilly 

What the heck? 

Sleeping without the Swaddle

Remember Mateo like a burrito? Yes, he looked like a burrito to me since day one because that was the only way he could fall asleep and stay that way for a long stretch. In several occasions we tried unsuccessfully to encourage him to sleep without the swaddle and it was a waste of time. He would be a big threat to his pretty face because trying to go to sleep he will scratch his face to the point of hurting himself. Not anymore! Finally at 5 months of age, almost like a little miracle, he stopped needing to be swaddled. Now he is taking his naps and sleeping at night with a different look. He looks like a little man and not a burrito anymore. I love his little hands now touching my face or my hair at night. I love my baby!!

Mateo just born

Mateo at 5 months

5 month old!

It is amazing how big and alert Mateo is now. His days are so much fun to live that his sleep hour in the evening has moved from 6 to 7 or 8 pm. His naps also went from 5 to 3 a day. There is so much to see and learn. Sadly, these past two days Mateo has been sick with a cold, his very first cold. The sudden changes from hot to cold made him vulnerable to get sick, I think. The doctor said he should be fine in couple of days and that he should be fussy as well. Yes, last night we were awake often comforting him and I had to sleep almost sitting so he can breath well. He also slept hugging me at night and during his day naps today, it was a nice cuddling time. By the end of the day today, it seemed like the worst had happened and tomorrow I hope it will be a better day. Let's see what night we have tonight.

We love our boy and every time we (I) feel so tired I remember the blessing he is in our lives.

Happy Birthday little one :)

Hidden Villa fun

He is so active now

Where did my little baby that once used to just eat, sleep,  poop and be easily entertained when awake go? I have another baby now! He definitely has grown to be a lively, curious, always alert infant. He now wants to learn it all, reach everything and run it by his drooly mouth. We can't stop his learning, we need to be on the move thus we are always finding new ways to keep him entertained. This month he has learned to roll over very well and not just that but he is starting to attempt to crawl and reach objects in front of him. He has started to taste strawberries, watermelon and apples and loved their taste.  He has smelled tons of flowers and gone for a stroll around the farm every morning. He has enjoyed Bob Dylan and Beatles' music. And to finish his busy days he has a bath every afternoon at 5. 

We are all enjoying so much Mateo's changes, he is the light of our lives. 

My dorky hat

A song for Mateo

I used to play this song everyday for Mateo, when I was pregnant. 

Pilgrim by Enya

Pilgrim, how you journey 

On the road you chose

To find out why the winds die
And where the stories go.

All days come from one day
That much you must know,
You cannot change what's over
But only where you go.

One way leads to diamonds,
One way leads to gold,
Another leads you only
To everything you're told.

In your heart you wonder
Which of these is true;
The road that leads to nowhere,
The road that leads to you.

Will you find the answer
In all you say and do?
Will you find the answer
In you?

Each heart is a pilgrim,
Each one wants to know
The reason why the winds die
And where the stories go.

Pilgrim, in your journey
You may travel far,
For pilgrim it's a long way
To find out who you are...

Pilgrim, it's a long way
To find out who you are...

Pilgrim, it's a long way
To find out who you are...

Do we have a sleep problem?

It all depends how you see it. If I think of the lack of restful sleep I have every night, yes, we have a problem. But if I consider all the changes Mateo is going through so fast, no, I think it is all normal and it will get better with time. Mateo has slept 12 hours a night (waking up 2 or 3 times) since birth. Taking care of him at night has been pretty easy. I never had a bad night because he wakes up, eats and goes right back to sleep, no fuss no mas. However, since I went back to work (6 weeks ago) his sleep schedule has changed very much. Now he is waking up every two or one hour! Based on what I have read,  two things could be the cause of this change in night behavior; one, he is making up for the food he does not get when I am gone to work in the mornings (he is very lousy with the bottle) and two, he wants to nurse more because I am sleeping next to him. I feel more tired in the mornings now and hope he sleeps longer soon. Yesterday, I almost give up this situation and I had Mateo started the night in his crib alone. Two hours went by and I had him again in our bed. I could not let him cry to go back to sleep as some doctors recommend. I just can not do that to my little baby. 

Looking at the big picture, he is sleeping very well at night and is a very happy and content baby during the day. After all, he is rolling over, chatting and so interested in everything and everybody that he can not keep up with all. He needs to eat more and feel safe and secure next to us. I think we are doing what resonates better with us as parents. He is happy and I am happy, just with a little less sleep than before he came to my life.

I like the doll

I love my daddy's beard

I am a drool factory

I love the train

The first thing my father bought when he knew I was a boy

I love him very much