Cornfest '09!!

We had a ball! We ate some corn, ran a race, pet some goats, won some prizes, watched some dancing, and best of all, got to see tio Gustavo! Now will have sweet meat-filled dreams until next year!
Enjoy!

15th Monthday!

Amalia, your 15th monthday was Monday, and you've had a very busy month!
You are now officially walking. But you are still pretty tentative on your two feet. Even though you are totally capable of walking as far as you want, you will often plop down and scoot if it looks like the walk will be too taxing.



You are still not very talkative, at least not in any language that we can understand. You are babbling and singing and laughing as much as any baby I've ever known, but you are still not quite able to get those words out. It's pretty frustrating for you to know exactly what you want, and not be able to express it in a way that I can understand. I'm sorry I can be so thick some times! I will say that it must be hard to get a word in edgewise with your brother around. He is a little chatterbox, and while he does profess unending adoration for you sometimes, most of the time he's making sure you don't touch his "stuff".


And although, I am just a tiny bit concerned about your lack of verbiage, you are totally on track, and in some areas even a little bit ahead, in all other aspects of your development.
We had your 15 month check up and here are your stats:
(All beyond 95%)
Height: 33.5"
Weight: 28lbs, 14oz
Head Circumference: 19.25"
Although I don't really want to make a habit out of these comparisons, it is kind of remarkable to note, you are a quarter inch shorter than Domi, and nearly 3 pounds heavier than he was at 15 months. But, if you can believe it, your weight has slowed down over the last 3 months (you only gained 1 pound), and you are still right on track with your growth curve, so we are not overly concerned. I think I can explain away the weight difference between you guys pretty easily, since Domi crawled on all fours, and you never did, I think he was probably burning off more calories than you in these last few mobile months. Now that you are walking, climbing, pulling, and every other kind of action verb, you can tell you are starting to slim down. I can actually see your neck! The other explanation is that while Domingo used to eat a lot more than he does now, you have always been my champion eater. You continue to eat and like everything you try, it is such a joy! You love everything, from apricots to zucchini, it's great. Chris and I were just marveling on how traditional baby food was really not part of your repertoire for very long. Even before you had all those lovely teeth that you now have (10 so far with the two top molars pushing through slowly and painfully) you would still gum our table food with gusto! And now that you have a mouth full of chompers, look out!



I'm gearing up for fall, and then around the corner, winter. I'm excited for some quality one on one time that we'll get to spend together now that Domingo is starting school. I'm so happy I'm able to be with you, help you conquer new things, like running and talking and riding the seesaw. You tackle everything you do with such zeal, it's incredible. And I know I say this to you, and everyone else, all too often: I have never ever seen such a beautiful child. You hold my heart in your perfect chubby hands. I'm very lucky to be along for the ride.
Love, Mama

Primas!

And ZOO! We hung out with the primas this weekend, and went to the farmer's market and zoo before a quick trip to Morris. We'll be back there this coming weekend for CORN FESTIVAL '09 whoo hoo!!
I'm sure there will be loads of pictures from that event, but for now here are some from last weekend.

There should be a law...

Prohibiting this level of cute. I saw these two and my head almost exploded from the adorable.

FIRST DAY!

Domi had his first day of school! It went super! Domingo did not want to leave, which is always the way you want the first day to go. It was not a "real" first day in that we didn't drop him off and walk away. That's coming next week. Gulp. But here are some pics from day one.

Summer!

Ah, the end of summer. I can't believe it's here so soon. But here are some fun pictures from our great week in Michigan, and a few from the rest of the summer.

Happy 36th Monthday!

Domingo, this past Monday, Labor Day to be exact, you turned 3 years old! Happy happy birthday my wonderful big three year old!



You are so incredible, I am constantly blown away by the amazing things that you do. This past year you have grown and changed so much. If there was even a smidgen of your round soft babiness last year, it has melted away into skinny, scraped up, boyhood. You are turning slowly but surely into your dad. (Just like he's turning into his!) But it could be worse my dear.



Your round tummy and bottom have all but disappeared and you've stretched out so big and tall. We had your 3 year check up a few weeks ago and you are 39 inches tall, and weigh 34 pounds. You are between 75-90% for height, and 75% for weight. The doctor said you are progressing perfectly, and said what a smart cookie you are.



This was no surprise to me of course!
You are such a strong willed and spirited little boy. You want things your way and do not have a problem letting the whole neighborhood know it. We are working on expressing ourselves appropriately, but it's hard. We are also still struggling with sharing. It is so hard for you to let go, even for a moment, of your prized possessions, which happen to be all of them! But, you are getting better, especially with your cousins. I am hoping that this will continue to get easier as we start the next transition next week as you go to your very first day of SCHOOL!



I cannot believe you are going to preschool next week. I am so excited and nervous for you. We've had lots of talks about what school will be like, who your teachers are, all the fun you'll have together, and that Mama and Daddy will get to come to school some times too. You seem pretty excited about the prospect, particularly the possibility of playing with new and different toys.



Another big step we've made over the last few months in preparation for school is POTTY TRAINING!! You are getting so good and letting people know when you have to go, and are having fewer and fewer accidents. Of course, accidents sometimes happen, and you are usually the first to point that out. But so far, the whole process has been a lot less stressful and difficult than I feared. I think we owe it to Esther in part, because she was the one who pushed me to get it started by letting you run around "free range" so to speak, and also in part to your kind of fastidious nature.

As you get bigger, and as your sister does too, your relationship with each other is changing too. You still sometimes get so excited and overwhelmed with the desire to hug and squeeze her (but you would never hurt her) but mostly you just want to keep her from eating your toys.



She on the other hand, still worships the ground you walk on. We are trying hard to teach you to be a caring and kind older brother, because handling that kind of devotion is a big responsibility.



So far I have brought out some old standbys that Tia May used to say to me when I would fight with my sister and brother. And I really think that this is the best part of being your mom, the way my whole world has shifted and I now finally understand and appreciate the things that my parents told me when I was little.
I remember hearing every time I would fight with my sister or hit my brother, that I had to take care of them because when we grew up, they would take care of me. I know you don't believe it now, but it's true.

I remember hearing people talk about having children and how your life is never the same afterward. I believed them, but I didn't understand exactly what they meant. It's not my life that has changed, it is my whole self. I cannot really remember my life before I had you, it's like remembering a dream. I have become a much less selfish person. I've found reserves of patience and creativity I had no idea I possessed. These last three years I've known you have made me a better person. I learn from you every single day, and it's a lesson I look forward to with all my heart.



Love, Mama