On Wednesday we celebrated our friend, Mel's birthday. They had a small get together of friends and neighbors and we ate El Tiempo (my favorite ever Mexican restaurant) and drank margaritas. Sofia had a blast running around with the doggies, eating in a big girl chair and especially playing in a box from the catering. She also helped Mel blow out the candles on his birthday cake. (oops, Mel, did someone switch the numbers around?)
Friday
Since starting day care back in January, Sofia tends to get an ear infection every month. This day she not only had an ear infection, but her sweet eyes were all puffy and swollen too. She looks so sad but I assure you she's not. She's usually her same old sweet self when she's sick, at least on this day.
Since her pediatrician (or parents) wasn't too happy about all these ear infections she sent us to see an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist. As we suspected, she'll have tubes inserted during a very short procedure on June 1st. Hopefully this will help take care of all this! I'll keep you updated.
But since we were already in the Medical Center we decided to trek on over to see Daddy at MD Anderson Cancer Center. We got to go up to his office and see a lot of the people he works with in Interventional Radiology. Sofia didn't get passed around too much since she was sick but she did get to eat lunch with Daddy.
Being at MDA and so close to Texas Children's Hospital, it is so hard to see so many sick people, especially the children. I don't know how Dan does it all day. It takes special people to work with the illnesses they see. Mommy felt like spoiling her girl so I bought her a colorful and huge caterpillar from the gift shop and I thanked God that I have a healthy child. The fun-filled day put her straight to sleep.
After we got home, I joined Sofia in a nap and we waited for Grandma and Grandpa to come over and help us out around the house. Projects on our 70+ year old house have been neglected for some time now. Most especially the backyard, as you can see.
But Dan and Loretta got to work and hopefully soon this big, empty space will be a great place for Sofia to play. Especially since one of her new favorite words is, "outside!"
Grandpa worked some magic and fixed the attic stairs that a 250 pound Jamaican guy broke. Sofia helped. Daddy tested the finished product. Now I can finally put away Christmas decorations!
Sofia has also learned that the windows in her bedroom overlook the backyard. Because of what our backyard looks like I never opened those blinds. But since Daddy and Grandma were back there she loved peeking over the window sill until someone would appear. If you look carefully you can see she's on her tippy-toes. Too cute!
This rest of Friday night we spent relaxing over a pizza, watching Sofia stumble around the house like a drunken bag lady. I put her bathing suit for the next day around her neck, then she picked up a hat along the way and wouldn't let go of the plastic cups she loves to carry around so much. She's her own little person, that girl!
Mother's Day Weekend
On Saturday we were invited out to Spring to visit Dan's Aunt Betty and Uncle Bob. Cousin Margaret drove in from Austin with her husband, John and their son, Nathan. Nathan was born just one week after Sofia but still on a holiday, New Year's Day.
Aunt Betty made great pulled pork sandwiches. Grandpa and I shucked all the corn.
We ate outside on their beautiful patio overlooking the golf course. It was a great day to be outside. We had so much fun. Aunt Betty pulled out every water feature she had! There were bubbles, a kiddie pool, and even a slip n' slide, although it wasn't quite slippery. That didn't matter a bit to the kids. And Sofia loved playing with the water.
and playing in the pool.
and lounging in the pool.
and playing with her new pink ball.
and Nathan's new blue ball.
and with the slip n slide.
and eating strawberries.
and guacamole.
It was a beautiful day and a nice way to spend the Saturday before Mother's Day. I loved having Sofia play with people who mean so much to us. It's great to get together. And as you can see Sofia loved the water.
She also loved spending time with Grandma, who's always behind the camera. Thanks to her we have all these great pics. But this time we had to get a shot of them playing.
Daddy loved cuddling with his girl.
Mommy loved seeing her in her cute bathing suit.
and her silly face when the suit came off!
Mother's Day - Sunday
Papi sent me and Julie and two of my aunts this beautiful note:
Dear Julie and Angie:
You are mothers and I want you to know how grateful I am, as a
grandfather, that you are. May God bless you always and keep you.
You are great mothers, like your mothers were before you. What a
privilege to carry life inside you and take care of beautiful
helpless little ones like Mathew, Sofia and Jake to eventually
become fine, loving human beings and parents as well. As we we
took care of you when you were little, I want you to have
compassion for us as our life rush to an end eventually, on God's
time. How great is to have your kids around me and feel that they
are my own flesh and blood. How much joy can I get by Sofia
holding my hand in trust and Matthew telling me "happy birthday,
Bobo", giving me his freshly drawn artistic rendition in
full color?
I'm blessed, and it is because you are mothers!! HAPPY MOTHERS
DAY. I love you very much.
I want to extend my best wishes to Areli and Clari in this Dia
de las Madres. Que Dios las cuide. Wicho.
May God bless our family.
Always, Papi
Reading that was a nice way to start the day. Last year Mother's Day was really tough on me. It was my first Mother's Day without mom as well as my first Mother's Day as a mother and I felt really lonely without her. This year, Sofia kept me so busy I didn't have a chance to feel lonely. I feel incredibly blessed to have Sofia in my life. Not just for the obvious reasons that all mother's feel blessed for their children. For me, Sofia is even more. She is such an appropriate distraction from the pain of the loss of Mom. She is my joyful reminder of the kind of mother I hope to be: one like my mother, kind, hopelessly loving, proud and tough. Those a just a few of the many ways I can describe Mom. I am so grateful that I had such an amazing role model to live up to.
The morning of Mother's Day Dan woke up with Sofia. He walked with her in the stroller down to the grocery store and picked up a few things for breakfast. We had yummy breakfast tacos washed down with mimosas. Then we took a family nap.
I dressed Sofia up in an adorable little outfit and tried to take a picture of her. She didn't like her hair clip.
so she took it out.
On to the park... we headed to our favorite park downtown to eat dinner and play. Sofia saw her first concert.
She was enthralled with reggae or maybe it was his dreadlocks?
She also explored her first piece of sculpture, Jean Dubuffet's "Monument Au Fantome."
And posed with Mommy inside the sculpture.
After the park we cuddled on the couch before bed. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day!
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