Uncle Bob Log - First Entry

This is Uncle Bob. He's Dan's godfather and a close family friend. He met Sofia when she was just a few weeks old but since then she's only had a handful of visits with him.

But you wouldn't know that by how much she talks about him.

I've mentioned it once before about how out of the blue one night asked for him before bed. And then she'll just sporadically say his name every once in awhile. I never really know what prompts it.

So then a couple of weeks ago in anticipation of my sister's visit I asked Sofia if she knew who was coming soon. No answer, of course.

So I say in an Oprah-esque introduction kind of way, "Tiaaaa Emmm-ahhhh-lyyyyyyyyy!"

And she gets excited and responds, "Yeah! Emeee!" And then very somberly and matter-of-factly says,

"Uncle Bob, no Uncle Bob."

These little stories really make me laugh so I've decided to start an Uncle Bob Log. Maybe we'll determine a pattern...

Uncle Bob Log 1: February 24, 2010
Just when I think she's got Uncle Bob out of her system she surprises me again. Last weekend I bought Sofia this cute little strawberry bib



and so on this day I put it on her for the first time. When I pulled it out of the bib drawer and went to put it on her and she squealed with delight, "Strawberry bib!"

"Yeah," I responded, "don't you love your new bib?" And she answers,

"Oh! Strawberry bib. Uncle Bob give to me."

And then I'm left as I usually am when she brings him up out of the blue, completely confused and thoroughly amused.

Happy New Year and Russian Christmas

This year's holiday breaks were great. We had two weeks in a row of 3-day work weeks. Sofia came home from daycare with this celebratory hat to kick off the New Year. We also had a visit from Tia Emily and Uncle Jeff who were in town for a friend's party. Emily helped keep Sofia busy doing crafts with the craft kit she gave her for Christmas.



We had a fun day at the mall with Emily and Sofia seemed to have picked up on my purse obsession. Here she is at the Coach store at Memorial City Mall. She's a natural! And check out my Kate Spade diaper bag in the background. That diaper bag has it's own story I'll have to share another time...



We were excited to get home though because Emi was coming to spend the New Year with us! She was planning on coming for Chirstmas but Dallas had an unusual snow storm which kept her from traveling. But it was perfect because this way we got to spend more time with her. It was fun for Dan too since she was his Secret Santa he got to open his gifts. Sofia also got to open all her Christmas and Birthday presents from Emi and her cousins too. She loved all her presents!!!

We spent New Year's Eve with our friends Mel and Dee. Sofia stayed up practically the whole time and we were in bed by the time midnight struck in Houston but celebrated the ball drop in NYC on tv. My, how things change once a kid is in your life! We had fun nonetheless.

The next day we would treat ourselves to a yummy lunch at Houston's and Sofia would take this sweet picture with her Daddy.

We ended up later at Discovery Green park downtown. Sofia brought the twins.

She was a bit perplexed by the fruit and veggie face man...

and had fun at the park with Emi.

She was dying to get in the water like we let her do in the Summer and really didn't seem to care about how cold it was.

The park's Christmas decorations were beautiful.

Sofia loved running with her twins. And as most new moms know, it's hard getting all that extra baby-weight off. Maybe we should get her a baby jogging stroller!

I asked Sofia to take a picture with her babies and instead of posing with them she kneeled over just like a real mommy would and said, "Say cheese!" It was pretty hilarious.

So, we said, "No, Sofia, take a picture with them. Next to the stroller." She must have heard something like, "No, Sofia throw your babies on the ground and try and sit your big-kid-self in that stroller."

Don't worry, we called CPS. Dan and I now have full custody.

The rest of Emi's visit was spent taking Jax on numerous walks, playing with new toys, eating and shopping. What a great start to 2010!

Russian Christmas

Every year Dan's parents try to celebrate Russian Christmas just like Grandma used to do when she was a kid. We get together with family and friends and celebrate the traditions from Grandma's youth. Grandma makes the traditional meal of saurkraut and potato perogis with kidney beans and mushrooms. She also makes homemade bread and serves her poppy seed and nut rolls. It's a wonderful tradition that will serve as a reminder to Sofia of how culturally diverse her ancestry is.

Aunt Betty and Uncle Bob were there. Sofia acted very shy toward everyone but especially Uncle Bob since when he asked her so kindly if he could read her a story she cried. Somehow though he made quite an impression seeing as she talks about him all. the. time. For instance the other night (like a month later) as we were putting our sweet girl to bed I asked her if she needed anything and her response was, "Uncle Bob?" Dan and I walked out of the room quite perplexed. But really, she says his name all the time. She even talks about how he made her cry.

Anyway...

Ann and Eric Keibler and the Coussirat's friend, Mrs. Cotton, all joined. It was a really nice night.



It took Sofia a while to warm up to everyone. She is pretty shy around adults but she had a good time too and was comfortable and herself at dinner. Toward the end of the night as I took her back in another room to change into her pjs she got ahold of Big Frog and dragged him out to where everyone else was.

And she put on a quite entertaining little show for us all. Luckily Grandma documented it. She's our little clown!

Happy New Year to all. We hope 2010 is a great year!!!!

Our latest adventures + Mother's Day

Happy Birthday, Mel!
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!