April

Hi!! I'm soo behind on the blog and I apologize but you can count on the fact that I've taken pictures of all the sh*t that happens in our day to day (more on that later) and that one day it'll make an appearance on here. So lets catch up....Some of these events are slightly out of order but they did all occur in late May and April...Easter in Mexicali, these are the kinds of memories I hope Vale can one day recall...running around in a huge field of dirt with rocks in her hands and a soccer ball at her feet. her aunts and uncles talking and laughing loudly in the casita while her cousins, which she has only met a time or two, play nearby. I don't think I've ever seen her as mystified by her surrounding as she is here. She hardly knows anyone, but everyone seems to know her, she allowed to run alone in the gated dirt field and for the second time in her life (that I know of) she's eating chocolate! This was also the first time she experienced a confetti filled easter egg! We both had a moment of pride when she broke her egg almost immediately and upon seeing her tia Lola distributing the eggs to 10+ kids,charged into the crowd and with a quick pant tug and a loud "wovo, wovo" (huevo) got the attention on my aunt and another fragile egg to crack on herself. You go girl!

There's a whole army of pictures from our trips to hang out with J's family in Carlsbad but I'll save those for another day and instead just share a few from the easter party! I love how quickly Vale catches up on lost time with her titas...There's never an awkward "how have you been?" or "what's new?" possibly because she can't ask or answer such a question yet but whatever they just dive right in where they left off last time and it's nothing but smiles, kisses and fun with her beautiful titas!

April gals

showing off her Easter loot with matching shades and all!

Kevin and I (but mostly Kevin) diligently saved all the egg shells for weeks so that we could dye them and fill them with confetti for Vale and her cousins. They were a total hit with the kids and the adults. We also learned that when cracking the egg on someone's head you should do it on the eggs side not the top or bottom of the egg because....surprise..it hurts! haha!

I turned 30! I'm not sure how this happened as I'm pretty sure I just celebrated turning 25...I guess these things occur...on another note I want to share a job I did last year that might just be the coolest gig I've ever gotten....now I know that most of the bragging I do these days is Vale related but it's not everyday I get to see billboards of myself around town ;) There's also a commercial is you care to check it out right here

And back to the little ruler in our home...we've started potty training, kinda. I stayed home with her for a whole week and in those days she started to run to the baby toilet on her own when she felt she was going. We had many many accidents of the 1 and 2 type that will give me funny stories to tell her when she grows up. But the following week I had to go back to work and with all the fun there is to be had at her grandparents and abuelitas houses she forgot she was in training and well, she's back in diapers. I do hope to give it another go in another week or two and hopefully this one will stick.

baby knickers

Two BEAUTIFUL weddings to celebrate the union of two BEAUTIFUL couples!

oh yes we did!!! Kalani must be a psychic when she predicted in a blog comment months ago that I'd join the 1/2 marathon craze cause I did and I'm hooked! I was so touched by all the people that lined the streets with signs and cow bells and cold orange slices and otter pops to give to the runners. And the traffic control people who snuck a car or two in between groups of runners so as not to disturb anyones running zen. As we reached the 13th mile my dad, Kevin and I spotted my mom holding Vale and in one crazy moment we grabbed Vale and ran with her in arms the last .1 of the race. The whole experience was super emotional for me and I gotta admit as we crossed the finish line I was fighting back tears with all my might!

guess what...??? We got engaged! Kevin asked me to marry him! Everyday with Kevin is the best day of my life and I'm ridiculously excited that he wants to share it with me for better or worse. We don't have a date yet and since we're planning on only being engaged once in our life we might just enjoy this phase for a little while, although I'll admit to looking at dresses and center pieces non stop since he popped the question. :) He asked me in Balboa park, in the same area where we sat on the day we found out we were expecting Vale..I had no idea he was going to do it and was so shocked that I couldn't stop sobbing not even to answer his question all I could get out was "mhm, mhm, mhm." I love the memory of him reading me a poem about all the things we've been through and then me reaching over to hug him and in the process feeling his heart mysteriously pounding uncontrollably, seconds later he was no longer sitting beside me but instead down on one knee. The most beautiful surprise of my life!

1.6 part II

As promised on here and to Vale, we had a little muffin shindig at the apartment for the 1.6 er. She was thrilled to have her g-rents, abuelitos and cousins all crammed into her living room all to celebrate her half b-day. I think it's kinda fun for kids to know when they are half way through the next year of their life... :)

a family sport?

Sweet sweet little I who always watches from the bleachers and is a most loyal fan to her older brother is now on the field herself. My sister tried to sign her up for dance a number of times and each time left the studio with a very uninterested little I at her side. But softball, a sport so similar to the one her big bro plays is one that she could step up to the plate for. Little I so quiet and shy at times now the center of attention when she's up to bat. She has no bigger fan than Vale who can now say the first part of her name and the last, just not together. I wonder if Vale will also take a liking to this sport....

Just one of the perks of having your cool uncle on the coaching staff :)

1.6

Happy 1 1/2 years Kiddo....you're sooooo no longer a baby (although you'll always be our baby) with those tantrums you throw and with your preference for wearing your favorite shoes and sweaters, your new tooth that's coming in must be a sweet one I'm certain, you're also willing to sit on your big kid toilet and pretend you're actually going (you're not yet) and your new hobby, to pat your chest and say Vale point at dad and say papa, and me and say mama. we couldn't be more proud of you. Somewhere along the way you've also learned to identify red, blue and green and yesterday picked up a yellow marker and announced, "amarillo" holy hell kid, you're making other moms wonder how I do it...I don't... you just pick it up from hearing it a few times. You crack us up by repeating words like cool, cya and later.

will the real kiki please stand up

So a few says ago while running in her crib from one side to another in a baby frenzy Vale started screaming at her dad "hi kiki, hi kiki, hi kiki," Kiki? we asked ourselves. what the hell? what happened to papi, dada, daddy, all so cute and pronounced so clearly. Ah well, but then she started using is throughout the day. Referring to her tita Kristen as Kiki, calling little I's red mercedes that, pointing at Dora on t.v. and yelling out kiki, I think she even said it to the dogs. So who or what is this mysterious Kiki? Somehow I think It'll remain Vale knowledge. In other news, we went to the beach a little while ago and since its been a while from the last time Vale saw the ocean it was like seeing it for the first time...the sand, the waves, the birds all too much for our little one, she was ecstatic!

1.5 and looking like a big girl

A grey haired women once caught up with Vale and me as we took one of our many daily walks around the block. Vale was just a few months old and in those sleepless nights and solitary days while Kevin was at work, I welcomed a person to talk to, she was so curious to hear about this new little person I held in my arms. She shared with me how she had several grand children but that they lived too far and she rarely saw them. She stared at Vale with so much fondness in her eyes and before going on her way murmured " the only bad thing about babies is how fast they grow up." I love watching Vale play and am in constant awe at how quickly she IS growing up, every month that passes Vale becomes less of a baby and more of a big girl. She's got 6 teeth, she can string two words together making it as close to speaking a full sentence as she's gotten. She can imitate a squat, leg lift and wide step strut. She says "no" about 100 times a day and "ew" at least 50. She fights back when another little one tries to take a treasured item from her. She's fast, real fast..She's taken to running away, to the farthest corner of the apartment when a diaper change is needed, and she'll sweetly deny a dirty diaper every time. She squeals and snorts in delight when she sees the ocean. She has a preference for which shirts, pants and shoes she's gonna wear and likes to pick a pair of shoes for everyone. For Mr. K, it's his work boots, for grandma, its her clogs, dad should wear his house slippers or high top vans. Abuelita her slippers and for herself, well, she likes to change shoes bringing me one pair to put on her, only to bring me another pair a short while later. Lately it's her pink salt waters. She would play outside all day with her pink car or stroller if she could. Next month will be her half birthday, I think we'll celebrate a little, maybe just cupcakes and "agua" but a little recognition for sure, after all, we're our own little family now and starting our own traditions sounds like fun!

She's wearing still-too-big cords that mom insists she wear, after all, they are 9 months, and she's 1.5 geesh! She turns the corner, I turn the corner and see her trying to pick her pants back up, they fell, I laugh out loud, causing her to roar her own dose of baby laughter, we laugh until we've had our fill. Thanks for these adorable pants tita Kalani, this sweet memory will live with me forever.