Adrían at 3 years old!

My sweet Adrián. I am both, excited and in disbelief that you are three years old. I mean, where has the time gone? You went from starting daycare and talking jibarish last January to starting preschool and talking like a grown little man this January. You are the sweetest most loving child I know. But now that I'm thinking about it you take after your brother because he was just like that at your age, except that you are more affectionate than he was. You enjoy expressing love at every opportunity by always wanting to give hugs, kisses, and saying that you love us. You love everyone and I love that about you. 

You are so innocent and well mannered. Every day you cease to amaze me with you awesome personality. I love that you know when an apology is due and don't let pride take over. I know that you are still too young to understand how pride can affect relationships and often times you need the time alone to come to your own conclusion that you must apologize but you do and that's what's important. Seeing you going to anyone to offer an apology brings me so much joy. On those days I stop and say to myself "I might not have motheredhood mastered but I must be doing something right :)". You are the same way when expressing love as well. You say things like, "I love you mom, I love you so much. Let me give you a kiss." Or you'll say "you're the best mom, mom!" Man those words, those words are one of the many reasons I love motherhood and I am so lucky to have kids like you and your brother that praise us at every opportunity and make your daddy and I feel like we have this parenting thing down packed.





To be fair though I have to say that you have your moments. There are days that you are so stubborn (like your daddy) and want nothing to do with discipline. You try testing us to see how far you'll get but then you start to laugh and say, "I just kidding, I love you". You are too smart for your own good. You do have tantrums but they are nothing like the ones you had right around your birthday and let's just say that I was worried for what age three was bringing us.

You are still a picky eater but you have been open to trying more things. For example you are liking chicken as a whole instead of just chicken wings. Your favorite foods right now are rice and chicken, mac and cheese, soup, bananas and anything containing chocolate such as chocolate chip or nutella pancakes. You are a chocolate lover my child and I blame your daddy. He's always bringing home some sort of chocalate for you. You love eggs and sandwhiches, and lets not forget cereal. You can eat cereal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if we let you. If I had to chose I'd say breakfast is your favorite meal of the day, anything between muffins and waffles are ok in your book. You are open to trying new things but it all depends on the day. Overall you get just enough nutrients to allow for growth. You are officially sitting on the big table with us for meals, no more high chair. You like to feed yourself and have your own cup just like the rest of us and we can't no longer fool you with sippy cups. We only give them to you to avoid messes but you don't care much for them anymore.

You were moved to the preschool room after your birthday and your transition was phenomenal. I was told by one of your teachers that you made friends with the kids you did not know fairly quick and without any hesitation. You seem to be more aware of your feelings and emotions as well as of others responding to them approprietaly and I'm sure that you have learned that there. You have mastered your colors and shapes, can recognize some not all numbers and letters but can count up to 20 and recite your ABCs with no problem. Just recently you learned the pledge of alligance and boy has that been a treat to have you say it over and over again. I love how excited you get when we ask you to say it for us. You are still taking a nap a day which lasts anywhere between 2-4 hours. Unfortunatelly you will no longer be going to this daycare facility and I'm so sad about it. I love it there just as much as you do including all the staff. This has been a great experience for all of us but it is time to move on. You will be home for the spring and summer seasons with grandma and will be starting preschool again with the new school year.

You and your brother have the best relationship and although he is growing up way too fast I love how much he cares and worries about you. He was very concerned about your upcoming surgery and even cried a little wishing that he could take your place. You defend him when he gets in trouble and have told me on various occassion "don't laugh at my brother, he's not going to his room, and he's not going to time out because he's my brother and I love him and he loves me". It makes me laugh out loud because you have no idea what is going on yet you butt in trying to defend him from whatever is going on. He does the same for you, always questioning why you are on time out or why are you crying. You both request to have sleepovers in his room and mostly always you get away with it. I figure that this won't last forever so why say no. Plus, what do we gain with saying no anyways? You both have your own rooms and sleep in them just fine when there's a need for it. He reads to you every night you sleep with him and I have a feeling that that is why you love sleeping with him so much. Besides loving him because he is your brother of course.

Now you two definitely have your moments of war. When is not you trying to take away his things or be with him at all hours of the day even when he's in a bad mood is him wanting his privacy and getting upset because you get away with way too many things. Yes we admit that sometimes our only excuse is that "you are young and don't know better" but it's the truth. You my child are at an age where you can still get away with things due to said age and he doesn't understand it even though we explain to him that it was the same way for him when he was your age. Alas, you both get over it and continue to love and defend each other which is more than what I can ask for.

You are officially potty trained! I should add that you even wipe your own butt! On a quick note I want to add that you are obssesed with saying butt and using it in every sentence. I have no idea when or how that started but everyday I try to break that habit with no success. You go to the bathroom without being told to or asked and I'm proud to say that we can go places and on trips without having to bring diapers or extra clothes but of course that we do as an "just in case an accident happens" but for the most part you have mastered this hump and don't really need the extra clothes. You do have accidents while napping and overnight but is not an everyday kind of thing. If you have a drink before bed chances are you will wet the bed but some days even when you don't have a drink you still have accidents and we can't really fix that. The pediatrician doesn't seem to be concern right now especially because you are still at the window where "you should be working on being potty trained but are not expected to be at your age" so I guess we will reevaluate this issue by your next birthday if it still persist.

You speak so well for your age Adrian. Somedays I'm left speechless with the way you answer questions and with how much you truly understand. I guess that I still see you as this little human that is just learning about life when in reality you are a little human who knows a lot more than what I give you credit for. You know right from wrong most times and you know that you shouldn't say certain bad words yet you know how to use them at just the right time. Your comprehension is a lot higher than what I like to admit and that leaves me wondering where has the time gone? Where is that little curly hair boy that laid in my chest while I rocked him to sleep? I don't remember the last time I rocked you to sleep and that makes me sad. Speaking of curly hair, your hair almost reaches your booty buddy. It has grown so much the last year and a half and it has this awesome light brown reddish color to it. I love it! When out in public people have to comment on your hair and you just have to tell them all about you piggy dinky who saves your money. Oh my child you are sure the character, I look forward seeing you grow and develop into the loving, caring, and funny young man that I'm sure you will be.

You dislike everything that has to do with discipline and doesn't let you have your way. I think that you are right on track with other three years old. You still love balls and cars/monster trucks, playing on the iPad, jumping from one side of the couch to the other, playing videogames with your brother, and pretend playing. More often than not we will find you pretend playing in your room with your toys all by yourself. You are a big tv watcher, from Mickey Mouse to PJ Mask you love them all. Keeping you entertained it's so easy. Now that the warmer weather is coming I'm sure you will be outside a lot riding your car and tricycle. Three is such a fun age!

AJ, you are such a pleasure to have as a son. You light up our world with your smile and make it go round with your laughter. You can be so silly at times and are always wearing a smile on your face. I cannot get over how caring you are. I hope you never lose that trait, better yet that it doesn't cause you heartaches in the future. I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say that we love you to the moon and back and that God could not have blessed us more with a son and brother like you. I look forward to raising you and loving you my child. 

May God forever bless you and keep you.

Love,
Mommy






A little inspiration from other bloggers led me to do an interview of you. I will forever cherish these moments, specially your little voice :)

 

29

29, Wow, I can't even believe it. It definitely sounds a lot worse than it is but I am seriously speechless. You know how they say age is nothing but a number? Well I sort of agree. I mean, I definitely do not feel my age. I feel like I'm 24 going on 25 but wiser and more mature than what the normal 25 year old is at that age or even from what I was at that age. I don't feel like I should be married to a hunk of a guy who owns his own business or be the mother of two adorable boys, especially to one who will be entering the double digits this summer. Although I am right at that age where everything seem to make sense and is finally coming together like it should, my soul feels young and for that I am thankful.

A lot has happened this last ten years. From becoming a mother at 19, moving in with my now husband mainly because it was the right thing to do, because in all honestly I'm sure that even though we said we were "in love" with each other then I don't think we really thought that we would be each other's last relationship. From getting married, traveling to amazing places, becoming parents for the first time, dealing with heartaches and headaches on both sides, learning to love, like truly love each other and forgive. Most importantly learning what it takes to maintain a marriage, a happy marriage at that, and growing. Like actually growing, both physically and mentally. That has been my favorite part of my relationship with my husband seeing the way we have changed over the years, how grown we look now, how much we have mature, and realizing that one of the best parts of growing old together is experiencing life together. The good and the bad. At nineteen I liked this man, I liked him A Lot. A decade later I can be certain that I Love this man and that this is the man my heavenly father had set aside for me to grow old with. We are far from perfect and there's still so much more growing up to do but I can't see myself growing old with anyone else. He knows me, he gets me, and he loves me for me flaws and all and for that I am blessed.

I've learned about friendships. I've made several of them over the years and I have discovered that not every relationship can be considered a true friendship. I've had my fair share of heartaches in this department too and it has led me to understand that not everyone have the same intentions as me, that not everyone respect the meaning of a "friendship". This as well as other disappointments have created trust issues for me and boy oh boy is that something hard to overcome. I hope that in this next decade I will learn to overcome that but for right now my trust issues linger around like an evil spirit trying to destroy me. I have also learned that your support system will consist of those you never thought of but are always around. I have many acquaintances and I am thankful to have them in my life but if I were to lose them it honestly wouldn't be the end of the world. This thought actually reminds me of my early teen years when I thought that losing my bff was the end of the world. Eighteen years later she's still around hahaha.

Overall I feel like these past years have been years of growing pains, literally. And today I am glad to have gone through them. I owe these pains all that I am at this moment in time and now more than ever I am certain that things happen for a reason and they happen when they do purposely. Everything that we go through in life is only meant to prepare us for the future that we are meant to have and most importantly we are who we believe we are. Being positive minded will attract positive things in our lives as well as being negative will attract the negative.

I am really excited for this year, 2016. This is the last year in my 20s. So much have happened, so many things have been learned, and so many mistakes have been made but I couldn't be any more happy with the way my life has turned out thus far. I have yet to have it all figure out and who know if I ever will but I am ok wit that because God never said that it would be an easy journey, simply that it will be worth it and that is enough for me to know that I am right where I need to be in life.

Welcome 29, lets make this year count.

9/52

There's not much to report this week.



Official demo started in the kitchen this week. It has been a slow process being that the cabinets will not be in till the 14th. Jamil told us that he would work slow till closer to the date and slowly he has worked.

 

 Wednesday was hat day for AJ at daycare and he requested I joined him in wearing a hat. I did so in the morning to drop him off and then took it off once I arrived at work. It reminded me of hat day last year at work for Nurse's week and of how much I love wearing hats. I'm looking forward to the warmer weather :)

Thursday was such a lazy day. I mean there was plenty to do. I had school work, laundry to do, lots of cleaning and organizing, and I really wanted to get started on our basement but I had no energy to do anything so I sat down on the couch and watch Fuller House with Lito till it was time to leave for his appointment. He had a cavity filled and a "baby root canal", Ouch! From there we picked up AJ and drove to the Peds Urologist who recommended AJ get surgery to repair the hydrocele.

Friday I did a bit of shopping with AJ to forget about the mess that my home was turning out to look like. And over the weekend I worked. I went to bed fairly early both days and had very weird days at work. Saturday I got floated to another unit which was very overwhelming but I made it through and then I was placed on a 1:1 for 4 hours which was kind of ok. Sunday was better but I couldn't wait for the day to end. Four out of my 8 patients were confused, like Sundowner-Dementia-Alzheimer confused and by the end of my 12 hour shift I was probably just as confused as they were. Obviously that was a joke but lets note that it was a very long shift. Other than that I am thankful and feel amazingly blessed to live the life that I have :) Thank You Jesus!

On another note, have I mentioned how much I love snapchat? Well I do. And it's a lot!

Happy Tuesday.

5-8/52

I'm very disappointed in myself for not keeping up with my weekly posts in the month of February. There were so many interesting things that happened and well, I want to remember them. So I'm going to do a monthly recap to catch up and pray that I keep up with the weekly ones this month.

We started the month with a drive over to the school of nursing for a critical thinking test they require before moving on to the interview phase. I was super nervous, I don't even think I was that nervous on my wedding day hahaha. I guess I was worried that I wouldn't pass and that my future career in nursing would be over. I know that's a bit extreme but after so many disappointments on this journey I was feeling the pressure. Nevertheless I passed and was able to move on to the interview process which was 13 days later. I wasn't as nervous for the interview because I was feeling God's grace and mercy over me. Somehow I just knew that this was my time to shine. I wanted this so bad that believe I managed to use the law of attraction to bring it to me. It was like it was already decided I would start in May and I needed nothing more than complete the process. I know I sound a tad bit crazy but if you only knew. You can read about my acceptance into the program here.  

Ask. Believe. Recieve It. 

Monday's, oh Monday's how I love thee. Every Monday consisted of getting together with Rose for gym time, bonding, and shopping. Then later in the evening I'd go to school. I'm currently taking College Algebra. This was part of my back up plan to apply to the Sonographer program but now that I'm not applying I don't really need it unless I plan on furthering my education. I've contemplated several times dropping out but since I like the professor's teaching style and I keep thinking why not just get it out of the way since I already paid for it I think I'm going to just compete the class. 

Early in the month we drove to NYC for the weekend to see Aventura's the reunion concert (think of an N'Sync Reunion concert). I've never been to a concert before and although I feel it's a complete waste of money it was a cool experience and a nice time with my love and friends. After the concert we rode a taxi to a strip of bars go take advantage of the night. We ended up at a restaurant/lounge bar called MamaSushi. It's pretty nice in there and before getting there we joked that since it was Dominican owned it'd be funny if they incorporated platanos into the sushi and guess what? they did! I couldn't believe it, it was like the Dominican version of a sushi roll. Rice, sweet plantain, and salami. Interesting and hilarious. We made it back to the hotel around 3am and slept like babies.

We celebrated Litos's birthday by going bowling. He's been fitting in the family well. I think having him around has taught us all a little bit more about life and giving. I honestly do't know if we will continue on with this after Lito leaves but for know we are enjoying the experience.

 

We also joined my little cousin in celebrating his 5th birthday. He and AJ are like bffs. They love each other so much and want to spend every possible minute with each other yet they are constantly fighting when they are together. I'm curious to see how they'll be as the years go by. 

After being accepted into nursing school, dropping down in work hours, and deciding not to move we started a big project at home. We're renovating the kitchen and the bathroom as well as a few other small projects around the house. This is teaching me to practice patience because God only knows how little of it I have. It has been a slow process while we wait for the cabinets to come in but I hope things move along a little faster afterward. For now though I must continue to have patience and take it day by day. 

Valentine's Day was spent as a day in. With my mom back in the States (did I say that she's finally back from DR? No? Well she's back! About time. Geezzz) and so many people in the home we didn't see it fitting to head out for dinner. I made breakfast and the hubby cooked dinner. We helped each other but for the most part I was in charge of breakfast and he was in charge of the dinner. I tried my hands at some delicious grapefruit mimosas and Nutella pancakes it was a hit! Then for dinner we had a a seafood feast. Everything from cocktail shrimp, stuffed salmon, crab legs, baked salmon, and a spinach with shrimp dip. Yum! I can go for a redo of that meal :)

February was an AJ month. Kid has me running circle around the hospital. First with his irregular heart rhythm which by the way is of no concern to the pediatric cardiologist at this time. He had to wear a heart monitor for 24 hours and I think he did pretty well with it. Only uncliped the stickers a handful of times in 24 hours. Now recently we noticed that he has a swollen scrotum. Ultrasound revealed fluid around it and he was referred to a pediatric urologist which he saw today and diagnosed him with a hydrocele. She is recommending surgery and right now it is set for 3/22. 

The last weekend in February we met up at David's bridal to pick our bridesmaid dresses for my cousin's destination wedding this August. We're all cousins and they are all crazy expect me :). I have such a good time when we're together. The older I get the more I realize that my Grammy was right, friends are a dime a dozen and the older you get the less friends you have. I can honestly say that out of all the girls I consider to be my "friends" the majority of them are family. 

After the dress fitting we had lunch at Olive Garden and that was another story. My cousins are Hilarious! I love them so much. From there we met back at my home for a jewelry party and some wine drinking. 

The hubby and I had some us time almost every Friday. We either headed over friends for drinks, over cousins for game night and out a late happy hour to celebrate my acceptance int the nursing program.It's nice to get away some sometimes and have it just be us.I hope the rend continues on the rest of the year ;)

Disclaimer: Since people like to judge a lot I feel I must clarify that my oldest child detests photos even when I force him to take a picture he lets it be known by his face so I don't force him anymore, hence his lack of appearance in this post. Some days he's all up for pictures then are others where he will absolutely decline even a photo of his back. So no AJ is not my favorite child, he just loves taking pictures just like his momma :)
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Weekly pictures of the boys 5/52

Weekly pictures of the boys 6/52




I sucked bad at taking their weekly photos too this month with only capturing two weeks and with my iPhone at that. This month WILL be better!