Livin la vida loca

Hello Everyone,
Please get on me to write more posts. I just get busy during the week and it seems like the weekend is the only time I get around to writing. The last couple of weeks I have been feeling really yucky with a cold. Yesterday it was so nice, because Chris was able to take Sofia to Portland to run some errands while I just spent time trying to get better here. By the way everyone, I have my ultrasound on Friday.. so I can't wait to see my little caterpillar and make sure everything is going well.
Life feels so busy right now, so I can't wait for summer vacation to start in 4 weeks. Even though I would like to think that summer will be relaxing, we are already swamped. I will go a few days after school is out to Klamath Falls with Sofia while Chris' dad comes up to help put hardwood floors in downstairs. Then all of my family will be coming in town for my sister's wedding at the end of June.. so it will be fun but crazy getting Sofia with her 10 cousins on my side. I will then leave Chris and go up to Seattle for a good friends wedding, and come back with 1 day to get ready for our trip to Honduras. Yes, we are going to Honduras this summer. It will be so so fun. Most of Chris' family from the states on his dad's side will be going down as well. We will be hanging out on the beach for 10 days, and that is all we plan on doing. I can't wait to run around and explore with Sofia in a new place (as much running around as a 6 month pregnant woman will want to do). It has been 4 years since we lived in Honduras, so it will be so so nice to go back.
Sorry that this blog is so random, but welcome to me :). I would now like to talk about cute Sofia things. This little girl's personality is exploding. She loves trying to make jokes with us. She also is learning so much. Usually when we read with her, she can say the words of things that she recognizes (dogs, cats, agua, cars, big bird, ball, etc.. ), but now she is starting to make more connections. Chris was wearing a shirt with a car on it today, and she said "Vroooom" when she noticed. He also was wearing an Oregon duck sweatshirt later today, and she saw the duck and did the sign for bird and said "bir." It is so amazing to watch their little minds work. It is so amazing to see things throught the eyes of a child. Anyways, that is life in these parts right now. More updates to come after my ultrasound on Friday!! Peace out y'all.

Happy Mother's Day

Today was a great mother's day. I woke up to breakfeast in bed made by Chris and my father-in-law. Chris surprised me with this glider/recliner that I have been wishing for but knowing we probably wouldn't get it from the Toy Factory. It is the most comfortable chair, and I can't wait to rock baby numero dos in it. I would say that I can't wait to rock Sofia in it, but the chance of her letting me rock her for a long period of time is very slim. I am in an extra sappy mood today as well as we just celebrated our 5 year anniversary last week. I know for the old timers, 5 years is nothing.. but it feels good to be married 5 years and happy and loving Chris more than ever. We are realizing after 5 years how important it is to keep the love alive, so we are now starting weekly little dates while my sweet cousin Debra watches Sofia. Maybe I am being caught on an extra good day, but I have no complaints at all today. Life is good!

Anyone need computer help?

If anyone needs computer help, apparently I am the woman to come to. Not really, in fact, I would say that I am barely average with my computer skills, but it is all relevant. It seems like in the last week, I have gotten about 3 night time calls from the Mexican moms in my little program asking for help with some simple skill. Mind you, I am teaching these women how to use a mouse, type, and I they think that email is a modern miracle (which it actually really is). Chris thinks that it is very funny that people are calling me and asking for computer advice, beause as I mentioned before, I am not exactly an expert. I am very appreciatove for the skills I have to enable me to live successfully in this country.. email, driver's license, the ability to communicate with everyone around me. I am really trying to work with the moms to try to branch out and push themselves with their English and also with other goals like obtaining drivers license etc... I think that sometimes they feel so intimidated (understandibly) by how much they have to learn, and when most of them have only a 5th grade education, I think that they feel even more intimidated. What a great example for these moms to show their kids that they can accomplish things even when they are hard.. which also reminds me.. how good am I at doing this? Sometimes I really feel like I need to work harder at pushing myself to do things that aren't "comfortable," because I so get in the habit of daily life that doing things out of the norm can be very intimidating. I need to not be a hypocrite telling them to push themselves when I often times want to just be in a place where things aren't too hard. Anyways, that is my random thought for the day.

The beginning of the end

I am a wierdo (in case anyone didn't already know that). Sofia is officially weaned, and it is killing me(I am not just talking about the engorged boobs). I was so completely ready to wean her as my body was on overload producing a new baby and milk for Sofia. I thought that the process would be easy for me but hard for her, but I was wrong. I miss the closeness from nursing. Sofia has never been very snuggly, so nursing was the one time I had her to myself to bond and snuggle with her. This may be a little dramatic, but this whole process has made me start thinking about how hard it is to let go as a parent. I am having a sad enough time with weaning... I can't even think about sending them to college or even kindergarten. Anyways.. this is my random thought for the day. I also realized today that I am too busy right now, and I really miss Sofia. Today she was at the babysitters essentially all day with an hour break in between visiting her and then an hour after work I left her with Chris to go to a church activity I had committed to. It is interesting trying to find a balance. It is refreshing to work a tiny bit and feel exicted and ready to spend time with her, but I also feel so sad when a day goes by and I only spent 2 hours with her. This is something I definitely don't want to get into the habit of doing. I really like bothof my jobs a lot, but no job is better than spending time with my family. Whoo hoo summer is just 6 weeks away and then the real parties start!!

Spring love is in the air!

I thought that it was time to post some more Sofia pictures. This little kiddo is changing so much every day.. it is crazy!! She likes to throw lots of tantrums now, especially when she can't go outside to play or when we won't let her play with keys outside to try to unlock all of the mailboxes and everyones' cars. It isn't all negative,though,because she keeps doing funnier and cuter things every day too. She is starting to copy a lot more words, and she is one silly girl. Sorry Becerras, she may not look a lot like me, but she is all me in personality :).
I also need some ideas from the ladies out there. Chris and I are celebrating our 5 year anniversary this friday, and I need some cheap and creative ideas of things that I could do! I can't believe that it has already been 5 years. I think I'll keep this guy.

Superwomen

So lately I've been thinking a lot about the whole stay at home vs. working mom controversy, and I wanted to throw this concept out to see what everyone thinks. At first I started writing this blog, and it started to become ridiculously long as I tried to explain every little thought I had so that I wouldn't offend anyone. The idea of this post isn't to offend people whose views are different than mine, because I actually really would like to hear other people's views on this matter.
So what am I, a working mom or stay at home mom? I am not exactly sure. I think that I would consider myself to be a mainly stay at home mom who works very part time. I actually have to admit that I like working a little bit. It feels good to make a tiny bit of extra money every month that doesn't have to go towards bills, and I feel like I get to personally grow and develop from the jobs I am doing (as a person and a mom). I also feel refreshed when I pick Sofia up after leaving her for 4 hours, although I have to admit that in the 10-15 hours a week that I work right now, I am at the point where I feel balanced but I don't want to add a lot more to my schedule.
For me, I guess a main thing that I am working on right now is balance. If I do not feel balanced mentally, spiritually, physically, and emotionally, I am not a happy camper, and when I am not a happy camper, I am not as nice of a wife, mother, friend, sister.. etc as I would like to be.
I have to admit that everyonce in a while a get stressed when I think about careers, when I see some of my friends who are well established in what they are doing. I also realize that I am at a totally different point in my life where family and babies are my main focus. My kids will only be little once.. and I really only have one chance to spend time with my kids when they are in those critical years. I also am still young, and I have many many working years ahead of me.

So should women have to bring home the bacon and fry it up in a pan? I guess my personal answer at this moment in my life is that I would like to bring home enough bacon to treat myself to a haircut everyonce in awhile without feeling guilty or to have fun in Honduras this summer, and as for frying it up in a pan.. only if I am having a good day where I don't feel nautious. I would really like to hear from other people on this matter. For those of you who are staying home or for those who work either part or full time, how do you try to keep balance in your lives? I realize that for many women, there is a great financial need to work, but I also know as a person who piddles too much money, that babies don't necessarily have to cost a ton. Also, my other question is.. can women really have it "all", or does something have to give? Any feedback or comments would be welcome. I am not opening this up so that people can judge each other, because every circumstance is different (and women can be so hard on each other as it is), but just to see what people think.

Embarrasing Moment

Embarrasing moments??? I have had plenty of those in my life, but the funny thing is, that lots of times I don't even get that embarrased, because I am so used to doing dorky things. Last night Chris and I stayed the night in Bend. After we checked into the hotel, I went to the bathroom and hurried to get a very tired Sofia to bed. After she fell asleep, I told Chris that I needed to go down to the lobby to get some tea for my sore throat. I walked down to the lobby and tiredly smiled and said hello to the receptionist and elderly couple that she was helping. I mozied on over to the tea taking my sweet little time picking out a flavor. When I got back into the elevator, I realized that something didn't feel right about the skirt that I was wearing. I fidgeted around and realized that I had tucked the back of my skirt into my underwear!! Many of you may be thinking right now, "Doesn't that only happen on movies or on that one farside card." I thought so too, but I never cease to amaze myself. I hope that this email might help another person who may overlook a simple thing.... so to everyone wearing skirts or dresses, take a second look before entering the world after going to the bathroom the next time.