Happy Hallway To You!

Alex: (singing) happy hallway, happy hallway!
Me: Don't you mean happy holidays?
Alex: No Mommy, happy hallway!

feliz navidad

Alex Playing

Alex: "Bienvenidos a la torre!" (welcome to the tower) He says this as he takes a plastic square and rams it into an empty paper towel tube....(?)
Hey, as long as he knows what the game is, right?

Recent conversation with Alex

Me: Alex what flavor is your lollipop? (he's eating a blue lollipop)
Alex: Strawberry...and it tastes like hair.

This is Santiago's permanent expression. He is the happiest baby I have ever seen, he wakes up smiling and giggling and he nurses smiling, he kind of pauses every once in a while to smile at me, and of course he adores his big brother and is always smiling when Alex is around...except when Alex is smacking him on the head or poking his eyes or screaming in his ear...which happens pretty regularly.
Ah, and that leads me to good ole big brother Alex, how to describe this mixture of extreme behaviors? One minute he is saying in a very sing-songy voice:"HI SANTI, How are YOuuuuuuuuuuu?", and the next minute "SMACK", Santi has a red forehead and is screaming...or Alex silently bites his hand and Santi has a red hand with teeth marks and is screaming. Alex has a bit of a love-hate relationship for Santi and Santi is the most forgiving little person I know. I don't even think he remembers how much Alex beats up on him because he is all smiles all the time. I know Alex doesn't do things maliciously, but more out of curiosity or overzealousness...which is a trait most toddlers own.
I've heard from other friends with toddlers that roughhousing with little brother or sister is pretty normal...so I'm not too worried.
And Alex is really a sweet kid. I think being a toddler must be like going through puberty or some sort of life change, its rough! I mean, I put the sandwich together wrong and he has a total meltdown. But then he plays so sweetly and I read him a story and he listens so attentively. Or he chases a butterfly outside and seems so very happy. But then I put his pooh sticker on the wrong place on his shirt...and we go back to the meltdown. These days are days of ups and downs and I just have to remember to be kind to him and not speak in frustration because there are so many moments when I am SO frustrated with him. I think this only makes sense to people who have had a toddler. But at the end of the day, when I kiss the baby good night and he says...AH lahv you too mommy...it makes every frustration disappear and I go to sleep in love with my Alex.

Santiago's Dedication

Last Sunday we went before our church and prayed with our pastor to dedicate Santiago to God. Basically that means that we publicly declared that he belongs to God, he is just on loan to us, and we will raise him as best we can to love God and we will be a family that loves and serves God.
It was really awesome because our pastor read Psalm 128 as a special blessing for our family.
It says: "Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways. You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessing and prosperity will be yours. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your sons will be like olive shoots around your table. Thus is the man blessed who fears the Lord. May the Lord bless you from Zion all the days of your life; may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem, may you live to see your children's children."

Brothers

Baby Santi

My little guy is seven weeks old today and he already weighs 11 pounds. We weighed and measured him when we took Alex for some vaccines. He measures 55 cm...I have no idea what that is in inches but he started out at 51, so he's growing. He pretty much still eats and sleeps and poops but he has a few hours during the day when he is very alert and wants to be held and talked to, or just lie on his back and practice his karate kicks and punches. Yesterday when he woke up he smiled and smiled at me and made all sorts of little cooing noises. I guess he had a good dream!

We have enjoyed visits from my Mom and my sister-in-law Elizabeth these past two months. It has been great to have extra hands to help out and of course to visit with our loved ones.

Living with sunshine and storm

Every day when Alex pulls me outside to blow bubbles or run around and look for butterflies..he says "nice day outside mommy". I know it's because my mom was here and would always comment on how nice the days were. But it's still so cute that he picked that up. His smiling optimism floats over to me and I'm swept up into it and can't help grinning at him because just being around this little sunny boy makes me so happy I don't even know what to do with myself! Some moments are so wonderful I want to remember them forever.. like how good a dancer he is and how uninhibited he is about his dancing...he tells me "mommy come dance you!" He has cute slinky smooth moves and loves to spin around...he loves dancing and music, all kinds. It doesn't matter what kind of music it is, if there is any kind of beat he will be moving.
Other moments. . . not so easy. I am learning that patience is not something you have naturally(and it's something you can absolutely not live without if you have a toddler) but it's something that has to grow in you...with pain and suffering! Seriously, I know you're thinking, how can I talk about how lovely it is with Alex and all of a sudden talk about pain and suffering! It's the duality of toddlerhood. You've got a Dr.Jekyll/Mr.Hyde thing happening... As long as I say YES to every wish, desire and command that proceed from the boy's mouth: then we have a sunny time, but watch out when I have to say NO. The sunny boy becomes a thunderstorm complete with thunder stomping and ear piercing screaming. Sometimes distraction works to stop the storm but sometimes nothing works and we have to wait it out. Those times = not fun. The problem is, I happen to be a bit of an up and down person myself (I know some of you are probably laughing at that understatement) so I should be able to understand Alex. Well, let's just say I'm learning patience :)

But oh how I love the boy! And, I have to mention, I love his baby brother too. My little chub-chub. Today we'll find out how much he weighs but I'm sure it's at least 11 pounds...he is a chunk of baby. And he's started smiling...he stares at me with little flared nostrils and focuses so hard and then shoots me the cutest little crooked smile. I love it!