Happy New Year!!

We're glad to be spending this last night of 2008 home in New York City together as a family. Nacho was back from a 4 day trip late last night and greeted with lots of smiles from both of his girls. We woke this morning to a snowy, cold day in the city--a sure reminder that winter is upon us and there is lots more to come. But with two sets of visitors coming in the month of January (grandma followed by abuela and Kiki) we're sure to pass this time indoors with lots of good company. My goal for the new year is really quite simple and that is to continue to learn and grow as a mom and a wife and a person who has so many reasons to be thankful and connected to the world. It seems easy enough to say that, but being thankful is not a passive state. It takes a certain amount of energy and time to reflect and let that soak in which is not always readily available. But I'm getting better at it and Elisa helps me immensely. As I've heard before, kids can really help you live in the present because that's all that matters to them. So, to all of you, I wish you the same--a very happy and thankful new year with lots of good company and time to enjoy them.

Presents...yum!

Here is Elisa eating the bow off her present...must taste good!

Looking back at 2008

Wow...what a year this has been. I remember so vividly last Christmas and New Years and the sense that something BIG was about to happen to us. We had been planning for a few months to start our family and the news that I was pregnant before the holidays was a real gift. There was a lot of excitement and anticipation about the year ahead.

Little did I know then how this new life would completely change and improve what we as a couple had managed to create. In 2008 we have become a family. It is a feeling I can only describe as "whole." There is this new unit and it takes all the pieces of our old life and makes them have more meaning. The sense of selflessness and putting Elisa's needs first was a welcome shock, but a shock nonetheless. But once we figured out how to do that and how to keep her as happy and safe as possible, life got a whole lot easier. That's not to say we have things all sorted out...far from it. But what I think we have gained this year is a new appreciation for our own families, especially our mothers. And we also have a confidence that this girl in our lives will grow up to recognize how loved she is.

Every day there is some new moment to remember--a new look or smile to react to--and it all reinforces the sense that we are very lucky to be with her. Elisa has already changed so much in 4 months that I'm bursting with excitement to see the next 4 months...and the 4 after that...and...It's like there is a newness to life and to each week that passes and it brings more and more anticipation of the next. And while I will admit that this same feeling was very overwhelming in the first two months, it has become my greatest joy now that we have the benefit of more sleep and a more restful schedule overall. I know we are fortunate to have a happy baby who has good health and really that is all that I wanted this time last year. The fact that she turned out to be as beautiful and smart and playful as she is, is just a bonus. And it's one more reason to celebrate her safe arrival and entry into this world. Thank you to 2008 for all that you brought us.

Merry Christmas! Feliz Navidad!

To all our friends and family, merry Christmas and a happy new year.

Party Animal

Elisa and Jude at Dan's second annual Christmas tree trimming party.

Happy Holidays!

Here is Elisa playing dress-up in the outfit my mom sent us. It's really cheesy in the best way. Love the corduroy and gingerbread men. Of course, trying to prop her up in this seat and take photos was a little challenging, but mostly I'm just glad she didn't slide off. I would hate to photograph that!

Reading the signals

Considering how much I read about the changes of pregnancy during my pregnancy, it might seem surprising that I have barely cracked a single book about early childhood or parenting. Maybe the sleep deprivation made reading difficult these first few months, but something else tells me that it was also a little resistance. I felt like even when things were going wrong with Elisa (no sleep, fussiness, lack of schedule), that she would eventually reveal herself to me and we could work this baby stuff out just the two of us. No books required. Of course, as more time passed, I began to wonder exactly when this would all start to happen. But even as I waited, I knew there was a solution. It was just taking a really long time to get here. And now it finally feels like it has.

For almost 2 weeks now, Elisa has become an almost predictable baby. It's like life is suddenly normal and we just added a new little person to it. She wakes up sometime between 6am-8am then eats/plays/naps on a roughly 3-hour cycle until sometime between 7pm-9pm and then goes down for the night. Yes, I said for the night. It's been a solid week of 7-10 hours at night and the change is palpable. The screaming, gassy, crazy baby we had one month ago hasn't returned and in her place we have a nice, talkative, sweet little girl who likes to end the night with a little rocking and singing before she passes out on her tummy in her crib. She makes lots of grunts and noises all night long, even sometimes a single cry, but yet she stays sleeping. And when I find her in the morning, she has usually wiggled her way to the top of her crib and turned a good 90 degrees. It's so funny to watch her wake up and start to fuss because she really has no idea how she got there. But as my mom said, I think she's been chasing her thumb across the crib all night and finally caught it.
If you are able to get her out of bed and a bottle in her mouth within a minute, you might avoid the series of cries and pathetic sobs that greet you. But usually, this is not possible. So we bring her into the kitchen to talk to the bears in the drawing my niece Mia made for us while we wait for the formula to heat up. It calms her for a few minutes until she realizes that she hasn't eaten for hours and could really go for more food. Burping her has also become a new challenge because Elisa likes to shove her fingers in her mouth while you are trying to get a nice, gentle burp out. This usually means grabbing her hands away from her repeatedly while she sways and dives from one side of you to the other. If you're really lucky, she'll wipe her foamy mouth all over your cheek while she's doing this. It's kind of like a water ride at an amusement park--lots of wetness all over but some how you're laughing the whole time.

Now I know that just as we've figured out this stage, it will inevitably change. But somehow, just figuring it out and reading Elisa's signals right has become so satisfying. I guess if every baby is different, you really don't need a manual...just a little more time to learn the lingo.