Catching up - Adelantando Cuaderno

Yes, it's been a while since we've posted anything about Mateo, but rest assured, he's been as busy as ever!

Apart from these pictures, what's the latest?

Mateo is 16 months old.

Mateo is not walking - he's RUNNING - everywhere!

Mateo loves to talk on the phone and will often immitate people he sees talking on their cell phones. "Halo?!" He will ask and then continue in a very realistic conversation with whoever is on his imaginary phone.

Every question you ask is answered with, "No!" For example, "Mateo, would you like some yogurt?" NO! "Mateo, do you want to go swimming?" NO! "Mateo, donde esta la cabeza?" NO! But when he says NO, it's really so cute.

He's getting two new teeth on the bottom on each side of the two he already has.

Mama was home the month of July while transitioning between jobs. That meant we spent a lot of quality time together. It's fair to say that each of us became much more attached to the other. As Jaimie's mom put it, "We've falling in love." :) Now, it's "Mama" all the time, and he often cries when I leave the room, even for just a short bit.

Mateo and Mama took swimming lessons in July as well. Mateo LOVES the water, just like his abuelita Edelmira. He's getting quite good at his front and back float and Daddy is teaching him how to blow bubbles in the water.

Also in July, Mateo's Aunt Jasney came to visit for a week. We had a great time together, and she bravely showed Mateo how to feed himself with a spoon - a messy but necessary adventure.

Jaimie is back to teaching now - teaching training started this past Tuesday, and Mateo is again staying with Blanca. He enjoys his time at the Murray home, which is a big blessing - one we do not take for granted. It has been very hard for Mama to go back to work now - much harder than it was to return to work in February. However, everyone is looking forward to December when Mateo's little sister will be born.

Although Mateo does not seem to grasp the concept of a little sister growing in Mama's tummy, he is extremely fascinated with her belly button. Actually, he is facinated with everyone's belly button and will poke at just about anyone's stomach expectantly waiting for a giggle from that person. His own belly button is no exception, and when he finds it, he says "Tickle, tickle, tickle."

Mateo's favorite words:

ish (fish)

tickle

agua (water)

swimming

Mama

Dada

Che-che (Chester)

ni-ni (good night)

bye-bye

ba (suave)

no

Mema (Emma)

Bapa (Grandpa)

A-be-i-do (abuelito)


Si ha pasado mucho tiempo desde que escribo noticias sobre Mateo, pero pueden estar seguros que nunca hemos estado tan ocupados!
Ademas de todas estas fotos que mas hay de nuevo?
Mateo ya tiene 16 meses.
Mateo no esta caminando – esta CORRIENDO por todas partes!
A Mateo le encanta hablar por teléfono y frecuentemente imita la gente cuando la ve hablado. Alo! Dice y después como si estuviera hablando con alguien de verdad sigue la conversación a travez de su teléfono imaginario…
A todas las preguntas que se le hacen, la respuesta es NO! Por ejemplo: Mateo quieres yogurt? NO!, Mateo, quieres ir a nadar? NO!, Mateo donde esta la cabeza? NO! Pero cuando dice NO! se ve divino!
Le están saliendo dos dientes abajo uno a cada lado de los que ya tiene.
La mama estuvo en casa todo el mes de Julio mientras la transición de un trabajo al otro. Esto significa que pasamos mucho tiempo juntos! Es justo decir que los dos nos pegamos mucho el uno al otro. Como la abuelita Olsen dijo: "Nos enamoramos." Ahora, es "Mama" todo el tiempo y muchas veces llora cuando salgo del cuarto, asi sea por un minutito
Mateo y la mama aprovecharon y en Julio tomaron clases de natación. Mateo adora el agua, tanto como la abuelita Edelmira. El esta aprendiendo muy rápido a flotar de frente y de espaldas y el papa le esta ensenando como hacer burbujas en el agua.
Tambien en Julio la tia Jas vino a visitarnos una semana completa. La pasamos super bien juntos, y ella muy valientemente le mostro a Mateo como usar la cuchara – una aventura "enmelocotada" pero necesaria!
Jaime entra a trabajar de nuevo mañana – el entrenamiento empezó el martes de esta semana y Mateo se quedo con dona Blanca de nuevo. A el le gusta mucho estar en la casa de los Murray, lo cual es una bendición muy grande que nosotros apreciamos mucho. Ha sido muy dicifil para la mama el volver al trabajo – mucho mas difícil que cuando se entro a trabajar en Febrero. De todas maneras, esta esperanzada en que en Diciembre puede pasar mas tiempo con mateo una vez su hermanita nazca.
A pesar de que Mateo parece no entender muy bien la idea de tener una hermanita que esta creciendo en la barriguita de la mama, el esta encantado con su ombligo. La verdad es que le fascina cualquier ombligo y trata de buscar en la barriguita de todo el mundo esperando que cuando lo encuentre la persona sonria… Nisiquiera su propio ombligo es una excepción, y cuando lo encuentra el dice "cosquillas, cosquillas,cosquillas"
Las palabras favoritas de Mateo son:
Ish (fish) "pez"
Tickle " cosquilla"
Agua
Swimming "nadir"
Mama
Dada
Che-Che "Chester"
Ni-ni "buenas noches"
Bye-bye
Ba "suave"
NO!
Mema "Emma"
Bapa "Grandpa"
A-be-i-do "Abuelito"

Mateo on his tricycle - Mateo en tricyclo

Mateo got a tricycle on Saturday at a neighborhood garage sale. He LOVES it! No harm was done to Mateo during the filming of his tricycle adventures, however when the tricycle was parked in the grass and he was standing next to it, he fell into the handle bar and bit his lower lip. Thankfully, it was a short cry and he was fine. :)

Mateo recibio un tricyclo el sabado que le compramos en una "venta de garage" en nuestro vecendario, LE ENCANTA! Mateo no se cayo ni nada grave mientras sus adventuras en el tricyclo, sino que despues cuando el tricyclo estaba estacionado en el pasto, el se cayo y se mordio el labio de abajo, gracias a Dios, solamente lloraba unos momentos y ya estaba bien. :)

Cupcake Island

Yesterday on the way to the babysitter, I said to Mateo,

"Mateo! Guess where we are going after work today?"

He turned around in his carseat and actually looked at me with a huge smile of anticipation as if to say, "I don't know, Mom! Where?!"

"To get cupcakes!" I responded with glee.

Mateo opened his mouth into a wide open grin and twittered with delight.

Did he know what a cupcake is? I doubt it, but he was so excited! We shared a white cake with light blue frosting cupcake and he fell asleep, certainly from a sugar-induced coma, on the way home.

Here are some pictures from our mom & son cupcake date.

Meekma's

Last Sunday evening, we had dinner at our friends home, Jess & Lisa Meekma. Mateo had a great time playing with their two girls, Sophie and Hannah. Jose joked trying to get Mateo to call Jess "Suegro," which means father-in-law in Spanish.


El domingo pasado, comimos en la casa de nuestros amigos, Jess y Lisa Meekma. Mateo se divertio jugando con las dos hijas Sophie y Hannah. Jose Fernando molestaba tratando convincerle a Mateo llamarle a Jess "suegro."

Mateo and Sophie helping plant flowers - Mateo y Sophie ayudan sembrar flores

Mateo swinging - Mateo en columpio

Mateo and Hannah take a bath - Mateo y Hannah banandose

Cabin Videos

Memorial Day Weekend

This weekend was Mateo's first trip to the cabin in Minnesota. He loved it and our family had a great time together. Our friends, the Kelly's, also joined us.
Este fin de semana fue el primer viaje de Mateo a la cabana en Minnesota, le encanto y nuestra familiar lo pasamos muy rico. Nuestros amigos, los Kelly, tambien fueron con nosotros.

In the car on the way up to the cabin ... How big is Mateo? SO BIG!
En el carro al camino a la cabana... Cuan grande es Mateo? MUY GRANDE!

BRAVO Mateo!

Looking for Emma's belly button... Emma, donde esta el ombligo?

Grandpa and Mateo - Mateo y el abuelo

Mateo and Chester

Mateo with Jack Kelly -Mateo con Jack Kelly

On the dock with Grandma

Raiding the cupboard

In Daddy's boat with my parents - En el bote de mi papa con mis papas

Numero uno!

Daddy and me

Daddy's bass, the first fish I've ever touched - El pescado de mi papa, el primero que toque

With Aunt Nelly and Emma in front of the cabin - con mi tia Nelly y Emma en frente de la cabana

Playing with pebbles

Jugando con las piedritas

Grandpa and me

Emma, Grandma and me playing under the deck

Mateo loved playing outside - A Mateo le encanto jugar afuera

Mother's Day and Kumquats

On May 11 we celebrated my first Mother's Day. It was very special for so many reasons. Jose did a super job of helping Mateo show how much he loves me from cards with Mateo's voice recorded to a handbag picked out especially by Mateo - it was a great day!

El 11 de mayo celebramos mi primer dia de la madre, fue muy especial por muchas razones. Jose Fernando le ayudo a Mateo mostrar cuanto me ama desde tarjetas con la voz de Mateo hasta una cartera nueva que Mateo escogio - fue un dia espectacular!

Not only was it a great Mother's Day because of Mateo, but we also rejoiced in the news that Mateo will be a big brother in early December! That's right, we're expecting another baby - this time growing in my belly. I am currently 12 weeks along. We heard the heartbeat at 9 1/2 weeks. Here is a picture of Mateo with his baby "kumquat" sibling at 10 weeks (each week, am email tells us what's happening with the baby and how big he/she is compared to a certain food - at 10 weeks it was a kumquat).

No fue solamente un gran dia por tenerle a Mateo, sino tambien gozamos con las noticias que Mateo sera un hermano mayor en el principio de diciembre! Si, estamos esperando otro bebe - esta vez creciendo en mi barriguita. Al momento tengo 12 semanas, escuchamos el corazon con 9 semanas y media. Aqui hay una foto de Mateo con su hermanito/a "kumquat" con 10 semanas (cada semana un email nos cuenta que esta pasando con el bebe y cuan grande esta comparado con una comida - con 10 semanas era un kumquat).

We are very very happy! Somos muy felices!

Someone said to us, it's like God's way of saying "THANK YOU!" But the truth is, we are the ones who are so thankful for these two great gifts in our lives.

Alguien nos dijo que es la forma de Dios decir "GRACIAS!" pero la verdad es que nosotros somos los agradecidos por estos dos regalos maravillosos en nuestras vidas.