LEO's NEW BFF

Leo and I just returned from a week in Washington, DC. We went to see Aunt Unice
and Leo's big cousins David and Louis. We also had a drop in session at The Cheesecake Factory from Uncle Mike, Aunt Samantha and bigger cousins Grant and Brooke.

Maximo got to stay at home and go to work. He also did some make bonding with Abuelo Abe. Max as an Argentine is a huge fan of steak and chimichurri sauce. Foco do Chao, a Brazilian steakhouse opened up in Scottsdale. On Thursday night, Maximo, Abuelo Abe and Maximo's new bff, Muhammad Ali all had dinner together at said restaurant. Muhammad drew a picture for Leo and signed the back. (to be posted).

Leo and Muhammad are having a playdate soon, will keep you all posted.

LEO's OFFICE

Leo in January

Dia de Gracias

It has been quite awhile since my last blog entry. Thanksgiving brings alot of discussion about gratitude. I am grateful that Maximo and I spent our first Thanksgiving together with Leo as a family unit. That we are altogether with my family in the USA is a bonus. This year, my brother Usher and his wife Jenny and their boys, Pierce, Kelsey and Reese came to us in Phoenix.

On Thanksgiving morning, I made some of the side dishes. I took some time to enjoy a film classic the original "Willy Wonka and the Choclate Factory" with Maximo (who had never seen it growing up in Argentina) and Leo. My 8 year old nephew commented he liked the "Johnny Depp version" better.

Our turkey dinner together. We began the meal by each of us saying what we were grateful for. We cooked 2 turkeys however, it turns out the bottom oven does not work so one turkey was inedible. It was a glutonous meal with too much food. It was a leisurely meal and we all began the

The holiday season makes me reflective. I thought back on how last years Thanksgiving in Buenos Aires was remarkably different. We had over 20 friends, guests and visitors in our small apartment. We had a pot luck style dinner with my friend Katie's dad visiting from California doing a majority of cooking. It was a special dinner. I could not imagine the next year would be very different.

Its not only different because we are bank in the USA but having a child makes all of my thinking different. We are planning on seeing my friend Kelli in San Diego for the holidays in December. How I will fit a pack and play, bottles, clothing, diapers, stroller and breast pump into our car? How will we maintain Leo's bedtime routine? What happens if we run out of diapers? I have become of those "women with baby gear." I finally understand why when I was single and my friends who became moms were suddenly unavailable. I thought these moms had fallen off the face of the earth when they had a baby. I get it now! My life has changed so much for the better and I am grateful about it.

The Little Boy Who Would not Sleep

Leo is 14 weeks. He is supposedly passed being "colichy." He is talking alot. Yesterday, I made a rolling "r" sound with my tongue touching the roof my mouth. Leo imitated the noise. It was the sweetest noise I ever heard. WHAT A GENUIS!

After his amazing sound imitation he fell asleep in the car ride to Tempe Town Lakes. We had a "playdate" with Jennifer and Stori. I met Jennifer through mutual friend in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It was a conicidence (or are there really coincidences?) that she was from Phoenix, AZ. She returned back to the states shortly after we arrived. I consider Stori a sort of "older" sister to Leo. She is 2 years older then him.

Leo slept through the entire playdate. I did not have to take him out of the car seat as he slept through everything. We met a friend for our lunch. At lunch, he woke up and fussed but went back to sleep. We got home and he woke up. Maximo arrived home and took him away so I could get out of the house alone. I realized that
a journey outside of the house alone is a gift.

I returned home only to have Leo asleep again. I knew he would be up in a few hours as he did not have any boob or formula. (I supplement as formula is fattier and tends to put Leo out quicker then breast milk) I know there are purists out there, the anti-formulistas but when you are sleep deprived you got to go with what works!
He woke up at 9:30 got fed,4:30 am stared at his dad and lay in the crib, 5:15 am up and fed. I knew something was wrong when he fussed with his food at 9:00 am. It took 45 minutes to get him to sleep in the bouncer. However, when he was up he was up!

Leo has been awake since 10:15 am. I did everything that I know to get to him sleep again. I even "let him cry" but it did not work. As I started writing this post and nursed him (I have to multi task) he got quiet and eventually started to fall asleep. I suppose just giving him a boob and white noise (typing on key pad) was the trick.