Just 2 more months!

I (We) cannot believe that Eli will be turning ONE in less than 2 months!! Yes, 2 months!!!! Time has really flown during this chaotic, interesting, loved-filled, happy and exciting 10 months!

It really seems like yesterday when I was in that hospital room being induced (all the while I was finishing one of my papers for my LL.M.), looking at contractions in the monitor and later on, feeling every-single-one! I remember what went through my mind while the anesthesiologist asked me question after question in what seemed like an eternity. And a couple hours later, she came out! It was the most amazing feeling in the world, and scary at the same time as she was born with the cord around her neck. And now here we are..she is 10 months old and I'm already planning her birthday!

She now has 2 teeth, knows how to wave (she is starting to recognize when to) and clap, she pulls up off everything, she crawls faster than Speedy González, she knows how to feed herself, says mama and papa and sometimes has conversations with herself or with us even though we don't understand her. I wonder what the next 2 months have in store for us. Can't wait!

She goes so fast that most of the pics end up blurry!

Pulling up off the sofa!

Feeding herself

Playing in the grass for the first time!

Better safe than sorry! Más vale precaver, que tener que lamentar!

I don't know how many times you have heard that saying before, but I know I heard it countless times while I was growing up. Better do this than have to lament later... my mom would say to me ALL the time! Well, now that I am a mom I understand what she meant (and understand many more things too!).

For me, when it comes to being a good parent and knowing you are doing everything in your power to protect them, is to be up-to-date with safety information, particularly car seat safety. (Then again, it might be because I am a lawyer and that is my mentality) So with that in mind, I have researched and read anything I can about car seat safety to ensure that our darling Eli is safe when we are driving around. And I have heard that NJ drivers are tough, but I mainly think of the Puerto Rican drivers when we go back home!

Since Eli started outgrowing her infant carrier, we researched and decided it was time to change her into a "big girl" car seat and that the best option, following safety recommendations, was our Graco My Ride 65 Convertible Car Seat. Now she can be rear facing until she is at least 2 years old or 40 lbs!!! Some might question our "parenting" or our decision to do this, but if you read the recommendations and look up videos in You Tube of the impact a forward facing child suffers when in a car accident, you might change your mind.

Our pediatrician's office posted this link that I found very useful and wanted to forward to all of you who have kids or are planning on having kids, or if you know people with kids. I think it is very important to have all the correct information for the safety of our kids!

HealthyChildren.org - Please share it with your friends!

The business of tutus!

This week I had been looking a Do It Yourself (DIY) tutorials for handmade tutus as I wanted to create one for Eli's first birthday! Her theme is lady bug and the lady bug tutu I created came out so beautifully (per the comments I received) that I decided I would try my luck at tutus. Thus, I created my own business of handmade tutus, which in all honesty, serves as my therapy!

Here is a sample of some tutus I have made. What do you think?!

Lady Bug tutu

The ballerina

Wild Zebra

Take a look at my Facebook page.

Adventures in DC

This weekend we decided that we would have an impromptu mini vacation to the capital, Washington D.C.  The trip turned out great! We walked a lot, had fun, Eli behaved and we saw what we wanted to. Only downside: now we are too tired as the trip each way took around 4:30 hours, instead of the 3:30 hours the GPS estimated. Why?, you ask. BABY! They seem to make some things harder; however, we did enjoy ourselves!

Here are some pics! Enjoy :)

For all my Puerto Rican friends! Can you find us?

FBI building

 The U.S. Supreme Court House

"Equal Justice under the Law"

If you think I look tiny in this one, check out the next one!

We are mere mortals...

And this was my view coming down those stairs.

 I was so glad that we got to see the Cherry Blossoms starting to bloom and not in the midst of the festival!

The US Capitol

 

Inside the Library of Congress

Inside the U.S. Capitol

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And we had time to visit the Air and Space Museum

the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

The white House

We even had some time for Georgetown

and its cupcakes!

Having some fun!

And he had fun too!

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Walking around town

After months of studying and being in, what I would call, house arrest, we decided to take Eli for a stroll around the town. It was a much needed break out of the house!! Not that we never had done the walk before, but after being inside for so long, everything seemed different or new, in a sense.

Thanks to our amazing Puerto Rican friends (yes, right here in NJ) for accompanying us!!

He thinks he is a model! LOL

Really liked this one :)

Our amazing friends!!

Pin It After I uploaded the pics to the computer, I realized that I am not in any one of them!! But that happens often: the photographer is behind the camera most of the time. Oh well..next time!

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The End!!

Finally on March 1st my misery ended. That was the last day of the two-day NJ Bar Exam!

Misery?, you might ask. Well, I had been studying for the Bar since beginning of January, which meant many hours of reading and studying while someone else cared for Eli. I think that was the hardest part for me: knowing that she needed me or missed me and I couldn't be there for her 100% like how it had been up to that point. And even though it was not a stranger - it was DH and then my mother-in-law-, it was still hard. On top of that, Eli went through her 8 month sleep regression, teeth coming out, learning to crawl, clap and wave, all while I had to study. Needless to say, I did not spent 10-12 hours a day studying, but I did do my best. This was a very different experience compared to when I studied for the Puerto Rico Bar: 3 1/2 months of full-time studying!! That was crazy! 

And to add to the misery, I was sent to Atlantic City to take the exam. That is 2 hours away!! There was no way I would be driving 4 hours a day for 2 consecutive days of excruciating mental exercise. So we decided that I would stay there (I guess that was the upside?!).  That added a little bit more stress: should I go alone, should I take my mother-in-law and Eli, should DH go?

In the end, we all went, had a good time, I was able to remain calm during my Bar and the people I needed most were there to cheer me on! However, I have to add, that I am grateful for all the other people in my life that prayer for me during that time. I am deeply grateful for the amazing group of moms I have met here, for the amazing group of May 2011 mommies that have seen me go through this ordeal, for my wonderful family back home, and for all the friends, here in NJ and in Puerto Rico, that took the time to pray for me. I know that God was with me during those 2 days!

¹"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." Psalm 23 (KJV)

My strength during the Exam

Excited that I was ALL DONE!!!!

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