End of Summer

Summer has come and gone, faster than we can say...Bailout. We had a wonderful summer with our daughters and are looking forward to even better Autumn ahead.
A new cousin joined our family, Luc Miguel Moreno, or Mini -Mike joined our life on 9/11/08 and he definitely is true to his name. Mike, Tony and Mini-Mike look so much alike, they are definitely Morenos.

I participated in the Heart Walk on 9/18/08 walking a mile and raising money for charity. I'd like to thank all those who sponsored me on my walk and my husband who was my inspiration for participating. Walking has become quite a chore this recent month, so this was a feat all on its own.

New baby is growing and is doing great. She is moving around and kicking like a professional soccer player. I can swear she does bicycle kicks in there. The monthly check up went great, and all is comfy and cozy as far as she is concerned. Carlos and I are yet to pick out a name. Maya has suggested Nemo (like the fish) only because its a girl, she's modified it to Nema. Maya is excited about her baby sister "hatching" on Christmas day. She can't wait for the day when she is able to see her baby sister and hold her. There is only 3 months until the due date, so I can't wait until the baby 'hatches' either.

Maya is a remarkable student, her vocabulary and social skills become more and more refined each day. She likes to read and tell stories and is rarely at a loss for words. She has started playing soccer and is really exercising her motor skills. We enjoy seeing her grow and become an intelligent and dynamic little girl.

Sofia is also advancing faster than she can say "uno...dos". She is now counting and can sing some songs. Her favorite is Old MacDonald. She has learned to say the names of all her daycare friends, but by far her favorite word is "MAYA" and "Mas". Little Baby amazes us daily with her new words and expressions. She's a bright and happy baby.

Carlos and I are truly blessed to have such wonderful little girls. (Feel free to remind me of this the next time they are screaming and crying) I can't imagine life without them.

when I grow up...........

My kids have shown me a pure innocence that I have never seen before. They posses such a wonderful and refreshing perspective of the world around them, that it continually makes me reevaluate my own. For Maya and Sofia, everything is within reach and nothing is impossible. I hope they never give up on their dreams and always keep their perspective on life.

The other day, Carlos asked Maya what she wanted to be when she grew up. For a 3 year old, sky is the limit. Maya can be anything in the world....and leave it to Maya to take that literally. Maya responded..."A Doctor". Wow, my daughter the doctor....wouldn't that be nice... , then she responded, "and a tree". You see for Maya anything in the world is possible... she can be a 'tree' or a 'doctor'. Whether Maya becomes 'a Doctor' or 'a Tree', we'll be proud of her all the same.

Now, if I really want to read between the lines, maybe she's telling me that She wants to be pre-med from Standford.....OK, I know its a stretch. What I do know is that years from know I will look back and smile at the thought of my daughter....the tree/doctor.

Fair Days

In Sacramento Mid-August to Labor days means hot weather, but its also a time for the State Fair. We enjoy going to see the animals and exhibits. Carlos and I aren't into the roller coasters or spending $20 to get a small stuffed animal in some carny-game, but we do like to walk around and eat the fried food. (Its bad I know, but hey, at least we draw the line at the fried twinky on a stick). As the kids get older they are able to enjoy and understand more, which always makes it enjoyable.

As always, we decided to go see the farm animals. Maya loved it! She gave kisses to the baby chicks and got to see and pet a chinchilla. At the petting zoo, a baby goat tried to eat Maya's dress, she liked petting and feeding all the animals. Meanwhile, Sofia did not want to touch the animals ... at all. She didn't really like being around all the farm animals and opted to stand where no animals could touch her, it was cute to watch. This year Maya was tall enough to ride some of the roller coaster's, she barely made the cut-off by an inch. But being the big adventurous girl that she is, she wanted to ride the roller coaster all by herself, I must admit, I was proud. Little Baby was not up for any roller coasters, opting instead for a nice cool ice cream....yummmy.

Of course being the suckers that we are, Carlos and I stopped at a carny game and spent $10 in order to win two stuffed animals which were probably made in a Chinese sweatshop for $.50 cents... what can I say, we are suckers when it comes to our kids.

Happy Days

Hello. Just wanted to send out a quick update on the Gutierrez Family.

Maya is getting smarter by the day. She has transitioned into Pre-school classroom and is doing great. She had her dentist apt. this month and the dentist said she is doing great. She is expanding her knowledge of letter recognition and alphabet phonics. She loves to read books and sing and dance. When asked what her name is she responds, "Maya Cu-ter-rez", its too cute. She's our superstar.

Sofia has 2 new teeth this month, she is now able to chew more food, which is great. Her vocabulary expands every single day. She turned 18 months this week, and is growing up too fast. She uses her baby sign language as well, she had no problem telling us when she is hungry and wants "special chips" (that's what we call our rice cakes). She loves her older sister-- its a real case of can't live with her and can't live without her. Those two are inseparable.

Life is never dull in the Gutierrez house, with two children and one on the way, we rarely find a quiet moment to ourselves. Carlos has been very patient with all my pregnancy mood swings, and even though I don't say it enough, I love and appreciate him very much.

'Sugar and Spice' Trifecta

Girls are made with sugar and spice and everything nice.... Apparently Carlos and I have plenty sugar and spice, because we will be expecting our third Girl. Yup, we went and had our ultrasound last week and guess what. ITS A GIRL!!!! We could not be happier. Of course, we would have been happy regardless of boy or girl. Maya is excited about her new baby sister, she wants to see it...NOW. We can't wait to see what our newest edition of the family will be like. But for now, we just pray for her to be healthy. New Baby will be 20 weeks this Monday 8/18/08 and doing great. We Thank God for our blessing and for filling our home with beautiful little girls!!!!

Abuelita's Tortillas

Nothing can compare to home cooking. In the Moreno house home cooking involves "tortillas hechas a mano". Mom's tortillas are the best!
My mom, Josefa Moreno, is a very special woman. Now that I am a mother too, I am barely starting to understand the breadth of her inner strength and wisdom. Every time I visit her, I learn something new about what truly matters most. It has been priceless watching my mother in the role of Abuelita as she interacts with my two girls.
This weekend we were able to spend time with Abuelita Moreno. She was able to teach Maya, the art of making the traditional tortillas. The beauty of it is that I know that every grandchild has taken part in the same bonding moment, I myself can remember standing on a chair making tortilla's next to her, or eating some of those delicious mushed up tortillas she would call, 'ranas'. My mom is a true blessing in my life, and I am glad she's around to pass on this beautiful tradition to my little girls.

Van Gogh moment

When you have two active little girls in the house, there is never a dull moment. They are constantly learning, experimenting and having innocent fun. Last Friday, we had finished dinner, Carlos and I were cleaning up the kitchen and Maya and Sofia were painting outside in the back yard. What we failed to see was what they were painting. They were supposed to be painting the paper on the easel --- in an ideal world, perhaps this would have happened. But my girls are way too creative for just paper. Apparently, Maya and Sofia were painting each other's face. Thank god the paint was non-toxic and water soluble. Little Baby walked into the house looking like a super-hero. I had to bite my tongue so that I wouldn't just start laughing and encourage 'improper' behavior. Does this mean, my girls are preparing for future careers as body artists, or make-up artists... Maybe its just a Van Gogh moment.