diapers and skinny jeans

Oh, weekend. We are so happy you're here. It's been a doozy lately. I won't put you through the pitiful details, don't worry-- but I'm just happy to exhale a little bit and am welcoming these days of togetherness with open arms. PS- look at me using unfiltered iPhone photos in a blog post. Who am I? Sometimes I don't even recognize myself. Truly a measure of just how exhausted I really am both mentally and physically ;) And while I've been seriously down and out in every other area of my life, we've actually been doing some pretty cool things at home. I'm so proud of Sofia and her desire to soak up new information, to learn, and to think of me as a pretty cool "teacher". I'm so in awe of everything she does. But this is all part of the inevitable fact that these kiddos of ours are growing up.  Most days we'll do some kind of worksheet, practicing our letters and cutting skills and getting to color.... other days we...

41/52 "A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013." Sofia - meeting the newest member of the De La Rosa family.  Welcome to the world, Emilia! Alba - tummy time is finally welcomed again, cutest toes curled in excitement

Over the weekend, Erick's brother and sister-in-law threw an amazing "reveal" party to announce the sex of their new baby due in October - it's a girl!   We couldn't be more excited for them! I have to say I'm feeling a bit chuffed since I did guess correctly and knew from the minute I took a look at that first ultrasound photo ;) Balloons were thrown high in the air, cake was shared among family and friends, and ice cream was supplied by the neighborhood truck. For as much as we want to move out of the south side of the city, it's little backyard get-togethers like these that will always hold a special place in my heart. Naturally, I felt the need to document the day in it's entirety. I am so glad I did. Hector and Illiana, we cannot WAIT to spoil this little girl!

Sitting poolside getting her first trim For many years of my life, through my childhood, adolescence, college years and more, my father has been the only person to cut my hair. Since moving to the city and over an hour's drive from my parent's house, I've had to find a salon. Quite frankly, I'm bummed about it. Nothing compares to being able to have haircuts at home! The thought of trimming Sofia's hair has been something we struggled with for two whole years - in fact, it's taken us this long to even consider it. I loved (and still love!) her unruly curls, the long locks in the back... it's just the wisps that were constantly dipping into her food and sticking with sweat in her eyes that I just couldn't bear to let her endure any longer. Armed with lollys in each of her hands and her feet splashing into the side of the pool, my dad, Sofia's "tampa", snipped a tiny asymmetrical baby fringe onto our firstborn. It's amazing see...

first bath, mother's day 2013 we bathed you in the afternoon sun, warm and snuggled between layers of terrycloth. your sister gently helped shampoo your hair and wipe the bubbles from your skin. your papa took your photo as i held you between my hands, still so very little. your lips, softly open. your eyes, gazing outwards toward the shining sun. we live for the simple moments - there is no other way i could have imagined this day. just as it is, just as you are. a mother. it's my most favorite thing to be.

From the beginning, this pregnancy seemed so much the same, yet so distinctly different all at once. I didn't get sick, I wasn't too turned away by my favorite foods, I had occasional heartburn here and there and overall, was able to relax and enjoy the experience.  What was strange was how differently I was carrying - having been told more times than I could count that I had looked as if I had "swallowed a basketball".  I think I was persuaded a few times in my head that maybe this was  different, maybe it really was a baby boy.  Yet still, in my heart I had an overwhelming intuition I would be holding another little girl in my arms, someone so very similar to her sister yet so distinctly different all at once. My little may flower. Saturday night, the air was warm and sticky.  Sofia, Erick and I read stories by a big window fan in her room trying to distract ourselves from the heat in our upstairs apartment. ...