December in Full Affair!

Our most favorite time of the year!

Baking cookies with Lidia and Max!

Zoo Lights!

My little Happy Hour event with friends!

Blazer Game!

Raceway Lights!

Fondue date Night!

Our little Christmas before we head to Brasil this week!

12.14.12

Yesterday morning, Lucia and I had the day off from school and work.  We decided to go to breakfast at our usual spot.  While sitting together, the TV was on , and we see a newsflash, "Newton, Connecticut School Shooting".  My first thought was, nothing is going to happen.  And on our way we went to run some holiday errands.  My mom first sent me the email, 20+ dead.  Final count, 28, 20 of them children.  I literally lost my breath, for what seemed like minutes.  I just cried and cried.  Lucia, now so much more aware of feelings, says, "Momma sad?".  Yes my perfect baby, yes.  I am terribly sad.  And since yesterday morning, I have been inconsolable.

Yesterday, it literally felt like the World paused and was stricken with grief.  And all you could hear were cries and all you could see were tears.

I have, in my best way, tried to carry on, enjoy the weekend, go to Zoo lights with friends, have our little Christmas here.  But I can't seem to pull it together.  It doesn't seem fair to carry on with joy with so much sadness this tragedy carries.

I am still so sad.  And I feel guilty about that.  I have no direct relation to the tragedy.  Those weren't my children, or my sisters, or my friends.  How is it right that I should feel so much grief?  But I do.  As I muster around the last two days, in contact with friends, or people, I am just waiting for that person to say, "You too?"  "Let's cry together".

I am sure, the pain will lessen, and I will carry on.  But you better believe that I will never forget this day and no one ever should.  I don't want us to talk about gun control, or motive, or portraits of the event.  I want to talk about compassion and love and relating to our fellow humans once again.  This tragedy is a wake up call for us to be kinder, gentler, more loving, and for heavens sake, to raise our children with an ounce of empathy for people from every corner of the World.

“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” 
― Mother Teresa

Rest in Peace....



  

My Rudolph

Dress Up Chest

Rafa and I decided that this year we would make a dress up chest for Lucia. Rafa built it and I painted. And then we bought a bunch of clothes for her to dress up in that we wrapped up for her. I think it turned out great!

Great Weekend!

This weekend has been filled to the brim! A lovely Thanksgiving with our friends Lidia, Jon and Max. Then yesterday we went a picked out the tree and decorated all day! And then today we did some Christmas shopping and baked Spice cupcakes with cream cheese frosting! Tomorrow we plan to lay low and watch football! (Sry photos are out of order, posting from my phone!)

Lucia's EEG

So our sweet Lucia has been displaying some odd behavior since she was about 14 months old. When she's sitting, she basically goes through a conscious seizure like behavior. She squeezes her legs tight, she grunts and drools, her face gets red, there are times when she cant or wont stop and it seems to be triggered mostly when she is tired. It first started out happening only in the car. And then recently it's been happening outside of the car. We have thought that it was constipation and then we thought it was a relaxation technique, I thought maybe it's motion sickness. Some have even mentioned restless leg syndrome. But we honestly have no idea. Rafa and were very upset at first, and then we decided to just observe and not worry. But then a month ago at Lucia's 18 month apt she started exhibiting the behavior on my lap. As soon as the doctor saw, she referred us to get Lucia an EEG. So on Monday we headed to the diagnostics center at Legacy Hospital. The doc talked with us, I showed him a video, and then we began the set up. Lucia did awesome; there were 30 connections, all which had to be prepped with a scrub and then glued on. She only fussed getting the last few. From there she was monitored for a half hour or so. We hopefully will get the results/analysis soon.

I tell you, your child is born and you just pray they are ok. And then later on down the road something unexpected surfaces. While what Lucia exhibits may just be quirky toddler behavior, it's very upsetting to see her do this so often and then to sorry that something is stressing her or something is physically wrong. While part of me worries, the part that gives me peace is that she is a very smart, loving, active and well adjusted toddler. She eats well, sleeps well most of the time, and is hardly ever sick.

Anyhow, here's to hoping for uncovering high octane brain waves for a super baby ;-)

Halloween Fun!

Halloween was so much fun this year.  Lucia did so well at both our company party and out trick or treating with her friends later that night.  My usually shy and reserved with strangers little girl was not letting anyone get in her way.  She partied in the afteroon, took part in all of the events (excet the bouncy house) and filled her bucket to the rim.  For trick or treating, she seriously amazed me.  She went to probably 20+ houses, said trick or treat please, thank you, and Happy Haloween!  She was bound and determined to keep going so that she could put more candies in her bucket.  At the ed of the night, she had one Hershey Kiss and she loved it :)  Now mom and day are eating the rest!