Hanging out in Houston

Alternate blog post title: Never Hungry in Houston.

We arrived in Houston on Friday night and stayed with my cousin Kuya Danny and his family for the first two nights in their beautiful humongous home in Rosenberg or Richmond, TX. Kuya had cooked for us delicious caldereta and bangus. After dinner we settled in to our rooms that my nieces had so generously given up for us.

Olivia and Kuya Danny

The next morning we had a Filipino-American breakfast of eggs, red hot dogs and Panera bagels. We hung around the house and out in the backyard while the family prepared for the house blessing party. After lunch of kare kare and pancit, mom, dad, Vince, O and I went for a walk around the development where Kuya Danny's house is and toured around the model homes. We love doing this, it's like window shopping for another life. I doubt we'll ever leave the city, but sometimes it's nice to imagine living a domestic, suburban life in a huge house that costs way less than a 1 bedroom apartment back home.

Ready to stroll

That night was the house blessing party. Olivia had on her party dress, unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of her in it. It was a great party from what I hear, I wouldn't know since I fell asleep putting Olivia down (which happens 90% of the time).

Sunday morning we went to church, then headed over to Katy, TX to visit our friends Sherry, Eric and baby Aidan. They also have a huge beautiful home. We went out for brunch at Black Walnut Cafe which was super reasonably priced (did I mention how much cheaper cost of living is down here?) and caught up on life with a new baby.

Baby introductions.

The Sarmiento Bunch

O with her cousins Kuya JV, Ate Danielle and Ate Danna

Throwing up gang signs

After brunch we said our goodbyes to the Sarmientos and then headed up to Humble, TX to stay with Vince's cousin Hector and his family. They also have a huge beautiful home.

Cousin Dajsha

Mama and Lolo living large

O with Auntie and Tio

 Hector cooked up a feast of ribs, wings, fried fish, macaroni and cheese, rice and salad. The next day after we woke up from our food comas we ate some more then looked at one more model home. Before we left we had homemade peach cobbler and Bluebell ice cream. Then we headed back to New Jersey and a snow storm, but at least we faced it happier and fatter.

Olivia's second flight

We're in Houston this weekend visiting family and friends. It was Olivia's second time flying, and this time it was with Mama and Lolo! She was a hit with the flight attendants, and they gave her her first set of wings! She was awake for most of the flight this time, playing with Mama and Lolo and giving people passing by big smiles.

What happens when Mama stops crunching her book.

She LOVE crunchy things.

Making use of our Flye Baby seat.

Playing with Lolo.

The flight home was a different story. Olivia was Little Miss Fussy Pants and would only stop fussing when Vince walked around with her or I nursed her. She keeps us on our toes, this one!

Don't. Stop. CRUNCHING! 

PS- I'm posting this from the plane. How cool am I?

Addendum- after we landed our sour patch baby became so sweet

Random thoughts on being back to work

I've been back to work for 3 weeks now and it's been a pretty smooth transition so far. Olivia and I went back to Three Little Birds for the "Working Mamas support group" and from listening to other moms' experiences, I feel lucky we got the hang of it so quickly. When I start at 9 Vince will take Olivia to my mom at 7:30 on his way to work while I get ready, then I'll go to my mom's and feed her breakfast before going to work. Then I'll pick her up after I get off at 4. When I start at 2 Olivia and I will sleep in, hang out and I'll bring her to mom's on my way to work. Then she and Vince will pick me up at walk home with me at 9.
 So here's a smattering of random things that have crossed my mind since I've started working:

• My mom is the best. Vince and I are seriously so lucky to have my mom watch Olivia. Childcare is expensive,  so having someone watch the baby whom I truly trust is an unbelievable blessing. 
• My fear that Olivia would forget me while I'm at work was unfounded.  She remembers me (yay my daughter does not have the memory of a goldfish) and that huge smile she gives me when I see her after work makes all of the late-night bottle washing and laundry and pumping at work worth it.
• Pumping sucks. Literally and figuratively. 
• Working forces me to shower every day again.
• Nighttime is the only time I can do things uninterrupted. 
• Working makes me use different parts of my brain and I get to interact with people (not always a good thing but it is what it is). As much as I loved being home with Olivia for three months, I could feel cabin fever setting in.
• Guilt is my new middle name. I feel guilty about everything now: not thinking about her all day long, getting frustrated at her when she won't fall asleep, wanting to work out, actually enjoying being back to work, the list is endless. I went from being all about me to all about baby, so I have to learn how to balance the two.

Four months

It's a new year and you're four months old! You're doing something new and amazing every day. You reach and grab for things with a purpose now (and that purpose would be to put it in your mouth). You're going longer between feedings which means we can go out for longer periods of time, like to basketball games with daddy or for long walks around Downtown. You're so attentive and always looking around at your surroundings, I wouldn't be surprised if you inherited your daddy's freakish Sherlock Holmes-like observational skills. You also love looking in the mirror like mommy! You communicate so much more now, like squealing when you're frustrated or bored, or yelling to get our attention and you're so sociable! Your attempts at rolling over are becoming more and more successful, you're even trying to roll from back to front now! I could go on and on because you're doing so much more every day, and I am so proud of each and every thing.

Can you spot her new bling?

Happy New Year 2014!

Waiting for the ball to drop!

Partied a little too late last night

Sunny Saturday

It was a beautiful day outside so we wandered around downtown all afternoon. We started by picking up Vince near Mc Nair high school, walked to Newport mall, had a late lunch at Union Republic, walked around Hamilton Park then headed home. It really wasn't that remarkable of a day but I loved Olivia's outfit, hence the blog post.

The ghost of Christmas yet to come

Olivia's first Christmas was wonderful.  Christmases have been lacking that magical feeling for a while now... I mean I love listening to Christmas music starting the day after Thanksgiving and watching those sappy movies on Lifetime and Hallmark channel as much as the next person, but as far as that pure joy you see on kids' faces when they're opening presents... well it's been over a decade and a half since I've felt it myself. I know Olivia is still a few years away from that but I know it's coming, and the promise of it makes Christmas magical again.