Raquel Turns 1 & Mateo Turns 3!

I can't believe it has been over a year already since my last update!  Raquel turned 1 on December 10th & she's just adorable!  She started walking the week before Thanksgiving & now is boogying about the house - most often trying to get away from a pursuing big brother.  She's growing well but is a bit on the light side in weight (10th percentile).  She's such a peanut compared to her 90th percentile brother at the age of 1.  She's also a bit of a chatterbox though we can't understand much of it yet.  Her favorite person in the world is of course, Mom but her brother & Dad run a close 2nd. She just lights up when she hears Daddy on the phone & usually bursts into giggles when Mateo chases after her.  Unfortunately she's quite attached to trains, cars & all sorts of boy toys since they're all around the house & her brother is so obsessed with them.  We're working on getting some more girl toys but we can't really seem to find much for girls her age.  She already has so many toys from when Mateo was little that she really doesn't need a thing!  Birthday & Christmas included lots of re-wraps - not that she knew any better.  She loves music, just like her brother & automatically starts swaying whenever she hears music.  She even hums along to those she knows well.  I think they're both going to be musicians - at least a Mom can hope!

Mateo is growing quickly.  He turned 3 a few weeks ago (February 8th) and is already asking when his next birthday is coming.  He is still obsessed with trains - Thomas the Tank Engine in particular.  A new favorite we picked up at Christmas was construction equipment including a dump truck, ride-on end loader & other toy machinery.  Highlights from his birthday were a set of GeoTrax (remote controlled trains for those not "in the know"), more Thomas characters, a "pokey combine" (a combine with the sharp scissor like front) and lots of friends & family visiting for his birthday party. He's such an active little boy and man, can he talk!  I laugh now that I was once worried about his language development.  His vocabulary is so extensive and he talks basically non-stop, especially in the car.  He loves to read and always has.  He also sings all the time with Mom whose nickname (given by Dad) is the "human jukebox".  We just love singing songs & praising Jesus as we go through our day.  Mateo just loves being outdoors and has been "hunting" with Daddy a couple of times.  For those panicking about a 3 year-old hunting, know that he just went out in a hunting blind with Daddy without guns or ammo just to "hunt" or find deer.  They saw quite a few and though that was months ago, he brings it up frequently.  I've no doubt he'll be a hunter some day.  He even has a toy over & under rifle locked in Daddy's gun safe.  He loves his little sister except when she takes apart his train track or tries to take his toys.  He "loves on her" frequently with hugs, kisses & other physical displays of affection. It's so nice to see the two of them together.  I'm going to have to start reading up on Sibling Rivalry soon though as I know we have some big battles on the way.  

Orestes is still working downtown managing the Daley Center.  Things are going very well for him at work and he's very successful.  Earlier this year he found a quicker route into work that gets him home 30 minutes earlier than before. It's really nice to have him home by 5:30. Most every night he comes home & spends hours playing with the kids.  He plays his part in the dreaded bedtime routines which neither of the kids enjoy and consequently neither of us!  Hunting season this year brought Orestes a nice 10 point buck & a small doe (both taken during the 1st shotgun season).  He also took a trip to South Dakota again this year to pheasant hunt with a buddy.  It was a fun trip though the bird count wasn't very high.  Haley, our black lab is having her best hunting year ever.  I guess after 8 years hunting, she's finally getting it.  The shock collar Orestes bought this year might also have something to do with it!  Orestes has had very good success pheasant hunting around here.  Most weekends from Oct to Dec, you'll find him out pheasant hunting at one of the state parks around home or near Champaign.  Hunting still brings him a lot of joy - not as much as being with me & the kids but sometimes he just needs the break.

As for me, things are going pretty well.  I absolutely love being a full time mom.  There is no better or more rewarding job for me.  The kids occupy 90% of my time and thoughts.  They just seem to require constant attention.  Only when I can get them down for a nap at the same time, do I have an hour or so to "accomplish" much.  The house stays picked up though not always clean.  But, we're all surviving & enjoying this stage which I know will fly by too quickly.  In addition to the kids, I volunteered again to head up finance & registration for my local MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group.  That has been a fun and at times, time-consuming task but I have a great team helping me  which has lightened the load & made it even more enjoyable.  I've made some very close friends from MOPS and have really enjoyed spending time talking with them as our kids play together.  It's so nice to not be alone in mommy matters!  I have an insane & totally unachievable "books to read" list - most of which are how-to's on parenting & marriage - but instead of reading, I often "veg out" watching movies at night.  Or, after dinner I'll escape the noise & "mommy requests" to do dishes, catch up on email, get groceries and other very exciting tasks.  It's so nice to have a supportive husband at home who does his part & recognizes when I need a break!  

Other than numerous trips downstate to hunt & visit family, we really haven't done much traveling since Raquel was born.  Long road trips with a 2-3 year old & a baby aren't high on my "fun" list.  Both kids are great travelers though so I suspect there might be some travel plans in 2008.  We're still undecided as to whether or not there will be a baby #3 but we'll keep you posted if that changes in the upcoming year. 

I think that about wraps up the changes since our last update.  Don't forget to check out our pictures for highlights from the past 14 months (Winter/Spring 07, Summer 07 & Fall 07/Winter 08).  Some of you have already sent us Christmas updates and/or photos. Thanks for thinking of us!  For those of you who haven't, no problem...just send us an email when you have an hour of free time (yeah, right!). Seriously though, we'd love to hear from you if you get a chance.  I won't guarantee a quick response but there will be a response.

Blessings to you & yours in this new year!!  
Christy, Orestes, Mateo & Raquel