It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Can you believe it is already December? This year has flown by. What a difference a year makes. Last year at this time Gavin was just starting solids, butternut squash to be exact and I was enjoying our first Christmas as a family of three. This year Gavin is eating just about everything and a I am still adjusting to this whole "working mom" thing. We put up our Christmas tree and Gavin seems to think that all the ornaments are his toys. He pulls them off on a daily basis and thinks it is absolutely hilarious when I scold him for it. We have already taken him to see Santa Claus and as you can see from his expression he was a bit confused. We can't wait for what this holiday season has in store for us.

I am thankful...

I am thankful for...my beautiful baby boy, who has made me realize why I was put on this earth, my wonderful husband, who has loved me even when I haven't been so lovable, my AMAZING family, who has made me the woman and mother I am today because of their true unconditional love and support, my faith in God, my wonderful friends, my wonderful job, my two dogs, coffee, flannel pajama pants, edward cullen, fuddruckers, family fun day, ask a nurse, and last but not least, I am thankful for another wonderful year.

Hooters!!!

So my baby boy had his first experience with the nationwide phenomenon known as HOOTERS. I have to admit the restaurant does have the best fried pickles I have ever had and the wings aren't too shabby either. We were there to celebrate the first birthday of our good friends son, Dallas. We had a great time and Gavin didn't even hesitate when I asked one of the "hooter" girls to take a picture with him. Boy am I going to have my hands full!

Halloween '09

Halloween was a blast! Our little "Tony Romo" was a huge hit. Gavin can't stand anything on his head so we had very few options in the costume department since almost every costume has some sort of head piece. We had a Romo jersey that Gabe bought him a few months ago that we figured would be perfect. We bought him some football pants and my mom added shoulder pads to give him some "bulk". Throw in some black electrical tape and viola you have Tony Romo. Gabriel and I went as Charlie Brown and Lucy. We went trick or treating in my dad's neighborhood. Some of the people went all out. We even took Gavin into his first haunted house. He really didn't get the hang of the whole trick or treat thing. I am sure that will change by next year. We finished the evening off at my dad's house where we had a fabulous party. Everyone dressed up and we had some "spooktacular" food. By the end of the night Gavin was pooped. Thank goodness for that extra hour of sleep. Until next year, happy haunting!

Pumpkin Patch Fun!

We have already visited two pumpkin patches this year. Gavin is at an age where he doesn't stay still for a minute, so getting a "decent fall picture" was nearly impossible. We went to a great little pumpkin patch in Devine, Texas. It was super cute. They had a petting zoo, hayrides, marshmallow roasting, catch and release fishing and great food. My mom and step dad went with us and we all had a blast.

Introducing....Gavin "the bruiser" Ramos

Well,it was bound to happen. Gavin has gotten his first black eye. Oh, and throw a couple of stitches in there too. It happened in a split second right in front of our eyes, or I should say my mom's eyes. She was playing with him and he missed his step and ran face first into the coffee table. We went to the ER and he had to get two stitches. It was pretty traumatic for us all, but we survived. Boys will be boys!

Cabo Wabo Baby!!!!

The 30th birthday trip to Cabo was a success! We had a great time with a few minor bumps along the way. I want to start by first thanking my wonderful dad and stepmom for the trip. We used their time share condo and they gave us the plane tickets as a wedding gift. Thanks guys, you're the best and we couldn't be luckier to have you in our lives.

We left on Wednesday afternoon and after a delay in SA, running for the gate in Dallas, a hungry flight to Mexico we arrived to find out that our luggage didn't make the connection in Dallas. We were bummed, but made the most of it. Lukily our family had already been there so we could borrow the things we needed. I also decided to carry on my bathing suit at the last minute so I was set for the following day since our luggage didn't arrive until the afternoon. We stayed at Pueblo Bonito, Sunset Beach. It was absolutely beautiful. The resort had 5 pools, gift shops, a spa, and 6 restaurants. We spent the first day at the pool and after one too many tequila shots I fell asleep a wee bit early ;) The next day we headed into town and visited Cabo Wabo and did some shopping. Our last day in Mexico was full of excitement. Gabriel and I parasailed over the ocean. It was so beautiful. Don't get me wrong, it was scary, but worth it. We also took a jet ski out to a small island. We sipped some drinks on the beach and then had a nice sushi dinner in our room.

The trip was short, but so much fun. We are already planning our next one. Enjoy the pics!

Rosy, Rosy, Roseola!

I am writing this post almost 5 weeks after my last post titled "Germs, germs, germs" and would you believe we still have those germs. The hand, foot, mouth thing turned into a sinus infection, which then turned into the croup, which is now roseola. I know what you're thinking, what in the heck is roseola? Here is how it started...Gabriel and I left last Wednesday for our trip to Cabo. Gavin was fine, but still fighting a stuffy nose (allergies). We came home on Sunday to find out he had been running a high fever most of the day. After a call to ask a nurse she assured us that taking him to the hospital would be the worst thing to do considering all the flu stuff going around. We stuck it out and took Gavin to the doctor on Monday. Since our regular ped was booked we saw another doctor who checked Gavin for everthing including the flu. Everything came back negative so she sent us home. On Wednesday evening Gavin developed a rash of small cluster like red bumps all over his body. I thought he had eaten something and was having an allergic reaction. The next morning the bumps got worse and he didn't want to eat. Gabriel took him to the doctor and he was diagnosed with roseola. Apparently the high fever is the beginning of the virus and the bumps come at the end. He is doing much better today. The bumps are fading and he got his appetite back.

On a lighter note, we had a fabulous trip to Cabo San Lucas. I have so many pictures that I will post soon. I am still tring to get the hang of this "working mom" thing so the blog has been put on the back burner. I am slowly getting back into it. Until then, happy Friday!

Germs, Germs, Germs!

Well, it was bound to happen. Gavin has gotten his first taste of daycare germs. I was definitely prepared since everyone I have spoken to warned me that as soon as he started he would get sick. We made it a whopping 9 days. We were up most of Thursday night with Gavin. He had fever and was really congested. I kept thinking it was just his teeth, since his molars are still giving him problems. I had to go to work to finish up my classroom so my dad came to the rescue. He came and picked up Gavin at 7 that morning. His fever kept hovering around the 100 mark so we decided to take him to the doctor. Gabriel was able to take off work and play mr. mom. Gavin was diagnosed with....hand, mouth, foot disease. It sounds much worse than it is. After a brief freak out, I realized that it is very common, especially in daycares. My pediatrician keeps telling me that getting sick actually helps with building up Gavin's immunity to these things in the future. It is still a total bummer! Luckily, he is past the super contagious part so he can return to school. I am still going to keep him home on Monday just to be safe (thanks mom).

On another note, I have officially suvived my second week as a working mom. The first "official" day of school is Monday. I was able to meet a few of my kids on Thursday for "meet the teacher" night and they are really sweet. I am really excited for the year. I am still trying to adjust to the schedule and not seeing Gavin every second of the day. I miss him terribly and can't wait to get home to see him. I am sure there are going to be many days when I question my decision to go back to work, but deep down I know it was the right decision for our family. I will post some recent pictures soon.

Back to School!

I survived my first week back at work and Gavin survived his first week of school. This week has flown by with new teacher orientation, staff development meetings, and tons of training. My poor baby boy has had to get up at 6:15 every morning. He didn't cry the first day, but he cried when I left him everyday after that. I cried right along with him. Leaving him was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I know it sounds silly, but it was. I would call and check on him as soon as I got to work and most of the time he had settled down. Everyone keeps telling me he will get used to it and the crying will stop. I am praying for that day, because I don't know how much more I can take. My mom picks him up early each day so he is not there for so long. She assures me that when she walks in to his room he is smiling and playing with his friends. This new schedule is going to be an adjustment for all of us, but I know it is for the best. I am extremely excited to be back in the classroom and meet my kids. I will post some pics of Gavin in his school gear soon.

Catch Up

It's been a while since my last update. Things have been pretty crazy over here. This post is going to catch you guys up on what has been going on. I am happy to say that I got a job! I will be teaching pre k in Harlandale ISD. I am super excited to begin my teaching career with a great district. I also have the added bonus of being at the same campus as my good friend Courtney (Yay!). I was really getting nervous about finding a job, but thankfully our prayers were answered. Gavin will be starting school next Monday. I have been looking at schools (day cares, but it makes me feel better when I call it school) for a while. We have finally settled on a catholic learning center that is near our house. I have had mixed emotions about this transition. I feel extremely blessed to have had this first year home with him and I know he needs the interaction with other children, but part of me doesn't want to let him go. I think it is going to be harder on me than it will be on him. I am hoping for a smooth transition for all of us. Wish us luck! I also took Gavin to Sea World for the first time. We went to the water park and he had a blast. We could only stay in the toddler area, but he loved it (thanks for the season pass Dad). I can't wait until daddy can go with us next time. Unfortunately, Gabriel has been working a lot so he has missed these family excursions. I also took Gavin to historic Gruene, TX to eat at the Gristmill. We ate some good food and then sat on the river front patio enjoying some live music and sipping on some delicious sangria. The summer has flown by and I can't believe August is almost here. We are excited for what the next few months have in store for our family and hopeful that the Lord will guide us down the path we need to be on.

NKOTB!

Last weekend I traveled to Dallas for the New Kids on the Block concert. It was a blast! We drove up on Friday morning and came back on Sunday. My good friend Vicky lives there, so she was nice enough to let us stay at her place. We had a bite to eat before the concert and then headed to the venue. It was an outdoor venue, so please excuse the sweat and shiny faces :) I felt like I was 12 again. Donnie sang to ONLY me the entire concert. The guys are cuter than ever. Too bad their summer tour is already over. Oh well, there is always next summer. Thanks ladies for a fabulous weekend!

Gavin's 12 month photo shoot

I wanted to share the rest of Gavin's 12 month pictures. I met a wonderful photographer through a friend of mine and she came over at the end of June for the shoot. Please check out her site, tip toe photography. Gavin did great and we got some great pictures of our "little man".