San Isidro Play Date

The 15th of May is San Isidro a holiday only in Madrid. People dress up in traditional dresses and suits called Chulapas (girls) and Chulapos (boys). (I call them Chalupas) Yo quiero Taco Bell!!
I'm not really sure what they celebrate but there is a big festival with traditional foods, concerts, rides and games.
We celebrated the day by going to an English play group for the first time. It is at a church and there are a lot of toys for the kids to play with and we just let them loose for two hours. Gabriela was one of the youngest so I got a glimpse into our future; kids crawling all over, kids fighting over toys, others learning to walk, it was a bit overwhelming.
The the last half hour everyone gathers to sing songs. It was fun and I'm sure when Gabriela is a little older she will really love this part. Everyone loves some Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes or The Wheels on the Bus!
I met some moms and had conversations in english and didn't feel like a social freak so that was great. The playgroup meets every Wednesday and apparently there is a music class on Fridays. It is a little far and we have to go on the subway but I want to go back. Gabriela had fun playing with the new toys but I think she was a over stimulated because she barely slept the rest of the day.

In her traditional Chulapa dress

Playing with her new friend dressed in his Chulapo

Eating!

Our little baby is 6 months so that means the start of solid. So far so good, she has eating everything we give to her. We are hoping she will be a little food lover like her parents. If not Pablo will through a hissy fit.

It took a little bit for her to get used to eating off a spoon but now she has it down pretty good. She still sucks it like a bottle but she sticks her head out and mouth open like a little baby bird wanting more so her method works! HA! She gets excited when she see her spoon or any other spoon.

So far we have given her avocado green beans, peas, carrot, zucchini, apples and pears. The first pictures are of her first taste of avocado.

What is that??

Not quite sure about this

She likes it

Green beans cooked and ready for freezing

After trying carrots

Mother's Day

We spent American Mother´s Day weekend going to parks! We realized that parks are our new world and we have found some good ones. When you have kids and don´t have a house with a yard and live in the city, parks become your friend. I know Gabriela can´t walk yet but all my memories as a child are riding my bike and playing in the woods behind my house and thinking that Gabriela won´t have that experience, as of now, makes me sad. So I´m glad we have found some good parks she will get to run around and play in.
On Saturday our friend Carol took us to Parque Europa which has mini versions of famous european monuments along with various playgrounds and activities like pony rides, ropes course, trampolines and small rides. The park is free but if you want to do any activities you pay. It was a really nice park and great that it is free and we imagine we will be returning many times in the future.
On Sunday we planned a picnic and ended up going to Parque Juan Carlos I which is closer by our house. It is a huge park and we found a nice spot in the shade and laid out our blanket and ate our picnic of tortilla, chorizo, pasta salad and apple slices (nice spanish/american mix!). Gabriela had some apple sauce and finally took a little siesta. After we took Goonie to the dog area so he got to run around and meet some new friends.
It was actually a warm sunny day which this year has been quite rare (we can´t believe how much rain we have had) so we brought Gabriela home and threw her in the kiddie pool. It was her first time in the pool and she liked it!

Our picnic

Family photo

Gabriela walking Goonie

Pool time

Eiffel Tower

Playground

My baby

family shot by the Tower Bridge

Trip to Asturias

We took advantage of a long weekend and headed up to Asturias to visit los abuelos. We celebrated Spanish Mother's day with a family lunch eating our favorite- Pulpo! (octopus). Pablo went on a couple runs with Goonie. We finally! enjoyed the sun and Gabriela got to sit in the (fake) grass. She even got to swing for the very first time. It was a nice little get away.

Pulpo and wine

Goonie and daddy time

playing in the grass

Weeeeeeeee, Swing!

Before & After

Upon further request I am posting the before and after photos of the "Shaving Scandal 2013"!!!!

April 24, 2013

April 26, 2013

6 Months

Whoa another month has come and gone and our little baby girl is 6 months! I can't believe it. And we have had some big changes in the last month. We now have one seriously active girl. She doesn't stop moving. A leg, a foot, an arm, her whole body, is always moving. She officially has rolled both ways and can now sit unattended. We bought her a jumper and she loves it. It took her a few times to figure it out but now she has got it and now her legs constantly move in or out of the jumper. This kid is starting to freak me out. I don't know how to deal with all this energy.
She still loves to babble and scream and is quite content entertaining herself. We have introduced solids and she now loves to eat. At first it was all new and she had to learn how it all works but now when she sees a spoon she wants it in her mouth. We have given her avacado, squash, carrot, banana, pear and green beans. We finally got a highchair and its fun having her sit at the table with us at lunch.
In more dramatic news I came home after class one day to find my husband and baby daddy had shaved my little girls head. He has a severe issue with her hair growing unevenly and so without my consent he shaved it. She now looks like Sinead O'Conner. And what he doesn't realize is the back still won't grow evenly because she already has a bald spot and as long as she keeps scooting all over the place on her back and rubbing her head it ain't gonna grow. So now I have to deal with my new baby boy Gabriel.
We went to her check up and she is doing great. She weighs 15.7 lbs (40%) and is 26 inches long (75%). It always surprises me she is pretty normal in terms of weight and heights. I'm expecting some huge giant but so far not the case. It will come though!
She still doesn't have any teeth but they are coming because she puts everything in her mouth and her bite is hardcore.