Happy 1st Birthday Nico

     Well, It started clean enough. Celebrating my last baby's 1st birthday. Yes, those are marshmallows with pictures of Nico on them. If you're interested they are from boomf.  I just love this kid and am a bit sad that I have had to celebrate his first year already. I so enjoy my baby. He will always be my baby boy I suppose. 

     Chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream was the choice for the day. All of my other children would touch their smash cake with reservation. Not Nico. He dove into that sucker and began to rub it all over his body like a spa treatment. He even rolled the cake up a few times. Gigi, my clean freak, was a bit upset that I wouldn't let her wipe him down with the towel she brought over after she saw this spectacle. 

We couldn't be prouder of his cake smashing skills.

     I couldn't believe that just 365 days ago this guy came into the world as one of our very last great surprises. We waited to hear the sex of the baby until delivery. When they said, "It's a boy!" I cried with tears of joy. 

     Nico has been called several things by this family; Fatty cakes, Nico Rico, Baby, Son, Fattykins, Butterball, Sweetpea, Papito. But whatever we call him it is usually said with a smile on our faces because he is such a good natured baby. I tell everyone who will listen how he has been our easiest child. Whether that is because he is truly the best or because the others are so loud it drowns out any of his complaints, I am not sure but this boy can usually be found smiling, observing the world around him. 

      The soft spot he has created in all of us is obvious but seen most in my oldest son, Golden who can be found holding him and showing him those things big brothers need to introduce him to: video games, cartoons, and animals. He will rub his head when no one is looking or walk him around the house for a good hour. It really is heart warming to see. Nico has formed a very special bond with his big brother that I hope lasts a lifetime. 

 He doesn't just have Golden under his spell but everyone he comes in contact with including Grandpa.

First Halloween costume

For his first birthday we have the customary fat roll pictures. I will miss these the most once my last baby grows up. 

I'm not the only lover of rolls in the house

      I opened a box of Golden's clothes this week and found this treasure. Golden's Halloween costume. Nico seemed to enjoy being a gorilla for playtime.

Nico

Still Nico

Nico the gorilla

 I decided to compare shots of Golden with Nico in the same outfit.

Golden

Golden 

Can you guess which baby this is?

Nico sported his outfit all day with pride.

      At a year old, Nico is walking like a drunk man but getting better by the hour. He just decided on his birthday that he wasn't going to hold onto the furniture and took off like a bullet. Way to go Nico! He likes to say words like " mama", "dada", and "pickapickapicka" He doesn't seem to use them correctly but we notice his says "pickapicka" when he is concentrating, like a chant. It's adorable. He blows raspberries and can have an Olympic competition with his brother Carlos during long car rides. You can hear them cracking each other up. He has six teeth and uses them well. 

Never enough naked bumm shots

Rolls McGee

 Loves in his life are:
Pretzels
Toy cars
His mom and dad
Nursing
Mickey Mouse Club
The ABC song (In Spanish)

Love of my life (One of them at least)

He still doesn't' sleep through the night but it might be a combination of the fact he sleeps in our room, in our bed, and I nurse him whenever he wants. Mike and I wake up assured that we will let him cry it out at night but once the sun sets Mike will look at me as Nico cries and says, " He's our last one, Mommmy. Let's not rush these moments." How could I resist that face. 

The beginning of a tight friendship

     I can't wait to see what this kid has in store for us this year. Whatever it is, I am fascinated by it. Nothing he does is too insignificant. My birthday wish for him is that he always knows how much he is loved. How lucky this family is to have him and how he has completed us like no one else could. I can feel my heart grow with love every time I look at him or utter his name. My sweet, yummy baby boy thank you for being a present I get to enjoy daily. 

Happy 13th Birthday Golden

     It's official. We have a teenager in the house. You can tell because he dressed himself for his birthday picture and I had no control over it. Other signs of this are an irritating mustache that keeps appearing on his upper lip no matter how many times I shave it off and a distinct teenage boy smell you can find every day after school. He is now taller than me and in his father's shoes-literally. I am getting the hand me downs from when his feet were smaller. 

     Despite all I just said, Golden is a pleasure to raise. He does his chores without complaints unless you ask him directly if he likes them. He is funny and has a laugh that will double you over laughing yourself because it is from the such a genuinely childlike place of wonderment. It's like watching fireworks for the first time every time. His teachers and friends love him and he is popular amongst his peers. We just love our Golden boy and I was particularly excited to ask him all of my questions.

     

How does it feel to be a teenager? Okay. 
Do you feel any different? Yes,I feel older.
What advice would you give your brothers and sisters about growing up? There will be a lot of rules.Rules that you really, really hate.Wait are you copying everything I'm saying?
What is your favorite color? Blue
What is your favorite tv show? Sponge Bob Square Pants
What is your favorite food?Pizza
What is your favorite memory so far? The day I turned thirteen.
Why? Because I'm a teenager now. The only one in the family.
Are you glad that you are tall? yes
What do you want to be when you grow up? A video game programmer.
What's your favorite vacation? Hawaii
Do we (your parents)embarrass you? Yes. 
When? Every time you talk about me. 
Do you mind being seen in public with us? Ummm. A little bit.
What about us embarrasses you? Whenever you talk about me to my friends. You always talk about embarrassing stuff about me in the past that was embarrassing. Or like when you dance. That really embarrasses me.
Who's your favorite sibling? I won't tell? Nico (unless he ends up like the triplets) I can't believe your writing everything down I'm saying
Why is he your favorite? He's a little quiet, and doesn't throw things and he doesn't scream so loud he makes your ears pop.
It seems like your talking about experiences. Who does all that? The triplets. Have you heard them.
But when you think we aren't looking, I see you cuddling them. Do you cuddle them? Don't write that.Erase it. 
Does it embarrass you that I know you love them? Yes. 
What do you want to tell an older you, like a married you? Live in a nice mansion with a flat screen tv and a butler. How do you get rich anyway? 
Kid, I'm still trying to figure that out.
What's your favorite holiday? Christmas
What's your favorite part of Christmas? The presents (then he stops and chuckles and pats my back) and of course spending time with the family. 
What do you think about being a Deacon? It's nice. I like passing the Sacrement, for instance. 
What do you think Heavenly Father thinks about you? That I'm awesome. Are you still writing everything I'm saying (big sigh)?
Being that you are 13, tell me 13 things about yourself?
1 I like video games especially skylanders
2. I have a lot of rules 
3. I look forward to being in high school
4. Sometimes I'm kind of annoyed with everything
5. I'm handsome
6. I'm going through puberty now…yeah just write that down for a bunch of kids to know that in the future. 
7. I'm tall
8. I'm funny
9. I'm mature
10. I have my own iPad but not a phone (he says this with anger toward me)
11. I take out the trash and that annoys me
12. I spend time on the computer watching Skylander videos
13. I have to watch my brothers and sisters all the time (This is an exaggeration of extreme proportions, I must add as his mother)

Do you have any thoughts about our government? No not really
Are you at least proud to be American? yes
How about being proud of your Cuban heritage? It's good.
What about it is good? Well the food for instance, yours is really good.

Eva just walks into the room and tells him that they have rented a movie he likes. He gets up from our interview like his butt is on fire and says OK, I got to go. ( He is making pop corn in less than a second after his departure)

Refusing to let the interview end I scream out "Do you know I love you? (Without a pause) Of course.

Well, just in case you ever wonder, I love you like my life depended on it. And most days it does. 

Happy Birthday Gogo Bear!

Happy Halloween 2014

     It seems that this Halloween lasted a bit longer than just one day in the Harris home. The grands brought the triplets about seven costumes they found at a garage sale and honestly we have been in disguise for the better part of three weeks. As was to be expected, Beau gravitated to the bizarre and scary, Carlos to anything super and Gigi was the princess of whatever she wore. I let them go to the gym, grocery store, dentist and just about anywhere in their costumes because I have learned to pick my battles and realize that dirty stares from strangers in November is a lot quieter and fleeting than three screaming and snot filled triplets for days after Halloween. Let the holiday continue. 

"Look mom. I'm the Cookie Monster"

Spider, Super, Strong Man

The Princess Witch

No costume just the usual ham.

Darth Cutiekins

     While in New Orleans we made it out to the Ghosts in the Oaks at City Park. We took our costumes but left them in the house and had to buy three new ones for the occasion. The kids didn't seem to mind. What I loved was seeing my younger children ride the carousel that their older siblings used to ride at this age. Eva, who was no more than two at the time we left New Orleans, remembered Storyville and could tell me what was there to find. Carlos was Captain America, Beau was Doc McStuffins, and Gigi was Cinderella. The night was magical with amusement rides followed by trick or treating through the oaks.

Jerry made it out with us. It was perfect 

     Finally on Halloween night, my family gave me the greatest gift by allowing us to dress in a theme together. We were the Wizard of Oz gang including the flying monkeys. It was bittersweet because I felt this might be the last year we will do this because I now have a teenager and he may be too old for this kind of stuff. I love him so for not arguing with me when I asked to do this. If I don't tell him enough here it goes: I love you Golden.

There was never a question that Beau would be the scary witch since she likes to be so scary (imagine her wiggling her fingers at you saying this in a high ghostly voice)

"Now it's my turn to be up."

     As much as Eva didn't want to be Dorathy, she will thank me years from now when she sees these pictures and sees how stunning she looked. There were moments when she would turn and look at me like in this shot and I could see the woman she is turning into staring back at me. It would give me tingles I had to shake off of my monkey wings.

"This is so amazing, mommy."

     Let's not forget this was Nico's first Halloween and he was a trooper being that he had a fever. Note: This is not our first kid so we never even thought of staying home with him and not trick or treating and for the record he seemed to enjoy it all the same.

As close to everyone sitting still as we were going to get.

I love that Mike still lets me dress him up. I suppose this is the "worse" of "for better or worse" I hear in those wedding vows.  

He's just so fluffy!

Here is a shot of my two youngest girls getting along. I always feel the need to document these moments. 

     And did I mention how Eva wore my genie outfit from when I was a teenager to a Halloween party? I am still floored over this one. Why does she insist on growing up? I miss my baby..and my costume. I should mention the costume was made for me for a ballet performance and my maiden name is sewn in the lining. I guess it is now a vintage costume that has stood the test of time. 

The grands also brought Halloween pjs which will also be around for longer than Halloween. I suppose so will the memories.