Tristan 2 years ago

Happy Birthday Tristan! Three!

Tristan turned 3 years old this month. I can't believe it. I can't believe it. I really can't believe it. I don't know why it upsets me so much that he is actually getting older, but I am sure I will need to be sedated when he turns 4. My father came over on Sunday to bring Tristan's gifts so we had a small ice cream cake after dinner. We lit 4 candles: 3 for his age and 1 to honor his birthmom, Marta.


The following day, Aunt Barbara treated Tristan to a trip to ToysRUS so he can pick out his own gift. She is brave. We dropped them off and headed out to do some errands. About an hour later, they emerged from the store with a carriage filled with goodies. We barely fit them all in the trunk of our car and I swore I smelled smoke from Barbara's credit card.

The next day was Tristan's actual birthday. It turned out to be a gorgeous day so we headed out to the park for some fun. As soon as we got there, Tristan wanted to watch the ducks and geese scamper around the stream. I found a bench to feed Gavin in the stroller and Ricky took Tristan over to see the pond. It was about 5 minutes later that Tristan fell into the pond and was absolutely soaked up to his waist. It brought a quick tear-filled halt to our day as we stripped the muddy wet shoes and clothes off of him and went home to clean up. The rest of the day was filled was birthday gifts and another ice cream cake at his grandparents so the disappointment didn't last long.





Happy Happy Birthday to you, my darling Tristan!
Today I celebrate the day you were born.
Today I celebrate Marta for giving you life.
Today I celebrate Guatemala who blessed me with the honor and privilege of being your forever mom.
Love forever and always, Mommy

Tristan's First Snowman

Tristan is Lovin the Snow!

My Hair is So Wrong

Tristan has been extremely talkative lately. From the moment his eyes fly open in the morn until the moment he crashes at night: non-stop chatter. All chatter all the time in our happy home. There is the occasional wish for silence, but the conversations are delightful and we do find ourselves laughing more throughout the day. Seeing the world at a two year olds perspective can be quite entertaining.

Just yesterday, as Ricky drove, Me and Tristan sat in the backseat chatting about when Gavin comes home and how much fun it will be, etc. I was casually pushing my hair out of my face when Tristan suddenly stopped mid-sentence and said with concern, "Mommy, your hair is wrong."
(Ok, it was a bad hair day and its true my hair is so wrong, but I wasn't prepared for what came next.) With the look of pity and embarrassment, he leans forward and starts smoothing my hair while saying, "You don't want baby brother to see your hair wrong. I will make it pretty for you."

Yes, he was disappointed when he realized there was no way to right the terrible wrong on my head. And I wish I can say this will be the last time my hair embarrasses him, but we all know that won't be the case.

American Mu-SZAAMM! of Natural History

One of our parenting resolutions for the year is to do more day-trips as a family. We are going to attempt to do one trip per month. We both found ourselves with the same weekday off so we headed into the City to visit the American Museum of Natural History. Being the avid Curious George reader, Tristan was quite familiar with museums, dinosaur bones and such. For some reason, he can not properly pronounce 'museum'. He would say, 'mu-SZAAM!'. I tried several times to help him through it but the more I said 'muu-SZEEEEEE-UMMM', the louder he would say 'mu-SZAAM!, mu-SZAAMMM!'. (sigh) His version of the word is more fun anyway.

Checking out the bones in the Discovery Room
Checking out the penguins
Mayan Calander from 966 A.D. found in Guatemala
The Butterfly Conservatory
Largest moth in the world

The Year in Review Part 3 of 3

September 2006

Looking patriotic at the beach
You were just tall enough to get on some cool rides and you loved it!
Especially when you rode with a friend!
You learned how to throw a frisbee
Running from the waves

October 2006

Picking the perfect pumpkin
Yummy apples!
Apple picking with your buddies

We welcomed October since we were finally traveling to visit to Guatemala to see Gavin. We also got to spend a nice day with friends apple and pumpkin picking. You loved the idea that you can actually pick an apple and then just eat it. I couldn't stop you. So all day you ate apples apples apples. I think the final count was five.

November 2006

Celebrating Thanksgiving with the family
Playing in the leaves

December 2006

Running with the crowd during Breakfast with Santa

Family Portrait

Looking over the past year in pictures I am amazed at how much you have grown. You are a little boy now. Not a baby. It makes me want to cry. And sometimes I do. I just want to freeze time, make the growing stop just to have more time with you at each age. It goes too fast. You are so thirsty for knowledge, I worry I won't be able to keep up. You want to know what everything is and what everything does. You listen intently when we explain things to you because you sincerely want to know. Socially you are very outgoing, approaching other children, asking them their name and joining right into groups without blinking an eye. Being painfully shy as a child, I am relieved you will not have to overcome that challenge. We finally said goodbye to your nighttime bottle which was replaced with a sippy cup. We explained that since you are a big boy now, its time to pass the bottles on to babies who really need them. You agreed to leave your bottles for Santa who will then deliver them to Gavin in Guatemala, which made you happy.

So we left the bottle behind in 2006 and hopefully 2007 will bring the end of the diapers. Big changes in the house coming up; new bedroom with a big boy bed for Tristan, a brand new master bedroom for Mom and Dad, new doors, new siding and roof on the house. Big changes in our family coming up; Gavin's long awaited home-coming. Its all good and I can't imagine it not being the best year ever. We are ready for you 2007- Bring it on!

The Year in Review Part 2 of 3

July 2006

On the carousel with Aunt DeeDee
Running from the waves under Gramma's watchful eye
First Pony ride at a local street fair

Enjoying Uncle Steve's pool with Daddy

Enjoying the pool with Mommy

July was a sun-tastic month. We celebrated Independence Day at Steve & Elena's BBQ which is always a blast. You played in the pool all day. You loved the small slide so much, we had to buy one of your very own. The following day we drove to the beach to visit Gramma and Pa-pa at the beach house.

August 2006

Another day at the park

Land of Make Believe
Staying close to Mommy at Sesame Place

August was a great family month as we finally got off our butts and did stuff. We went to the Land of Make Believe which provided hours and hours of amusement rides with no lines. You loved the airplanes that you can control with the handlebar. Up and down. Up and down. Over and Over. Mommy and Daddy's stomach barely survived the day. In the afternoon we headed for the water park area but the crowd was a little rough and you finally gave in and told us you wanted to go to sleep. You were asleep before we pulled out of the parking lot to head home. The following weekend we drove out to Pennsy to visit Sesame Place. It was a bit overwhelming at first. It was hot and the lines were long so we didn't make it on many rides. You had more fun in the various wading pools and watching the characters in the parade. Next year I am sure it will be a hit.

A Year in Review Part 1 or 3

January 2006

Enjoying the outdoors!

The year started with un-seasonable warm weather which brought us outside to play in the dirt. We also started collecting the paperwork for Gavin's adoption.

February 2006

Off to the park for another rare warm day in the middle of winter. Mommy was busy with more paperwork for the adoption and having our homestudy updated.

March 2006

Visiting Gramma and Pa-pa's

April 2006

Easter Fun!

Your new Harley!

Happy Birthday! You're Two! Your grandparents bought you the coolest tricycle I have ever seen- a HarleyDavidson. We also had a visit from the Easter bunny who left you a Easter basket filled with toys. You enjoyed your easter egg hunt and can't wait to do it again this year. During this month we finally completed our adoption dossier. Our file is sent to Guatemala and we wait for 'the call' about your new baby brother.

May 2006

Helping Daddy wash his car

Celebrating Daniel's First Birthday

Hanging with your buddies

This was a busy month for us. We drove to New York to celebrate cousin Daniel's first birthday, we had a BBQ at our house (very rare occasions) and your buddies Sam & Dan came over. We also didn't know it yet, but Gavin was busy being born on May 27th.

June 2006

Baby Gavin Estuardo

Birding with the binos

An exciting month for our family- we got the joyous news about Gavin on June 20th!

Tales from the Crypt

My darling son, Tristan....such an interesting little boy. What is it that I can not interest you in wonderful stories about Santa Claus or Christmas? In our house, we have been stuck in Halloween for some time. You have an odd (almost disturbing) interest in all things Halloween; Mummies, Witches, Werewolves, Bats, Vampires, Skeletons, and pumpkins. As we amble through our day, you often plead with me to tell you stories about haunted houses and graveyards. Lighthearted though sometimes spooky tales about ghosts and mummies living in a haunted house and witches, skeletons, and werewolves wandering graveyards, or anything else my uncreative brain can put together.

Your interest in all things wicked isn't as unsettling as your level of absolute fascination with it. Your face lights up, you get completely enthralled and lost in these stories. The spookier the better. You suggest we curl up on the bed and snuggle while we talk our ghastly tales. You curl up on your side and I have your complete undivided attention. Its like I am unraveling all the secrets a toddler wants to know. I can get you to follow me everywhere in the house if I ramble on about a vampire or a werewolf. You have even thrown your hands to the sky and shouted 'Hooray' when I reluctantly agree to talk about mummies for the third time today and its not even 11am.

Maybe after Santa Claus leaves his bounty of gifts next week, it will generate some interest in Christmas. But the bounty of gifts include 3 new Halloween books so maybe not.

Winter 2006 Portraits