Christmas '09

Marcelo's prize gift from Santa this year was Woody from "Toy Story".

Here he is making sure his hat never comes off again, sporting his new Christmas home made pajamas.

These are just a few of the Christmas festivity moments at our house.

This springy green alien ball was the highlight of the gift opening. Marcelo's reaction was bewilderment and a nervous aversion to it. He could barely stand to look at it much less touch it. Doing so, would send him into screaming hysterics. My only guess is that he must have thought it was alive.

Sometimes the best gift is that familiar comfort item --a new sippy cup with just the right straw, that doesn't leak, and fits just right in your little hand.

Hair Styling

As anyone should well know by now, Sofia and Marcelo have a mutant gene which compels them to wake up at an unnatural hour of the morning, pre-dawn would be more accurate. On this fine Saturday, we woke up with the awareness that the kids were surely already up and pleased that there was no noise evidence of anyone crying or destroying the house. However, the eerily too quiet atmosphere soon started to bring on a little bit of nervous suspicion within me.

They were found in the kids bathroom styling each other’s hair with petroleum jelly. Now I see it’s obvious that Marcelo had been growing out his hair all this time because he’s such a big fan of Edward (from the Twilight series).

Since we couldn't get the petroleum jelly out of his hair even after several shampoos, I decided it was time for a haircut.

Halloween '09

We weren't sure if we were going to be able to do Halloween this year, having just come off of all the sicknesses. But we did it. I was inspired by the home made Martha Stewart costumes for a cowboy using paper bags for a vest and chaps. But after all the materials were found and Ray enlisted to help, the paper part of the outfit wasn't that great. I ended up liking the supporting pieces better all by themselves. I even found little cowboy boots for Marcelo. (Walmart is a great source of shoes for dress up). Marcelo seemed pretty satisfied with his costume and accessories and it was easy to wear.

Our trick or treating was fairly limited.  We went to Tia Marcela's house, a few houses around her neighborhood and to Abuelo's house.  Marcelo quickly got the gist of the free candy thing.  And was very interested in opening everything up.  It was a bit torturous to keep telling him he couldn't eat any of the chocolate ones (due to his allergies), but he was perfectly content when I would find a smarties or other candy purely consisting of sugar.

First Dentist Visit

Because Marcelo already has dental insurance coverage, I decided to take him in for his first check up much earlier than Sofia. It seemed like a good idea at the time when I was at the dentist office with Sofia at her last check up. However, the night before his appointment, I couldn't understand what made me think that would be a good idea, considering his recent behaviour at his last well child visit with the pediatrician. He almost had to be sedated and strapped down to the table. What was I thinking setting him up with a dental appointment at the young tender age of two terrible two.


Well, eventually he'd have to go anyway so I decided to grit my teeth and go through with it. Ray came too as this was a big event for Sofia and we were both in attendance for her. We try to honor the big event-ness of it all with Marcelo too, even if it is the second time around.


Everything was good for the first little while. He gladly obliged with having his picture taken for the record and the no cavity club, giving a great big smile and offering up the "Cheese" without even being asked. Then it was onto the x-ray chair which he thought might be a fun event too until the technician started approaching him with the unidentified objects (x-ray films) that he immediately concluded were dangerous and threateningly getting too close to his face. At this point, he started protesting and it was clear he was not having any of it. So we skipped the x-rays. Not really necessary at this age anyway.


Next, we entered the room were he spotted the TVs on the ceiling right away and was again mesmerized with the novelty and promise of a good time. He readily laid down on the exam chair. We made him comfortable with a pillow under his bum and he proceeded to start watching "Bolt". The tech fitted him with earphones and he was good. She tried to brush his teeth but he started protesting at that as well. As we waited for the dentist to come see him, he was enthralled in the movie and suddenly his entire body shuddered violently as he must have been startled by a loud noise through the earphones. It was pretty funny/cute/sad.

He sort of allowed the dentist to look at his teeth even when he was picking at them with the evil hook, but started shedding the tears once the dentist began to brush his teeth. He didn't get away with it though, the dentist continued anyway declaring it would be even easier to brush his teeth if he was crying because his mouth would be open. Hmm. The exam was pretty quick though and Marcelo immediately recovered once he was offered a basket of treasures to choose from. He didn't hesitate for a second when he saw the ball and snatched it immediately before anyone had the chance to pull the basket back.



After the exam, we let him play in the waiting room as he hadn't gotten to do that when we arrived. Hopefully, his first dental visit is recorded as good experience in his brain, but we won't know until the next time.

Marcelo turns 2

- Saturday -

Marcelo received many Sesame Street toys.  Sofia opened most of them for him.  He tried to give each one the time and attention they deserved but he had to be rushed onto the next present for sake of moving along with the party.

He loved all his presents, but he was most obsessed with the balls, not sharing or even letting go of them

His cake was an alligator made from cupcakes.  He "oohed" and "ahhed" when he came down after his nap and first saw it.  I made him a special non-allergenic cake and he knew just what to do when it came time to blow out the candles.

- Sunday -

On Sunday, we had Abuelo & Abuela, Tia Marcelo & Tom, Uncle Peter, and Autumn over.  It was a bit windy so we ate inside.  Marcelo was all about Tia Marcela, "look at this...", "Tia Marcelaaaaa!".  There were some big gifts, a basketball hoop from Abuelo, and the Speed Racer car which we thought would need to be charged but Sofia showed us otherwise when she hoped in after it's excitement had died down a bit and pushed on the gas pedal.  Marcelo immediately had to have at it of course.  And although he managed to press on the gas pedal without assistance, he felt no need to take charge of the stearing wheel choosing instead to go where ever the car chose to lead him.

Marcelo also received a Sesame Street lego set from Tia Marcela, a set of cute little cars from Abuelo & Abuela, and a drum set with musical instruments from Mami.  I know, why would I do that to myself?  I don't know, because I'm willing to hurt myself just for the enjoyment of my own children.  Marcelo loves to play the drums anyway on anything he can find.  When we're out in the garage, he somehow knows to turn the plastic water containers upside down, hold it up with his legs and beat on it.  He's a very musical boy, what can I say.

Go Speed Racer Go! (in your new JCrew cardigan from Kiri & Ann)

You had tons of fun on your two day birthday celebration.  Now we have to figure out how to handle your newlyfound posessiveness of your toys.

2 Years

You're almost two years old and boy does it show. Your easy going spirit has slowly been replaced by a more boyish disrespect for authority. My authority to be specific (I would mention Daddy's authority but I'm still waiting for him to develop some.) Your listening skills definitely leave much to be desired. Your ignoring skills are highly refined and right up there with a full grown man's ignoring abilities. Another boyish trait of note is your propensity to repeat an action with undesirable results. If you consistently fall off a chair you decide to climb on, you might want to consider moving on to something else. Particularly since you're more prone to come running to mama, whining and crying when you get hurt as opposed to the I-meant-to-do-that,-I'm-fine type of attitude Sofia would have taken at your age.

I suppose this confirms what I've known all along despite the almost unanimous opposition from my Senior Thesis Philosophy class in college, that men and women really are fundamentally different. Even compared to the classic tom boy that is Sofia, these qualities still set you apart in that time honored and recognizable the world over male way.

I will concede that your influences have been different as the second born child. The obvious and greatest influence is that of another child. You spend a great deal of your life following Sofia around, adopting whatever game she chooses to invent and acting like it's your own. You have progressed by leaps and bounds in your vocabulary which I think is greatly owed to the way you repeat every word, phrase, and conviction that Sofia has to offer. Just a couple of minutes ago, you and Sofia swarmed in here like flies, (that's what I call you two when you manage to find me and swarm around me no matter what room in the house I'm trying to enjoy some alone time in) and declared that you were bobcats as you displayed your hands gloved in mismatched socks. First I had to attentively listen to Sofia and then again to you with equal interest and surprise.

I know you don't know what a bob cat is but you never shy away from new words even if you can't pronounce them very well at all. It's a good trait to have. Not doing things for fear of being wrong will only hold you back. I've always been a competence first then comes confidence type of person, but as I've learned in my wise years, confidence will often get you much farther than competency. In this, you follow in your father's footsteps and I hope it serves you well.


Until recently, I had let your hair grow wild and long. I kind of always wanted you to have long hair but your hair just shoots down your forehead straight into your eyes, so alas, I abandoned my fantasy and took you in for a haircut. Despite my pleas that they not make you look like a Mormon missionary, you ended up looking like a Mormon missionary -sorry.

You're still a skinny little boy. I'll update with your measurements when we go in for your two year well check up. But, you're longer and your head is more proportional to your body making you look probably much older than you really are. I dress you like a regular little boy, but I miss the more cute and cuddly outfits of yester-year. I guess boys just have a shorter cute and cuddly shelf life than girls.

... more later



The visit at the pediatrician's office was challenging to say the least. Somehow, you seem to be able to retain some memory of doctor's visit even though your last one was more than six months ago. Nothing terrible has been done to you aside from the vaccines (no, I'm not counting the circumcision when you were two weeks old). Anyway, even though, the nurse kindly let us wait in the waiting room instead of the small examination room, you still decided you wanted to leave the second we got in the exam room. Despite the fact that you are normally quite friendly with anyone willing (or not willing) to talk to you, you wanted nothing to do with the nurse. You didn't want your head measured. You didn't want to lie down on the paper so we could measure your length, you didn't even want to sit or stand to get weighed.

Once we got called back to the exam room, you immediately turned back towards the door. As I tried and failed to distract you with nothing but my charm, Dr. Arnold walked in, quickly assessed that you were trying to escape and calmly blocked the door with a chair. I guess he's dealt with this before. I had a very hard time trying to concentrate as Dr. Arnold started talking to me. You were still rather enraged and started grunting and trying to move the chair out of the way. I thought at any moment you were going to make a break for it and I was going to be running after you down the hall making a spectacle.

As I wrangled you onto my lap for the exam, I braced myself for, what would surely be, the most embarrassing trip to the doctor's office. Where, despite Dr. Arnold's kind and regular reassurances on each visit that I'm "such a good mom", he would surely find out now that I wasn't and that I'd simply let you raise yourself as a feral child. Luckily, Dr. Arnold managed to sustain your attention for a couple of seconds with the lizard on his stethoscope. And although, you would only grant us short reprieves from the fit you were throwing in order to escape, Dr. Arnold was able to complete the exam and I was still able to escape with half of my dignity.

How much you don't grow:
Weight:  23 lbs 7oz (5th percentile)
Length:  33" (25th percentile)
Head Cir.:  48 1/2 cm (50th percentile)

Sesame Street and other hobbies

Marcelo's favorite show is Sesame Street. While only a few months ago, he past by the TV as Sofia watched with only a glimpse here and there, once he witnessed the experience that is Sesame Street, he didn't take his eyes off it for the whole hour of its entirety.


He usually watches it once a day with Sofia in my room while I take a shower. I've discovered it to be a very effective de-mobilizer and babysitter. I can count on them staying put the whole hour, giving me time to shower, get dressed, dry my hair and put make up on without being in a hurry or being disturbed in the shower every five minutes. Marcelo is mesmerized by each segment. He likes to watch it while clutching on to his little blanky. I tried watching it myself to see what was so great about it, but it didn't have the same effect on me -I just found it boring, annoying, and boring.

Marcelo also enjoys still throwing things on the floor, I think he knows it's slowly killing me; drinking his rice milk from his favorite straw cup; running around like a drunken midget; being picky and demanding what food he chooses to eat each day; tormenting Sofia by occasionally stomping on her head while she's laying down on the floor quietly watching TV; repeating everything anyone has to say in an interested, matter-of-fact, and curious way; and still being cute and adorable.

Recently, he has really uped his gamed in the terrible-ness department, though. He has become even more picky with food, only wanting to drink rice milk and eat wheat bread all day. And when I say all day, I mean all day. There must be a continuous influx of rice milk coming to him otherwise the shrill shrieking of "milky" begins. Trips to the time out couch have been more frequent lately and I suspect it will be necessary to make them even more frequently to keep his terrible-ness at bay.

Oh, I may have also forgotten to mention, he has committed his first toddler felony, assault with a hurtful weapon -his teeth. One day that he and Sofia were not seeing eye to eye, he decided to lunge at her face and bite her in the cheek. Luckily for him, Sofia was so shocked, she didn't retaliate and came crying to me instead. I felt really bad for her and I have to admit, for a second I had this feeling that I was glad it didn't happen to me because it looked like it hurt a lot. I could see the imprint of all his top and bottom teeth in a perfect circular pattern. This definitely sent up a red flag, hopefully it doesn't become a constant occurrence. He did try to attack me at Old Navy the other day when I had to chase him down and told him he had to go back in the stroller because he kept running off in the store not listening at all. As I tried to wrangle his squirming body, he lunged at my face, his teeth made contact with my cheek (apparently this is the target of choice), but luckily I held him back just in time to avoid the chomp. It was scary, I felt like I was holding a giant piranha. Not cute Marcelo, not cute at all.

On the more positive side (and potentially not good for me side), Marcelo and Sofia enjoy playing with each other more and more as he gets older. Most of the time Marcelo follows Sofia around trying to mimic what ever it is she's doing. But lately, I've caught glimpses of them playing together, pretending games, like kitchen or doctor, or building things with blocks together not just side by side. Having conversations and cooperating to make something happen. It's really nice to see them having that brotherly/sisterly rapport. I just hope this doesn't develop into conspiring to create fires in the closet when they get older.

Now that Sofia has started school again, Marcelo gets a little bit sad when we drop her off. It’s right as we start to drive away that he does a little puppy cry.