Adam and Gretchen and Baby

Easter

Gretchen — Mon, 06 Apr 2015 00:29:00 GMT

Here's me trying to get them both in a shot.

Happy Easter everyone!!

Family Photo Session

Gretchen — Sat, 04 Apr 2015 02:00:00 GMT

Back in February, we had a family photo session done at John U. Lloyd State Park in Dania Beach, right next to where all the cruise ships leave from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. Here are the top photos.

See all the photos here.

Maternity Leave

Gretchen — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 00:27:00 GMT

Well, my maternity leave is over! Everyone at work has told me, "you're back already?" (All except for my coworker Egidia who has helping to cover for me, for her I couldn't get back fast enough!) If it seems fast to them, it flew by to me!

Unfortunately I can't intersperse text and images in this blog, so I'm going to give you a rundown of the photos below in order.

The first ones are from New Year's Eve, which we spent at home. My mom was with us, but preferred sleep to watching the ball drop. Which I totally understand because the three of us were splitting all-night shifts with Andrew at that point.

We had some time to go down to the Hollywood "Broadwalk," which despite its name is not really especially broad, just a regular boardwalk. It does go for over two miles along Hollywood Beach, which is one of the wider and more beautiful beaches in south Florida.

Margie and Brian came down in January and my mom went back to Illinois to help my sister Theresa, who is expecting a little girl in May.

VIDEO: Puppet Andrew

During that time, we did a little sightseeing and went to Vizcaya in Miami, which I've always wanted to visit. It is a mansion built around 1914, on 180 acres of what is now prime waterfront real estate in downtown Miami. It was built by James Deering of Deering-McCormick-International Harvester fame, which was based in Chicago. No surprise he wanted his vacation home in Miami. He built it to look like a European estate, much older than it actually is, with artwork and valuables throughout the home. It is pretty incredible, and the gardens are apparently a magnet for quinceañeras, who these days all look about 25 instead of 15, and are getting their photos taken by professional photographers. Bringing Isaac to such a quiet and non-touchable place was a questionable decision, although we didn't have much of a choice since we all wanted to go. And he acted as you'd expect a two-and-a-half year old to act, when you won't let him run through the house or touch anything or go past the velvet rope or hide behind the antique furniture. Luckily there were four of us, and the gardens were fun for him, especially the hedge maze. Which is low and not at all like "The Shining," not to say it didn't cross my mind.

Continuing on, Isaac's "novia" (girlfriend) and part-time babysitter Mariana, who helped me with the boys after Margie left and before I went back to work, was going back home to Venezuela so we had a little farewell get-together at the house featuring a huge dense chocolate cake. If you can believe it, the Party City near my house had absolutely no "bon voyage" decorations (although St. Paddy's Day was fully covered), so I decided to change it up and have a "USA" party. Isaac still misses her!

One rainy weekend day, we decided to try out a place we had heard about called Young at Art, which is a children's museum about 15 miles west of the house. I don't even think "museum" does it justice, it's the largest and most insane kid's play area I've ever seen! Adam enjoyed it too. There were probably seven different very large play areas with all kinds of activities that are all didactic. There was even a live musician! Needless to say, we are now members.

I'm very lucky that my company offers a phase-in period, which starts out at 20 hours a week and works up to 40 hours by week 5. Right now I'm in week 3, and it's been a huge help both emotionally and practically, to get things done and gradually get used to being away from home all day. We hired a very nice lady Olga, who lives nearby, to watch the boys at our house during the day, and it's been working out great.

Andrew's such a big boy, and really developing well. Check him out here:

VIDEO: Tracking with his eyes

That's all for now! Hopefully it will not be so long between posts again!

First Days

Gretchen — Sat, 03 Jan 2015 19:55:00 GMT

After Andrew was born, we spent three days in the hospital, with daily visits from Grandma, Grandpa, and Isaac. It was a zoo when everyone was in the room! Uncle Joe came by as well, and even held Andrew! My friend and co-worker Egidia visited us with her husband.

It's been three weeks already since Andrew was born! It's flown by. I have to say, it's been easier the second time around. We're more confident as parents, and I've been feeling better physically than I did with Isaac. It's also made a big difference having my mom here to take care of everything around the house and Isaac, while Adam and I focus on Andrew. My mom has also been organizing up a storm, since we're still unpacking the last boxes from the move, hanging up pictures, and putting up those finishing touches.

Isaac has taken on the role of big brother, and enjoys pointing out "baby brudder" when he comes into the room, and loves giving Andrew kisses and covering him up with a blanket (also taking the blanket away). He wants to hold him, and frequently puts toys into his crib. He also really enjoys the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse microphone that Andrew gave him when we came home from the hospital.

Welcome Andrew McLean Paxton!

Gretchen — Tue, 23 Dec 2014 21:39:00 GMT

Our second baby boy, Andrew McLean Paxton, joined us on Friday, December 12 at 7:54am via C-section at Memorial West Hospital in Pembroke Pines, Florida. He weighed 7 pounds, 4 ounces and was 19 inches long. Everything went smoothly and I was able to see him right away, and in a few hours we were resting together in the room. We spent three days in the hospital and came home on Monday, December 15.

My parents came down from Illinois for the delivery. Dad stayed a week and Mom is here through the holidays. Isaac really enjoyed spending time with them, and also liked visiting us in the hospital (he told all the nurses, "I'm gonna see Mommy!"). My recovery has been better than expected and I'm feeling great. It will be three months to heal completely, but I'm able to walk around quite a bit and do everyday things, although I can't lift anything heavier than Andrew for now.

Andrew has been a dream baby. He sleeps, eats, and poops like a champ, and is hardly any trouble at all. We keep having to remind ourselves that he's there because he's so quiet! We marvel every day at what a great baby he is.

Besides sharing a birthday with his dad, Andrew's birthday also happens to be the feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico. Babies born on this day are called "Guadalupanos." So although we left Mexico, even Andrew now has a connection with the country we love.

Last but not least, Andrew is named after my grandfather Andrew (Mom's dad), who was a Presbyterian minister and a wonderful husband and father. My engagement ring is the one my grandmother wore, and every time I look at it, I think of the 54 years that they spent together and the committment that the ring represents for them and for us. Now we have another little piece of them with us.

Hello Florida

Gretchen — Thu, 20 Nov 2014 02:22:00 GMT

On October 1, the three of us boarded a plane in Cancun with five suitcases, one stroller, one car seat, toys, laptop, iPad, and a myriad of other accoutrements. In 90 minutes we touched down in Fort Lauderdale, picked up a gigantic rental car (Chevy Tahoe), and drove to our apartment in Hallandale, about ten miles south of the airport. We had 30 days in this beautiful, furnished apartment while we looked for a more permanent living situation. The apartment also happened to be on the beach.

Over the course of October, we got familiar with the area, found a temporary daycare for Isaac, and bought a car, a brand new 2014 Honda CRV! It was the very first new car that either Adam or I have ever owned. We did a lot of research and found that this was the most reliable and safe small SUV, and keeps its value very well over the years. Adam is excited about having a reliable car, after bearing the brunt of the problems with the Ford Explorer, and I'm happy to have a smaller car to drive around instead of a tank (although I did like the Explorer).

At what seemed like the very last minute, we found the right house to rent, in Hollywood, about five miles from my office and one and a half miles from the beach. It is a 3-bedroom house built in 1959 with a nice patio and fenced-in backyard. West Lake Park is right next door, with plenty of kiddie play areas, a lake with fish to feed, and an area to rent kayaks and paddle around. The area is very quiet and safe, and just down the road is a brand new shopping center with a grocery store, Starbucks, and other stores and restaurants. The city of Hollywood puts on a lot of activities, like a "Boo Bash" for Halloween, a Christmas tree lighting, food trucks on Mondays and free movies at the park on Fridays. We really like it so far.

Margie and Sam drove from Oklahoma to the Florida Keys in their RV, and on the way back stopped by for about two weeks. They made it just in time for Halloween! They were a huge help setting up the house and getting things organized the way we wanted. Sam and Adam installed a ceiling fan, Margie organized the whole kitchen and did a lot of cleaning, and Sam rewired a lamp or two. They also watched Isaac for a whole week. Isaac loved checking out "papaw big truck," Sam's Ford F-350 which hauled the RV down from Oklahoma. Margie helped me spend a lot of money at Target, and we fixed up Isaac's room slash guest room as a pirate room - yar! Also got some Thomas the Tank Engine decals for the walls.

VIDEO: Pirate Room

We also got a slipcover for the couch and new pillows, which gives it a whole new look.

Last but certainly not least, Adam was a groomsman in his childhood friend Charles' wedding in Miami. It was a beautiful wedding and we all had a great time. The food was awesome and the music was really fun. We closed the place down! I have a lot more pictures from the wedding but will have to include them in a later post.

On November 11 was Adam's and my fourth wedding anniversary. We got each other flowers and relaxed at home.

Good-bye Cancun

Gretchen — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 01:44:00 GMT

Well, we have more big news. We've been so busy the last two months, I haven't had time to post. Many of you have heard, but for those of you who haven't, I was offered a new position with Enterprise Rent A Car, which I accepted. The new position required that we move to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

My last day at Melia was August 29. After eight years with the company and a lot of ups and downs, leaving was definitely anti-climactic. There have been moments when I loved my job and moments when I was ready to walk out the door, but when I left everything felt so rushed. There were a lot of changes going on at the time: a major corporate reorganization and changes within my own team, making it even harder to leave because I was the most senior person on the team (even more than my boss), and I felt like they needed me. But in the end, the new job offer was too good to turn down.

The last few weeks have been so hectic. In mid-September, Adam and I traveled to Fort Lauderdale for a week to look for a house, car, daycare, etc. We made some headway but didn't nail down anything concrete. The end of September was full of wrapping up loose ends, and the pack and move. Margie came down one last time to help out while we took care of everything. We had a goodbye party at La Tranquita a few days before we left, and my coworkers came over to say goodbye as well. We sold the car the day before we left! The last two days we stayed with Lucy and Eric.

In spite of all the craziness, we really tried to take advantage of our last few weeks in Cancun, and in Mexico. It's been an eight-year adventure which we never expected. When Melia offered me the job and we moved to Mexico City in 2006, we never thought about how long we would stay; we just thought we'd stay until we were ready to leave. And we were never ready to leave. We loved the wild crazy energy of Mexico City, the history and culture of thousands of years mixed with incredibly modern art and architecture, the coolest restaurants with the best food we've ever had, all along with 23 million other people. The city just exudes energy. After four years we were ready to try something new, and moved to Cancun. Cancun was a complete 180 from Mexico City. If Mexico City was a dry, cool, urban climate in the mountains, Cancun was a hot, humid, suburban environment on the beach. Life in Cancun is laid-back. The beaches are the most beautiful that I've ever seen, an electric turquoise blue water against the white sand. The people are a mix of every state in Mexico, plus citizens of dozens of other countries who have made Cancun their home. We got to experience the Mayan culture and history firsthand. Most importantly, Cancun is where we got married and had our son.

Leaving Cancun was one of the most difficult things we've had to do. We love Mexico and honestly, were not ready to leave. I really think we could have stayed there forever. But sometimes in life, you have to take opportunities that come your way, even if the choice is very difficult. In the long term, we know that this is best for our family and our future. We are so grateful for our time in Mexico and will always cherish the country with very fond memories. And don't think that this is the end for us there, we will definitely be back to live, in retirement at the latest and maybe even before, who knows what surprises life holds?

So that's it! We're here in Fort Lauderdale, adjusting day by day. I'll post later with more details about our move.

Visit to Crococun Zoo

Gretchen — Thu, 21 Aug 2014 11:47:00 GMT

Last Saturday, we took Isaac to Crococun Zoo in Puerto Morelos, about 20 minutes down the road. It's an interactive zoo where you get an hour-long guided tour through the jungle, and the chance to touch, feed, and interact with the animals they have there, which are mostly native to the Yucatan and southern Mexico. Isaac got ready by wearing his monkey shirt and backpack.

Our guide, which unfortunately I can't remember his name, was really great, and knew a lot about each animal, and could even name all the monkeys. He said they were like his coworkers. We started out with some birds and parrots, and a spider monkey swung down to check us out.

We moved on to lots and lots of crocodiles, which made me nervous, especially since Isaac had no fear whatsoever, then lizards, some of the biggest snakes I'd ever seen, native Aztec dogs known as Xoloitzcuintles or Mexican hairless dogs (which are really ugly but Isaac loved), more crocodiles, a playful spider monkey, and finally some native deer. Guess which one was Isaac's favorite?

VIDEO: Crococun Zoo

It was a nice experience and something that we hadn't done before. Definitely a nice departure from the traditional zoo and more natural than a petting zoo. Good times!

Big Announcement

Gretchen — Tue, 19 Aug 2014 11:51:00 GMT

Adam and I have a big announcement to make - we are expecting our second baby! The baby is doing great, and is due somewhere around Christmas of this year. I'm doing fine, other than the regular nausea in the first trimester, now everything is fine, I'm just more tired and hungry than normal.

My sister Theresa made this amazing poster for us! We want to do movie-ticket themed birth announcements, like my parents did for all of us, so we decided to pre-empt it with a movie poster pregnancy announcement. What do you think?

The doctor said that this baby is going to be a big one! When he charted the femur size, which I guess is an indicator of overall size, it was off the charts. Oh boy!

I had a gender reveal party at work. I made a cake and added food coloring to make it either pink for a girl, or blue for a boy, then I frosted it white so you couldn't see the color from the outside. All my coworkers had to guess what they thought it was, then I cut into the cake to reveal the color of the cake and the baby's gender! See their cute reactions here.

VIDEO: Gender Reveal Cake

Here's a short video of me making the cake plus Isaac's reaction:

VIDEO: Cake Making

Honestly though, Isaac is too young to understand what's going on. I keep asking him where is the baby and he points at himself! He will find out pretty soon!

Isaac's Second Birthday Party

Gretchen — Sat, 16 Aug 2014 14:48:00 GMT

On June 22, we had a Minion-themed pool party to celebrate Isaac's second birthday. (I know it's mid-August now, but better late than never, right?) We had it at the Isla Dorada Club House, and invited friends and coworkers to come over and enjoy burgers and some pool time with us.

We had a great turnout, and Isaac received many nice and thoughtful gifts. His favorite so far I think is the red motorcycle, which he rolls all over the Isla.

At the party, we had to have the Minions piñata, Minions plates and cups, cupcakes, and balloons.

VIDEO: Isaac's Birthday Highlights

All his little friends came, including Emma, Emilio and Eduardo, and Danny and Maria's little girl. Diony and her daughter also made it. I also made a poster of him at birth, one year, and two years, and hung it up around the house.

Thanks everyone for coming and celebrating this special time with us!

Cancun Playa Delfines

Gretchen — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 16:11:00 GMT

We noticed that the city of Cancun had installed a large "Cancun" sign on the beach (similar to other cities, like the Dallas BIG sign), so we used it as an excuse to get out of the house early on Saturday to get a photo there. We hadn't been to this particular beach, called Playa Delfines, in quite awhile, and since the last time we were there, they had really made some improvements. There are now restrooms, a foot washing station, handicapped-accessible entrances and chairs on the beach, a play area, even an exercise area.

Isaac for some reason has decided in the last few months, that he hates to put this feet in the sand. He used to run all over it, now he won't set foot in it, even with his shoes on. He just stands on the edge of the sidewalk and whines.

Miami Trip and World Cup Fever

Gretchen — Wed, 16 Jul 2014 03:40:00 GMT

Just now getting to some of these photos from last month. In June I went to Miami for a week on business, and Adam and Isaac joined me over the weekend. We shopped, ate, and visited my friend Egidia and her new baby Henry. Such a cutie! He was only two months old at the time. It was the first time she'd met Isaac, and hopefully she will still invite us back. Even with Curious George playing, a little doggie, a new house and a big yard proved too much temptation for Ike.

For the last month we have been living "El Mundial" here in Mexico, made even bigger by the fact that Mexico qualified. Like the last six World Cups however, el Tri made it to the second round and no further. Even Isaac cheering them on didn't help. (He had to take some calls during the game, so sue him.) Same story for Team USA. Oh well. At least Argentina didn't walk away with the whole thing - most people here feel that if they have the Pope AND the World Cup, Argentina would be completely insufferable for the next four years. Now we Americans can put away our stuff and forget about soccer again until 2018.

May Activities

Gretchen — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 02:21:00 GMT

New York, New York, it's a wonderful town! So too bad Isaac and I didn't go. Adam escaped for five glorious days sans family, to speak at a conference and tour the Big Apple. Meanwhile, I took the little guy to Galena, Illinois, for the wedding of a good friend. More details and photos to come later.

This spring has been very busy! Shortly after Grandma Margie left, we had our respective trips over the weekend, then returned to a visit from Grandpa Mike, followed the very next day by a visit from Theresa and her friend Freda! After that we went to Miami (me for a week and Adam and Ike for the weekend), and now we are back and taking it easy...or so we thought!

Apparently Isaac thought otherwise. He has recently learned how to crawl out of his crib, and is practicing it at all hours of the day and at bedtime. The first night we stood over his crib for three hours, putting him back over and over again. The second night it was over an hour. Tonight we thought we had him beat when at dinner at 7:00 he was doing this:

VIDEO: Nodding Off

However we soon find out we'd been had when, after tucking him in and tiptoeing away, he opened the door from the inside, smelling of rubbing alcohol. He had gotten out of his crib and into the closed bathroom door, under the sink, and tasted the rubbing alcohol as well as some hand lotion for good measure. After a call to the pediatrician, who assured me everything was OK as long as he hadn't ingested much of it, we went back into the room with him for another half hour until he really did fall asleep. The worst part is he has had us totally spoiled, going to bed without a peep since he was 9 weeks old! Now this.

Moving on, I owe a lot of photos and information about our visits, and I hope to get to that this month since we are not traveling nor have any plans outside of catch up on sleep. More to come!

Abuelita and Easter

Gretchen — Tue, 22 Apr 2014 02:53:00 GMT

Margie came down for two weeks in early April. Isaac is saying a lot more words now, and she quickly got him to call her "Lee-lita" (abuelita). As usual, Isaac knew that Abuelita's suitcase is full of surprises, and this time didn't disappoint (see Elmo guitar below, plus new hats!).

We decided to go back to Isla Mujeres for one night, since this was Margie's sixth time or so down here (since Isaac's birth, more before that), and even Cancun is running out of activities. She'd never been to the beautiful Playa Norte, so we decided to make a whole weekend out of it. Back on the ferry - this time with camera firmly in hand. We had a beach day, and the next day rented a golf cart and drove all the way around the island, including the Punta Sur where there is a Mayan ruin and a dramatic cliff down to the sea.

Margie left just before Easter, which was a four-day weekend for me. Since this is super-high-season in Cancun, we laid low, had a cookout at a co-worker's house, walked around Playa del Carmen, and went swimming in the pool. There was a little event for the kids for Easter in our housing complex, so we did that and met some of our neighbors.

We are gearing up for a very busy May! Adam travels to NYC while Ike and I go to picturesque Galena, Illinois for a friend's wedding, then we come back and Mike (Adam's dad) comes for a week, then he leaves and Theresa and Freda come for a few days! After that we go to Miami for a few days. It will be crazy but we're looking forward to it.

Spring Break Cancun!

Gretchen — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 20:32:00 GMT

Actually Isla Mujeres, a very long and narrow island about 8 miles off the coast of Cancun. I get the third Monday of March off every year (thanks Benito Juarez!), and in years past we have usually gone to Playa del Carmen for the weekend. Since we have been so many times and the vibe in Playa is more "party" and less "family," we decided to try something new and head across the bay to Isla Mujeres.

As anyone with small children knows, just getting out of the house is an ordeal, and it took us until about 1:00 on Saturday to finish packing, get everyone's breakfast, then snacks, showered, and get the car packed up. We drove about 30 minutes into downtown Cancun and then north to the ferry, where we parked the car and admired the view from the 5th floor of the parking garage. I wanted to take a photo, at which point we realized that we had left the camera at home on the dining room table. "Do you want to go back?" Adam asked hesitatingly. "No," I answered, and we took some altogether unsatisfying photos from our respective phones.

We got our tickets and on the ferry. Just 20 minutes later, we landed in Isla Mujeres, braving the inevitable thicket of fellow tourists, taxi drivers, tour salesmen and trinket hawkers, to get to our hotel just across the street from the beach. The hotel was facing west, back towards Cancun, which we could make out clearly across the bay. Later we went to the beach across the street, wading briefly into the ice-cold water, which Isaac was not having any of, and playing in the sand. We showered and headed out for dinner along the main drag, which is a pedestrian-only street that runs north-south in the middle of the island.

The next morning we were awoken early by Isaac, who was delighted at finding people in his room - "mama, dada, mama, dada..." First stop was breakfast, then to a nearby supermarket for some snacks for the room. I entered the store holding Isaac and saw the fruit on my left. Isaac was looking the other way and clearly said, "banana!" to which I said, "no, they're over here," and then I saw it. A huge stack of Minion soap dispensers, all peering appealingly out of their plastic boxes at Isaac. Of course, there was no way I was getting out of there without one, especially since the stack had been cleverly placed in such a way that you had to pass it both entering and leaving the store.

See the banana soap dispenser in action.

(If you don't know why Isaac calls all the minions "banana," see this video.)

Then we were off to the famous North Beach, which is said to be one of the most beautiful beaches in the Yucatan and one of the reasons we decided to go to Isla Mujeres. It was about 6 blocks away (everything is Isla Mujeres is about 6 blocks away), and it did not disappoint. We got there early and paid for two lounge chairs and an umbrella, right next to a beach club with restaurant, bar, massage services and relatively clean bathrooms. The beach was absolutely spectacular. The photos below in no way do it justice. The beach itself was white sand, like all the beaches in the area, and was narrower than the Cancun hotel zone. The water was a light turquoise blue and completely calm; we could see the waves breaking further down on the east side, leaving the north side like a bathtub. Wading in, the water was crystal clear, and you could walk for a hundred yards or more and the water still only comes up to your waist. It was incredible, straight out of a postcard. The beach club filled up later on in the day but never felt packed. There was quite an array of fellow beachgoers - Americans, Mexicans, Italians, Brazilians, Spanish, Canadians - hippies, topless, families, couples, you name it. By the end of the afternoon, there were over 20 yachts anchored just off shore (I counted); the occupants just dropped off the boat into the water and waded to shore.

We spent all day there, longer than we should have, even though we were all SPF-50'd up and in the shade. We just couldn't bear to leave. We went to the restaurant and ordered lunch, and in what's become somewhat of a classic Paxton family move, realized we didn't have enough money only after we'd ordered drinks, appetizers, and entrees. I volunteered to hoof it back to the hotel to get more money, which only took about 20 minutes total (by the time I got back, Isaac had eaten all the guacamole though). We went back to the hotel, showered and got dinner on the main drag again. Adam had definitely gotten some sun and I'd burned a little bit, but luckily Isaac was still intact.

While in the room that night, I dug into my purse for something and discovered our camera, which had been with us all along. Doh!

The next day we checked out of the hotel and stashed our bags in the hotel's official and very secure storage area (aka, under the stairs). We had decided to rent a golf cart for a half day - golf carts being the main form of transportation around the island. Isaac was super pumped about the golf cart and kept wanting to drive it. Adam was so enthused that he popped a U-ey and we toodled straight south for quite a while before anyone thought about breakfast, at which time we were a ways from civilization. We headed back and stopped in at the first decent looking place we found, which was actually really good (see Adam's waffles below). We wanted to go back and take pictures and some of the places we had seen, but it started to sprinkle, so we cut our losses and headed back to North Beach to finally get some photos there. Then we returned the golf cart, got our stuff and took the ferry back to Cancun.

Overall, we really enjoyed Isla Mujeres. The vibe is definitely islandy, and way smaller than Cozumel, if that's even possible. The north end of the island is the widest, and even then it's about 8 blocks wide. Farther south, you can clearly see the ocean on both sides of the island while driving on the road. There were some nice little restaurants, the obligatory tschotchkes sellers, and not too many tourists. The whole place was like a Jimmy Buffet song. We'll definitely be back, as there are still many things to do that we didn't get to on our trip, like a turtle hatchery, a marine park and snorkeling area, and for the part of the year - swimming with the whale sharks.

20 Months and Counting

Gretchen — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 23:36:00 GMT

Visits from Uncle Brian are some of Isaac's favorite times, so he was very happy to have him in Cancun for 10 days in February. Adam and Brian went to Cozumel for a few days to dive, and also to Tulum for the day. We did not take many pictures, but the few I have are posted below.

Isaac the troublemaker just loves getting into things he shouldn't, like pulling a whole shelf full of books into his crib when he's supposed to be napping, or bonking Uncle Brian on the head with a balloon. (By the way, that is a balloon that we got when he was born! And it is still fully inflated!) Now that Brian's gone back to Tulsa, Isaac misses his "roomie."

Isaac got his very first birthday party invitation, from a co-worker of mine whose daughter turned three. They went all out with a bouncy house, mole poblano for the adults (a typical Mexican dish), pizza for the kids (an international favorite), cake, and a piñata. As the littlest kid at the party, Isaac got to hit the piñata first, which I helped him with. He liked it so much he took another turn, then another, then another! By the last turn, he was able to hit it all by himself. There is a Mexican piñata-hitting chant which everyone does and it lasts about 20 seconds, and when it's over, everyone claps and the next kid gets a turn. Once everyone started clapping, Isaac put the stick down and clapped too. Then the next kid took the stick and Isaac threw a fit. All four times. Our toddler years are officially here!

January Happenings

Gretchen — Wed, 29 Jan 2014 04:03:00 GMT

Isaac the toddler is really growing and learning so much every day. As you can see from the shot above, he's started brusing his teeth. Which at his age, is mostly just chewing on the toothbrush and eating the toothpaste. It's all part of the training.

VIDEO: Brushing His Teeth

He likes to play the piano (ie, bang on it), carry his stuffed animals around and he LOVES his little cars. Only 19 months old and he will push them around the floor or his high-chair tray while making vrooming noises.

Other likes: all fruit, including his favorite BANANA, strawberries, blueberries, apple, pineapple, mandarin orange, even limes; crackers, toast, Cheerios, meatballs, chicken soup, noodle soup, spaghetti, pizza, vegetables and rice, macaroni and cheese, cereal, smoothies, juice, milk, water.

He has recently started getting upset whenever someone leaves the house. I used to think he was just mad about not being able to go outside himself, but now it's started to happen other places as well. He will suddenly burst into tears when Mom, Dad, or Diony has to leave. Not every time, but if we make a big production out of leaving, he will cry.

He loves animals, of which there are many where we live. The neighborhood cats ("gatos") that come prowling around during dinner time and take a seat on one of our patio chairs, the birds that Isaac chases around the complex, and the neighbor dog, Hercules, who bears Isaac's squeals and eager pats.

Isaac is saying many words now, most of which in Spanish, including: gato, leche, jugo, carro, ojo, coco, arbol, agua; English words like light, flower, banana, nose; and the bilingual mama, papa, and Cheerios.

His best buddies are the gardeners that work in our complex, who all know him by name. When Isaac hears the lawnmower he perks up and looks around for them. When he sees them out and about, he puts down whatever he's holding and starts clapping his hands to get their attention. One of the gardeners, Don Angel, always puts his hands out to the side, one foot in front of him, and throws his head back as he says, "qué pasó amigo?" Now Isaac also puts his hands out and one foot in front when he sees him. They also love to pick him up and hold him up high. Isaac will give them high-fives, complete with a fist bump at the end.

Isaac's newest thing is jumping, especially when he's showing off. He'll be running down the sidewalk, when all of a sudden, he'll stop, jump in place, laugh, then look around to see who is watching him.

He also loves being chased.

VIDEO: Playing with Dad

Last weekend we had Lucy and her parents over for a cookout. Isaac was very interested in Emma's curly hair. He kept touching her Shirley Temple curls, then his own straight locks, as if he were baffled by the difference.

Christmas

Gretchen — Thu, 23 Jan 2014 01:53:00 GMT

Before we left for Merida, Diony gave Isaac a Christmas gift of three little planes, which he loves (avión!). Totally by surprise, Santa Claus showed up at Isla Dorada, where he greeted kids and adults alike, then proceeded to take a seat in front of the Christmas tree with his elf and listen to kids' wish lists. We brought Isaac, but as he got closer to Santa he was quite scared, and once I handed him over to Santa he was in tears. I gave him to the elf, thinking it would be less scary than Santa but to no avail. Finally I just held him while Adam took the obligatory picture.

On Christmas, Dad and I went to church, then I made the ham and we opened presents. Isaac got tons of toys and books from his grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. All the adults interchanged a few items, and then I got the big kahuna - an electric piano! It has a full-size keyword and pedals, and sounds just like an acoustic piano. It also has other functions for organ, vibraphone, harpischord, and a few others. It came with a book of classic piano songs, some of which are quite hard, so I'm anxious to get my piano books which are coming with Brian in a few weeks time, when he comes to visit.

Merida

Gretchen — Sat, 18 Jan 2014 21:31:00 GMT

My parents came down for Christmas, and we decided to switch things up from our normal Cancun routine and go to Merida. Merida is a colonial-turned-industrial city of one million people, about three hours west of Cancun. It's the largest city in the Yucatan, and also one of the hottest places in Mexico, which is one of the reasons we decided to visit during December. The other reason we decided to visit is that Merida is about a 180 degree difference culturally from Cancun, and since my parents have been to Cancun many times, we wanted to see something else. According to Wikipedia, Merida is the most indigenous large city in Mexico, with 60% of the population claiming Mayan roots.

We picked my parents up at the airport on December 21 and headed straight out to Merida. We decided to rent a house instead of two hotel rooms, and picked a one-hundred-year-old house in the historic downtown. Looking at my photos, although we took hundreds of photos in four days, we for some reason did not take many of the house. Click here for some better shots of the house.

The first day we unpacked and got settled in, then wandered around a bit. The second day we had breakfast, toured the main plaza and the House of Montejo. (The Montejos brutally subdued the Mayan people in the 16th century, and later lent their name to practially everything in town including the local beer.) We watched a folkloric dance, and bought some souvenirs. Also, we also lost a few items, like Mom's sunglasses, and Dad (Mom found him in the balcony of a nearby historic theater, undoubtedly tapping on some wood while looking over the top of his glasses). Adam is always a good sport with my family but sometimes I think he feels like he's herding cats.

The following day we drove out a half-hour to Dzibilchaltun (don't even try to pronounce it), a thousand-year-old Mayan site where archaeologists found seven creepy dolls buried in the main temple and promptly named it "The Temple of the Seven Dolls." Besides the Mayan structures, there is also a ruined stone Catholic church and a beautiful cenote or sinkhole, which does not look beautiful in my photos below but it was, with amazing crystal clear water (also archaeologists found human bones in there; why do they have to ruin everything for us?).

Since we were already north of Merida we drove another 20 minutes to the beach town of Progreso, which features a four-mile-long cruise ship pier, and all the usual beach town slash cruise port amenities. We drove back to Merida and had dinner at a contemporary Mexican restaurant in the historic Santa Lucia plaza a block away from the house. Isaac also opened one of his Christmas presents a little early (thanks Aunt Beth)!

The next day, Christmas Eve, we headed back to Cancun. Ike showed off his brand new "guayabera" shirt, a traditional Caribbean shirt made out of linen with lots of pockets to hold guavas as you pick them. Looking sharp, thanks Grandma!

Christmastime

Gretchen — Sat, 21 Dec 2013 02:03:00 GMT

How time flies, and this Christmas season has really flown! Between the trip to Bahamas, the late Thanksgiving, and all the craziness at work, I feel like we've almost missed the Christmas season!

First things first - at the beginning of December, our friends Danny and Maria invited us to their house to meet their two-month-old daughter, Zoe. She is absolutely precious and a very calm baby. Of course the parents are in a sleep-deprived haze, but for a visitor she is a delight. Isaac didn't quite know what to make of her! It made me realize just how much Isaac had grown, to hold that little tiny baby, how really little and light she is compared to our big boy! I barely remember him being that little. Adam didn't miss a step with the little one though, it's like riding a bicycle I guess!

We bought some flowers which lasted literally three weeks. We also got a miniature "Charlie Brown" Christmas tree, and I made Adam hang up some Christmas lights around the living room, much to his chagrin and continued frustration as the imitation 3M sticky hooks fall down at the rate of about 5 per week. Isaac really enjoyed it though because he absolutely loves the step stool.

New things with him - he went through an entire day with his tongue out. He mixes words in English and Spanish, like "arbol" (tree), then "light." He loves to read books and eat bananas ("nanana"). It is so hard to look at the tree and not touch it! He likes to take "selfie" pictures with the camera. He can reach the light switch. He can scoot his crib over to his chest of drawers, pull them out, and empty everything into his crib before naptime is over. The phone is still a big favorite. He is talking more and more each day.

My parents are coming tomorrow for Christmas!

Bahamas Trip and Thanksgiving

Gretchen — Sun, 15 Dec 2013 02:18:00 GMT

Argh, another month and more craziness! Work has been very busy lately, with my usual responsibilities plus 2014 budgeting and meetings plus we opened a new hotel in Nassau, The Bahamas (yes, the official name includes "The") and somehow I got myself on the task force that is opening the hotel. Which means I got sent to Nassau for ten days. I guess there are worse places to get sent for work. The only problem was that the ten days included Thanksgiving. Long story short I did some last-minute maneuvering so as to be home for Thanksgiving.

We took over the Sheraton Nassau Beach, which is now the Melia Nassau Beach, a 694-room ocean-front hotel which will eventually become all-inclusive. Despite the 9:00am to 8:00pm work schedule, the other sales task force members and I somehow found time to do the tourist thing around Nassau, which takes about two whole days and then you've seen it all. We ate conch fritters and drank Bahama Mamas at the Fish Fry, bought souvenirs at the Straw Market, watched the cruise ships come in and, ironically, visited Senor Frog's. Since we spent a weekend there, I did a tour on Sunday to Rose Island, which involved taking a boat from Nassau to this island, snorkeling, relaxing, sunbathing, etc.

The hotel is owned by a large company that's in the process of building a huge (I'm talking $3.5 billion) complex next door which will involve a casino and luxury hotels, and the Melia will be a part of it. The interesting part is that the owners got most of their money from a loan from a Chinese bank, with the string attached that they had to hire thousands of Chinese laborers to build the complex. So now there is a type of Chinatown in Nassau (population 250,000).

Anyway, I made it home in time for Thanksgiving and mercifully found a fresh whole turkey, which I roasted with the traditional sides and we had a nice dinner. With about 15 pounds of leftovers.

More to come soon about our Christmas plans!

Margie and Sam's Visit, and a Wedding

Gretchen — Sun, 17 Nov 2013 19:53:00 GMT

Margie and Sam came to visit, because in her words, "it'd been two months!" It was Sam's first time back in almost two years though. They came bearing gifts, including clothes and shoes (natch), a little folding chair, and a ramp with toy cars. They stayed ten days, most of which were rainy. One of the days we went to Playa del Carmen, walked around on 5th Avenue, checked out the professional-style sand sculptures (if there is such a thing), ate at Piola and had mojitos at La Bodeguita del Medio. By sheer coincidence Adam's old boss Bert, from TDW in Tulsa, was in town on vacation, and she, her husband, and another couple that was traveling with them, came in for a dinner of Argentinean empanadas (why not).

Luckily for us, when Margie and Sam left they took the rain with them, because two days later was my co-worker's outdoor wedding, which was beautiful and well-attended by Melia people. Of course the bride was fresh as a flower while Adam and I were sweating like pigs. And that was after the sun had gone down.

In other goings-on, Adam's and my third wedding anniversary was November 11, and we had a nice dinner out while Isaac was watched over by the abuelos. Adam also got a swim-with-the-sharks experience, which he is doing as I'm writing this. I apparently brushed a mystery plant, which attacked my legs with something like poison ivy on steroids (poison ivy does not grow in the Yucatan BTW), which is only just now clearing up after more than three weeks. I saw three different doctors, none of whom knew what it was, but each one gave me more pills, potions, lotions, and powders, and failing that, spells and Mayan herbal medicine cures, of which I was becoming somewhat familiar from reading online about anything that could help. Call me if you ever get poison ivy, I've got some tricks now. Finally, I got put on a "task force" to open our new hotel in the Bahamas, which is a takeover from an existing brand, and am being sent to Nassau for two weeks. I guess there are worse places to go for work, although I am pretty bummed about missing Thanksgiving at home.

Halloween Cancun Style

Gretchen — Sat, 02 Nov 2013 15:20:00 GMT

Last year I didn't say much about the actual Halloween holiday here in Cancun. As a general rule, the closer you are to the US border, the more Halloween you get. The further south you go, the more Dia de Muertos you get. In Mexico City it was a nice mix of the two holidays. If anything, Mexican kids took our holiday and made it even better, by racheting up the spook factor (ofrendas or altars to the dead), and extending the trick-or-treating to several nights instead of just one. And the weather is better here. I remember trick-or-treating as a kid in central Illinois, it was invariably 35 degrees and raining.

In Cancun you definitely get more Halloween than Dia de Muertos. Not many people do ofrendas, but all the kids dress up and go door-to-door. Not many people give out candy though, so the kids have to work harder to get a good stash. When the kids come to your door, they don't say "Trick or treat!" they say "Queremos Halloween!" (we want Halloween), sometimes over and over in a rhythm if you don't get to the door fast enough. Here, the word "Halloween" is synonymous with candy.

On Halloween this year we dressed Isaac up as a fireman and took him around at my office, where he was a big hit. Adam donned his usual costume as Hawkeye from MASH. I wore a black dress and witches' hat (sorry folks, that's as good as it gets right now). It rained a little bit that night, and we didn't get any trick or treaters at the house. The next night, which is the actual Dia de Muertos, we went to Lucy's house where they had a block party and trick or treaters. I'm sorry I didn't bring my camera, so I don't have any pictures. They had contests, games, treats, and some enterprising neighbors were even selling cookies and mojitos. Emilio, Itzel and their kids came over (dressed as a ghost and a pirate), and they went door to door for candy. Emma was dressed as Minnie Mouse. It was definitely the first Halloween where I'm wearing a sleeveless top and sweat is dripping down my face! It was a hot one.

In other news, Isaac has taken to some games on the iPad like Peekaboo Barn, where he touches the barn and the doors open to a different animal each time, the animal makes his sound and then it says the name of the animal. We also have the same game for the different food items in the fridge.

On another occasion, I was in the kitchen and Isaac was in the living room, when I realized it was way too quiet over there. When I went over to check on him, I found him holding the computer mouse up to his ear like a telephone!

We've had some rainy weather here, but the last few days have been beautiful. We're almost out of hurricane season (Nov 30), and luckily for us and the Cancun tourism industry, we've had absolutely no hurricanes or tropical storms this year.

Other October Adventures

Gretchen — Sat, 26 Oct 2013 15:36:00 GMT

Sixteen months old - and into everything! This guy amazes us all the time with the new skills he's picking up. A couple of examples:

Climbing onto a dining room chair to sit at the table
Using a toy to reach something on a table that's out of his reach (reminds me of the tool-making crow)
Putting on the shoes of anyone who's left them around
Climbing into the basket of his stroller (only in, he can't get out by himself)
Flipping over the ledge by the dining room table onto the armchair
Lifting his leg in a ballet pose while holding onto the coffee table

VIDEO: Stacking the Rings

He's also talking more, whether it's babbling ("he speaks English now!" the gardener commented), trying to imitate animal sounds (the lion is his new favorite) or actual words. I'm getting a nagging feeling though that I've been working away from home too much, as all his words so far are in Spanish. Of course there's "agua" which was his first and still favorite word. "Agua" means to him, water, juice, milk, or just give me that sippy cup so I can shake it around. Then there was "pa-PA" and "da-DA" (I guess dada is an English word). He also says "Adam!" like I do when I shout up the stairs. Also "uh-oh" which Grandma Margie taught him, and he said last night after he let out a monster burp. The newest one is "papo" which is short for "zapato" (shoe). Diony can understand his baby babble - he'll say "deh deh beh?" which according to her means "a dónde fue?" (where did he go?).

He also likes to show off some of his new skills on command, but like those German shepherds that respond only to German commands, Isaac will only "perform" if you ask with Spanish words. If I tell him "Spin around!" I get a blank stare but "Vuelta!" will be greeted with an enthusiastic twirl (or two or three). "Brinca" will get a jump (or at least a crouch-down and stand up quickly with maybe one foot off the ground), and of course his famous ojitos.

And there's that cat that won't go away...

Chicago Trip - Part III

Gretchen — Wed, 23 Oct 2013 01:00:00 GMT

And now the original reason why we came - the Notre Dame-Oklahoma game!

On Friday night we arrived in Lockport, a Chicago suburb about an hour south of the city, to spend the night at Theresa's house. Since she and Brady had been in Peoria with us for the last three days, we decided not to cook and to just order Chinese take-out. Brandan and Adam went out to pick it up, while Theresa and I gave the boys a bath. Theresa put food coloring in the water which she insisted would not stain their skin, hair, or the towels (it didn't).

The guys straggled in some time later with the takeout, each holding a styrofoam cup filled to the brim with an icy drink. Upon further inspection the icy drink was whiskey, which they had originally ordered at the bar while waiting for the food. The bartender was apparently a newbie, and instead of pouring "two fingers," he filled their tumblers to the brim. The guys didn't complain, and although they couldn't drink it all at the restaurant, they were able to get them to-go (open container laws be damned!). The food was good, and we hit the sack early.

The next morning when I came out of the shower at 7:40am, Joe had already arrived and found the apple cider donuts. He was suspiciously but he claimed coincidentally wearing a crimson-ish colored t-shirt. We were ready to go pretty much on time at 8:00, and headed out. Joe had been gracious enough to offer to drive us from Lockport to South Bend in the morning, hang out in South Bend during the day, and then drive us back to Chicago that night. He wasn't even going to the game! (It should be noted that he is in the process of moving to South Bend, so he already has a place there with girlfriend Roshani and dog Chloe.) It's about a 90 minute drive normally, but on game day it takes quite a bit longer. Especially those last two miles. Even though kick-off was four hours away, the exit into Notre Dame was very clogged. We got out near my old apartment and wandered around campus for a few hours, enjoying bratwursts and stopping by all the major sights and some minor ones too.

Later Dad arrived with his buddy Bill, who was attending the game with him. We watched the band step off from Main Building, which is where they line up, and march in formation to the stadium, playing the whole way. Here's what it looks like:

VIDEO: ND Band Step Off

Then we attended the game, yaddah yaddah yaddah, then we went to dinner at Dad's choice, North Dining Hall. I worked behind the scenes at North Dining Hall for years. It was 9:00 before we even left campus. Joe, who had declined the mass-produced deliciousness of the North Dining Hall, picked us up and we headed back west.

Meanwhile, somewhere back in Chicago, little Ike had what was probably the most exciting day of his life. When he woke up, his mom and dad were already gone, and he had the place to himself with his cousin, aunt, uncle, and their dog (or "woof woof" and he calls them). Not only did they stuff him with food, but they had a slide in their yard and then Grandma came! In the afternoon, Grandma took him to his other aunt and uncle's house, where he played with his two girl cousins until bedtime. By the time we arrived he had long since gone to bed.

On Sunday my high school friend Sarah, who also lives in Chicago, came by with her husband and one-year-old son, Rhys. The little guys had some good playtime, and Lily also joined in (although honestly she was a lot more interested in the iPad we'd brought along). Later in the afternoon we hit up the park one last time, then finished off our trip with a bottle of Goose Island Matilda. (It looks like wine but it is beer, really good Chicago-brewed beer too.)

A great time was had by all! See ya next time Illinois!