Thanksgiving Weekend

Thanksgiving was GREAT! Audrey met so much family and mommy is sick?! LOL. I prefer it that way.
We headed to Miami on Wednesday afternoon at 5pm. She fell asleep almost immediately because that is what she does in the car. She doesn't really like to be awake in the car seat. We stopped at 7:15pm to feed her at a rest stop. I was packed! She loved looking around. We headed back out at 8pm and she slept until the next morning at 6am! I was scared the trip would throw her off but she kept it up :) That morning we headed to the Turkey Trot. It was so nice to be in that enviroment again. We didn't finish the race because she got fussy but we still enjoyed it. After she got to hang out with her primos. Her Tia Mel ran the 10K so we cheered for her by the finish.

Audrey with her primos

We hung out the rest of the day at my parents house and several of her Tia-abuelas came to meet her and her Tio Pepe. Then we headed to Tia Alba's for our Thanksgiving Dinner! Audrey met MORE family. We left at 9pm because Audrey was getting tired and sleepy.
The next morning we had more visitors. Some of my friends from the school I used to work came to meet Audrey and I got to see baby Rocco again. He is so big,strong and handsome! Later in the afternoon we went to Titi's new house and meet baby Christian. They are 2 weeks apart. He is so handsome.

hanging out with friends from work


The baby trade- meeting Christian and Titi meeting Audrey for the first time
On Saturday we went to Christian's Baptism. It was so nice and the party after was great. Perfect weather and great company.

the proud Madrina

We headed back to Winter Haven the next morning.

Audrey is almost 2 Months old

Baby Audrey will be 2 MONTHS this Saturday. She is doing great!
-she smiles
-follows ojects with her eyes
-turns her head to familar voices
-holding her head up for longer periods of time
-sitting in her bumbo for longer
-makes noises/ vocalizations
-likes it when you play with her hands
-enjoys baby einstein dvds
-slept 10 hours the last 2 nights and 8 hours the 3 days before
-awake for longer periods
-does not sleep the whole time in the stroller and carseat
-good running buddy
-likes to stand and push with her feet
-loves bath time
-turns her head when on her tummy
-drinks 3 ounces of milk or more at each feeding
-is deliciously cuddley!!

HAPPY TURKEY DAY
thankful for so many people in my life...we are so blessed :)

these are just a few (I don't have a recent group shot of the other half of my fam)

Life as "Mama" (& Tia / Mina)

When my nephews were born I fell in love with them. I love the 3 of them sooooo much. I never thought I would love them so much (like if they were my own). People told me that once I had my own I would love him/her more. "Impossible," I thought and (although I may not agree with this statement later I have to say) I was right. I love them like my own. I hope in your minds this does not diminish how much you think I love my daughter but rather how much I love my nephews. O how I miss them. I wish they could hang out with their prima and her with them and her primas that are on their way.


As for Audrey, I'm so in love with her too. She is my delicious and cute princess. I love that she is all MINE. I get to do what I want with her and show her off. She has a beautiful smile and I can't wait when she figures it out so that I can intentionally make her laugh. She is a happy baby but gets cranky when she is tired. Her cranky/fussy moments are the most trying. So many handed me the "good mom" card but I don't feel all that good. I feel like a movie that was all hype. I'm not saying I'm a bad mom and I'm not looking for pitty It's just how I feel.


I LOVE MY FAMILY :)

This one's for Valeria ;)

So....
7 days after my last post I had my baby girl. Meet Audrey Gabriela :) 6 lbs 15oz & 19 inches long.



I had a great and easy delivery. Here is the quick version.
I went to the hospital with my contractions 3-4 mintues apart and 3 cm. I entered triage @ 6:30pm, they confirmed I was in labor and prepared my L & D room. A little before 7pm I was in my L&D room, met my new nurse (shift change at 7pm), and asked for an epidural. By 8pm I received my epidural and 30/45 minutes later my doctor came in to break my water and check on me. I was still 3cm. A little over an hour later I was 10cm and ready to push. I pushed for over 2 hours...thank God it was painless...and out came baby Audrey :)

There was no crying when she came out because she decided to swallow a good bit of amniotic fluid on her way out so she was very blue. They put her on me for less than a minute and took her to suction the fluid out of her lungs and make her pink again.

My nurse, doctor, hubby and family were all great!

We went home the next morning :)

Megan & Hunter visit :)

I continue to wait for 2 out of the 3 on my waiting list. I went to the doctor's office last week only to be told..."we'll start checking next week." It was very disappointing. Even if I was told there is no progress then at least I would know that but anyway, I will continue to wait for this week's eval....unless she wantes to show up before.
On GREAT! Finally! We've been waiting...news, our bedroom furniture has finally arrived after 3 months and several postponements.

Our weekend...
Evan and I had a productive weekend. Evan did lots of yard work and I cleaned the pool and did our laundry. We organized our clothes in our new drawers and set up the co-sleeper in the room (minus the sheets). On Sunday night Megan and Hunter visited us!! It was so nice to hang out and talk with them. They were able to see our house for the 1st time. They are such great people and we're so glad to have them pretty close by.

and we wait...

waiting...

waiting.
waiting for our bedroom furniture to arrive.
waiting for what the doctor says.
waiting for our baby girl to make her debut.

Evan and I are so excited. It's also exciting to hear how excited family and friends are for us. So many people love her and she hasn't even flashed them a smile. I can't wait to call everyone to let them know she is on her way. She continues to grow...I can feel it. I tried to let her know that there is no vacancy/ she has reached maximum capacity so we'll see when she decides she wants to come out. I don't mind carrying the weight but my skin can't take anymore. My belly feels tight so often because of her lack of space.I feel every butt, knee, elbow, foot...everything. For now, we wait...

Housewarming Party

Wow! What a weekend!

Evan and I had such a great time preparing for our housewarming party. We were excited to show our family and friends our home and how it is coming together. In all reality it was a great excuse to hang out and spend some quality time with so many loved ones.

To prepare Evan and I worked on cleaning, organizing and putting some finishing touches on a few things. Mami, Papi and Tia Ali were coming in on Friday night so I wanted to have as much as possible done before they arrived. I was excited all week but on Thursday morning I woke up even earlier than usual because I knew I would be preparing lots of the food making it that much closer. I had planned to get the groceries after my doctor's appt. at 10:50 but decided to get them done before. I headed to walmart at 8AM and bought all the groceries. After putting everything away when I got home I went to my appointment, had lunch with Evan, and the food preparation began... It was fun to set up platters, trays, and bowls of food. I was able to use many wedding gifts for the first time(We didn't have many people over our one bedroom apartment). Although I knew it would take a while, I didn't realize just how long. Evan came home and I was still going. That night we had our last child birth class and I needed to make a pasta dish for it so I made that right after. My feet weren't as excited as I was so the next day I had orders from Evan to sit and take it easy. I spent most of the day painting. When my parents called saying they were getting close I stopped painting to pick up a few things and shower. To my surprise, as I stood up off the couch I had a contraction!!! It didn't hurt but it felt like my whole belly was tight/ flexed and couldn't be unflexed. It was super exciting and went on pretty much until I laid down that night. Mami, Papi and Tia Ali arrived and got a tour of our home. It was great to catch up and show Mami and Papi the changes since the move.

The next morning we finished preparing for the party. Our guests trickled in EARLY (which was great!) and everyone that came was at our house by 1pm. The time listed on the invite was 12:30pm and every Cuban arrived before 12:30pm!!! I think that a party out of town is all they need to be on time to a party. It was great to have the family over early. We were able to show the house off, talk, play and reminisce. Evan and I were so happy to have everyone over. We had a great time and felt our guests enjoyed themselves too. It felt great and we couldn't have asked for a better party.

It was the first party we have ever thrown. We look forward to future parties and guests. I know there were several friends and family that wanted to come but could not make it. The invitation is still open to everyone.

We love you!!
Audrey will be here in 5 weeks!!!!!!

ps. We truly were excited for people to just come and enjoy themselves so I told everyone who offered not to bring food, that we had everything under control. Instead of food, everyone brought gifts. Evan and I were so surprised. It was so nice of everyone to think of us. The gifts were great and work well with our home. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING!!!

One of our gifts from the Cardentey/ Cruz Fam was a frame with the invite framed and 6 slots for pictures. I tried to sum up the day in 6 pictures by representing the different things going on and by picturing as many of the guests as possible. Well, it was impossible so I cheated.
Kika MADE this special dress for Audrey. I can't wait to see her in it. I have no idea how Kika had time to make this with everything else she has to do (i.e. entertain and take care of twins).
We celebrated the September birthdays that were at the party (the family has more than 3). Kathy, Mel and Tia Tere will be celebrating this month. Mel, I can't believe you are going to be 21!!!!
These are some of our GREAT local friends that were able to make it. Two great families! (someone may have been added to this picture)
We hung out in the living room....talking, and enjoying each other's company and later some watched the little league world series.
This is a combination of 2 pictures that were too good to leave out. Mom helping as usual, my big gut, and papi explaining to Many Pandy what he needed to do. Classic.
This is a combination of 3 pictures. We had such a good time in the pool...how could I pick just one.

things at random...

-i'm super excited to be a tia AGAIN and AGAIN! i'm also excited to be a mommy, but since i know what being a tia feels like (and I LOVE IT), i can relate and i just can't wait for my nieces/nephews to arrive!!!! congrats sisters!! love you!!
-if you have never been to my house, are not a regular visitor, or are not family, you should knock on my front door, NOT my carport door. It's weird and confusing.
-i know that audrey will fit in my belly as nature intended but i just can't fathom it. i've been wondering this since week 20 but it still amazes and scares me.
-i'm pretty sure it's not just a winter haven thing but really, you should call before you come to do any sort of work at my house...don't just show up. also, when you give me a time, stick to it or call.
-audrey takes my breath away...literally. i'm sure it will continue to happen once she's in my arms too.
-i wish we had parks like tallahassee has here.
-i love my hubby, evan, so much!!!
-i haven't been running since about week 28 and with the summer heat walking is not a good option either. this morning, i went for a walk anyway because i just had to move and sweat. i will admit that about 20 minutes in my hands began to swell (especially my right one). it's back to normal. lesson learned....no i told you so's. thank you.
-evan only has one more test to go to receive his florida license!! he passed one today! the last one is this saturday.
-i'm enjoying the little alone time with my hubby before baby arrives. i know that life will be very different. it's nice to have these last few weekends to ourselves.
-i met a pediatrician yesterday and was highly confused when she walked into the room. my appointment was to meet dr. sandoval and in walks an asian lady. i don't think i would have thought twice if she was hispanic, black or white but the asain threw me for a loop. i didn't even realize i was thinking that until she entered.
-evan and i are meeting another pediatrician today. we have heard many good things about her so, we'll see.
-our shower door should be installed today :)ooo they just called. they're on their way.
-speaking of showers...in the past few years i have fallen in love with very hot showers. it just feels so good. evan is now worried that i will burn our child. he insists that i use the little octopus thermometer everytime i bathe her.
-after ordering our bedroom furniture over a month ago it was supposed to arrive last thursday but on tuesday they called to push the date back 2 more weeks. so it should be here in a week.
-it doesn't hurt to ask...so i did. when i heard about the delay on our furniture i called the store and asked to be refunded our shipping fee and they did ....no questions asked. that was a good $150 saved but i still wish it was here.
-we have our 2nd childbirth class today. i look forward to it for a couple of reasons 1) it's interesting and 2) it's nice to see and talk to new faces.
-believe it or not, although i am home these days i don't watch much tv at all but yesterday i decided to turn it on in the middle of the day. i realized the only cooking show i like is Giada's. her food always looks amazing, and fresh, she doesn't annoy me, and i like the way she talks about food.
-i want to go to italy someday.
-i finished making audrey's pillow cover. her bedroom set came with one valence but she has 2 windows and i didn't want to get another valence so i made a pillow cover out of the valence.
-i wish my family lived closer. love you!

growing baby

Two weeks ago Evan and I took a tour of the hospital , The Regency, where Audrey will be born. They did good job answering questions and explaining how the labor and delivery process works in the hospital. The hospital gave us a sheet of paper with different choices that we can check off. It is almost like a birth plan. My doctor signs off on it and I turn it in to the hospital so that when d (delivery)-day arrives it is in my file and the doctors and nurses know what I want and don't want. I am of course excited and nervous.

That weekend was the first (non-moving) weekend that we stayed in Winter Haven. It was nice not traveling (even though I enjoy seeing the family). I was sad that I couldn't be there to celebrate Sebi's 1st Birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY SEBI!!!!!!!It looked like a lot of fun and a great beach day. Instead, we were able to get things done in the house and Evan, his dad and mom all helped paint the living room!! Painting is almost complete...only Audrey's room and the guest room to go.

After 10 weeks of not seeing our little one, we were able to see her in an ultrasound and find out how much she weighs. The technician got a great profile picture of our little one. At 30 weeks she is weighing 3lbs 4ozs which the doctor said is great because she is supposed to be between 2.5 lbs and 3.5lbs.


Isn't she beautiful?!

I went to the hospital later that week to register and I found out the jaw-dropping price of having a baby naturally (9K) and a c-section (27k). Good thing insurance pays for most of it!

That same day we had a house phone line installed because I don't have good reception at home. I have spots in the house that are pretty good but unreliable. The house line has definitely helped.

Friday morning I headed down to Davie by myself. It was a nice quiet morning ride. I was so excited to see my friends this weekend. As soon as I arrived I met up with a friend from work, Kendra. It is always an adventure with her :) She was unsuccessfully running errands all morning and realized at lunch that she had been without her wallet. It was not her day. And just a few days earlier she was waiting in line at Dunkin Donuts to pick up her food when coffee came flying from behind the counter and burned her arm. She had it wrapped up on Friday but I could see the burns and bllisters :( Hope you feel better! We later visited Krysten and met her newborn baby Rocco. He is so cute!! He was so calm and sweet. It was great to sit and talk with Krysten since we've been pregnant together at work. She would give me heads up on stuff or we would laugh at the things we were going through. She shared her labor story with me and despite everything she went through she paints it as such a positive expirience. Joe, her husband, made the furniture in Rocco's room. It was beautifully made. I had heard about it, but when Papi does a lot of wood work you are critical of other people's work until you see it....and it really was beautiful.

After a long visit I headed down to Miami. I visited Kika and my little Chulo munchkins. They are so funny and talking so much. The second Kika opened the front door they stood there saying "Nanny" "Aye-yo" over and over. Kika and I were able to sit and chat while they ran around talking and playing. I also had the pleasure of babysitting the little guys while Kika and Rog went out to dinner to celebrate baby #3! I'm going to be a Tia again!!!!! I fed my boo-boo-ma-goo-goos, they helped pick up their toys from the floor and I told them that we were leaving to visit Tia Ali, Tia Tere, Tia Meli, Tio Javo and Tia Kristen. They ran to the front door waiting for me to get their diaper bag, my purse, etc. and once I opened the front door Adrian turned around and said "sank you manina". It was very cool to hear. They of course had a blast running around the house.

That evening Evan arrived in Davie with his mom to rest before his Florida Board exam the next morning. His mom was his patient for half the exam and then they make you switch patients. (DISCLAIMER: I was not his patient because (1) I'm pregnant and (2) I'm an awful patient.)Evan and his classmates felt "iffy" on the first part but good about the second part. All he has left are two computerized tests which he takes next week on Thurs and Sat. Then he can OFFICIALLY practice as a DOCTOR in Florida.

On Saturday morning I headed back to Davie to pick Evan up from his test so that his mom could head home and enjoy the rest of her weekend. We had a nice brunch together and parted ways. Before arriving home we stopped at Michael's and Art Express to see if we could get the painting from NC that was an engagement gift from my parents framed. Well, let me tell you Art Express was not just better than Michael's it was GREAT! It came out beautiful!


We went home and Evan took a nap while I had lunch with two great friends from high school Sarah and Krysten. It was great to catch up and talk about our lives. It's amazing how things have changed in a year.

I picked Evan up after my girls lunch date and we went to Ben and Meli's house to pick up baby stuff :) Meli, Titi, Kika and Jenny donated so many things. We left with a bassinet, a co-sleeper, 2 swings, a baby carrier, a baby bag and tub. It, of course, barely fit. Thank you so much ladies!!

That night we passed by the Chulo's house so that Evan could see how much the boys were talking and how funny they are. We also got to see the Mata family. Meli is looking great at 20 weeks. Halfway there! It was so hard to say goodbye to my little Danny because he was crying for ME. It felt good but it was heartbreaking to hear him scream.

3 prego sisters!

The boys kissing Audrey

We finished off the night with a Tuscany Themed Dinner for Krysten's belated Birthday. As usually everyone was late and Evan and I were told to come late (because we're always on time) and we were still the first ones there. Either way we enjoyed talking to Krysten and her parents. They are always so nice and inviting. Later that night we had a lovely Italian dnner. Krysten had her backyard decorated beatifully!


AND HERE WE ARE WEEK 31!!! Only 9 Weeks to go!! Audrey has definitely grown these last 2 weeks. I can feel my skin pulling and itching so much (yes, I'm putting cream). It bothers quite a bit because at times the pulling stings. In addition to the pulling I think she is running out of room as she booty dances near my rib cage. It was cute at first but not as much when my insides didn't like getting bullied. Needless to say it was my first semi-difficult night to sleep but it was ok.

Look at my Soccer Ball!!

Earlier that day I visited The Cottage, which is an art gallery that a sweet older woman owns. I've been thinking about taking painting classes and selling some of my paintings so Evan's mom told me to check if they offer painting classes. They don't but Velma (the owner) was so nice and encouraging. I showed her what I made for Audrey from may camera and she was so encouraging and loved that I did stuff for kids. All in all it was more than anything very encouraging. We'll see what happens.


After living in Winter Haven for a month I was finally able to make it to Orlando. I met Megan and Lauren at Traci's house. We were able to meet tiny baby Taylor. She is so cute and looks just like her daddy, Joe. It was nice to sit and chat with Traci and take turns holding Taylor. After our visit, Megan, Lauren and I went out to dinner and did some more catching up. On the drive back home I spoke with Jess Wells. We talked about how weird it is to have a baby in your belly and her wedding!!! Evan and I are so excited!

It's been a GREAT last few days catching up and visiting with friends.

2010 catch up

January
-On the 15th Evan & I celebrated our 5 year anniversary of dating! It all became official one MLK day in 2005 in Tallahasse. I love this boy!!
-On January 24th Evan & I visited Jacksonville to participate in Devin's dedication. We are his godparents. He is such a cutie!


-We're pregnant!!! We found out on the 28th the same day that Titi & Lulu found out. We are all due within 10 days of each other :)

-We had dinner with the Jurado's and Chulo's that Friday (but they didn't know yet)


February
-I went to the doctor to confirm the pregnancy. Although it was too early and nothing showed up on the ultrasound the blood test confirmed it!
-We announced we were pregnant at mom's birthday lunch...except she didn't notice it written on her birthday card. In the end I told Kika who announced it. Then we called and texted family with the good news :)
-I went to the zoo with Kika and my Magoo-goos. I love those boys!

-Our first Ultrasound and our first time hearing our little one's heartbeat. It was great!

-On the 27th we celebrated Jacob & Jordan's 4th Birthday with a Spiderman theme. We had a great time and so did they.


March
-Evan & I went on a Satur-date. We love visiting family and having a busy schedule but it was so nice to go to the beach, walk and hang out. Then we visited Jaxsons for lunch and a Sundae. YUMMY!

-On the 20th we went tile shopping with Papi to pick out the tile for our bathrooms in Winter Haven.
-On Bola's Birthday we saw the first ultrasound that looked like a baby. (The previous one was a 7wks and looked like a smudge).

-Kika, Adrian, Danny and Alicia came to Davie to visit during Spring Break. We visited my school. The boys had fun playing in the Red Core, in the playgrounds and in the fountain, we ate at Moe's (Tio Evan passed by)after and walked around the mall.


April
-Mitch graduted from ITT with honors. So proud of him :)

-We visited Tallahasse for the Alumni Circus Show. A bittersweet show...the first without Dickie. At the alum meeting we were able to see a video and pictures put together for Dickie. The show was another great one. It was similar to last year's show but the talent continues to improve. It was also great to see many friends that we hadn't seen in a year.

-I had the pleasure of babysitting Sebi. He is such a good baby! We even went in the pool for his first time! Thanks Titi for letting me :)

-On April 27th we found out we are having a baby GIRL. Team Pink is finally on the map! She was very shy and trying to hide at first but the tech was able to wiggle her out of hiding in my pelvis.



May
-Javo's Surprise Party! It was a great success. He had no clue.
-My first Mother's Day. Mando and Christian hosted another great lunch. Delicious like always. Hooray for GREAT Mommies!!
-I broke our camera right around this time :(
-Evan's last day of school was on the 7th!!
-We celebrated Lily's baby shower on the 27th. She looked great and the party was great with beautiful flowers, great food, cake and chocolates.
-On the 28th Evan's family arrived in Davie and we all went to his Optometry Banquet. He received several awards including valedictorian (except it has a different name)!! I'm so proud of my hubby.... Handsome,sweet,caring, humble & INTELLIGENT!!
-That Sunday Evan graduated to DOCTOR!! We celebrated at Mom and Dad's house with family and yummy chinese food:)

June
-My students graduated on June 4th! They behaved great and made me proud. I didn't think I would, but the moment I began reading my graduation speech I cried. Everyone just attributed it to my little pregnant belly.
-That weekend Evan and I traveled to Winter Haven to go to our first apt at Gessler Clinic. It was great and very informative. We are very excited to work with them.
-We returned to Davie so that I could finish the school year. My last day was on the 10th. I'm going to miss my kids and all the wonderful teachers and staff I had the pleasure of working with.
-On Sunday Titi celebrated baby #2 with a beautiful baby shower. The scenery was beautiful and food was delicious.
-On June 18th Evan & I said goodbye to our home in Davie. We packed up with the help of several very nice friends whom we could not have done it without. Evan then drove the truck to Winter Haven and I drove our car to pick mom up at work and head to Winter Haven. Thank God everything went well. When we arrived that evening we had both sets of parents there to help us. Papi had driven over earlier in the week to finish the bathrooms. Thank you so much Pal!!
-The next morning we headed to our new home, cleaned and unloaded. In addition to our parent's Evan's friend, Adam, came and helped us too. That Sunday was Father's Day. I gave Evan a camera since I broke our last one. This one is shockproof and waterproof. Thank God for our great Dads.
-We went back to Miami for Evan's Florida Board Review Course the weekend of the 26th. While Evan was at his course, the family got to see Mandy and her mom and meet baby Ela. She is so cute and happy! Mandy was glowing.

After a nice lunch we went to Tia Alite's for Dylan's 2nd birthday party.


July
-One week later we were back in So. Fla. but this time for our vacation at the beach. Before we headed off to the beach we did the J45K. We were part of the Miami Fit Baody Boot Camp Team.

The beach was perfect. Great weather, delicous beach and great company.

-On the 14th I met a new doctor (I've already met one). I think I have 2 more doctors to meet before I rotate again. She was very nice and helpful. When I mentioned that I had leg cramps something in my description had her schedule a dopple screening of my legs for Friday. It turned out fine and clot free (that I know of). I was glad to have the screening done since we have been traveling back and forth so much. We headed to Miami right after.
-My Baby Shower!!!! It was so great. My family and friends were so generous like always. I just can't believe everything we received. I had a great time seeing everyone and how much they love our unborn little one. I can't wait to meet her.

-That evening I had my first scary prego experience. I woke up at 2:30am because I felt like throwing up (very rare for me to wake up at that time and even more so to throw up?). I didn't want to wake Evan or throw up in bed so I got up to walk to the bathroom. On my way I began having trouble seeing and felt like I was going to faint so I began crawling (at this point Evan heard me and came to see how he could help). My inside temp felt very high but my skin felt clammy. I stood up slowly with Evan's help, used the restroom and tried to relax. I didn't feel sick anymore only weak from almost fainting. We went back to bed after I made sure I wasn't bleeding and the baby was still moving. I slept fine the rest of the night and felt fine the next day.
-After arriving in Winter Haven that afternoon I calle the doctor to let one of them know what happened. She sent me to the Women's Hospital to get checked out. Evan and I thought they would just take my blood pressure and send us home but instead I had my first hospital experience. We walked to triage and they gave me a hospital gown (not very comfy) and I had to sit on a hospital bed....all firsts for me. The nurse asked what had happened and she monitored the baby for 45mins. She sounded GREAT both the nurse and doctor told me and my vital were good too. They said that I must have been lying on my back causing the baby's weight to trigger a vasovagal response . They told me if it happens again to make sure I get up more slowly.Everything was fine and we were sent home...Better safe than sorry.
-Tonight we tour the hospital....I know where Triage is now :/

I'm back...

I wanted to make sure I had something to write about so I waited 7 months. Here are a few things that happened...

October:
- Halloween at school.

- Visited a pumpkin patch with Danny & Adrian.

- Family Pumpkin Carving Day with the fam.


November:
- I turned 25! whoa! Evan took me to The Cheesecake Factory that weekend. He also gave me a running hat and shirt like I wanted :)

- Evan & I went to Meli & Luis' wedding. It was a beautiful wedding and the food was delish. I'm not a picky eater and like wedding food, but this was way better than wedding food.

-We visited NC for Thanksgiving and enjoyed family, cold weather, relaxing and some shopping for the nefs (nephews) for their trip up in December.


December:
- Mandy Pandy turned 1!!!! He is such a cute, big, strong and smart boy. Oh how I love him :)

-On Dec. 13th I ran my first half-marathon... The Weston Rotary's Run for Tomorrow. It went very well for my FIRST time ever even covering the distance. The most I trained was eight miles (only once) and it was much slower than the pace I ran the race....needless to say I was very happy that I was able to that. My pal was right next to me on a bike with a cow bell cheering me on and keeping me on pace. He's such a good pal and dad. Evan was cheering me on too. He was at the start and finish and ate pancakes while a ran :) Later that week I found out I won my age group which was exciting too (even though I know it was a small race).

FEMALE AGE GROUP: 25 - 29
Place Bib First Last Age City 10k Finish Net-Time Pace
1 244 Karina Brinton 25 Fort Lauderdale 51:59 1:52:37 01:52:23 8:35
2 326 Alisa Kruzel 26 Hollywood 56:03 2:02:04 02:01:51 9:19
3 617 Jillian Clapner 26 Coral Springs 1:11:45 2:28:05 02:27:29 11:16



- That day after the race we took family pictures to celebrate Tia Ali's birthday. It was such a great idea!

- Evan turn 27!!!!!
- Evan & I celebrated our 1st Anniversary!! It was not the greatest weekend other than it was our first anniversary. That weekend we were in Winter Haven working on our house. I began to feel nauseous while working at the house so Evan took me to his parent's house....turns out I had food poisoning. First time ever, hopefully the ONLY time ever. Papi and Javo happened to be kind of in the Winter Haven area so they stopped by to see how I was doing and helped me feel better. Also, Tio Moises passed away that Friday and that Sunday we went to his viewing. Such a jolly guy...he is missed. On our way home that Sunday we stopped to look at Lake Okeechobee..whaa whaa, not good. At the end of Sunday night we cut the top tier of our cake and Evan ate some ( my stomach was still recovering). For our anniversary Evan & I bought running shoes for each other....for a healthy year 2!!

This was taken and Meli & Luis' wedding in Nov.
- We celebrated Noche Buena at Mami and Papi's house and stayed that night to celebrate Christmas.

- We celebrated the new year in North Carolina and had a great time :)


HAPPY 2010