Happy Mother's Day!!!

I am a lucky wife and mother. I can't possibly ask for more. My husband came up with an idea for Mother's Day a few years ago. A Mother's Day off. Yes, meaning I am single again for a day. Without a husband and kids to take care of. For a day, usually a day before Mother's Day I get to sleep in. I get up whenever I like, I get breakfast in bed, get to lay in bed watching lifetime movies all day. Last year I learned about sexting. Had no idea what that was until I saw the movie about sexting. I learned a lot. I spend all day watching lifetime movies, laying in bed in my pj's. How do I eat you may ask?  My husband gives me my food in a tray and leaves it outside the door and texts me when he leaves it there so I can retrieve it. If I get thirsty I text and it's deliver to my door in no time. The kids know not to enter Mommys room, knock or bother mommy. It's Mommys day off. They respect it. I hear them in the house, in the backyard playing saying "it's Mommys day off, we have to be good boys". At night before bedtime, they come in and we snuggle for a bit and then they are off to bed and I am still in mine. I get up take a shower and put another pair of pj's and then I am back in bed to catch up with another lifetime movie. 

On the Sunday that is Mother's Day we go see my mother-in-law upstate for brunch and then before coming home go see my mother for dessert. Still on Mothers Day, my Fabsters and my boys treat me special and like a princess. This year I am celebreting a very special Mother's Day because I got my princess making my family complete. 

On Father's Day you may think he gets a Father's Day off too but he doesn't. Fabio actually wants to spend extra time with the kids, playing with them and going to parks, aquariums, doing any and all activities with them. I felt guilty at first but now I don't. I need that day off to recharge. Some moms or dads may not need that but I do and I am lucky enough to have a husband that let's me have it without throwing guilt into it or making me feel about it. Actually I never knew I needed it or could have it until he came up with it. When I tell my friends and family about my day off they either think I am a terrible mother or are jealous of it. Either way, I think some moms secretly wish they could have it.  I know I am glad I do. 

Happy Mothers Day to all the mommies around the world. May you have a wonderful day. 

Our Second Honeymoon.

Fabio and I were in the Carribbean celebrating our ten year anniversary. Eleven years ago Fabio went to Puerto Rico to propose to me while I was working there. It was romantic and we decided every ten years we would visit the Carribbean and spent one night in Puerto Rico. Forward Eleven years later and three kids and neither Fabio or I are the same person. We are ten years older, ten years more worn out, tired, RA and digestive problems. The only things that have stayed the same are the fact that we are still in love and Fabio is still a crazy adventurer. I use to be a little but the older I get and with each kid I gave birth to I became more nervous, more cautious and less adventurer. I am not the same. I am nervous Nelly. So during our week of celebrating our anniversary Fabio wanted to do the same things that we did ten years ago when we got engaged and the things we did during our honeymoon. Take in mind that although Fabio is still adventurous he still gets tired and his joints still hurt the next morning but he doesn't care he still goes for the thrill and has no fear. 

He wanted to ride ATV'S, we did that ten years ago during our honeymoon in Hawaii. I kind of liked it minus all the mud in my face.  This time I had not brought any ugly, dirty old clothes to ruin with all that mud.  I said no and he begged me to do it this time and I will be in his ATV. That scared me even more. He is crazy, he would probably crash our ATV or worse. I agreed but thank God we didn't get to do it too much on the agenda. Next, he wanted to do zip lining. What?!!?!!  Why would I do that?  What if I fell?  I couldn't. Then I felt bad and said I would go wth him and then just see him zip lining and then we can go home. Thank God the concierge told us that it is a hiking zip lining trip. We would have to hike and then to get to the other side everyone would have to zip lined to finish the hike. What??!!!  I would have no choice but to zip line. Absolutely not!!!!  I am not being forced to do it. That was scratched of the list. 

Next, when we arrived in Puerto Rico he wanted to climb "El Yunque". It is a national rainforest. We had climbed to the top eleven years ago but I was in shape then with a lot of energy. I agreed only if we could climb half of it. He agreed and we did. The whole way up I never complained and he thanked me for not complaining but in my head I was cursing him out and praying that I didn't fall off. When we got to the waterfall in the half way mark Fabio got in the water and was like a child in a water park. I just sat and smiled. I was too tired to bathe and could not wait to climb back down and out of my sweaty clothes. 

Next he wanted to go snorkeling and visit an island off Puerto Rico called Culebra. I agreed. We snorkeled but the coral seemed to be closer than the coral we saw in Hawaii. They warned us not to get too close or it will cut us. Fabio and I had our sign language under water to communicate but when I signaled to go back because we were getting too close to the coral, he pushed us forward. Then I panicked and started fighting him to go back and then I touch something I think it was ....a leave..... of a plant ....down there and.... I swam so fast pulling Fabio with me. When we got on the boat he was laughing  saying we were not that close but I knew we were. I was so mad, this is why I wouldn't go with him on the ATV. He began diving off the boat....and swimming, I stayed nicely in my chair on the boat. Then we visited Culebra. They told us when walking on the sand on the beach we should be careful not to step on certain parts because of turtle nesting. If we did we would get arrested. I of course a rule and law follower decided not to take the risk and stayed on the boat. Not Fabio...he swam so fast to the beach. I just watched him. If he got arrested it would be his fault. Then I got lonely, with everyone off the boat. Then one of the crew members, young guy at least 23, began being a little too friendly and flirting. I quickly swam to the beach. It was flattering but I wanted my hubby. I swam to the beach and prayed that I did not encountered any turtle nesting. I didn't and it was a nice time. 

We did do a lot of fun things though. We renewed our vows by the beach, got drunk together, took our first selfies and ate so much we gained

5 pounds each. It was lovely to reconnect. He wants to do this every ten years. God help me.  

How do we know its a girl?

It's a girl!!!!  These were the words Fabio and I heard from my doctor when our daughter Milah was born. We wept like babies. Could it really be happening?  Could God have blessed us and our families with a girl finally. Our families on both side had desperately been waiting for a girl. On my side there are four grandsons. On my husbands there are three grandsons, my mother in law had two sons and my father in law was one of four boys. No girls!!!!  I had prepared myself to hear the words "it's a boy". Of course we would have welcomed our baby boy with open arms but the thought of a girl....of pink bows....pink dresses was too much not to dream about. So to learn that we had our baby girl was like we won the lottery. It was so worth waiting till the end to know that she wwe had a princess. 

Enters my curious Lucas who asks tons of questions.  Lucas had always asked me why do I pee sitting. I had explained that girls had different parts and he wanted to see how my part was different than his. That was not happening. 

When Lucas and Noah came to the hospital to meet their little sister they were so excited but then we're confused when they saw her. I think they expected her to be wearing pink, long hair and pink bows so that in their minds she was a girl. But what they saw was a tiny baby wrapped up like a burrito looking like a boy. She actually did have a lot of hair but it didn't have pink bows. So to them the baby looked nothing like a girl. Lucas asked "how do we know she is a girl?". To which we all answered "she is a girl trust Us". He wants proof, a sure indication that the baby girl he had wished for was actually given to him. He had asked Santa for a baby sister and had been a good boy so he needed to have proof that what he got was a sister. Noah could care less. He was just upset that mommy had to stay in the hospital with the baby, boy or girl he was pissed that his mommy would not be with him. 

When Milah and I got home two days later Milah still did not look like a girl in Lucas eyes. After all, all I had at home was blue clothes after having two boys so I had to  put her boy clothes to which he responded "mommy why is she wearing blue pajamas that say "daddy's boy" (damn it he could read). I explained that mommy had no pink clothes, mommy didn't know we were having a girl. 

A few days later, I began to receive packages from my little sister with tons of girl outfits. My mother in laws also bought her outfits and I went crazy in pink. I washed everything and could hardly wait to put her pink clothes and finally bows in her hair. I asked Lucas " does she look like a girl now?"  To which he replied " better but there is still something missing". 

Two weeks later after her belly button was cleared we took Milah her first bath. Aha....Lucas noticed she didn't have a pee pee. I didn't cover Milah or pushed them away from seeing her naked so I knew he would be aware of the difference " how come she doesn't have a pee pee?"  I responded " girls don't, only boys do". He says "that's what girls have, that's what you have". He got it. "Oh I know that's how the doctor knew she was a girl ", he says. Glad this conversation was over and I felt relieve until Fabio reminded me that I had taught this lesson in Milahs expense. I had shown her goods to her brothers. Something I am sure she will hold over me for years to come. For now, we had our girl and everyone knows what parts we all have.