to sleep perchance to...

Dear Augosto.

This weekend was rough. With a capital "R." For some reason unknown to us, you refused to go to sleep at night. There were periods where you would sleep maybe an hour if you were in our arms but that was it. And if we even walked near the crib, forget it. You were up and you were ready to party like it was 2009.

We think this possibly has to do with all those warm loving people who were willing to hold you on Thanksgiving. We're thinking that you possibly thought that this was going to be a regular occurrence. And when it didn't happen, you protested by not sleeping. And if you weren't sleeping, then of course we were riding the sleepless train too.

Luckily, Grandma Lopez is back in town to help out(she arrived on Friday). And she has the magic that only grandmothers possess. When we are at our wits end, she comes in to the rescue.

I'm back in Evanston and finals are coming up. I am hoping to at least be able to post some entries this week but please forgive me if I don't. I have a lot of pages due next week and short time to create them.

But before I go, I at least wanted to post one of my favorite pictures from this past week. Is this the cutest or what?



I am very sorry for not posting pictures on Saturday but sleep took priority!

Have a great day.

And don't keep your mother up too late. :)

Love.

Dad.

getting ready for the big day...

Dear Augosto.

Now that Turkey Day is officially over with, we can now focus on Christmas.

In hopes of putting our readers in the holiday spirit, I figured it was best to share a picture of you spending quality time with Santa Claus.



Actually, you fell asleep right after this picture was taken. :)

Happy holidays.

Love.

dad.

Your 1st Turkey Day...

Dear Augosto.

Today was our first Thanksgiving as a family. Unfortunately, we were not able to fly to Texas and spend the day with your grandparents, aunts, uncle and cousins but we did get to spend time with friends.

All in all, we had a blast. There were lots of great people and, of course, they all wanted to hold you. As for the food, there were two kinds of turkey and all kinds of roasted vegetables and homemade pies. Your mother made green bean casserole and Watergate Salad, a Rios family favorite.

I could go on and on but we did take pictures!

This is what you wore to Robin & Richard's house. As you can see, you were definitely dressed for the occasion.



Here you are getting to know Robin and the rocking chair.



You and Richard doing some pre-dining strolling.



This is everyone gathering in the kitchen to smell all the food.



While at the gathering, you made a friend. Her name is Mieko and you seemed quite comfortable with her. From my understanding, she also babysits and is CPR certified.



After a long day of spending time with friends, this is what happens when you either have too much turkey or too much milk in your belly!



Hope you had a great day because I know we did.

Love.

Dad.

ahhhh...the sweet sounds of...

Dear Augosto.

From my understanding, it's common knowledge that one can usually lull a baby to sleep with the joyous sounds of a hair dryer or a vacuum cleaner.

In truth, we've actually tested this theory out. Not purposely. More like accidentally. And guess what? It works. It really really works.

Not long after the sounds begins to roar, you either get very very quiet or your eyelids get very drooooooooooopy and you are out for the night. Ok. Not the night. That's wishful thinking. It's actually just a few hours. But a few hours is better than NO hours, right?

While your mom picked me up from the train station today, we were actually discussing this when she asked, "If the sound of a vacuum cleaner and hair dryer puts babies to sleep, why hasn't someone invented a toy that makes those sounds?"

We eventually decided that it most liklely doesn't exist because there isn't anything really cool or marketable about a toy that makes a loud roaring jet-engine type sound.

All the stuff designed to take babies to La-La Land( that we have come across) has pretty sounds to go along with it like "the sounds of nature," "a heartbeat," "Mozart 5th Symphony," or even the popular "Go to sleep little baby."

But what if?

What if someone actually took the time to come up with a toy like this? If so, I am quite curious what it would be called and what would it look like.

Although I do not consider myself Mr. Inventor(I've only invented one thing and that was in 5th grade and it was a bust), here are two possible ideas:

Baby's 1st Hairdryer--Comes in either pink or blue and is the size of a mini-squirt gun. You attach it to a crib like a mobile and just press the "ON" button. No more crying. Well...no more crying that anyone can actually hear since all other sounds will be drowned out.

The Vroomy Vroom Vroom--It's a small vacuum cleaner the size an average cell phone. Also comes in pink or blue or maybe even many different colors like the ipod. It attaches to the side of the crib and makes three different sounds. Loud, Louder, and This Better Put You To Sleep.

For all we know, somebody actually has invented it but nobody has passed the information along to us.

Until then, I hope the neighbors don't mind me vacuuming or drying my hair at 3am.

Glad I am home for the holidays.

Love.

Dad.

take a tour of Augosto's room...

Dear Augosto.

This past weekend, I decided to take pictures of your living space in hopes of giving you an idea of what your room currently looks like.

This is the map I mentioned in a previous posting. It's a puzzle attached to a corkboard(your mother's idea). As I mentioned before, it hangs right above your changing table and you always stare at it as we tend to our cleaning duties.


This is the changing table. That white thing on top is made out of plastic and foam so it is easier to clean when things get "messy."


This is your current library. Some titles include: Johnny Texas, Huevos Verdes Y Jamon, The Cat in the Hat, and The Light in the Attic.


This is your crib. The one you barely like sleeping in. We are hoping that changes since this crib actually turns into a day bed and then serves as a head board for a twin bed. So, no matter what, you definitely will be living with this for awhile.


Last, but definitely not least, in case anyone gets confused or forgets whose room this is, we decided to put your name on the wall. Actually, this too is your mother's idea(and a great one at that).


Also. I hope you had a great time with your Aunt Whitney(she flew in Saturday and left today). From what I hear, she got you some really cool stuff. Can't wait to see it all.

That's all I got for now.

I'm catching the train to see you tomorrow.

Love.

Dad.

The many cries of Augosto...

Dear Augosto.

As a new parent, I have learned that not all of your cries are the same.

Here is a list of the following cries that I recently have experienced:

--The "I'm Hungry" Cry. This one is the most popular one. I've been hearing it since Day One and it usually happens in 3 or 4 hour intervals. Sometimes even 2.

--The "You are NOT mom" Cry. I get this one a lot too. I think what doesn't help is that I am not usually clean shaven every time I hug and kiss you. Sorry.

--The "You just bumped my head against something" Cry. It's sad to say but I as well as your mother are quite guilty of this. I think you cry more out of being frightened than out of pain, but who am I to discredit your pain factor. I do have to admit that this really hurts us as much as it hurts you. :(

--The "Why are you changing my clothes again" Cry. This one I empathize with you. I hate just putting on one pair of clothes much less three or four. I can understand how tiring it can get. BUT. I do have admit that this wouldn't happen if you didn't decide to show us your "Ol' Faithful" impression.

--The "My diaper is full" Cry. I think this one is self-explanatory.

--The "My Belly is full of air" Cry. This one doesn't happen often but it still happens especially when you fall asleep while I am trying to burp you.

--The "That Baby Wipe is not warm" Cry. Believe me. I try really hard to remember to warm up your baby wipes before using them on you but sometimes my mind just feels like mushy oatmeal and I just want to get you changed so I can return to bed.

--The "I'm not going to sleep" Cry. This happens during the day and in the middle of the night. Sometimes we let you cry yourself to sleep. But sometimes we give in. Especially when your cries start sounding like actual words like "MOM! Come get me" or "DAD! I know your just playing on Facebook."

--The "I bet you thought I was sleeping" Cry. This always happens not long after I put you in the crib. Usually you wait until I'm actually in bed and then you belt one out. Sometime I get back up but sometimes I just stay in bed and hope it was just my imagination. But no. It usually never is my imagination.

I am quite sure there are other types of cries that I have yet to experience, but until then I will just deal with what I have so far.

Have a great night.

Love.

Dad.

This week's pics

Dear Augosto.

Here are this weeks pictures...

This is the first time that you were fed with a bottle. You rejected it for about 2 seconds and then realized it had the "good stuff" in it and you knocked it out quick.


This next picture is of your "Ranger Rick" outdoor outfit that Grandma Lopez got for you.


This is when we decided to give you some blanket time. Unfortunately, the carpeted floor is way too hard so you weren't there too long.


I took this picture today after we had our Pre-Turkey Day picture session.


Now it's time to go to the mall and find the fat man in the red suit and then pick up your Aunt Whitney.

Love.

Dad.

patience, my young boy, patience....

Dear Augosto.

Yesterday, I planned on writing about getting you to sleep. Or, more specifically, letting you cry yourself asleep.

I tried this last Sunday. Your mother went to go see a play at school and I stayed home to hang out with you and knock out some much needed homework. When your mother left, you were asleep in my arms so I decided to put you in your crib.

Well...I am quite sure you know what happened next.

It wasn't instantaneous but you weren't asleep for too long after that. I was just about to start typing away when I heard you cry. Automatically, I got up. BUT. Something inside me told me, "Don't. Don't pick him up. Let him cry himself to sleep. He'll be all right."

And it made sense why I was thinking this.

You had already been fed and your diaper was clean(I made sure to change it before I put you in the crib). I figured the only reason you were crying was because you knew you weren't in my arms anymore.

It doesn't take a Northwestern graduate student to know that sleeping in the crib is nothing like sleeping in daddy's arms.

My arms are warm. The crib is not as warm. My arms adjust to your movements. The crib feels the same no matter how much you move. My arms will rock you to sleep. The crib doesn't rock, but it does have a mobile with cool looking animals rotating to the sound of a heartbeat. But why would you want to listen to that heartbeat when you can just put your head on my chest and hear the real deal?

I ended up not picking you up. It took some patience but you went right back to sleep(and slept for 3 hours). Actually, it took a lot of patience. I think you cried almost 15 straight minutes. That may not seem like a long time but it is when you hear someone you love cry. I know you and I don't speak the same language yet but there were times I felt like I heard you saying, "Dad, pick me up. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!"

I do feel like I made the right choice but at the time I felt conflicted.

I never want you to think I won't be there when you need me. Because I will. But I also want you to learn how to do things on your own.

Should I even be wondering about this when you are only 4 weeks old?

Sometimes I feel if I don't start doing it now, when will I do it? No matter how old you are, it won't be easy.

Sleep well.

Love.

dad.

yawn...

Dear Augosto.

I was looking through some of the pictures that we took in the past weeks and I found this one.



I love this picture.

It is actually part of a bigger picture but I decided to crop it.

In the original picture, I have one eye open and the other looks about halfway open. Basically, I look like I am drunk. Either that or I look like someone just socked me in the eye.

Once you get to know me better, you will see that it is not uncommon for me to have pictures taken of me where I look inebriated. Some I keep. Most never see the light of day.

Wish I had more to say, but homework is a calling.

Even just looking at this picture makes me sleepy sleepy...

Love.

Dad.

the growing boy...

Dear Augosto.

Sad news.

Today, you and your mother returned back to Milwaukee. It was hard loading you up in the car and much harder watching the car drive away. I know I'll see you on Friday, but until then my days & nights will just feel a bit off.

I guess I could just set my alarm at all kinds of strange hours(2:47am, 4:09am, 5:53am) to get that hazy "I can't believe how non-functional I am" feeling but it won't be the same. I don't even think I can even pick up Don Quixote to see what happens in Chapter 2. I need my side kick. My Sancho Panza(hmmmm...I think I discovered a nickname for you).

Speaking of panzas, guess what you have been doing for the last couple of weeks? Yes, my friend, you have been putting on the pounds like a bear preparing for winter.

I know this because you went to see the doctor today.

As of today, your current weight is 10 lbs 6 1/4 oz. And you are 22 inches long. I knew those newborn clothes were getting a big more snug.

At first I thought your clothes were semi-ill-fitting because we were leaving your clothes in the dryer too long. But that is definitely not the case, Mr. Voracious Milk Drinker.

It's all you.

I have to admit I am quite envious of you right now. Guilt-free weight gain. What a concept.

Enjoy getting fat while you can.

See you on Friday.

love.

Dad aka Don Quixote

PS. I wanted to make a special note to thank all of the followers of "Dear Augosto." Officially, we have 13 followers(YAY!). Unofficially, I hear we might have close to a hundred. No matter what, all of you have my deepest thanks and appreciation for taking time out of your schedule to follow along Augosto's journey. I hope the ride won't be too bumpy. :)

books to sleep by...

Dear Augosto.

I am quite exhausted today. I have been staying up until at least 3am for the last couple of days in hopes of knocking out most of my homework or taking the first shift. First shift meaning that if you wake up anytime before 3am it is my duty to either try and get you back to sleep or feed you and then put you back to sleep.

Yet, getting you back to sleep hasn't been too successful. Surprise, surprise.

So, in those instances when I can't get you back to sleep, I have taken it upon myself to read to you. When I originally decided this, my choices were limited to my very small library I have here in my dorm because most of my books and plays are in Milwaukee.

Here are some of plays and books that I had to choose from:

--HAMLET. Although I love the play, I decided to pass on this one. It's too much of a downer.

--HOW TO BUILD A GREAT SCREENPLAY. This was a no brainer. Not sure learning about "the midpoint" would be compelling enough to keep your attention. And yet, maybe it might pay off to teach you how to format a screenplay.

--THE AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY. I almost picked this one mainly because I used to read the dictionary when I would get bored. But I figured if I read to you from this dictionary then I would also have to read to you from my Spanish Dictionary and maybe even a Chinese one! Why Chinese? Supposedly, it's the language of the future.

--THE BRIEF WONDROUS LIFE OF OSCAR WAO. Great Pulitzer Prize winning book but I would prefer that you read it on your own.

--BROWN, NOT WHITE. Although this great historical book about integration in Houston is fascinating, I think I can find something better.

In the end, I chose Cervantes' DON QUIXOTE. A story about a man who went crazy because he read too many books. I didn't choose it specifically for that. I chose it because I have never read most of it and I figured it would be a great adventure book for both of us to enjoy.

So far, we are barely into Chapter 2.

Actually, we've been on Chapter 2 for the last 3 days now because there is something about it that makes you very very sleepy. I barely even say Don Quixote's horse's name and your eyelids start getting heavy.

Until then, Chapter 2 awaits.

Have a great night.

Love.

Dad.

4 weeks and counting...

Dear Augosto.

Just writing a few quick lines to say that you are four weeks old today. Is that crazy or what?

Somehow, I think you sensed that something very special was occurring. I figure this is the only way to explain your refusal to sleep most of the day. From 3am on, you were in that heavy-eyed "I'm almost asleep but not really" state. There were times when we thought the "Z monster"(this is an Army term for sleepiness) had won but you would quickly recover. You would flail your arms and look around as if to say, "Did I miss something? I'm not asleep. Really. I'm not. I was just checking to see if there were holes in my eyelids. That's all I was doing. Yeah."

This went on and on until around 7am. After that, you wouldn't sleep unless you were in our arms.

I have to say that having you in my arms while you dream your little dreams doesn't bother me that much. Actually, it doesn't bother me at all because it's kind of amazing. It's hard to describe but it fills me with pure happiness knowing that my son has no worries as he rests in my arms. If this feeling could be bottled, it would be worth gazillions. :)

But. If you do plan on continuing to do this, all I ask is that this cease before you get middle school aged. A back can only take so much.

So, here is to being 4 weeks old. WOO-HOO!!!

Your mom was adamant about taking a picture today so we could document this occasion. But, by the time we remembered, you had decided it was time to catch up on your beauty rest.



Sweet dreams.

Love.

Dad.

this week in pics--NU days

Dear Augosto.

I have decided to try something new. In an effort to take share more pictures of you, I am going to use my Saturday journal entries as a week in pictures type thing-a-ma-jig or whatever it is called.

If possible(this more has to do with my fading memory), I will also try and add some commentary to each picture in hopes of providing you with details about the actual picture.

So. Here we go. These are pictures from this past week.

Location: Evanston, IL. In the Graduate Housing dorms on the Northwestern Campus.

This first picture was actually taken on Monday--the day we left for Evanston. As you can see, you are ready to go while mom & dad are running around the apartment packing and so forth.



This next one looks like an early morning picture. Could be 4am. Could be 7am. No matter what it is obvious that I am a bit worn out from discontinuous sleep.



I don't know if this picture captures what I saw but I think it is quite funny that every time you fall asleep in the sling you stick your hand out to show everyone that something is in there. It reminds me of a cat paw. (Side Note: We love your sling--homemade by grandma Lopez--and we find it quite interesting that people are not used to seeing someone carrying a baby inside one of these. They always ask, "Is something actually in there?" Our response, "No. Not something. Augosto.")



Not much to say about this one. Your mom is responsible for this picture and I had to share it. Cool, huh?



That's all I got for now.

Have a great day.

Dad.

PS. One of my ten-minute plays is being performed tonight and we are hoping to take you. Even if you are asleep during the play, it will be quite cool to have you there.

growing and growing...

Dear Augosto.

You are not even a month old and yet I am already seeing signs that you are growing up at quite a fast pace.

First, we just found out you have baby acne! To tell you the truth, I never knew such thing even existed. Baby Acne? Really? Are we just bypassing your grade school years and already hitting the teen ones? Next thing I'll find out is that there is that there is such a thing called Baby Liver Spots or something. Anyways. Back to the acne. Your mother looked it up and it basically says that it is not unusual for a baby to get acne at 3 weeks. There is really nothing we can do about it other than keep it clean and hope none of the other babies make fun of you as your strollers cross paths.

Second, your feet are getting big. And when I say big, I mean BIG! You have already outgrown one pair of shoes. I wouldn't doubt that's a world record for outgrowing a pair of shoes. At the rate your going, it wouldn't surprise me if I had to start buying you men's shoes for your first day at kindergarten. Luckily, we do have a pair of extra shoes for you. But if you out grow those too soon, I am calling your Uncle Trevor and asking him to ship his shoes up here. He wears size 13 shoes and has been wearing them I think since 4th grade or something like that. He'll be quite sympathetic to your situation since he definitely knows what you are going through.

Third, you are quickly outgrowing your newborn clothes. Not even four weeks old and your newborn clothes are fitting a little snug. If you were my age and wearing ill-fitting clothes, I'd tell you to hit the gym or lay off the pizza. But your not my age. You're a growing boy and it shouldn't surprise me that you are already wearing clothes for 3-6 month olds.

I have to admit that it does excite me to see you change so quickly. I can't wait to see how tall you get.

It seems like just yesterday that I was putting you in the car seat for the first time and driving you home. Noticing your changes is a constant reminder to me that I need to make sure to make everyday with you count. It won't be long before I'm walking you to school, driving you to the library, helping you with your Calculus homework, and, most importantly, taking you to your first wrestling match!

But if you can help it, don't grow up too fast. Your mother and I just bought you the cutest and coolest cold weather suit that we are hoping will fit you throughout the whole winter.



Stay Warm.

Love.

Dad.

fighting the good fight no more...

Dearest Augosto.

Oh young brave warrior. I write to thee today because a congratulations is in order. A deep heartfelt one.

Why so?

Well. I am not so sure if you recall when last I wrote about that devious sleep chamber we commonly know as "The Bassinet." In my last correspondence on this touchy subject, I mentioned that you had decided that if we were going to put you in there that you would not "go gentle into that sweet night" without a fight.

Oh, and fight you did. You kicked. You screamed. You cried. You even threw thy sleeping cap off!

Each time we put you in there, you fought bravely until you were rightfully declared the winner, which basically meant that thy mother or I had to hold you in the royal rocking chair for the rest of the evening.

Well, young brave warrior, as I said, I am writing because a congratulations is in order. Actually, two.

First. I congratulate thee on your fine show of strength and endurance. You fought the good fight for almost three full weeks. You fought long and hard. And not once did you show any sort of fear. Not once did you say, "Today. I am too tired too fight." Even if you were in a deep deep slumber, you made sure to remind us that the good fight would continue.

Second. I congratulate thee for your gentle surrender. It takes a special person to lay down your arms and you fine warrior are one of those special people. To some, this might seem like a sign of weakness but to thy parents, the people who actually matter in this situation, we see it as a sign of growing up.

Sleep tight young warrior and may your dreams be filled with more colors than we can ever imagine.



Love.

Thy Father.

Veterans Day

Dear Augosto.

Today is Veteran's Day.

Ever since I got out of the Army(DEC '96), many Veteran's Days have come and gone without me even noticing. Many but not all. And yet, those that I have actually remembered were only because I had friends who would remind me. They would say, "Hey, why are you at work? Today's Veteran's Day." I would look at them and say, "If all the Veterans in this country took today off, nothing would get done! Now, where's my hammer?"

Being a Vet(not to be confused with Veterinarian) and the son of a Vietnam Vet and the grandson of a World War II Vet, you would think I would know when this day would occur. But for some reason I always forget. I guess it has to do with the fact that I don't need a day to remember what I did. I will never forget my military experience, even if I tried to.

And even though I have forgotten many Veteran's Days, this time I didn't.

This is due to...well, I won't go into much detail(because if you are truly interested in this I have no doubts you will research it) but last week something very bad happened on the Army base that I served three years on. It's quite sad and tragic. I have to admit that I was stunned when I heard the news because what happened on that base never even crossed my mind while I was serving my time there. I think I was more scared when I would leave the base(There are some kooky characters hanging around Killen, Texas!).

It's been over thirteen years since I set foot on that base but just seeing the name Fort Hood in the newspaper brings back a lot of memories for me.

--Learning how to bowl. Maybe learning isn't the right word. I'm still not that good at it. But I do like the shoes!

--Taking my first college course. I think more of what I remember is doing my homework while I was inside my tank. (Yes, I drove a tank.)

--Chasing cows. This is a definite No No on the base but it's kind of hard not to want to do this when everywhere you look there is a cow staring at you.

--Getting the day off for donating blood and then heading to Austin to see Lollapalooza. Since I was missing a pint of blood, I decided to play it safe and stay away from the mosh pit.

--Meeting some of the bravest/craziest/loudest soldiers that ever served in the US Army. They came from all over the country. Minnesota, South Dakota, Arizona, California and of course the great state of Texas. I actually still keep in touch with a few of them.

--Dreaming of what I would do when my time was up. When I got out, I told everyone I was going to be a doctor or at least someone who helped people.

Thankfully, most, if not all, of the people I served with have moved on to other duty stations or retired. And even though I didn't know the soldiers who lost their lives last week, it's hard not to think about the memories and the dreams they had while they lived there.

I don't know if I will remember any more Veterans Days in the future, but I can at least say this is one that I will never forget.

Good night.

Love.

Dad.

21 days...

Dear Augosto.

Great news. You are three weeks old! This is definitely a momentous occasion worth celebrating.

I know three weeks doesn't sound like a lot but it is.

It's 21 days of learning how to adjust our lives to your life. It's 21 days of changing diapers. It's 21 days of changing outfits. It's even 21 days of dealing with an awkward sleep schedule.

Yet, now that I think about it, your sleep schedule probably doesn't seem too awkward to you. It actually seems quite practical. If you're tired, you sleep. If your not, you stare at things or cry. Or both. If that's not words of wisdom to live by, I don't know what is.

Also worth mentioning, within these very short 21 days, I have noticed that you are already showing signs of change and/or maturity.

--Your weight. Day by day, you are getting a lot heavier.

--Your eating habits. Your not eating as often but you are still eating like you are worried the milk is going to expire. Do not worry. The milk you are getting will not expire anytime soon.

--You length. You are getting so long that we are already putting you in clothes for 3 month olds. At this rate, I'm going to gave to buy you men's clothes before you even hit kindergarten.

--Your strength. Your mom and I believe that you might be preparing for a career as a weight lifter. You have no problem using your arms to push yourself up. Especially when you are mad because no one understands what you want.

--Your voice. This may just be me but I think you are actually crying a lot louder. And yet this shouldn't surprise me. Your mother is a vocal coach.

21 days down and lots and lots more to go.

Enjoy your 3 week birthday, it only gets better from here.

Love.

dad

PS. Another momentous occasion has taken place. You took your first out of state trip. As I type this, you and your mother are with me in the Graduate dorms at Northwestern. If you want to take a class while you are here, let me know. I'll see what I can do for you. :)

sleeping like Augosto...

Dear Augosto.

As I type this, something very special/very exciting/very amazing is happening. You are sleeping in your crib!

Now, this may not seem like too much of a big deal, but I can guarantee you this is definitely a momentous occasion worth celebrating. It's such a big deal that I might even go out and buy a quart of our favorite custard from LEON's--Butter Pecan. WOO-HOO!!!

The reason why I am particularly excited about this is because last night from 2:30am to 5am I had to sit in the rocking chair while you dreamed about whatever 2 3/4 week old babies dream about(Milk? Warmth? The most comfortable car seat in the world?).

Now that I think about it. This is definitely one of those times where I should get out the camera but...I won't press my luck. I know that if you wake up just because I wanted to snap some picture for this journal, I will most likley have a higher authority to answer to. I won't say who this is but I am quite sure you will definitely be familiar with her by the time you can read this. For all I know, she might be the one reads this to you. :)

Uh oh! I think I hear...yep.

You woke up!

Time to cut this short.

I guess I'll be seeing you on the rocking chair at 2am!

Love.

Your Dad.

PS. Instead of lamenting about having a picture of you sleeping in your crib, I'll post my favorite pictures of you sleeping everywhere else.

In your mom's arms...


On Grandma Lopez's shoulder...


On the Boppy pillow...


And last but not least, on me.

a recent pic

Dear Augosto.

I just wanted to write to post a picture that your mother took recently. To tell you the truth, I really don't have much to say about this one. I think it definitely speaks for itself.



Sorry this one is so short. I'd give an excuse but I don't really have one.

See you later.

Love.

Dad.

So many clothes, so little time

Dear Augosto.

I was thinking about writing about all the clothes that you go through in one week. But as I thought about it, I'm not sure I could come up with the right word or words when it comes to describing how much you actually go through.

These are the words I have so far:

"Too many" -- It kind of works but sounds too boring.

"A lot" -- That sounds OK but it really doesn't say much.

"A plethora" -- This caught my eye but then it kind of seems like I am trying to be a bit too graduate schooly.

"A trashcan full" -- This could work but I think it's kind of weird using the word "trashcan" when referring to my son's clothes.

"Enough to clothe the whole line of Cabbage Patch Kids" -- Maybe.

No matter what, it's way more than what I expected.

But lucky for us, it all usually fits in ONE washing machine. :)



Have a great evening.

Love

Dad.

like father like Augosto

Hey Augosto.

I figure it worth mentioning that many people have said that you have a lot of my features. My mom(your grandmother) definitely thinks this is true.

Instead of debating it, I figure I will let you decide for yourself.

Me. 1975.
I don't know why I'm on top of a car. I'm thinking this was big back in the 70's.

You. 2009.

Chilling in the colorful blanket you like staring at.

In other news,
--You are officially two weeks old.
--I'm back in Evanston doing the Grad school thing.
--We just went through a whole package of diapers in just two weeks!
--You don't like sleeping between the hours of midnight and 4am.
--You are at home with mom and Grandma Lopez.
--As of Saturday, Grandpa Lopez is back in Texas holding down the ranch.

That's all I got.

Have a great day

Love.

Dad.

the annual phone-a-thon

Dear Augosto.

Today is your mother's birthday! And guess how old she is? She is..... Yeah right. I don't think so. Some information is best discovered on your own. So, if you want to know, you ask her.

In honor of your mother's birthday, we had the 4th Annual "Please Call Michelle On Her Birthday" Phone-a-thon. I rarely give out my secrets but your mom has already caught on to this one so I figure I can share how it works. First, I dig through my e-mail list that is made up of hundreds and hundreds of people I have met over the years. Then, I send a message informing them about her birthday and how great it would be for them to send Michelle a message of some sort on her phone. After that, the magic begins.

This was something I started about four years ago when we moved to the Midwest. I didn't have a lot of money(not like that has really changed) and I was thinking what could be the best present I could give your mother without spending money I didn't have. That's when the idea came. Birthday Wishes from all over the country--from friends, family, and even from strangers(ok. not really strangers. just people who have yet to meet her).

The first year was crazy. Her phone never stopped ringing. Texts in English and Spanish. Pictures. Friends who were teachers took a few minutes to have their classes sing to her. One friend forwarded the e-mail to her mom and had her call Michelle even though they didn't know each other. It was great!

This year was no different. She received picture mail/calls/texts from New York, California, Texas, Illinois, and all over Milwaukee just to name a few. (as I type this, her phone is still ringing) I feel it worth mentioning that one friend went above and beyond and brought over a roasted chicken and cookies(thank you anne, brad and the boys)!

Sometimes, some of your best ideas don't require much money at all. Just a lot thinking.

What I also love about the annual "phone-a-thon" is that it allows us to keep touch with all of our friends who live all over this wild country. You would be amazed how easy it is to lose touch with people even though we are in a day and age where we can be in constant contact with someone no matter where we are--E-mail, text messaging, Facebook, Myspace, instant messaging, Twit messaging(it's called something else but who cares), and so and so on.

And yet, none of this can come close to the feeling you get when you actually speak with someone you care about and who cares about you(I have to admit that I prefer face-to-face but when that is not possible the good ol' phone will do).

Your mother and I have celebrated over a handful of birthdays together and they have all been a lot of fun. Now that you're part of the Royal Mexican crew, it's only gonna get better.



Me and you wishing mommy a happy birthday. I wish there was a better picture but this was actually the best one!

I had a great weekend hanging with you.

Homework awaits.

Love,

Dad.