...and for your 2nd Halloween.

Dear Augosto.

In preparation for Halloween, we(me, mom, and grandma & grandpa Lopez) dressed you up in your Halloween costume(you were a lion. ROAAARRRRR!!!) and took you pumpkin shopping. Instead of going to a pumpkin patch(not even sure where to find one), we took you to the church near our house. Every year they cover their lawn with pumpkins and sell them based on size(Prices range from $1 to $15).

We planned on buying one but walked away with three.

Here is your mother's favorite picture.

Here is a picture of you with Grandma and Grandpa Lopez.

It was quite obvious that you had a great time. You even cried when we left!

Hope you had a happy halloween because we sure did.

Love ya.

El Dadio!

...a son is born

Dear Augosto.

One year ago, we finally met.

I still remember your mom waking me up at 0'dark thirty.

It was Sunday night/Monday morning and I hadn't been asleep more than an hour or so.

Truthfully, I barely felt like I just closed my eyes when your mom tapped me on the shoulder and said, "I think my water broke."

As I threw on my clothes, I called the triage nurse and asked if we needed to take you in or if we could keep you at home a while longer. (this is what i learned to ask in my "how to have a baby" class.).

The nurse said to bring you in, so we loaded up in the car and drove all the way to the hospital. Luckily, it was only 5 blocks away!

I'd be lying if I said it was all a blur from there.

I remember every bit of it.

I remember the potocin.

I remember the nurses coming in and out.

I remember your mother reciting Shakespearean monologues as the pain and the pressure increased.

I remember yelling and crying, "Push. Push. PUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSH!!!"

I remember losing my voice as I held your mom's hand.

I remember the nurse telling your mother to keep pushing.

I remember being moved into another room as the doctor's prepared for a C-section.

I remember your mom's sweaty hands and my sweaty forehead.

I remember the forceps and then seeing you.

I remember watching them put you under a heat lamp as they cleaned you. It took a few seconds but it felt like a million hours.

I remember holding you for the first time and posting your arrival on Facebook!

Happy Birthday, son.

Love.

Dad.

Dear Augosto.

I've been meaning to post this video for quite some time. Luckily, I found some extra time today.

Hope you like it.

Love,

Dad.

out for a walk...

Dear Augosto.

Today, we went for a walk. Not for the whole day of course. It was an after work thing.

It was the perfect time for it too, especially since the weather has started to warm up a bit(it's around 70 degrees).

On our leisurely stroll, we saw dogs and trees and dragonflies. We also saw a plane.

You were the one who spotted it first. We were both sitting on a bench and I was just staring at the waves splish-splashing on the lake. Then, you pointed up to the sky and started barking. I looked up and there it was.

I don't know if I have ever mentioned this but every time I see a plane in the sky I always yell "avion, avion" and you automatically look towards the sky. It's kind of cool.

Also, one other thing I don't think I have ever mentioned is your "barking." I'm not sure that is the right word but that is what it sounds like. Every time something catches your eye--a dog, a cat, a chipmunk, a plane--you start making this sounds that is a mixture of barking and the noise that Arnold Horshack made on Welcome Back, Kotter.

People kind of look at us strange when you do it. They seem more confused when I join in. :)

After we had our walk, we headed back home and passed by all the cool houses that were already decorated for Halloween.

As we looked at the fake tombstones and corpses and cobwebs and big skulls, all I could think was, "It's almost been a full year since you entered our life."

Last year, you were a bit too small to take trick-or-treating(You were only 11 days old).

But not this year.

And since you're too little to eat candy, I have made it my duty to eat whatever you collect on Halloween.

I might even share some with your mom.

Sleep tight young man.

Love.

Dad.