BitterSweet Memories

Cash turned 8 months old today. Time really does fly with these babes.

Here are his stats:

• 20 lbs 8 oz
  
• 29 inches long
• 90% for height and 70% for weight

Here is what's going on with him right now:

• Cash has 7 teeth (4 on top and 3 on bottom)
• The day after we flew home to California, Cash made his first attempts to crawl! It was so exciting. I knew he just needed carpet.

• He can move around pretty easily from sitting to crawling to scooting
  
• Loves sitting in his high chair and feeding himself finger foods
  

• Says "mama" and "dadda" all the time, but not on purpose
  
• Loves banging his head on the mirror, wall, and my head

• Can pull himself up to a standing position in his crib, bath, and couch. Still a little unsteady though.
  

• Drinks juice from his sippy cup
  
• Starts clapping whenever I sing patty cake (or do anything he likes)
• Getting pickier about what I feed him
  
• Still makes the funniest faces. He cracks me up. He loves to mimmick the faces we make. And he still blinks on cue every time we clap, almost like he is blinking on beat.
  
• Loves attention. He stares at people until they look at him and smile. Then he will grace them with a big toothy Cash smile followed by the look away. It's hilarious. He knows how cute he is. And if someone isn't smiling at him, he will look at them until they do.

• Still super curious. He wants to know what is going on around him at all times.

It is such a pleasure to be Cash's Mom. I'm so grateful for him. Every time he is sleeping peacefully in his crib, I go in to sneak a peek at him and I say a little prayer of gratitude to my Heavenly Father. I am so fortunate to be watching over him. Such a sweet blessing and honor.

The bittersweet moment today came when I realized that it was also the 9th anniversary of my Mother's death today. She would have loved hearing about Cash and his milestones. We could have talked for hours about the funny/cute things he is doing. I would have asked her advice on everything. We would have exchanged "I love you's". And I would have said I hope I can see her soon cause Cash misses his Grandma Brown and I miss her too. That's how the conversation plays out in my head. Instead I keep her in my heart and try to think of time as Heavenly Father does. I will see her soon.

I love being a Mom. I love my Mom. I got to celebrate both of those things today. I shed some tears and I held my baby close. Somehow everything seems like it's going to be okay.

Saying Goodbye to PR

I'm getting really sad as I write this post. I didn't realize how much Puerto Rico and the people we have met here have affected me. I let them into my heart and now I don't want to part with them. We made a home here with friends and family. It all happened so fast. And now it's over. We are eager to get back to our lives but realizing that our Puerto Rican life left a lasting impression upon us. Here is picture collage of how we said goodbye.

Bacardi Factory

Corozal Champions Party

Old San Juan

Mar Chiquita Beach

Morales Family Petting Zoo

Good times. Great memories. Lovely people. We'll miss you PR.

All Good Things Must Come to an End

I'll Miss...
Lazy days. Idyllic tropical weather. Our condo pools. Going to the gym with the family and then laying out. AC units in the rooms. A new big car. Piña coladas. Old San Juan.
Incredible beaches. Huge avocadoes. Sprite Zero. Plantains. Ceviche. Lechon (roasted pig).
Watching Casey play indoor. Casey's team. Corozal fans. Bompy (Corozal Mascot).
Pistachio gelato. Our small Metro Ward. Coqui frog sounds. Picnics and movie nights in bed. Blue police lights (the president's wife was pulled over and she thought the cop was being sneaky cause she didn't see him. So now all police cars have to keep their lights flashing all the time. It's a nice warning if you're speeding, but it can get confusing if you think you're being pulled over.) Rodriguez family. Morales family. Hatch family. Puerto Rican friends. Puerto Rican besos.

I Want...
Home Sweet Home. Our big TV. Our comfy couch, bed, and pillows. Carpet. Cable. In n out. Dr. Pepper. Thrifty's ice cream. Jamba Juice. Target. A clothes dryer. Cash's crib. Outfit choices. High heels. Traffic rules observed. HB 7th Ward. Mora Kai friends. Brown family. Harris family. Patterson family. Familiarity.

Corozal Campeones 2010

The Plataneros de Corozal won the Championship!!! They beat Guaynabo 4-2 in a best of 7 series final. Great job boys!


Casey was named the MVP of the final series.
Cash and I had so much fun cheering him on!
My friend Erica is also playing in PR, so she watched the game with us. It was so good to see her, and fun to have her see how big Cash is now.
Casey played really well with a lot of energy and fire. He coined the phrase "BOOM" for his celebration after scoring.

The Corozal fans loved him and his BOOM!!! He was definitely the fan favorite.


Casey was the points leader on his team all thru the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals. He led the whole league in total points too. He also had the best ace percentage. I'm so proud of him. He deserved all of the glory for his hard work.

After the win, the Corozal team got into the back of a truck to lead the celebration train back to Corozal. Normally it would be a 30 minute drive, but it took them almost two hours. They had a police escort and a train of 200+ cars following them. They drove 15 mph while standing in the bed of a truck celebrating. It was insane.

They finally arrived in the town square of Corozal around 2am. The whole town was there to greet their champions. It was pandemonium. Cash and I were exhausted and eager to go home. But we were still excited for daddy. It was really loud with all the people and the band, so we just hung out behind the stage until Cash finally fell asleep.

The team was announced on stage in the middle of the square. When they announced Casey's name, the crowd went wild. Chanting, "MVP MVP MVP!!!" It was an incredible moment.

We have had such an unforgettable experience here. Casey's team, fans, and our PR family have made this opportunity better than we could have imagined. We are so grateful for the blessings we continually receive. And fortunate to be surrounded by warm, welcoming, loving Puerto Ricans.