Wow this day has been filled with so much emotion for both Raul and I. Daniela you have been watching all sorts of movies such as Babies, Horton Hears a Who, Born to Be Wild, Happy Feet, and Charlie Brown. These movies have been playing non stop since we started putting movies on for you.
Since you were so into Frogs and singing the Sapo Sapo song from Atencion Atencion, we celebrated your birthday with frogs! I cut out lilly pads, we both colored frog cut outs, I made pipe cleaner flowers, I even drew you a frog. My parents, Abuela Maggie and Abuelo Hector came up for the day. We had pizza from Stephanie and Isa’s, Peace N’ Loaf. You only wanted to eat the cheese and you ate a big slice. Abuela Maggie, Abuelo Hector, you and I went to the store to buy ready made frosting for the cupcakes we made this morning. Abuela Maggie helped cover them with frosting and I decorated them to make them look like frogs.
The night before was chaos as I made a mess in the kitchen with vegan homemade frosting and I left the water in the bathroom running after I washed you down. We had water everywhere thanks to mom trying to do a million things at once. Your dad and I had a “talk” earlier about how I try to do too many things at once and I end up screwing something up. Will at about 11:00p.m. we were cleaning up water.
But today was a new day and we woke up to Liz, our neighbor who adores you, to a sign she posted out our apartment door. Over these last several months, Liz, Cirene, Resat, and Melvin are people you interact with daily. Victor and Juan Luis who work at the Water Club are also people you love to see. But Cirene, Resat, Liz, and Melvin have become our extended family and love you too bits. They have become part of our family and as they see it, you have become part of theirs. I am crying as I type this because our families don’t get to see how you have grown this last year.
You have learned so much and are already becoming very independent from us with many tasks such as feeding the dog, eating your own food, wanting to bring things to people, putting away your toys, and clothes. You help with the laundry and sometimes you want to just put the coins in and out of the machine.
You talk so much for your age that it amazed my dad and he was laughing which made you laugh. You played ball with Abuela Maggie who didn’t want to leave but Abuelo Hector wanted to go. They had a long drive ahead of them. But one of these days we will go pick up Abuela Maggie and have her stay with us for a week.
I know this is the time where you will start becoming more indepenedent from us and mom will have to work on her patience and understanding.
We actually sang Happy Birthday to you twice. Cirene and Liz went for a long swim and came up to Sing and Dance the Happy Birthday song with you and us. Tio Tito and Abuelita Lydia did not come up but we will go and see them this coming weekend.
We love you so much! Yesterday you actually played with a group of kids around your age and older on the beach. I was staring at you from the balcony and saw that you were having fun. So I did not go down because you also need your room. I needed to fold clothes because for Christmas I got sick and you were also battling a cold and teething. Dad was also sick and JuanGa was the only one not sick. We relaxed at home and practically slept a lot of the day. But Melvin, Liz, and Cirene along with Rick Lipsett our friend from PapaHeroes site, provided little gifts for you to open.
You are an amazing little dancer and singer! And in Spanish you speak very well. We taught you that you were two years old and you said it proudly to everyone.
May you have many more birthdays my lovely daughter!