2010 ... a recap

Looking back on 2010 ...  The truth is that a lot of amazing, sad, earth shaking, miracles happened this year for the Atria Luke family.

The year started in a whirl for mommy and daddy when the landlord called out of the blue to inform them that they would have to move out of their apartment. They had been very happy there and felt sad that their first home together would be soon only a memory. So, in January the search for an apartment began ...

February was earth shattering in more ways than one. Daddy threw mommy a 31st birthday party on the roof top of their apartment complex. Tons of friends and family came and it was agreed that it was definitely one of her best birthdays yet! Little did she know a week later she would find out she had a surprise guest at her party ... I was inside mommy's belly singing along. I knew that mommy's wishes for the year would come true. Isn't it ironic that she wished for me :)

The earth literally shook on Feb 27 when Chile experienced a 8.8 magnitude earthquake. Mommy and daddy held hands through the shaking and they prayed together for me, for them and for all of Chile. We knew there would be heavy damage, but only god could know how much there would be.

In March the repair began. Repair to the homes and buildings, but also repair for the families who had lost everything to the quake and tsunami that took away memories, spirit and lives. Mommy began to gather donations from family and friends and was able to donate money, goods, and hope to families in the areas hit hardest. She had never been prouder of herself or her friends when she added up the final tally and had raised $3,650!  

March was also a month of great happiness culminating on the night when uncle Daniel and Aunt Lorena were married.The wedding ceremony was beautiful. Daddy and mommy both read during the ceremony and later, mommy kicked off her shoes and daddy twirled her all over the dance floor. While everyone celebrated into the wee hours of the night, aunt Veronica and Uncle Guillo were celebrating themselves! On the 4th floor of clinica Alemana my cousins Catalina and Maite were coming into the world. We were all anxious to meet the twins, but we knew they had a hard struggle ahead of them. they were premature by 2 months and were teeny tiny.

The hardest month of the year was by far April. Great Grandpa, or as daddy called him "tata", had been sick for quite some time. We all knew that his time was short and everyone prayed for him and for peace for his weary body and soul. On the way to see a movie daddy got the call that tata had passed and mommy and daddy immediately went to him. He was peaceful and with Yeya, but we still knew that the coming month would be hard without him. He had been an icon, a positive roll model, a husband, and a friend to so many. He is sorely missed.

In May the twins finally were allowed to go home! they had had quite a difficult time in the hospital, but had finally gained enough weight and strength to meet the family who had been waiting so patiently to meet them. Tiny and adorable was the only way mom could describe them. Daddy had been chosen to be Catalina godfather, so he was particularily excited. I think when he held Cata in his arms he not only fell in love with her, but he also fell in love with the idea of being my daddy!

June was a month of hard work. Mommy and daddy were both working very, very hard. Daddy went to his regular job everyday, but then after work came home and studied for hours and hours for the GMAT exam to study in the states. Mommy also was working hard too. She was teaching and trying to save as much money as she could. All that working meant mommy and daddy had less time together which was sometimes very stressful ... but in the end (we'll get to that soon) all the hard work was worth it! Also, across the world in South Africa, men from all over the world were going head to head in the 2010 soccer World Cup. Mommy and daddy loved to turn on the tube and cheer on Chile and the US! In the end, neither team made it to the final, but both teams played well, and mommy and daddy were especially proud of their hard work and the way they represented their countries.

In July mommy headed for the United States. It was a trip she had been anticipating for a long time and when she finally got on the plane she was overcome with happiness. She couldn't wait to see her family! We spent 3 weeks there and I got lots of love (via belly rubs) from all of the family. Grammy threw a baby shower for us at Great Grandpa fish's house and mom felt energized and very loved! All of the family came, but also two of mommy's friends. I could hear how excited everyone was getting for my arrival. It was a day to remember for everyone there ...even little me!

In August we all slowed down and played catch up. Mommy was getting more and more tired as I grew bigger and bigger. Mommy's aches and pains started getting worse as I wedged my feet up in her ribcage. The countdown really began and everynight mommy propped herself up on the sleep pillows and said ... "one day less." I was also getting antsy and I wiggled and squirmed trying to get comfortable in my decreasing space. And speaking of small spaces, 33 Chilean miners were also struggling in a small space. On August 5th a Chilean mine collapsed trapping the men undergroud. It seemed like an impossible rescue mission, but attempts began immediately and we all crossed our fingers and prayed that a miracle would happen.

200 years old, WOW! No, not anyone you would know ... CHILE! In September we celebrated two birthdays. Obviously, daddy had his big 31 on the 16th but the biggest party of all wasn't his, it was Chile's! The governement went all out with fireworks, light shows, parades ... Mommy and daddy celebrated in the city park with delicious food and drink. The music played so loud and the people had so much "buena onda" that even I could feel the country's energy.

Miracles. Miracles. On October 14th the final rescue was made of the trapped Chilean miners. Yup, that's right, they had been undergroud all that time! It was really a miracle and the people of Chile all experienced a rebirth as they watched the rescue of their comrades. All around the world people celebrated and it was a proud day for us all. Days later the family celebrated another kind of "birth." YES, ME! I finally popped out on October 27th at 8:20 in the evening. On that day I became their little miracle, and at the same time they became mine!

The highlight of Novemeber was definitely my introduction to the world. I met so many people I can hardly remember them all. I do definitely remember grammy. She came and took care of me, mommy and daddy for 3 weeks and I knew right away that she was ubber wonderful! She had a soft touch with me and with mommy and I had some of the best days of my life with her!

Thw whirl of December whooosh .... how the time has flown. Time with my grandparents and my Atria family ... Christmas and now the end of 2010. I sure can't wait to see what the new year will bring is all. I feel confident there will be plenty of surprises ... ups and downs, but I say, in my tiniest little coos ... BRING IT ON!!!

parque las lilas ... in pictures




I'm all giggles and smiles! I love going for stroller rides :)

 



Come on mommy ... LET'S GOOOO!





Parque Las Lilas ... here we come!

Cooooing in the grass with Mommy.

Me and sweet , smelly Lucy hanging out in the grass.



Charlie playing guard dog.

Some time for running around

Okay WAY too much fresh air! I WANNA GO HOOOME!





How dare mommy expect that I would be entertained in the park for more than 30 minutes! I don't chase balls and sniff butts like Charlie and Lucy for gods sake!!

my cool new toy ...

As I mentioned in an earlier blog ... I am quite fond of toys with hanging things. I love my crib mobile and now I have several new Christmas toys that also have little hanging treats for my viewing pleasure :) Mommy snapped some pictures of me while we played today. Notice how cute I'm getting???

Baby's first Christmas

Wow, what a holiday!

On Christmas eve mommy and daddy invited Tata and Grandma Vicky over to our house to have dinner. As much as I tried to, I absolutley couldn't stay up late enough to enjoy their company. See, what happened was that they went to Christmas mass and got to our house at about 10:00 at night. Since my bedtime is 9 it was a real struggle to keep my eyes open. So ... I slept through dinner instead. BUT, the good news is I do have a couple of pictures that mommy shared with me from the night:

On Christmas day I was really happy because me and mommy and daddy got to spend the whoooole morning and afternoon together. We went on a walk and played with some of my new toys. Even though that was loads of fun, the best part was just being together. At 6:30 we left for the Atria-Rosselot family get together which is a tradition in daddy's family. We went to aunt Cocas house and just about the whole gang was there. I didn't realize how gigantic my family is on daddy's side ... woooweee. I think it'll take me a while to learn everyones names! Anyway, everyone was really nice to me and I especially loved meeting my cousins. There are 4 babys in our family now. I think when we grow up we'll all be really good friends!


Here are couple pictures:

my first public singing appearance ...

Merrrrrry Christmas everyone!

2 month check-up

I know, I know ... mom is anxiously checking off her pre-Christmas checklist and my check-up was on it ... even though I'm not quite 2 months old yet.

Well, as you all can imagine (this is me we're talking about) I passed everything with flying colors! I'm taller and chubbier than ever before. To be exact I'm 3 cm taller and .500 kilos bigger! (56cm and 5.08 kg) Since I know most of my fans don't speak in kilos and cm I'll translate that for you. I'm just a smidge over 22 inches and 11 pounds 3 ounces! Wowzers, I'm growing like a weed. No wonder mom complains about her back hurting so much. Carrying me around must really be a pain in the .. well, back, I guess :)

I was also supposed to get my vaccinations today but mommy and daddy decided in the end to wait a little bit on it. Dr. Rodriguez said I could get a reaction to them so it might be better to wait until after Christmas. I'm glad they're waiting because I was really nervous about it. I already have a big ugly bump on my arm from the first vaccination I got in the hospital ... those needles have me un poco freaked out to tell the truth!

So, I better be off to bed. I've got growing to do and today was quite a day!

Have you all seen my latest picture? AND my cute new shoes ?!?!

I really love my mobile ...

There's not much else to say, a picture is worth a thousand words.

stealing hearts one smile at a time ...

After 7 long hard weeks out of the womb I've found somethings to smile about ... here are a couple mom caught on film recently. Sorry you have to go to the link ... the file is too big for this blog.

Go ahead hearts ... start melting :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGXdyFp1KPY

sleeping is so overrated!

I have been a busy girl the past few days. Actually, not so much busy as kepping my mommy and daddy busy. They keep trying and trying to get me to sleep, but seriously, who wants to sleep when there are so many interesting things to do, see, hear, taste and smell.

My typical day starts at 8:00am. Mommy thinks that is pretty early to start, but considering the active nights I'm having these days ... who really notices the time anyway, right?
After eating, burping, and then spitting up large quantities of my breakfast I enjoy sitting on the bed and keeping my mommy's hands full while she tries to scarf down her breakfast and morning coffee. She usually can't finish it  in time before it gets cold ... unfortunately, I think she could use the caffine!

By 11:00, I am not only getting bored, but I'm getting cranky too. Mom hasn't taken a shower yet and at this time she usually sticks me in my bouncy chair while she quickly lathers up. I find this part of the day particularily comical although I usually end up screaming instead of laughing ...
Shower on- mom hoses down. Shower off, curtain opens - mom talks, sings and dances while she lathers her shampoo in. Shower on, curtain closes- another quick hose down. I'm starting to get bored and mom is beginning to pant. Shower off, curtain opens - loofah sponge is sudsy and mommy is working like mad to soap up while I cry. Shower on, curtain closes - I'm screaming while mommy is rinsing of the final bubbles. Shower off, curtain open - mommy isn't satisfied with her cleaning routine ... but I'm happy because she now is coming over to pick me up ... dripping and with the towel barely hanging on.

By the time mom has a minute to throw some clothes on, I have began to get hungry again ... who needs makeup, mommy is beautiful without it!

Lunchtime at the house is a joke too. Mom is usually sucking down some cereal or soup while I'm sucking away at the breast. Isn't she a muti-tasker? Half the time we are both dribbling our food and usually I need a clothing change. Mom sacrifices her outfit, it's already got drool and spitup on it ... why change now?

At 3:00 I have usually had sufficient time to get my angry eyes worked out and I'm usually wailing by now. Time for our daily Lady Gaga danceathon where mommy jumps around the house in beat to lyrics she'd rather I not hear. I finally give her a breather and quiet down a bit. As long as she keeps me in her arms, I'll give her a few minutes "free" by napping in her arms. If she tries to put me down ... Lady Gaga is turned up and dancing continues ...

More feeding ... and a lot more drooling...

By the time daddy gets home I am completely tuckered out ... and sometimes sleeping. He thinks I'm an angel :) Boy, do I have him fooled!!

Here are a couple shots mom snapped recently ... look at my gorgeous OPEN eyes!

soothing beats ...

So, who exactly is Lady Gaga? Her name sounds like she would be incredibly fun. I mean ... gaga?!

Well, anyway, lately I have been hearing a lot of Gaga. About 3:00 every afternoon mom turns on her latest CD and we spend about 30 minutes bouncing, and spinning and bending our hearts out. For me it is pure soothing joy! for mom ... well, I think she's just trying to get me to sleep while she burns calories. Regardles of her motives, today I got my first nap of the day (mom says, FINALLY) while we bounced around. ahhhhhhh, soothing beats. God bless you Gaga.

happy birthday tata!

I actually didn't get to go mysef, but last night there was a big celebration for my grandpa Jose. He's 60 years old -- WOW!

Mommy and daddy had a very nice lady come to stay with me, then they got all dressed up and went out and partied like the old times!

All of the family and friends were at the party. Even my uncle Daniel was there with aunt Lorena ... all the way from BRASIL! There was lots of delicious food and drink, karaoke, a cool powewrpoint presentation and well ... lots of very buena onda!!

Mommy and daddy got home around 4 am (way past bedtime)while I was sound asleep, but I know they had a great time because they had big huge sleepy smiles and showed me all of their pictures! 

Here are some of the pictures they shared with me. Looks like they had a blast, doesn't it?

 

 We love to sing in our family!

It looks like my "tata" had a blast!

one month checkup ... un exito!

Yesterday mommy and I went to see Dr. Rodriguez, my pediatritian. It was my one month check-up and I was a little worried. I have a bad case of baby acne and I was a little nervous about it because it is so red and angry looking. Dr. Rodriguez didn't seem to be concerned about it at all. I guess he's seen these kinds of things a million times before. He gave mommy a cream to put on my face two times a day ... and hopefully, by Christmastime, I'll have a soft smooth face again for Christmas pictures. Keep your finggies crossed for me!!

The other good news is that I am growing like a weed! I am one centimeter taller (53cm = 20.9inches) and now I weigh 4.580 kilos, or for those who speak in pounds ... that's 10.1 pounds! What a chubby little thing I'm becoming!

On another note ... I hate my carseat at the moment and I cry just looking at it. It's just that it is so lonely in the backseat by myself with nobody to look at. I cried the whole 20 minutes to and from the clinic and I'm pretty sure mom was thinking about chucking me out the window by the time we arrived home.

Today I'm going to be better behaved for her :) she deserves a little break!

sniff sniff

Well, I'm only one month old, but today I experienced my saddest day yet. Grammy left an hour ago to go back to her home in Florida. I miss her already. Mommy came home from the airport with red, teary eyes so I know she is missing her too.

We had a lot of fun while she was here ; decorating my room, taking walks, singing songs and bouncing, walking the dogs, making yummy dinners, and above all doing a lot ... A LOT of loving.

I know she'll be back one day and I already can't wait.

If you're out there reading grammy .... I LOVE YOU! :)

sebastian's birthday

Today I was invited to my very first birthday party! My cousin, Sebastian, had his 3rd birhtday party and it was really, really fun.

We went to my aunt Veronica and uncle Guillo's house at around 1:30. We ate hotdogs, chips, and ate tons of junk food. Yum, yum!

All the kids went swimming in the pool while I looked on.

All that action made me really sleepy and it was great to sit in the sun and feel the breeze :) ahhh what a day!

  

giving thanks ...

On Thursday I got to experience a very special day called Thanksgiving and I tell ya what ... it was a pretty cool holiday! My grammy cooked a very special dinner for the Atria-Aguirre-Luke family and she whipped up some very yummy traditional fixins. We had turkey, cornbread stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy, greenbeans and asparagos ... and even southern style sweet tea! I particularily loved the pecan pie for dessert :)

Not only was I feeling full, but I was also feeling very thankful! I'm thankful for all my family who love me so much ... and particularily, in thsee days, I am feeling very thankful for my grammy. She has been a very big help to my mommy and daddy and she has been giving me the best loving you could imagine. She wakes up early to give me bottles, she sings to me when my tummy hurts, she gives great toe massages during my baths, she is soooo patient ... and she loves me like crazy ... almost as much as my mommy and daddy do.

So even though I have many, many things and many many people to be thankful for ... today I want to specifically say thanks to grammy.  YOU'RE THE BEST and  I LOVE YOU!

splish splash and squeaky clean!

 What a night!! Tonight I got my very first bath. Mommy and daddy warmed the water up really nice and grammy took really embarrassing pictures. It was ... well, AMAZING! I loved it!

Mommy has insisted that I post a couple pictures ... so here, for your viewing enjoyment ... is ME!

Happy bathing :)

Yesterday was quite a day! In the morning mommy and grammy went shopping and I got to spend the morning alone with my daddy. He took really good care of me and it was nice to spend some special time with him. I misbehaved a little and was kinda cranky with him, so by the time mommy and grammy came home I think daddy was ready to hand me off.



grammy in my new pad



Mommy and grammy did a really, really good time shopping. They brought home 4 bags and a lot of the stuff ws for ME! Now my room looks really cool! They built a bookcase and covered my favorite breastfeeding chair. Ahh so peaceful in my room now. Here are some pretty pictures :



that's my new bookcase ... now, I just need more books!

CHILE 2 - uruguay 0

Watching the game with Mommy and Daddy

great is ... great!

A highlight for yesterday was meeting my great grandma Adriana and my great aunt Cecilia.

 They live a couple hours away in ConCon, but yesterday they were in Santiago and took a couple hours out to come meet me and give me cuddles. They were both so nice, I hope that they come back soon!

my first family BBQ ...

It has been a busy couple of days again. Surprise, surprise! Mommy and grammy have been taking care of me and daddy. Daddy has tonsilitis and is taking antibiotics and I ... well I'm a baby. Duh, they HAVE to take care of me!

We still have had a chance to have a little bit of fun though. On Sunday we went to grandpa Jose and Gradma Vicky's house for lunch. They had a BBQ that smelled very yummy. We also all sat outside on the patio and it was warm and sunny. The best part of the day was that I got a chance to meet my uncle Guillo and my cousins Sebastian, Catalina and Maite for the first time. They were really cool. Catalina and Maite have been sick though (it must be going around) so I couldn't be very close to them. Anyway, we all still got to pose for a few pictures together ...




That's my uncle Guillo, tata, and aunt Veronica



Here is my little cousin Maite with aunt Veronica





Here's me with daddy and mommy





My cousin Sebastian. He is a lot of fun!



Daddy and Grandma Vicky





Here's the whole gang! We're a good looking bunch aren't we ... too bad I was slepping for this shot.