Life up North!

So far living in New England, the FAR north-east, almost Canada, Greater Portland, Maine has been great! It is always a bit crazy to see the local weather on tv and realize that the region they are showing is at the very top of the U.S. Funny that we came from Mexico to almost Canada! Sometimes it is just hard to wrap my mind around how far north we really are, but the snow and cold make it a bit easier :)

Our lovely condo, with the little monster who gets into everything!

It is really beautiful here. Snow covered pine trees and a snow covered beach...two of my favorite things, but covered in pretty snow! I can't really complain about that. And the view out our windows ain't too shabby either. We were seriously blessed to come here in the winter and get this amazing condo in this cute little beach town for such a great price. I now know why it is so cheap to live here now...everything is closed! I would guess 75% of all the beach shops and restaurants are closed and, from what we hear, will remain that way until Memorial Day. By Memorial Day, I have no clue where we will be...but it won't be here enjoying the amusement park right out our windows :(

Sadly, even though our building is steps from the beach, I have to admit, we have only gone for 1 walk on the beach! It is more of an admire through the window kind of thing when the wind chills are frequently below zero! Stepping out of the building to go to the car, it is like a wind tunnel and it never fails to take my breath away. I have always kept a package of wipes in the car, just to be efficient and prepared, you know, and they have been frozen solid for at least a week...not much good to me that way!!

Tate is doing well here. He is enjoying having his own room and space to run around and play. He loves to stand at the windows and look outside. The snow plows are his favorite, he makes this cute little face and says "Oooooo"! He is starting to play on his own a bit and sometimes will go in his room and shut the door, but he still mostly prefers to have mommy around. I don't mind too much, sometimes he just makes it a bit hard to get, well anything, done! I am planning an all about Tate post...but let just say, still cute as ever (actually, cuter than ever), still hilarious, and getting smarter by the day. But also still a skinny little butt and terrible eater...some things never change!!

One thing we really enjoy here is the way people talk. Seriously...sometimes, it is hard to not crack up! I bet they think similar things about us, but Zach and I have had some good laughs and he is really good at doing his best Maine-ite impression. As with anywhere, some people's accents are minor, but occasionally I will hear someone in a store or talk to someone and it is out of control! Also...Dunkin Donuts, EVERYWHERE. Like there are probably 10 or more within 15 miles of our place, open all day too. We have had two boxes of the 24 count munchkins that may or may not have only lasted one evening...don't judge, since we don't drink coffee, we have to get our Dunkin somehow!

All jokes aside though, I am really grateful for all the opportunities I have had and will have (might need a reminder of this after move #5 or so) to move to different places and see how truly different it can be...in the US or not. It is blessing to be able to meet different people and especially to see the church going about it's business everywhere we go. The people in our little ward here have been super welcoming and I am sure we will be sad to leave. I really want to focus on gratitude for all these experiences to avoid frustration with our somewhat nomadic life. I know that we will look back on our insane med school experience as one of the best times in our life...and right now, I am enjoying living somewhere with a REAL winter!

Our building is on the left and the amusement park on the right. Cute little town of Old Orchard Beach!!

Estamos Cambiando...Otra Vez

I have some explaining to do. In the ever changing vida de los Stevensons, we are leaving Mexico. We have decided to take advantage of a transfer opportunity that will put us back in the United States. Zachary will be changing schools and we will be moving to Portland, Maine for a semester (and freezing our butts off) starting in January, followed by clinical rotations...locations to be determined but either Chicago, Connecticut, Balitmore, Atlanta, or any combination of the aforementioned. (The whole Maine thing is perfect timing...since it is touristy in the summer, we are getting a furnished condo on the beach all bills included with an indoor pool, spa, everything for a GREAT deal. We are really excited about living in style in the cold!!)

It will be an interesting ride and one that we are really excited about...and totally prepared for...if we can do Mexico, we can do this! Tate is totally pumped about the cold weather, the kid sweats a lot. And, the day after the decision was made, Children's Place sent me an email with 30% off cold weather stuff plus a 20% off Columbus Day code and free shipping...perfect timing right?!? So, an adorable big coat, ski pants, and snow boots are on their way to keep Tate warm when I throw him in the snow!

Sorry for the side track...Tate in snow gear gets me a little excited! Anyways, back to the new school. The program here in Mexico was a 5 year program because it had an intership in New York at the end. The new program, will have Zach finishing at the same time (starting a residency at the same time), and he will also be completing a master's in addition to his MD.

This is just another answer to a prayer in this bumpy road of med school (even bumpier road of foreign med school). We leave here with the best souvenir ever...our little hecho en Mexico, Mexican citizen. And that will always make every part of this totally worth it! So much more to come from us...now from the east coast. We really will miss a lot about Mexico and Tate is gonna miss all the Spanish (he really and truly likes Spanish better...example, he only waves when I say "Hola" not "Hi"). Another post coming soon about all the crazy, unique things we have encountered in our time here!!

Cause every post needs a picture...my little dude. Who, by the way, is walking FAST now...close to a jog, not quite a run. He is hilarious!!

We have a walker!

Last Friday was the day, we officially gained a walking baby around here! He has been taking steps between us and the couch and other things close by. Friday night, while skyping with my mom, to show off his semi-skills, he just took off! He started walking all over the downstairs of the house, not towards anything. He figured out a few days before how to stand up without pulling up on anything so I knew it was close.

Clapping for himself. He loves to clap when we say "Yay, Tate"...and he is just a proud walker!

He is a dang cute little walker, but also a very cautious one. He takes his time, not at all trying to win any races yet. And he still crawls when he wants to make good time (the kid can haul it on all fours). His new thing...he enjoys walking with his eyes closed while making a strange, choking like sound (I am trying to catch it on video). I seriously laugh at him all day long! Who knew a 13 month old could be such a comedian!

His first time publicly walking was at the shoe mall...yes...they have a mall here that is just shoe store after shoe store, they tend to get repetitive, but it is a great place nonetheless. And mommy got some great red flats there that Tate is obsessed with! Back to the public free walking...Tate is hooked. He is pretty sure it is the coolest thing ever! He refuses to let us hold his hand and enjoys making lots of noise to make sure the general public knows he is walking.

I know with each day, he will crawl less and less, and refuse more and more to be held in public. As of right now, the transition to walking hasn't been too bad. And...dadgumit, he sure is cute!

The little walker at the shoe mall!

Favorite Things...Tate Edition

Tate has 2 favorite things these days...neither of which are eating. The kid won't eat! I have decided he really likes the clothes he wears now and doesn't want to outgrow them. Little dude still rocks a few pairs of 3-6 month shorts at 12 months...ridiculous! So any tips on eating would be greatly appreciated, that is our biggest battle these days and my biggest stressor with him. I hate hearing failure to thrive at appointments and want to get out of that. Sorry for the side step!

Anyways...back to the favorite things. In the mornings, which are lovely and cool here, I open the window in the living room when we come down stairs. He then loves to crawl over to it and open and close the sliding screen. Sometimes he will stand there for up to 30 minutes. Open. Close. Open. Close. You get the point.

He can totally enjoy himself there alone unless he gets totally behind the curtains, at which point we have a small melt down until mommy rescues him! The other danger involves the walls. Here in Mexico they are made of plaster like stuff, and it kind of sucks. In certain areas, especially during the rainy season (now), it flakes off. So essentially, Tate can dig his little finger nails and flake off, then eat pieces of the wall. This is mostly under the windows (where he loves to play), so I have to REALLY watch him. Silence is never good, it means there is something in his mouth!

(Don't mind the burglar bars on the window and then gates outside the house. Totally normal here!)

Favorite thing number 2 is pushing the kitchen chairs around. There are 4, he will push 3 of them with no preference but I have never seen him even try the other one...not sure what that is about. Pushing chairs is accompanied by a very specific squeal. It is cute for the first 15 minutes. At about minute 16, the squeal accompanied with the sound of the chairs dragging on the tile and mommy is ready for something new. That is when I try to distract him with a toy...AND he usually goes to stand at the oven and make noises with his mouth on it.

Chair pushin' one day after church!

Sometimes I wonder why baby toys were even invented! My kid has more than his fair share of them, but loves all things non-toy.

Party Time!

So...the birthday party was Saturday, the day after Tate's birthday. We had 7 kids over ranging from 1 to 6 or 7. I didn't really plan anything activity wise, just figured all the kids would have fun playing with Tate's (slightly excessive) toy collection! And I was right. They were inside and out playing with toys, bubbles, and maybe a little cake frosting!

We had a great time and Tate played really well, and was especially fond of Maya...the other 1 year old! Tate and Maya are both Mexican and American citizens and were delivered by the same doctor here about a month apart, so they have a lot in common! When he is around other kids, he acts older and tries to do new things. He seems to progress very quickly, maybe just wanting to show off!

We had a cake from Costco...I know I am a lame mom for not making one. Let me tell you I was nervous about how it would turn out. They only had about 6 design options and the ones I saw out for sale didn't look much like the pictures...at all. We decided to go for a train...boyish and easy. I was also worried about having words in English on it. I wrote very clearly, and it worked! Not the prettiest cake, but much better than I was expecting and it tasted good.

We started the party at 3 and we had so much fun talking that everybody didn't leave until 7. It was a nice day and made me grateful to have good friends here (in our same med school shoes)! So thanks for everybody who came!

I have a 1 year old...yikes!

So...as evidenced by my last post and the ticker on the right side of this blog, my little boy is now 1 year old! With every month that has passed, I have noted how I couldn't believe how old he was getting and I am still in that boat (and will remain there for the rest of his life). Each age gets funner and funner as he gets more interactive! I love watching him learn and think...he is a big thinker!

We had a little party for him on Saturday with our good friends here in Guadalajara. It was nice and he played so well with all the kids that were over. I will post about that later!

I wanted to make some notes about him at 12 months before I let it pass me by...

- Tate's bag of tricks is increasing a lot these days! The most recent are high fives and clapping. He gets so proud of himself when he does big kid things and always looks over at us for a smile or a "Yay Tate!"

- He loves to pull up on everything and has for quite a while, but now once he gets to standing, he loves to let go and balance on his own. He is getting really good at it!

- FINALLY...seriously, finally, starting to eat a little better. And by eating better, I mean not screaming through all of his meals. He still prefers his bottles (which I am trying to slowly wean), but his pediatrician told me I could keep him on formula for a while longer due to the preemieness...mostly due to the bad eating.

- He is still our little guy...tall and skinny. He has almost outgrown all the 3-6 month clothes, but still has to wear some 3-6 month shorts due to his skinny little waist. Most of what he is wearing these days is 6 month or 6-9 month. His growth has definitely slowed lately.

- He is a total sweetheart and loves his mommy! He will crawl over to me when he gets tired and lay his head on my leg and let out a cute little sigh. He always smiles when he sees me and it totally melts my heart. That being said, I still firmly believe that his daddy is his favorite person :)

- He has never been much of a tv watcher, but now that the cartoons are in spanish, he seems to like them much better. He will stop what he is doing to watch Backyardigans. Interestingly enough, he is obsessed with one commercial here. It is for the local cable company and is mexican cheerleaders. He will crawl (quickly) from where ever he is to watch it...funny!

- He talks all the time. Sometimes it isn't really talking so much as happily screaming. But he is super super loud. Here in Mexico you open your windows to get a breeze in the house due to no ac, so I am sure the neighbors are quite accustomed to hearing him!

I am sure there is a ton more I could say about him, he is really the funniest kid! I am so lucky to get to see his happy face standing up in his crib every morning. I love that little boy!

Here he is on his birthday...looking just like his daddy!

What a difference a year can make...

So this time last year (like 9:45 of last year), we were at the hospital and Zach was making calls to all of our family to let them know that Tate would be born soon. I was not making those calls, cause I was being prepped for surgery...and crying. I did that for about 2 hours straight that night.

I determined at about 8:30 or so that my water had indeed broken, not in the way I expected water to break...no flood! We called the doctor and she was going to meet us at the hospital. I was convinced I would be put on bedrest and Tate would make it another 3 or 4 weeks like we were planning. Zach knew better but didn't want to stress me even more! Those few hours, until our sweet boy was born at 12:06, went by so fast but I still remember them so well. It is the 3 weeks after that went by so slow.

As I sit here and type this I just cannot believe that is has been a year. Some days I don't even think about the birth and other days it crosses my mind a few times. It doesn't impede me from living my life, but it has changed me. As a little girl you think about falling in love, getting married, and having a baby. My love story with Zachary is perfect and continues to be everyday. While the having a baby part was nothing like I imagined, and I know it never will be for me, it is perfect for me.

Having a preemie has made me the mother I am. I could not be more grateful for the son I have. He makes me smile so much everyday that my cheeks hurt most nights. He looks like his daddy and has some of the same quirks as me. He is perfect and he came at his time. The fact that he came so early just makes me more grateful for every little thing he does. Every. little. thing.

I waited what felt like forever for his first real smile, and when he smiled at me, on purpose, I cried. He was really late to roll over and did it in his crib without me seeing...I think he wanted me to miss it so I didn't make a huge deal over it. When I saw that sleeping baby on his back instead of his tummy, I cried again. As time has progressed, he has began to catch up on his milestones thanks to physical therapy. Because he was premature, I was more aware of problems he could have and pushed things with doctors to get him the care he needed. He is now so close to walking at 10 months adjusted and I could not be more proud of him.

The struggles he had, he will never remember. I am the one that feels sadness for what happened to him. I used to feel guilt, but that has passed. Now it just the occasional sadness and pity...not just for him but for me. It may seem selfish to feel that way for myself, but I know from talking to other people who have been in my shoes that it is totally normal. That being said, when I look at my handsome, blue eyed, big dimpled, smiling son, I feel nothing but gratitude and pride! He is the cutest thing I have ever seen...and I am in no way biased!

I can't believe he is almost 1...like 2 hours shy of 1...but I look so forward to getting to continue to watch him grow and learn and thrive. Zachary and I are lucky people to have been given such a sweet happy baby. Every night, when we lay down in bed, we talk about our little monster...every night. I can't imagine our lives without him. And, I am truly grateful for every part of his story!

1 year ago...my first time seeing my 3lb10oz son!

And tonight, my boys making me dinner. Couldn't be more blessed!

And his actual birth story...here.