Down to Earth: May 2011

I have not written in a while, I have put this blog off for a few months now. So here I am, once again, attempting to recap what has been going on in this crazy world of mine.

I have long put this off, but here is what I have been meaning to write:

LUCAS - el muñeco mas amado (the most lovable baby)

Lucas was born October 12th, 2010. I have been too busy to mark this very important date! Our first nephew in the family, the cutest, most amazing baby ever! (I mean all babies are cute, but my Lucas is precious).

Day by day, I am reminded of his most amazing feautures: the radiant Fuentes smiles, the handsomeness of a little man (both from his dad and mom), the little-big head (GENEOUS), and that little spot right on top of his head: its a little white speck of hair that stands out more as he spends time in the sun fishing with his mom and dad. Yes, Lucas is the light of our eyes! The reason to come together and celebrate the joy of life, family, and purity!

I love him as if he were my own (then again, I love all babies as if they were mine). God has blessed us tremendously with him in our lives. More so, I think God has united our family and we have become closer to each other because of the love and affection we give to our Lucas.

I could not be happier! Well, we do have another nephew/niece on the way! Then again, we will wait upon God's blessing for that little life to become the center of attention as well.

There are actually no words to describe how much I love Lucas. I am the proudest Tia! ( I am sure I can claim that without my sisters or Allison's sister getting competitive on that :) Lucas is now 7months old, has two lower teeth, two upper teeth coming out (huge), and a molar...what?? seriously? Then in May 16th, he decides to say "dada!" He pulls his own weight to stand, he wakes up standing on his crib (so I am told)! Is it me or is this baby growing way too fast? He is using 9month old gear! What's wrong! hahaha.

The point, I am so proud of him for being such a smart baby, more so proud of my sister-in-law Allison who spends countless hours nurturing this baby to be and have this smart personality! He is so active, loves to smile and hardly ever "pouts"! My brother and Allison have him in swimming lessons - oh dear, what a cute little fish he makes! And when he splashes, let's out the cutest of screams, as if he were advancing victoriously in the swimming Olympics!

Lucas loves STRAWBERRIES!!! We spent mother's day at Boone Hall Plantation and he just enjoyed himself, and of course we all enjoyed him! See pics below.

I am soo thankful to God, my brother and his wife for giving us this piece of joy in our hearts, the love, the kindred spirited Lucas who illuminates our faces with gigles and smiles of all sorts. Thank you Lord. I love my nephew and will love on him for years and years to come.

And this is where the SHOCK comes in, it is may 25th, and this baby went from "DADA" to "ALL DONE!" yes, you did read correctly! Lucas, what's wrong with you? LOL! he is growing way too fast and I am not getting all that loving...jajajaa... I am soo proud of him for being so smart! And of course proud of my borther and his wife for the passion, dedication, and love they give him! That is why he is so smart! Not to mention he is the most spoiled baby ever! Has his grandpapi wraped around him, his Grandmami melts with love for him, and his Tios - just play with him like crazy! And then he has his Tias...boy, oh, boy, he has several Tias to run to for SUGAR, veggies (?), and hyperness!!! (that would be me ;-)

All in all, this baby is one of my countless blessings.

MOTHERS - And here I present you with several mom's: birth, love, nurishment, compassion, and accountability.....

God has blessed me with the gift of a mother naturally within me - I have those emotions, the love, the kindness within to give unconditional love to any kid...one day I will be that guiding light to a child who needs healing through love....

Where did I learn all that? God provided me with several mother's throughout my life. Yes, I am sure some of you believe in just 1 mother, I have had several. Where are they now? They have become me...

My mother of birth - she was one tough nut to crack. Yes, God gave mea mother who despite the hardships of life, did all she could to provide for her kids, to give her everything, to put aside her life and let her blood flow for ours...although she made the ultimate sacrifice to come to the USA and left us motherless, we never ever were alone...first off God was there watching over us, then HE placed our Angel Papa Chico. Later on, my second mother showed up in my life...Mama Cata...My birth mother made the ultimate sacrife that no mother should ever have to do....doing what she did, going through what she did...could not mention it would be too surreal for anyone to understand...including me....she did all that and more....what bravery, what a mother....I admire that strength...that power, that determination and strength to set aside her personal life, her personal emotions to seek out what was best for us.....

Mother of Love - for every stage of life, we loose something, we gain something greater. We simply have to be willing to accept that change and grow with the seasons of life and flow with that current. Mama Cati (mama Catocha), she became my second mother to me and my siblings. God placed her there to be that fortress, that angel to keep us warm on cold nights...she was there to restore that love and care for us in part of the absense of our mother. Slowly you will learn more and more about these seasons of our lives. More so I write this because Lucas one day he will want to know...and if one day I am blessed with a baby, he/she will want to know the roots of his/her mom and family. I could go on and on..but slowly you will learn this from me..

Mother of Nurishment - This is our mother once we arrived in the USA. our Puerto Rican mother, the woman who despite our hard heads put up with us and gave us her love...treated us as her kids and nourished our minds with discipline, education, kept us in line all through school - college...and the now... she became that mother at that/this stage of life. Although sometimes it is hard to keep up with so many mothers, I am still blessed to have all of them as part of my life....

Mother of Compassion/Accountability - this one is hard...hard to wrap up how from nothingness, became everything. She was my mother role, a friend, and a sister all in one. A friend whom I came to and shared my "guy interests to," the one who spent countless hours awake waiting for me to be home from a night of movies and friends...the mom who woke up at 2am and drove across all of Charleston to pick my friends and me after being left stranded by "SCORCHY" (my car) in the middle of Hwy 17 in Mount Pleasant. Yes, she is my mother of compassion and accountability...although no longer in my life, God knows she is still as much part of my life as ever will be...I will respect her, love her, and will continue to pray for her and her stages of life.....a love that regarless of what happened in between....will remain alive in my heart...yes Elizabeth, I do love you like the mother, sister, and friend you were then...thank you for that!

So see here, I'm awarded mother's for every stage of my life...right now, I am an orphan...or perhaps I am becoming that mother figure to someone and am no longer needing a mother to look after me....God has blessed me countlessly with such love, such faithfullness from those around me....and thus I am the person I am today....(although at times I don't feel like myself)....but here I am, slowly becoming that someone...that mother figure to someone out there....maybe that someone is searching for me? Then again, I feel as though I already have been that mother....when our mom left, my youngest siblings needed me,when we lived with Mama Cati I was like her in every way, when we got to the USA, my step-sisters needed me, when I moved in with Elizabeth, her girls needed me....so do we call it even? Not quite yet.....I know God has more in store....

There, God's countless blessings just seem to put off all that negativity that has been around me lately. Yes, I am not perfect, my world is not perfect. I don't have all of the goodies (materialistic items), don't have the luxuries of this vain world, but I have the greatest gifts...a peace within of abundant love, compassion given and inherited through the different stages of my life. The love of my husband who continually reminds me that it is ok to be human and to make mistakes, to be tough and get up...it is a tough road we are traveling, but together and with God's help, we will overcome these trials and tribulations. And so, I rest my case....the abundance of my blessings satisfy and overpower the negativity within those around me.

Thanks to you my Lord for giving me such a patient heart! I will press on and continued pushing forward to become that woman of excellence...earning my rewards...and accomplishing the requirements needed to survive daily on this harsh world of mine.....