A NYC SHOWDOWN

07.13.2013

This week was trying to say the least. I shall call it the week that tried to bring me down. Test my patience if you will. Lucas has decided that 5am is his new wake up time. Now, I have an amazing hubby who takes the morning shift but when you live in a studio there’s not much wiggle room when it comes to privacy and peace. I’m a pretty solid sleeper but a screaming baby at 5 in the morning..I mean, you try getting some good shut eye during that commotion. Not only has Lucas become an extremely early riser, he wakes up full of energy. Seize the day is this boys motto! Side note: it must be said that I go to bed extremely late. I’m usually catching up on emails, doing work, and watching the Kardashians on volume 1. This is totally my own fault but nevertheless 3-4 hours of sleep hasn’t been cutting it for me.

So anywho, when the hubs leaves to work it’s just the energizer bunny and I. Normally this is awesome. Just my boy and I ready to take on Manhattan. This week I was totally drained. Fast forward to Wednesday. 3 hours of sleep and a cab ride later we were on our way to visit our gals Lindsey and Stella on the West side. When we arrived I reached down into my bag to grab my debit card. I noticed the screen was blank and asked the driver to please turn it on so I could pay. Apparently he had already turned it on and I had pressed the cash button, making the on screen option to pay with a card disappear. Never happened. He proceeds to get upset, insisting I pressed the button then moving on to say that my son pressed it. Now, I know Lucas is showing signs of being a baby genius but the odds of him pressing the cash button in the 2 seconds it took to grab my debit card was highly unlikely. Impressive, yes. Possible, yes. But seriously? I tell him I don’t have enough cash and I have to pay with my card. He told me I would have to walk to the ATM (2 blocks away) and leave all my belongings in the car. When I said NO, he would have to reset the machine (which btw is 100% possible) he flew off the deep end. He officially begins to curse, shout “you’re trying to cheat me!”, and tells me I’m trying to run out of the cab. DUDE. I’m holding my baby, have two huge bags, and my stroller that’s worth more than a 5 hour joy ride in your silly cab stowed away in your trunk. Where the heck was I headed? I start repeatedly asking him to stop talking to me and to please stop yelling in front of my baby. I then called Lindsey to come down with cash and got out of the cab to wait outside. The man gets out and proceeds to scream at me. At this point a crowd is forming and people are staring in disbelief. I finally called the cops. My blood was boiling and let’s be serious. I was carrying Lucas and I in no way wanted to put him in harms way. You can’t fight crazy with crazy.. The cops show up and the driver is still yelling. The first thing out their mouth was “Are you serious? She has a kid.” Another lady even stopped to yell at the driver! By the time we all left and headed to Lindsey’s apartment I was sweating, shaky, and down right exhausted. Our morning with the ladies was great but I honestly didn’t think I’d survive the day. By the time Ivan got home all I wanted to do was curl up in a ball and be alone.

The rest of the week continued with 5am wake up calls and my patience running thin. I found myself feeling short followed by guilty mom feelings soon after. Sucky to say the least. There are weeks when I feel like I’m on top of the world. Super mom! This week brought me down a notch and made me get off my high horse. Every day can’t be perfect. There will always be moments when I feel aggravated. Times where I feel like nothing I am doing is enough. AND THAT’S OK. Tonight Lucas gave me so many snuggles and fell asleep in my arms on our bus ride home. No matter how hard it gets, he thinks I’m the best and that’s all that matters. Every day is another opportunity to start fresh and if those daily morning hugs I get from my baby are any indication, all is forgiven in the eyes of our children. That’s a pretty sweet deal if you ask me.

Now here are some of my favorite pics from the week. Just to prove it wasn’t all that bad.

Happy weekend loves!

BESOS DE MAMI | TROMMPO

07.12.2013

This week Besos de Mami has teamed up with Trommpo. This incredibly gorgeous children’s line was founded in 2010 by Catalina Bouza and Dean Xavier. Carolina is Uruguayan and this is where their workshop is also located. They locally produce all of their garments on family based farms! The Trommpo signature design is simple: bold, graphic, and with imagination and play in mind. When Karla and I received our packages in the mail we couldn’t get over the cut and quality of each piece. Luxurious to the touch – swoon! They fit both Lucas and France beautifully with room to grow. Best part? They look amazing and the kids are comfortable. Winning all around. Karla and I had the opportunity to chat with Carolina and she was an absolute doll.

What do you enjoy doing on your free time?

Going to the movies, spending time with my sisters, walking our dogs, going to museums and food markets.

Tell us your top “mom essentials”.

A loving attitude and patience. Having enough time to share with her and being really present in our playing sessions.

What is your biggest inspiration?

Modern and contemporary art. I love going to museums to get inspired.

Truly, their shop is full of gorgeous staples that belong in your kiddos wardrobe! These are pieces that you will treasure and can be passed down. You can read the rest of our interview (and see little France modeling her threads) over on Karla’s blog. You don’t to miss little France modeling ). Carolina – thank you for taking the time to speak with us. Trommpo has won over this mamas heart.

Karla and I are honored to highlight amazing companies influenced and run by strong, Latina women. We hope this will empower everyone to have the courage to make their dreams come true!

romper and coat c/o trommpo

DIY | TODDLER TANK

07.10.2013

I purchased this shirt about a month ago but after careful consideration I decided it looked much cuter on Lucas. It’s a woman’s crop top but in the world of children’s fashion anything goes. I decided to turn it into a tank and had my mama help with her sewing skills.

Iron the shirt and lay it out on a flat surface. Make sure all the seams are lined up.

Pin the seams on the arms of the shirt to hold them in place and make sure they are aligned.

Use a pencil to mark where you’d like to cut. I wanted a slouchy fit so my mom made the markings about 2/3 away from the collar. You can use one of your toddlers tanks as a guideline if you want a more standard look for the sleeves. Either way, create your markings with a little more space – you can always cut more or sew the sleeves more to your liking. It’s better to give yourself a little room to play with. Once you cut, you can’t go back!

Use good cutting shears to cut where you made your marks (regular kitchen scissors are tougher to use on fabric). DO NOT remove the pins until you’re done cutting.

Time to grab your needle and thread. Turn the shirt inside out and slightly fold the unfinished hem as you go along. Sew using small stitches.

That’s it! Since my shirt was originally a crop top I left the bottom as is. If you want to shorten your tank, use steps 3-5 to create the length you want. This is in no way a “perfect” tank but I think it looks pretty sweet. Plus it’s incredibly quick and easy. This would be a great project for a fun vintage find or even one of your old school college shirts. Happy sewing!

LEÓN WEARS

07.08.2013

I’m obsessed with this denim jacket from Camp Wolf. Created and designed by hot blogging mama Cora, it’s hand-crafted with vintage fabric. Her store launches this August – you can find jackets, vests, and BOW-TIES! I love me a good bow-tie 😉 You can also find Cora sharing her life with her adorable (and fashion savvy) son Miles over at Miles, Papa, & Me. Follow Camp Wolf on Instagram for updates on her launch.

NEW BEGINNINGS

07.08.2013

A little late night rambling. So here we go. I always dreamed of having a blog. When I was pregnant with Lucas, catching up on mommy blogs was my nightly ritual. They made me laugh, cry, and feel inspired. With a ton of support I finally decided to take a leap of faith, leave behind what I felt was “comfortable”, and start my dream project: Lillies and Leon. This whole blogging thing, though still very new to me, has filled my soul in a way that is so very satisfying. I have met so many amazing people and feel inspired to work on new ventures that in the past would have only been a passing dream.

Today was just one of those good, good days. I got to work with an amazing team of mamas and saw a vision come to life that just a week ago were words in an email (which by the way I can’t wait to share). Just surreal. I feel blessed to be on this journey, wherever it takes me, and so incredibly lucky to share with all of you. I kind of hope you stay a while and keep me company. End rambling. Goodnight loves.

FOURTH OF JULY

07.05.2013

Wednesday night we left the hustle and bustle of NYC to spend the fourth in a different kind of chaos: the Hamptons! This is Lucas’s 2nd time in the hammies and he loves it. Why shouldn’t he? Sun, sand, amazing food, awesome company, and a big ol’ house to run around in and let loose. I used to come to the Hamptons every summer as a silly 20-something and it’s pretty surreal coming back with my baby boy. It’s a totally different experience with Lucas (sayonara night clubs!) but he sure knows how to show his mama a good time. We drove up in the evening, collapsed, and woke up Thursday refreshed (sort of. I was golden after 2 cups of coffee. 2 years later and I don’t think I will ever be a morning person) and ready for some fourth of July action.

BESOS DE MAMI | RECIPE: LONG LIVE THE PLATANO

07.03.2013

Just so we’re clear, I am from Puerto Rico and the hubs is from the Dominican Republic. That’s a whole lotta latin blood. Can you blame us for loving a good platano dish? And low and behold, it is now one of Lucas’s favorite things to eat ever. The boy has an excellent pallet 😉 We usually cook up some bananas for breakfast along with some simple but tasty side dishes. Ivan likes his with a side of queso frito (fried cheese) and salchichon (fried salami). While this tastes freaking awesome, it’s not really the healthiest of meals. I skip the cheese and salami, and serve Lucas his plantanos with fruit, eggs, and avocado if we have it in the fridge.

LEÓN WEARS

07.02.2013

Sometimes it’s all about comfort. Lucas can usually be found running around the house in just his diaper. Today we accessorized with papi’s New York Yankees cap 😉 Casual is the new fancy! If I could, I’d totally jump on this bandwagon. Diapers all day, every day!

19 MONTHS (1 WEEK LATE)

07.01.2013

Welp. This week has been hectic to say the least and I completely forgot to take his 19 month photos, well, on the day he turned 19 months. Major mommy guilt. I finally got around to taking some photos and Lucas and Cesar didn’t disappoint. This duo gets me every time. A giant gorilla and a baby? Cmon now. Here’s what’s new with Lucas:

– His hand/eye coordination is on point! The kid is a little genius with his hands. He diligently takes things apart and carefully puts them back together. We might have a little engineer on our hands.

– His love for water continues to grow with each passing summer day. He swims in the tub, adores the pool and beach, and has a love affair with sprinklers. I now make sure to put a swim diaper on for all park outings (thanks to the one time he ran into the sprinklers with jeans..yea..good luck getting wet denim off a toddlers chubby legs).

– He HATES sand. Loathes it.

– We are learning manners! He now says “tank u”. My heart swells with pride every time.

– We are making leaps and bounds with Spanish. You can read more about what he is learning here.

– His locks are growing and becoming lighter with the summer sun. I can’t get enough of those sandy, sun-kissed curls. And YES I am aware he has a mullet. NO I am not cutting it. Please stop asking (this means you grandmas!).

What mama has learned: toddlers are so. much. fun. I love this stage! He never ceases to amaze me and of course I’m biased but I really won the lottery with this boy. Happy 19 months mi bebe!

CREAMSICLES | THE CURE ALL

06.29.2013

Friday morning my little babes was a little fussier than usual. Still running around like a loony tune but fussy and clingy nonetheless. We went to my moms, had lunch, and he passed out for his afternoon nap. Around 2pm he started to stir and I went to lay down with him in bed. I noticed he was shaking a bit and looked uncomfortable. I gently gave him a kiss as he slowly opened his eyes. He usually wakes up a bit cranky but his whines sounded different to me. More needy then “woman, what took you so long to get here. I want to play!”. I picked him up and he was hot. My mom doesn’t have a digital thermometer, instead she has a good ol’ rectal one. I thought for sure Lucas would go ape shit as soon as we stuck that thing where the sun don’t shine but he just laid limp in my arms as we checked his temp. At that point I knew for sure my baby was sick. So now I’m slightly panicking as I hold my sweet baby and see that he has a fever of 102. I immediately called the pediatrician and one of my closest friends who is a pediatric medical assistant. Both instructed me to give him tylenol every 4 hours and keep an eye out for any ear tugging or if he had trouble swallowing his food. If after 24 hours his fever hadn’t gone down then I was to immediately bring him in to be checked. I gave him his tylenol and put him in a cool bath. My water baby screamed the whole time. With each cry my heart continued to break. I’ve been pretty lucky in that Lucas really hasn’t gotten sick, even during our harsh NYC cold front this winter. I felt helpless. But then we had a creamsicle. He devoured the entire thing and even gave me a few smiles. Winning! Afterwards he ate an entire bowl of rice, a slice of ham, and a cup of crushed ice. I started to feel a bit better as I knew most likely he didn’t have an ear infection. We spent most of the day wrapped around each other and with him dozing in and out. He finally fell asleep for the night at 9 and woke up at 5 with a big, goofy grin and ready to start the day. He’s feeling much better but we are still keeping an eye on him, playing inside instead of taking him out in the hot sun.

Thank you for all your kind words and awesome tips on IG. I appreciate every single one. Lucas, I’m not a morning person but for you I will wake up at 5am until the end of the time as long as you greet me with that gorgeous, healthy smile.

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