In case you haven’t heard, I’m a certified legging junkie! Is there anything cuter than a baby bum in stretchy pants? I think not. We are currently obsessed with this adorable tie-dye pair from Duke and Duchess Design. 70’s prints – yes, please!
When I met Ivan 10 years ago, we were just kids. High school buddies turned life long partners. He had wild curly hair, was thin as a bean pole, sported holes in his shirts with pride, and wore braces. I fell in love. Hard. I always knew he would be the father of my children. Every vision of a family I had included him. But nothing, and I mean nothing, can prepare you for the day the man of your dreams becomes a father.
When Lucas was born I fell in love all over again. This time through the eyes of my son. I am secretly proud that Lucas is a mamas boy, but it feel just as amazing knowing that he has a daddy that loves him to the moon and back. Ivan is an expert diaper changer, boo-boo kisser, and champion snuggler. He knows just where all the best tickle spots are, gives endless kisses a day, and knows the perfect songs to sing at bath time. They spend quality guy time together watching sports (hello NBA playoffs!), wrestling, hanging on the couch in undies and diapers, and playing video games.
Lucas is a lucky boy to have such an incredible papa and I am a blessed mama that gets to spend my life with these handsome boys.
18 months! My boy is officially a year and a half. I am in awe of this sweet little boy and he continues to make this mamas heart burst day after day. Here is what my my little man has been up to:
– He’s officially a climber. He will stack objects together and climb up to get what he is after. He has also taken to climbing in and out of his crib. Talk about an instant heart attack.
– When I say “show me your belly button” he happily lifts his shirt and points. And then proceeds to lift my shirt to show me mine. This is insanely cute when we’re home but I’ve learned to stop asking him to do this in public. Thanks but no thanks 😉
– He knows when he’s gone to the bathroom. He says “pamper” and proceeds to peek into his little diaper and check out what’s going on. I’m in mommy denial that this might be a sign he’s ready to begin potty training.
– His hugs are now given with the ultimate enthusiasm. Lucas has always been affectionate but these new embraces are out of this world. Such gusto!
– He says the following words in spanish: “bobo”, “nariz”, “mas”, “hola”, and “leche”. Which mean pacifier, nose, more, hello, and milk.
My dear boy,
You make each day better than the last. I can only hope that you know how much your mommy and daddy love you. Every day we shower you with kisses, hugs, and endless “I love you’s” but when we tuck you in at night it somehow never seems like enough. Your daddy always asks you “how many kisses did you get today? a million?” I promise to always try and aim for a million more. You bring this little family of ours a joy unlike anything I could have ever imagined or wished for. Thank you for being ours.
Te quiero mi bebe,
Mommy
We are in love with Little Boogaweezin! I met the talented mama behind this awesome children’s line through Instagram and after seeing photo after photo in my feed of adorable babes #littleboogaweezinstyled, I knew Lucas needed in 😉 I love a good legging and these are perfect for our everyday adventures (you can also check out Lucas in their infamous “milk dunk” tank here).
This week we had some lovely visitors. My two amazing aunties came from Florida and a family friend flew in from England. This meant exploring my hometown as a tourist, aka the folks I love to hate 😉 I am a born and bred New Yorker. This means I have learned to navigate the streets at a rapid pace, weaving in and out of the oh so lovely people staring in awe at the tall buildings with huge nikons hanging from their necks. I’m a master, even with a baby, stroller, and diaper bag in tow. Growing up in New York you tend to take the beauty of the city for granted. Having non-New Yorkers come visit allows you to slow down and take it all in. We spent the day navigating the city, walking at a slow pace, spent $8 on frozen yogurt (what the what? highway robbery!) – and yes – with our cameras gracefully dangling from our necks.
By the time we arrived home my feet were aching but my soul was happy. I gave Lucas a bottle of milk and he knocked out like a light. As he softly snored in my arms I kissed his head and smelled a combination of sunscreen, sweat, and Manhattan (we skipped bath time. I figured sleep was more important than a honey scented behind 😉 Sigh. Just when you think NYC can’t get any better, you take a ride on a water taxi and it knocks you right back off your feet.
On a muggy NYC Monday, Lucas and I ventured off to meet two of our dear friends and their babes for a Little Vida spring photo shoot. Yazmin is the founder of this incredible online children’s boutique and her gorgeous daughter Vida is Lucas’s very best buddy. Lindsey is a super mom, blogger, and talented photographer. Her little Stella is just about the cutest one year old you have ever laid eyes on. Lucas was quite the lucky gentleman to be surrounded by so many talented and beautiful women 😉 The theme for our shoot was Alice in Wonderland and the location was Alice’s Tea Cup on the upper east side. Perfection perfection perfection! Luckily all three kiddos were in amazing spirits and ready for the camera 😉 Together we all worked our magic and the result was an overload of cute.
A very big thank you to Yazmin and Lindsey (and of course Vida and Stella) for such an amazing morning. Our little shoot was a smashing success!
lucas león: appaman suit | caramel baby & child t-shirt
vida: pale cloud dress | repetto shoes
stella: makie top & bloomers | pepe shoes
| use the code “LEON” for 20% off your Little Vida purchase |
stella: makie top & bloomers | pepe shoes
| use the code “LEON” for 20% off your Little Vida purchase |
I woke up this morning exhausted and not quite sure where the day would take us. The weather forecast seemed a bit wonky but the house was a mess and neither Lucas or I wanted to stay indoors. Why clean when your backyard is quite literally a giant playground full of adventure. We decided to meet my mom at the Union Square farmers market and take it from there.
After browsing the market we ran into Whole Foods to grab some lunch. We found the perfect spot to eat right next to the fountain. Lucas ran around and chatted with some tourists, ya know, the usual. After filling our bellies we took the train to Columbus Circle to visit a friend with the most amazing view of the city. Seriously, I fall in love with New York all over again every time I step out onto her balcony.
Thanks NYC for yet another awesome day.
hat, coat, & jeans from zara kids // tank & cardigan from little vida // moccasins c/o freshly picked
Lucas broke the norm this morning and decided to wake up at 4 a.m. He was up for 2 hours before deciding to hit the snooze button again. I miraculously slept through this debacle and daddy took it like a champ. I’m not exactly sure what went down during this dad and son “bonding” time, but LL woke up with some funky looking hair. The kid is already sporting a mullet so more “funk” is the last thing he needs. Not only did he have some sort of peacock esque style, but there was a mysterious crust entangled in his curls. Hmmm. Maybe the boys had a sleep deprived food fight of some sort? Nothing a hat can’t fix, right? We got dressed and went off on our merry way. We have a daily bakery date and that coffee wasn’t going to drink itself. Mama needs her caffeine!
We continued our morning, running a few errands and making a stop at the playground. Finally, nap time had arrived! I spent the hour checking emails, catching up on some trash tv (my guilty pleasure), and tidying up. At 1pm the king arose. Sporting crazier hair than just an hour prior. Um. I decided to just go with it. Who needs hair product when you have a natural mohawk! We hit the streets to meet a friend for lunch and take some photos, of course.
Lunch was delicious. We went to a local ale house and the food was fantastic. Please no judgement. There were 2 other babies in high chairs while we were there 😉 We spent the rest of the day in the park and the mohawk didn’t disappoint. It held up right until bath time. Sorry to say but his hair is now back to his usual mullet. Soft, bouncy, and with a sweet honey aroma. Not a trace of mysterious muck to be found. It was fun while it lasted!
Here’s hoping you all had an epic hair day as well (or at least a pretty darn good Tuesday)!
lucas león outfit #1: wutang shirt & levis c/o picollini // moccasins c/o freshly picked
outfit #2: tank & cardigan from little vida // overalls from zara kids (similar here)
To say my Mother’s Day was glorious would be an understatement. I SLEPT IN until 10 a.m. (not without a few interruptions. someone let a baby loose in my house and said baby thought it would be fun to pounce on me and climb on my head. not once. not twice. but three times. the culprit will remain anonymous 😉 The aroma of bustelo filled the house – the best coffee ever (you’re welcome) – and I knew the day was off to a good start.
Lucas was finally officially invited to join me in bed for good morning kisses and snuggles. He is always so excited to see me in the morning and greets me with the loudest and most enthusiastic “MOMMY” you can imagine. Pretty much the best wake up call ever.
And then there were crepes. My favorite breakfast/lunch/dinner of all time. My hubby has lovingly perfected his crepe skills over the years and is now the master. We even have a special skillet. We take the french pancake very serious in this house.
After feeling very French and very full, I opened my Mother’s Day card and Lucas decided it was time for a nap. He had been up since 7 a.m. after all.
After naps were done, we got dressed in our fancy duds, ate some bread, and took selfies to pass the time and wait for our loved ones to arrive and celebrate the mamas!
We had an amazing lunch (5 p.m. latin time!) which consisted of rice, beans, chicken, salad, corn, and more rice. Not great for the waist line but so yummy. We have a lovely courtyard attached to our building and the weather was pretty mild at this point so we ate outside and talked, laughed, and Lucas might have bumped his head while running. He took it like a champ and kept on trucking (after some kisses from mommy of course). It was a sweet, sweet time.
I had an incredible day. Seriously, just perfect. I got to celebrate the joy of being a mama with two amazing role models – my mother and mother-in-law. These ladies are everything I aspire to be for Lucas and my family.
I hope you all celebrated in your own special way and felt the tremendous love of your children. None of us are perfect but in the eyes of our little ones we are super stars. And today I felt like the biggest rock star of them all.
Ever since I can remember I dreamed of having children. I loved the thought of having a family, but if I’m being honest, it was the thought of a little rugrat running around that truly made my heart flutter. I was that person who would stop a mom on the street to admire their little ones chubby cheeks and gummy smile.
Lucas was not planned. The year before I became pregnant I was backpacking through Europe, drinking endless bottles of wine and draining my bank account. I had no idea that in just a few months my life would be changed forever. Bottles of wine would be replaced with bottles of milk, dancing at night clubs would be traded for late night lullabies, and fancy new clothes would be swapped for spit-up stained t-shirts.
I remember sitting at work and going through my planner. My period was a week late. There was absolutely no reason to believe I was pregnant but I decided to go to the pharmacy on my lunch break and purchase a test. I came back to work and went straight to the bathroom – oh the excitement! I opened the box and it was empty. What?! Frustrated, I went back to my desk. After work I returned to Duane Reade and explained the situation as they looked at me like I had 2 heads. I’m not sure if they believed me but gave me a new box regardless. This time I waited until the morning, no rush right? I woke up at 7am excited and giddy. I peed on the stick and waited. I knew I would see only one line but nonetheless the anticipation thrilled me. After the longest couple of minutes of my life I looked down and saw TWO LINES. There was no way. The test I had purchased was a cheapie. I ran outside in my pajamas to buy the most expensive test I could find. Ten minutes later – a PINK line! I remember sitting on the toilet in shock. I cried and cried. This was my baby. My gift. I just knew.
I spent my first trimester sick as a dog. I had all day “morning” sickness and I felt like I could sleep forever. Everyone smelled and I couldn’t keep anything down. I also lived in fear. I wanted this baby so desperately that I became obsessed with the idea that something would go wrong. I checked the toilet constantly and could not enjoy my growing bump. I obsessively counted down the weeks until I was officially in my 2nd trimester. 12 weeks arrived and I finally breathed a sigh of relief. My all day sickness disappeared, I felt energized, and I was finally able to share my news. Ivan and I were expecting our first child! It was glorious. I absolutely loved being pregnant. Planning, shopping, searching for names. I soaked in every moment. Ivan and I spent evenings singing “you are my sunshine” to my bump, talking about our future, and preparing for our boy.
11/21/11. The day our world changed forever. This is only my 2nd official Mother’s Day and although this holiday is extremely commercialized I am not going to pretend that it doesn’t mean anything to me. Yes, mother’s should be celebrated EVERY DAY. So should fathers, grandmas, love for your partners, heck – even birthdays if you ask me. I am not excited for a fancy new bracelet or a massage. I am excited because I have a little person that belongs to me and calls me mommy. And we have a day to celebrate it! I’ll take it! I remember being so excited for Mother’s Day as a young girl. Making poems and messy hand prints with a quote on each finger professing my love for my mama. That is what it’s all about. I carried my bean for 10 months and spend every day loving and cherishing him. So what if we have a “commercial” holiday. Bring on the macaroni bracelets and lop sided clay figurines!
