faces and toes

 These might just be my two most favourite photos of the month... they remind me how quickly time passes... and the pure magic of each moment, each baby roll, each giggle...

Anaïs posing for the camera!!

Leo's delicious little toes.

Teeter totters...

 Does it get any better than this? The girls having fun, as daddy makes the sea-saw move up and down at the park near our home... just looking at these photos immediately transports me to that very day!

Nana & Jid'do come to play...

Nana and Jid'do came to visit us in early March... as always, it was wonderful to share the time together. This visit, Joshua and the girls took them on an excursion to Paipa... where Nana and Isabel got to ride horses and everyone went on a boat. Anaïs still reminds us that it was very windy on the boat!!

Isabel combing the horses mane with her fingers.

 The girls were also very excited to take Nana to their favourite hair salon... Norberto's. There is truly no place like it outside of Bogota. Everyone looked out looking 'fancy' (Isabel's favourite way to be)!!

And, since we always do a double birthday celebration for Isabel when we go home in the summer... It was Anaïs's turn to get to celebrate turning two TWICE!!! With a cake, candle and presents too!!

sisters & brothers

I did not have brothers or sisters... so I find myself completely smitten watching the bonds that are shared by Isabel, Anaïs and Leo. They all have such different personalities and each one shines with incredible force. Isabel is all heart and she loves to be the mama. She often talks about how fun it will be to have children of her own when she gets bigger. She adores both her brother and sister... just the other night she was telling me that she loves Leo and Anaïs the most of all. Anaïs is pure joy... she loves to laugh and to inspire others to do the same. She is also a little cuddle bug always ready for a hug. She showers her little brother with kisses any chance she gets. Leo is a bundle of love... it is tangible and edible. And thankfully he has a very easy going personality as he gets mauled by his older sisters (all in the name of affection for their little brother).

The girls amaze me with their ability to play together and the love that they share.

Anaïs adores making her brother smile... here she is calling Nana on the 'Leo-phone'

Celebrations for Anaïs!!

Anaïs in her 'party dress' from JJ and Christina... having fun watching the puppet show!!

We celebrated Anaïs turning two with some of her favourite things (and spiced up in Colombian style)... a big blow up house for jumping, face painting, a puppet show, dancing, minnie mouse, LOTS of cookies, chocolate cake, and time with friends. My dear friend Miss Emily prepared a lot of the food (oh how we love to enjoy our food) and it was exceptional!! Great fun was had by kids and adults alike... and most importantly, by the birthday girl!! I was completely immersed in the magic of each moment as I looked around at the smiling faces and enjoyed the warmth of being surrounded by amazing friends. We truly do have a beautiful community of wonderful people around us... near and far.

Anaïs blowing out her candles!!

S'mores cupcakes courtesy of Miss Emily

Mouth-watering spring rolls and plum sauce... Miss Emily!!

Chocolate covered strawberries... Miss Emily yet again!!

Miss Emily even made butterfly shaped egg salad sandwiches... awesome!!

Aside from jumping and face painting, cookies are one of her all-time favourite things... it was, after all, her first word in BOTH Spanish and English!!

Isabel & Ava enjoying the puppet show

Isabel was VERY excited to see Minnie Mouse and bring her over to Anaïs.

And here you are... looking at a TWO YEAR OLD!!

Anaïs turns two!!

Today Anaïs turned two. We celebrated with chocolate cake, candles, and a few gifts... a larger party is in store on Saturday with our extended Bogotá family!!!

Anaïs continues to be fiercely independent. At two she tried to do everything on her own, even more than her older sister!! She has a very defined sense of style and has been choosing her own clothes without consultation for months; and aside from a little help, mostly getting dressed herself too. This week, she decided that she was clearly too old for diapers. While she has been diaper-free 'at home' for months, I have been hesitant to go out without diapers... mostly cuz I did not want to be rushing to find a bathroom all the time. Well, she had decided she had enough of making me feel comfortable and she was no longer wearing diapers. That was that. And once she makes a decision, her clarity is a force to be reckoned with. So, we stopped. And just like that, she never needed a diaper (or even a change) again!! As if by pure will, she was mature enough to recognize when diapers were no longer necessary.
She continues to amaze us with her wit and sense of humour. She keeps us laughing from morning until night. And she keeps us on our toes too: she is way to smart for us... usually getting us tangled in our own arguments when we try to explain to her why she can or cannot do something. She loves to dance, and she loves to jump (making these the them of her birthday party on Saturday). Keeping her active enough to satiate her desire is an ongoing adventure (especially for me).
She also loves to get pampered. She can lie completely relaxed for extended periods of time enjoying a massage. And she is just as giving, offering amazing foot rubs to mama, papa, Isabel and Leo.
She also has a heart of gold and loves to share. Whenever I prepare something for her, she always makes sure she gets an extra portion for her sister... whether it be water, veggies and dip, or cookies, she will never take 'just one' if her big sister is around. She does also like to taste everything to make sure it is okay... so Isabel usually ends up with an apple that has a tiny nibble taken out of it before it makes it into her hands.
Every weekday at around 3:30pm, Anaïs plants herself in front of the elevator eagerly awaiting the return of her favourite playmate. She adores her sister with the same passion that she has for life in general. And this love is not any less intense for her little brother who is showered with her affectionate foot massages, touches, kisses and hugs. As soon as papa comes home, she stops what she is doing and runs to greet him with a huge hug. Her affection is disarming... even with strangers she is always ready to blow a kiss. And when a new student joined her music class, she went right up to her to give her a great big hug and bring her a new instrument to play.
One of my favourite things to do with Anaïs is walk around the neighbourhood. She is so curious and admires all the trees and flowers. And she loves to hold hands as we walk. It is one of the most precious things in the world, to walk side by side with her, hand in hand... and to feel the magic of life as she experiences it with all her senses.

40-day Blessing

my little man at 40-days

There is something very profound about becoming a mother... it has the potential of being a transformative experience in mind, body and soul. Obviously pregnancy changes your body in ways that cannot always be explained... how the body is able to expand and create life continues to boggle my mind. Yet the more fascinating part for me is how both my mind and my soul have changed as I have grown into my role as a mother. Nothing could have prepared me for the lessons... each child has taught me something profound, and each child continues to inspire me to be the best person I can be: to grow, to live, to create... quite simply to be. Though as with many things, it has taken me time to assimilate the gifts I have learned, and I continue to learn.

There are many traditions that embrace a special relationship with the first forty days after a new child enters the world. In more orthodox christian traditions the 40-day blessing is a reenactment of Mary bringing Baby Jesus to the temple on the 40th day after birth. It is the first time a mother and baby enter the church.  In Kundalini Yoga is it taught that the first 40 days after the birth of a child are a precious time for adjusting to motherhood and for protecting the baby in a comfortable and loving environment. Kundalini Yoga teaches that it takes 40 days to set a change of habit or lifestyle, and so it is considered especially important to respect this unique time at the start of a new life.

I have tried to honour this this tradition to various degrees with all three of my babies. And it has been a remarkable time as I would watch a new life slowly connecting with the world around her or him. I will admit that I was able to appreciate the power and privilege of this sacred time even more with my third child. As part of my yoga practice I enjoyed specific breathing techniques, mantras and poses that helped me connect with myself, with Leo, and with becoming a family of five... a whole new adventure lay before us. And as the 40th day approached I also noticed a new level of awareness in the eyes of Leo as he engaged with the sights and sounds around him with more intensity. It's as if for the first days he was still not fully 'of this world'... a part of him was still cozy in the womb of my arms and shelter (as he had been in my belly for 9-months before). 

To celebrate the 40th Day of Leo's life, I invited a few amazing women to my home. The reunion marked the beginning of Leo getting to know the community of people who are so eager to greet him and welcome him into their lives. I was deeply touched by the phenomenal energy of each person who joined me to celebrate this day. In particular the respect they showed to my beliefs to keep the early days with Leo as a special bonding time for our family. I felt myself bubbling over with gratitude to know so many beautiful souls, and in particular to feel my children surrounded by this wonderful energy.

I chose a poem to mark this day... and I share this intention with each of you:

Leo ~ 40-day Celebration ~ Monday, January 31st, 2011

May today there be peace within. May you trust you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you believe in the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you share the gifts you have been given. May you embrace the love that is within you and each one of us. May you feel content with yourself and the world around you. Pause and allow this knowledge to sink into your bones so that your soul may sing, dance, praise and love without limits or reservations. May you let the light within you shine!!!