Rounding out April

He is a portrait of roundness!  Oh dear, and yet he is also beginning to look so old, this "one-shoe bear" of ours.

"Reading" colorful weekend magazines: One of his favorite activities.  The grandfathers have learned rather quickly to hide whatever reading material they hope to maintain legible.

Boy in a box.  (And such a boy!)

"Pop" goes Mateo.  He had us in stitches.

Snack in a box.

(Notice that the biscuit has fallen onto the carpet, shedding light onto that expression that he wears.)

(Biscuit recovered.)

Crib Dancing

We can't get enough of that laugh. This was filmed shortly after the little guy learned to pull himself up in his crib, after which the next step, logically, was to start dancing.

April continues to shower us with loved ones

B, José and Mateo in the port of Gijón

Looking over the Cantabrian Sea from a Spanish Civil War bunker in Gijón


one of many warm meals


Mateo awakes


Along San Lorenzo beach, the beautiful church of St. Peter in the background


José and Mateo play in the wake of an afternoon rain shower, Oviedo

Sweet Goodbyes

Padrino will see this cutie pie in the summer when she returns to Asturias and before he heads to the States, but Mateo and I have to sadly wait until Christmas for our next reunion.

A Happy Easter!

Holy Week

We had Maria, Francisco and Mercedes in town for Holy Week, all great cause for celebration in this household. Big, warm meals and a cousin and godparent lovefest every day!

Three cheers for the chef! We got close over this stunning paella prepared by padrino (Berni). I cannot get over how old Mercedes looks here!

Cousin play in the exersaucer, Mateo doing his best to smile for the camera

Sweet moment between Mercedes and Mateo, such affection and curiosity, respectively ;)

Morning play, a cute and groggy pair

Pictures after Easter mass: handsome Mario, Mercedes, "Matty" (as Mercedes is calling him) and a very proud madrina (godmother Maria). This Easter celebration has, quite obviously, been sponsored by the great letter "M".

"Musical pews." I love Mateo's legs and feet in this shot. He looks like a little sweater-vested marionette.

The little lady herself, wearing the new bow and purse sent to her from Becky.

The Easter cakes traditionally given from godparent to godchild: Bernardo to Mercedes, Maria to Mateo.

Three Years Ago

What a blessing to have found each other. This happiness has only grown since that beautiful April day in Oviedo, in the presence and prayers of our families, the love of our loved ones, the birth of happy inklings of Alma and Mateo and those little ones still to come. Some gifts are too great to even fully comprehend.