Pumpkin Pickin'

Mateo babysitting his Lola.

Mr.Quincy was coerced into taking this picture for my entertainment.

Cute, huh?

Mateo thanking his Lolo for all the pumpkins.

OCTOBER 21 - Mateo went pumpkin picking at Lolo's garden.
He had a bunch of fun pumpkins to pick from.
These are the few that Mateo picked to take home.

Teagan is not a mythical creature

For those of you who have heard of Teagan but have never actually met her, I'm here to tell you that she actually exists. She doesn't look anything like Ruari or anything like a Filipino.

The Food Fix

PHOTO 1: Mateo totally rejected the Gerber Puffs but he is all about the Parent's Choice Little Puffs. At one point, Ruari was feeding herself 3-5 at a time then would hand feed Mateo 1 puff to keep the peace. The blueberry is his favorite flavor.
PHOTO 2: Ruari + Chinese All-You-Can-Eat Buffet = Photo 2
PHOTO 3: Ruari wondering if Mateo was going to eat the fortune cookie he had in his hand because the 3 course meal she just finished just didn't seem to be filling enough.

Cousin Elijah

PHOTO 1: Elijah & Ruari couldn't get enough of Tito Rico's famous popcorn. They each ate it by the handful.
PHOTO 2: Auntie Jojo getting her kiddie fix.
PHOTO 3: Elijan & Mateo chilling on the sofa.

Family Picture

I really like this family picture of the three of us. However I would have LOVED the picture if it wasn't for Ric's major crotch hold on Mateo. Regardless, don't my boys look handsome?

Teagan's Baptism

OCTOBER 20 - Teagan had an intimate family baptism today. She cried, which is supposedly good luck. Ruari of course had to be in the thick of things, so she was right up there for most of the ceremony. Nina is the proud Ninang. Then afterwards we had a small get together at Lolo & Lola Orca's house.

Park-it

OCTOBER 18 - We took advantage of the nice weather we're still having and took Mateo and Mr.Quincy to the park around the corner for some Family Fun Time.
PHOTO 1: Mateo at his favorite swing set
PHOTO 2: The kiddie see-saw. You can see Mr.Quincy's head because he was sitting on the opposite side with Ric. Weeeeee!

Good To The Last Drop

OCTOBER 14 - Tonight Mateo got his first taste of fruit juice - pear. Of course it was one part juice to two parts water. (Photo 1) We are teaching him early to read the nutrtional content of his foods. Ha, ha, ha. OK, some of you actually believe me, don't you? (Photo 2) I hope this photo isn't violating any copyright infringement laws or anything. If so, YIKES! In case you were wondering, he sucked down every last drop.

Gordito y Papito

Ric has found a way to keep Mateo happy - just by taking him for a walk around the living room. As soon as Ric got back from his ride, he went straight for a stroll with Mateo. Note: he's still dressed in all his gear. My opinion is, as soon as Ric gets Mateo walking, the sooner he gets Mateo RUNNING! Fun for Ric, but I foresee a bit of chaos in my future when that day finally arrives. For now, I'm enjoying our family jogs with Mateo IN the jogger. (BTW, Ric is on his knees in this photo. He isn't as short was what this photo shows.)

Team Spirit!!!

"I've got spirit, yes I do! I've got spirit! How 'bout you?"

(Photo 1) How funny is it, that when I sat Mateo down to take this picture, he started clapping? Alright, so I highly doubt that he's going to be a cheerleader like his Mama, which is fine by me, but he's getting some practice at being a good team supporter. This is Mateo's VERY first piece of Loyola University Chicago gear. It was a gift from my teammate/Captain/Coach/friend and her family. I love it.

GO L.U.!!!

Downtown Fun

OCTOBER 13 - Oops! The pictures came up in reverse order, but you get the idea. Today Ric, Mateo and I took a walk downtown for some quality family time. First step these days... Get Mateo bundled up. I L-O-V-E that his stroller has a bunting/bundle me that goes with it. He stays nice and toasty inside. Our first stop was to Panera for breakfast. Then we went to the Farmer's Market for a couple gourds to put on our front doorstep. After that we strolled along Kellogg Park to check out the Scarecrows decorated by local groups. We liked the Boy Scout Troops' idea the best (Photo 2). The sign states "Catch A Fish. It's Lots of Fun. Please Put It Back, When You're Done!" They created these fishies for you to catch (Photo 3). The last stop was to the Public Library for some quick reading, while Mateo took a short nap. All-in-all, it was great start to our weekend. I know Mateo doesn't look like his gleeful self in these photos, but he really didn't mind being bundled as long as his arms weren't tucked in.

Just Another Day

OCTOBER 12 - Today was a little bit of everything: chewing on a lion rattle, trying on new clothes while playing with a hanger. Dare I say that today wasn't particularly special? Nah! Everyday with Mateo is special. Awwww : )

Laugh Fest '07

OCTOBER 11 - Mateo has got such a huge laugh that we love to hear, so we caught in on video and are sharing it with you. We hope this brings a smile to your face like it does for us. Enjoy!P.S. I finally got video onto his blog. Yay!

Rock Star

OCTOBER 10 - Mateo rocked out his new fall outfit complete with a raccoon cap and argyle socks. He was a smash at the Physical Therapy office. We need to buy this little guy a coat. The temperature went from 90 degrees down to the 60's in one day!

Next Stop... Chicago

OCTOBER 1-2: After Madison, we headed back to Chicago for a couple of days.

Photo 1: Mateo exhibiting his one-handed bottle hold skills

Photos 2&3: Ruari and Mateo having a baba party in Ruari's crib

Photo 4: Cutie Ruari actually looks like a girl in this photo.

Photo 5: Mateo was excited and ready to do some Magnificent Mile shopping.

Next stop on our mini road trip - Schaumburg, Illinois, for my business meeting. Lola Ebs was happy come along to watch Mateo, since he's proven to be the easiet child to take care of (knock on wood). They had a great time together. Thank you Lola Ebs.

Visiting Madison (the city, not the person)

SEPTEMBER 29-30: We all (sans Ric) took a small roadtrip up to Madison to visit Jojo and Zach at there new hometown of Madison, Wisconsin. We had so much fun walking around UW campus and around the capital. There was so much to do and see there and we appreciated the fact that J&Z were such gracious hosts. We all can't wait to visit again.

Photo 1: The State Capital building

Photo 2: Day of departure after breakfast at The Continental Cafe

Photo 3: Ruari showing that Mandy Moore and Ben Lee are performing at the theatre behind us.

Photo 4: Mateo's first taste of sweet potato puffs; he preferred his pacie. We'll try again in a few weeks.

Photo 5: Teagan and Mateo crashed hard after a long day of sightseeing. Mateo was snoring so loud that night, it was too funny ; )

Photo 6: One of our stops - The House of Wisconsin Cheese, of course!

Thank you Tita ChiChi & Uncle Z