Chop chop chop

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After three bad falls in one week we decided it was in his best interest to get his beautiful hair out of his beautiful eyes, to protect his beautiful face!
I took Santi to Disconnected Salon, where he always gets the royal treatment. Despite crying through the entire appointment, Neil still invited Santi to sit on his motorcycle. What a treat! We're adjusting to our little guys new look. He looks too mature!

17 months!

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Last week Santi spotted a little lizard on our porch. Everyday since then, every time we leave the house, he stomps around the porch shouting "doggie! doggie!" Calling for the lizard. LOL! It is too cute.
Seventeen months suits him well. He's running wild these days, testing his boundaries, testing our rules, laughing, smiling, teasing us, peek-a-booing, chasing Stella and making every minute a memorable one!

14 months!

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Our little love is so grown up!

He is full of personality, he laughs when we laugh, he knows what he wants and he knows how to get it!

Santi is still a great sleeper, 7pm-7am usually and he's down to one nap during the day. He's using straw cups more and more as we're trying to wean off the bottle. My favorite word that he says is "yesh." To my delight, he has yet to say NO! Thank goodness. His comprehension is incredible. He knows open/close, off/on, up/down. He sleeps with a few of his best buds, lion, giraffe, monkey and "Doug" (the dog)! He loves bath time and can splash on command.

I'm sure I should be ashamed of this, I'm also kinda proud, but he knows how to Cheers! It's the cutest!

First 'salon' haircut

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We love Santiago's hair long, it's so cute. But we recently noticed it interfering with important baby stuff, like crawling! It was always in his eyes. Not to mention his gnarly, yet adorable bed head.

On Sunday we stopped by our favorite salon, Disconnected in North Park, and Neil, the owner gave him a quick trim. Santi fussed the whole time! You'd a thought haircuts hurt by the sound of his cries! But Neil powered through it and gave Santi the sweetest baby boy trim. We love his new look, he is so handsome.

Nine months!

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Nine months has never passed so quickly! (I probably say that every time I do an age post) But its true! Time is flying by us too fast. Our baby is looking less like a baby and more like a little boy.


  • He is working on popping out tooth #8.

  • I had to trim his hair (AGAIN!)

  • He crawls nonstop and is starting to pull up! I even found him standing in his crib this week!

  • He loves playing with Stella and his maracas

  • He is still a great sleeper, sleeping 7pm-7am consistently and taking 2 naps a day

  • After 3 months of Baby-Led Weaning (excited to post about BLW soon!) he is really interested in food and feeding himself

  • Mama is still pumping. Santi now has 2 breastmilk and 2 formula bottles everyday

  • Santi is learning to use a sippy cup

  • At his last office visit he was 21lbs and almost 29 inches long


8 weeks post-glenn

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It has been 8 weeks since Santiago had his second open heart surgery, the Glenn. We are thrilled at how fabulous he is doing. He is indeed THRIVING!

He had his first check up with his new pediatrician (in San Diego, yay!) today. He got the second round of his vaccines and he did so good. Yes, he cried, but just for a moment. He is such a trooper!
Santi isn't just thriving for an HLHS baby, he's thriving in comparison to healthy kids, the numbers don't lie.
Height 27.25 inches
Weight 17lbs 11oz
...and his big beautiful head is in the 88th percentile!

Dear Santi

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This time last year I was pregnant with you, but I didn't know it yet. I had no idea what the future held for us. I had no clue that my eyes and heart were about to be opened to love in the wildest, purest form.

You haven't just changed over the past two months, you have evolved. Maybe its your hair, but you don't even look like a baby to me anymore. You look like a little boy! Everyday, more of your personality reveals itself. And everyday I fall in love with you over and over again. You have the sweetest smile and a laugh that is hesitant. It crackles in the back of your throat, like you don't know what to do with it. I can't wait for the day that you stop holding back and you laugh your head off!

You are major flirt. I don't know how a four month old knows how to flirt, but you do. When you were in the hospital, every time a woman came in the room, your eyes would light up. You'd smile your big gummy smile, tuck your chin and melt her with one bat of your long eyelashes. We continued to listen to a lot of music while you were in the hospital. Your dad would sing "Beautiful Boy," by John Lennon to you. He's learning how to play it on the guitar for you right now. I sing to you all the time. My current favorite is the Bright Eyes song, "First Day of My Life."

You are currently recovering from your second open heart surgery. Oh my love, you are doing super fantastic. You are healing faster than I ever imagined. You amaze me.

Beautiful Boy
"...Out on the ocean sailing away
I can hardly wait
To see you come of age
But I guess we'll both just have to be patient...

Before you cross the street
Take my hand
Life is what happens to you
While you're busy making other plans

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy..."

First Day of My Life

"...Yours is the first face that I saw,
I think I was blind before I met you.
Now I don’t know where I am,
I don’t know where I’ve been.
But I know where I want to go..."

We love you so much.
Love, Mama