It's about TIme!

Finally, as I sit at nearly 2am at the computer, I see that its been a very long time since I last posted a blog! So much has happened in the last eight months, Jose graduated, we moved to Tucson, Vandro turned one, I went back to school, Jose has medical school interviews and we finally moved into our own place...a house, a real house!

Vandro turns 1!

Living in Tucson!

Papa's Graduation!

These are but a few pictures of the last 8 months...blogger is being weird and won't let me post more! Life is good and we're all adjusting to all these changes, the babies are handling them beautifully, as they say the only constant is change and unfortunately (and fortunately) there is much more change to come!

Go Cougars!!!!

We just purchased Jose's graduation packet: cap/gown and announcements! Graduation stirs so many emotions, I'm so proud of my husband, it has been quite the "adventure" these last three years, we've had our scares, our trials and tribulations, but we did it together!! In these last three years I have really grown to know what it means when you say, "my husband is my best friend".
In my youth, it was all about the "besties", I have to admit, its a word I can't stand now, I guess it just seems so juvenile to me. Elementary school, Junior High, High School, College and as I found...even in your mid to late 20's, its all about the best girl friends. Hanging out, Girls Night Out...and I was one that thought that was the only way to live or I guess I couldn't live without them. I mean we had matching necklaces for goodness sake! Sometimes I felt like I was living a scene in Mean Girls but nonetheless I really thought this is what its all about.
And it comes back to this, my conversion to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I think for me it was time. It was time to grow up, granted I was 31...LOL...it better have been time! I was a late bloomer what can I say. My conversion, my religion IS who I am. It is what my family is and its who I want those that surround me to know. I owe everything to knowing that I have a Father in Heaven that loves me, that forgives me, that never judges me and only asks that I try, that I honor Him and Love Him. My conversion has meant my eyes being wide open, even when I want to keep them half shut. My conversion has meant finding and knowing what it is to have a best friend!
Graduation stirs up so much emotion, I look around me and I have wonderful husband who loves me, he always looks at me with desire, even when I look like I just came out of a tornado! He gives me and has given me EVERYTHING I have ever wanted. He works hard, he shares everything with me, even when its not pretty. He's humble enough to hear me out, when I think he's not on the right track. He's given me EVERYTHING...did I say that already? My everything, for now, has a name as a matter of fact, its two names! EVA and EVANDRO!
In my youth, I thought my pleasures would always be found in things like my hair, my clothes, my friendships. But in my "new" youth, I feel like I've learned that there are precious relationships, and I've met some wonderful people here in Utah, and there are forever friends, I have a couple of those, and that the most important relationship is that of family, especially husband and wife. I have had the privilege of being a stay home mom, because my husband loves me, I know thats that everyones desire and I didn't know it was really mine until now. I get to play with my kids everyday, I get to be my babies first best friend! That feeling overwhelms me, there is no girl friend out there (sorry friends) that could compare or measure up.
In my thirties I know who I am I know what I want and I'm lucky to feel this kind of peace. Don't get me wrong its not that easy, doubt is a thief that lingers in the shadows waiting to steal this peace away. But this little mantra helps me remember...I've been there I've done that and now I am where I prayed I would be!
I love these last three years, I wouldn't trade the good, the bad or the ugly for anything! I have truly loved our BYU experience and I pray my children will want the same experience, this is where they were born (well Vandro) this is where Papa and Mamma grew up!

GO COUGARS!!!

Halloween 2010

We had a fun halloween...Vandro's 1st, Eva's second!!! The week before Halloween we carved pumpkins with Jory (the little boy Jose mentors). Eva was the Frog Princess and Evandro the Frog Prince. Jose and I made Vandro's costume and reused Eva's tinkerbell costume from last year for her princess costume, it was fun. We totally are not crafty nor do we have sewing etc skills but maybe next year.

It rained like crazy so we went to the mall for some trick-or-treating, we went to visit our friends in the hospital to visit their new baby and then made carmel apples with friends. We hardly ever get to have a whole night with daddy so it was nice to have both daddy and Tia Meli!

Next year we'll be in AZ with all the cousins and Vandro will probably be pushing Eva in the stroller!! I love love love my children, I'm so grateful to be a mother and to have such wonderful children. As strange as it sounds after just being 4 months post-partum, I can't wait to see what it will be like with another little addition! My niece will be having a baby this winter, 1st great grandbaby, my sister will be having her 4th child, 20th grandchild...and my children will have babies to play with!!!

Ok...second video so cute Ahhh Vandro!!!!

I could not help myself but to post another video of Evandro with Cassie, he is jus so animated and funny! I can't wait till he can show his big sister some funny stuff.

Doesn't he just make you laugh!!

It has been quite awhile since I really posted any of my "thoughts" on my blog and frankly I'm probably not going to be posting too many things as far as my "convictions" or "thoughts". I realized that I really like to express ALL my feelings and personally they probably belong in my journal, not my blog. I created my blog so that distant family and friends could enjoy our growing family and I also used it to share Eva's diagnosis. I will continue to share stuff about Eva and now Evandro, but mostly out of sheer bragging!!!

My children make me so happy, (my husband makes me happy too but I hardly see him...LOL!!) I want you to look for some uplifting content and want to see what the Peña's are up to and come to our blog.

I had to post this video, our very good friend came over today with her beautiful little girl, who was sleeping when we took this video, Cassie, my friend, made Vandro CRACK UP, I was cry laughing!!

Creating Awareness - Families for HoPE

My Dear Family and Friends

As of recent, I became a board member for Families for HoPE. This is my opportunity for me to help create awareness for Eva’s condition, a condition that affects so many families; most statistics have been taken in the UK. However, currently, in the US the incidence is about 951 per year. Holoprosencephaly (HPE), is listed as a rare disease, this means that it affects less then 200,000 people in the US population.

Families for HoPE, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization seeks to provide support for all stages in the HPE journey: Families of unborn infants receiving a diagnosis of HPE, Families of newborns diagnosed with HPE at birth, Families of infants with delay in diagnosis of HPE, Families of children with a diagnosis of HPE, Families of adults with a diagnosis of HPE as well as Families grieving the loss of a child with a diagnosis of HPE.

Starting today and until October 28, 2010, we are having our Fall Fundraiser. This fundraiser will help with upcoming conferences and future family weekend conferences and of course, to continue to create awareness about HPE, I need your help!!! I would love it if all of you bought a T-shirt or at the very least one of the Awareness Items.

Buying any of these items, I believe, with their message of HoPE, can be worn and applied to many situations. The HoPE motto is everyone’s motto – as in our family, we have seen our share of trials but -- as we stand HoPE prevails! Things can be tough and HoPE is the only thing that can separate us between surviving trials and falling into despair.

I need your help; we need your help to create awareness for Holoprosencephaly! This is a condition with no cure. The formation of the brain of an unborn child starts within the first few weeks of life, hence where the malformation starts. The earliest some parents can find out about the condition is about 15 weeks gestation --- however that is still too late! Help us create awareness among our friends, family, health professionals and health communities! These little babies that are given this diagnosis deserve life, not all children fall to the fatal diagnosis that physicians explain to parents. These little babies, children and adults need more community support from their health professionals.

Please let me know what items you are interested in buying, I can put in your order and you can send me payment (check or money order) all items must be paid in full no later than October 28^th. You can make your checks out to Families for HoPE, Inc. or you can make them out to me. Also with your order, please note that there is shipping costs as follows: 1-4 items: $5, 5-10 items: $10, 11-15 items: $15, 15+ items: $20 added to your order. There is also a credit card option via the www.familiesforhope.org website, you have to click on the donate button, follow instructions to complete payment.

Thank you all for your support I would love if you could help me spread this email and continue to help me create awareness! Help me raise money, money, money, money...LOL!!!

I love you all!!!

Evandro Nicolás Peña

Welcome baby!!! Evandro Nicolás Peña was born on 6/21 at 6:58am, 8lbs, 12oz and 21 inches long!! I can not tell you how amazing it was to see him all red and gooey, he was real. Its funny for me being pregnant was some thing so separate and distinct to having the baby. Ok, I know it sounds weird, cause of course its separate and distinct! But I guess, being pregnant you have the things you love about it and just grow accustomed to and then when the baby is gone from your belly, you miss them there. You have fantasies about how that little baby is going to be, what they will look like and act like. When they are born, its a start over, they are who they are, they look as they look and it catches you off guard! When I saw Evandro, it was instant water works! He was real and beautiful and healthy! Eva looked the same to me when she was born, I guess that's why it was still a shock to hear her confirmed diagnosis two days later! With Evandro, I got to keep him in my room the whole time in the hospital. I could hold him as much as I wanted to!!! I held him tight for all the times I could not hold my sweet Eva while she was in the NICU and I as recovering.

He is 2weeks old this week and we are still getting to know him. Its funny how some of our family asks, "Has he done this.. or that.." "Is he _____ yet". I have to remind them that he is only 2weeks old, he is just learning about eating, pooing, and sleeping! He probably won't being doing a lot of anything until at least 2 months. Sometimes I feel like, my poor son will have the weight of all that Eva couldn't do all on him. Well, that's what mom and dad are here for, to remind people that Evandro is his own person, with his own expectations and set of accomplishments! Its a slippery slope, we are all so excited to meet this healthy boy, yet we can forget he is still a fragile little person!

Jose and I are loving our newest member, last night Jose, Eva, Evandro and I just laid in bed together. It was amazing to look at both of our children just laying there. Yesterday, July 7, was the 3 year anniversary of Jose and I's second date (the best ever)! Today is the 4 year anniversary of my baptism into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!! It amazes me how much time changes things and people, just three years ago, I was getting to know Jose and here we are parents to two children!

I love my family, I love being a mother and wife!! I am so grateful for my life!!