Diego is such a happy boy who loves outings, jumping in his bouncer, walking outside with grandpa to look at the flowers, watching the "quack-quacks" with Grandma Glenda, and listening to music with Grandma Cheryl. Grandma Cheryl has been dubbed the "Sleep Lady" because of her amazing knack for lulling Diego to sleep when he stubbornly fights off a much-needed nap. He is very lucky this semester, as his newly-retired grandparents are watching him while mama and daddy both go back to school. What a blessing!
The newest excitement in his life is solid food. That boy has been watching us eat for months now and making us feel terrible that we couldn't include him. He has so far had rice cereal, green beans, peas, squash, and carrots. Although that diet sounds boring to us, he couldn't be more thrilled! He grabs the spoon and guides it to his mouth, gobbling up all of his small portions each day. We're having a great time introducing him to new tastes.
This month he will get a taste of the sweeter things. I know he will especially love his all-natural pear sauce from "Aunt" Josie. He just loves hanging out with her daughter, Rylee, who was born a month after Diego. They are baby buddies! The love to hold hands while they laugh at each other.
We are just moments away from crawling, so let the baby-proofing begin! At the moment, Diego gets around by rolling and is quite pleased with this accomplishment.
It's been a huge adjustment going back to work, and I find myself remembering the bliss-filled months of summer with deep gratitude. There aren't many working moms who get almost five months of maternity leave. I cried all the way to work the first day back, but it gets easier each day as our family figures out a routine. My sub did a wonderful job, and students were very happy to see me, which truly helped. Two weeks ago I cried in front of Madrigals, my top choir. They are working on the most amazing piece called "For the Sake of Our Children," and, as you can imagine, it has a lot of significance for me now that I am a mom. They sang it with such passion, commitment, and energy that I got chills. I thought for a moment about moving on, but realized that they deserved to know how much they had touched me. As I shared with them how moments like that make it just a little easier to be away from my son, some of them even teared up and one even ran to get me Kleenex. I strongly believe in the worth and benefit of what I do, and I am so thankful for the times like this one that remind me. 
I get a kick out of how much Diego looks like his papa. He is really living up to the "Mini-Vinnie" moniker he was given before birth. With our new schedule, Vinnie and I truly cherish our family time. I'll try to update the blog at least once a month so you can watch Diego grow!
Love to all,
Joie and the boys
