The Move 2012

As many of you know, Jorge just landed a new job, so our family is on the move again. Here's what you might've missed...

1. For now, we are living in an extented-stay hotel until we get a house.

THE GOOD: Housekeeping cleans up & makes our beds every day. The hotel provides a delicious breakfast every morning. Every evening during the week they serve heavy appetizers, desserts, and wine! They shuttle Jorge to work when needed, and they'll even go buy our groceries if we want to cook in our little kitchenette. And did I mention that they serve wine???

THE BAD: All 6 of us are living in one room. Sebastian talks as much in his sleep as he does when he's awake. And sweet little Karol is about to eat Blaise. My kids might need some space soon. Plus, I've had more warm cookies and wine than I've had workouts.

2. We found a house & hope to be in it by early August.

THE GOOD: Thanks to God (and the prayers of St. Joseph), someone is taking our house off of our hands. Our new home is in a fantastic neighborhood within walking distance to an exemplary school. It has a huge kitchen, so I foresee many more cupcakes in our future.

THE BAD: We paid full-price, because that part of town is a sellers' market. Boooo. But hey, Karol will have some space & won't be tempted to eat any of her brothers in the full-priced house.

3. Jorge is loving his job.

THE GOOD: The people at his job have been extremely warm & welcoming. The university really takes care of its employees. The perks around here are unbelievable. Some of you may not know this, but they'll even cover our kids' college tuition. (Thanks be to God. Call me crazy, but I feel like the more we give into God's plans, including letting him plan this big ol' family, the more we see His providence.)

THE BAD: I'm experiencing a bit off culture shock. I've taught intercultural communication. I understand that different groups have different ways of communicating, eating, functioning, etc. In the past, I've adjusted to a variety of people, but this group is new. I don't mean to offend, but I've never been around so many... rich people. Don't get me wrong - I have friends who are doctors, successful business owners, etc... but the type of wealth around here seems WAY different. I was at a grocery store that didn't even sell Ramen! *gasp* ;) Like all other situations, I'll learn to adapt & appreciate.

No transition is completely easy, but we're in God's hands. Wishing each of you continued blessings too. <3

Spackle

I never update our family blog (oops), but for those that have been concerned…

I often call Rocco,“Deditos,” which means “Little Fingers” because this baby has the quickest fingers I’ve EVER seen. I know all babies are quick & curious, but this one is especially Houdini-esque! For instance, when Rocco was about 5 months old, I was about to put a Cheeto in my mouth, but within a split-second, it was in HIS mouth! I said, “HOW IN THE WORLD DID HE DO THAT???”

So here’s the story of how these little fingers brought us a VERY frightening experience this week.

We’re moving in less than 3 weeks, and our house is currently on the market. Monday morning, painters had been working on the formal living room and the playroom. (My little playroom mural is gone now.) Since Jorge & I had been so busy with the impending move, I wanted to take the kids out to the Rec for a swim & some summer fun that afternoon.

I stepped away from the baby for about 2 minutes so I could go get a swimsuit out of the dryer. I heard Rocco in the playroom (which has always been a “safe zone”) but when I walked in, he was eating spackle. He looked like a bear with a tub of honey. This particular spackle is light and looks like Cool Whip. (I presume that one of the painters left it somewhere in his workspace. How on earth did Rocco even open it in that amount of time?) My heart sank.

I rushed him to the sink to wash off, and immediately called Poison Control. At first, the Poison Control lady didn’t seem worried & tried to calm my frantic fears. We hung up so she could call the on-duty toxicologist. Three minutes later, she called me back & told me to rush him to the nearest hospital… not to the Greenville hospital 20 minutes away… the NEAREST local hospital RIGHT AWAY.

The kids, in their swimwear, loaded the van and we hurried to the local hospital. The kids & I prayed fervently and cried, but tried to remain calm. One of Jorge’s co-workers dropped Jorge off at the hospital moments after we arrived.

At the hospital, we found out that spackle has glycol in it, the poisonous substance found in anti-freeze. Since Children’s Hospital in Dallas was the closest location that carried the anti-dote, they decided to care-flight the baby to Dallas. I was planning to fly with Rocco, since I’m his mom and his main food supply, but the hardest news was about to come. All of the helicopters from Children’s Hospital were in use, so Rocco would have to fly in one of the medical helicopters out of Greenville, Tx.

The good news: The helicopter would arrive quicker. The bad news: Greenville helicopters don’t have a seat for parents to fly with the patient.

When I heard that I wouldn’t be able to fly with my baby, I-lost-it.

The entire time, Rocco looked fine. No throwing up, no acting unusual. He was only upset because of the IV and lab pokes.

We knew we needed to get to Dallas FAST. We only had 1 vehicle, so while Jorge & the kids waited with Rocco, I sprinted on foot to our house to get our bags packed so we could get on the road ASAP. (I think my sprint time could’ve qualified in the Olympic finals.) When Jorge arrived with the van, we tossed in our bag & were on the road. That was the longest hour-long trip to Dallas EVER. We prayed and cried, prayed and cried. My phone had a small amount of battery left, so I made a few calls, including a call to my sister and a text to Rocco’s Godfather. As I expected, Rocco’s Godfather had started a long prayer-chain for our little guy.

On the road, I received a text from my sister who lives in Dallas: “Am here at hospital. They let me in his room. Holding him. He looks good. Just a lil fussy.” I was so thankful that Rocco was fine, and also very grateful to God for the gift of my sister who could hold & console my baby.

In the ER at Childrens’ Hospital, I was trying to explain what happened to the doctor & nurse. While the nurse was prepping to draw some of Rocco’s blood to send to the lab, the nurse turned his back for a moment, and like lightening, Rocco grabbed the nurse’s lancet (finger-pricker) and gauze! Oh, Deditos.

Labs were drawn every 4 hours and they looked fine. The doctors wanted us to stay overnight, just in case. Jorge & the kids stayed the night at my sister’s house. In the morning, they put the antidote in Rocco’s IV just to be safe. Rocco continued to look good. He laughed and smiled, and brought so much joy to those around him. God had protected him in this time of trouble.

Everyone at the hospital was so sweet and understanding. Apparently, our situation is not an uncommon one, but that didn’t seem to make me feel better. Out of the 10 different doctors that we encountered, one said something that upset me. She said, “Well, I bet it’s hard to watch him when you have 4 kids.” I understand that this is somewhat of a current cultural perspective, but seriously? I felt bad enough about this situation as it was. And by the way, do people really follow their 10-month-old crawlers a full 100% of the time? If so, how do they brush their teeth, stir dinner, and go to the bathroom? (And yes, I’ve taken my baby with me to the bathroom a number of times. Sheez - by the way - WHERE IS MY BABY right now as I'm writing this?!!? Just kidding. He’s with his dad.) The truth is that our baby has THREE EXTRA people that are usually watching him too and care sooo very much about him. Even our 4-year-old yells if he sees Rocco picking up a leaf that the dog dragged in! For this one person to blame my large family for this situation was irritating, to say the least.

By Tuesday evening, we were discharged. Rocco is fine, and we’ll never look at things the same again.

The hospital gave Rocco a cute little stuffed bear. We've named him "Spackle" to bring us laughter through all of our tears. We say, "Rocco, this is the ONLY Spackle you can put in your mouth!"

We have had Poison Control brochures in our house for years that I’ve read several times, but now I have read them with a new perspective. One says that poisoning is possible any time, but especially DURING MOVES and WHEN GUESTS ARE IN THE HOME. I don’t know if I’ll ever forgive myself for not scouring the playroom after the painters left, but I’m forever grateful that guardian angels and a loving God protected our precious little treasure.

Today’s Bible study verse for me was this:

“Give glory to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endures forever.” Psalm 135:1

Indeed we will, because indeed it does.

A big welcome & hello to those who are checking in after receiving Rocco's birth announcement! I wish I had some pics to post, but this busy mom has misplaced the camera cable to download pictures. :( St. Anthony, pray for us!

Rocco is growing so quickly! At his 2-week appointment, he has exceeded his birth weight. The kid is a good eater!

Blaise (3) is loving being a big brother. He's very protective of Rocco. And when Rocco sneezes, we crack up at sweet Blaise saying, "Beshoo, Baby Wocco." It melts our hearts!

KK is turning 6 on Monday. I went to her classroom this week, and this crazy girl was dancing the robot during an ABC song! Last week was a big week, because she lost her first 2 teeth! That Tooth Fairy pays big these days. She got $5 for her 1st tooth! Inflation, I tell ya.

Sebastian is always making us proud at school, socially and academically. :) And this year is a big year for him too in that he's preparing for his 1st Communion! How time flies!

We have much to be thankful for, and hope the same for each of you. Happy fall!

P.S. Still no word on the outcome of Jorge's big job interview. Maybe this week!

We have a new baby! His little face just melts each of our hearts to pieces. Many have asked, "How are the older kids adjusting?" The answer is that they are crazy about him! The biggest issue we have is that there is such a thing as too much kissing on Baby! :)

Week One, we even got plenty of rest as "new" parents. However, last night was our first tough night. Rocco seemed more restless, and stayed awake longer between feedings. *yawn* I feel partially responsible, because my diet was terrible yesterday. How easily I forget that my choices affect him. :O

Delivery was a remarkable experience! So many people are so fearful of the risks associated with multiple C-sections, but God was in control. The baby is healthy & my doctor said that everything "in there" looked GREAT! There was minimal scar tissue, etc. The recovery was fantastic too. The 2nd day, I took a shower, put on some make-up, got dressed, and was walking around. I felt fine... or at least better than I did after C-section #1. :) We are on cloud 9, even amidst the sleep deprivation & uncertainties about what the rest of the year holds. This child is sheer blessing.

By the way, Jorge's interview went really well. Thank you for the prayers. We thought it was almost over, but the school called him on Friday and said, "Ok, we've narrowed it down to 2 people. Can you come back for a last interview on Sept. 15?" I'm glad they are taking this process seriously and pray that the right candidate gets the job. :-) Keep the prayers coming!

This week is like my belly... BIG, BIG, BIG.

It's been challenging to get into the routine of waking the family up early to get ready for school, but we're making it & enjoying it. And if that weren't enough to adjust to...

I started a new, full-time job teaching at the university on Monday. Thanks to God, my classes are between 9:00-12:00 every day, and maintian mommy-flexibility. And if that weren't enough to adjust to...

We are scheduled to deliver Baby #4 (Rocco No-Middle-Name-Yet) tomorrow at noon! (My students will be off for about 3 weeks, then I'm back to work again, God-willing.) PLEASE, PLEASE pray for us. Many in the medical field don't recommend multiple C-sections, but our trust is in the Lord. And if that weren't enough to keep our minds occupied...

Jorge is on a big job interview today! He won't return until late tonight. We've moved all over Texas the past few years. We thought we were done too. We LOVE our current town... really, really love it, BUT...

A big school recently opened up a big position in Jorge's field. It's a very reputable, private school... and did I mention that they PAY COLLEGE TUITION for their employee's KIDS???!!! That alone was reason for Jorge to apply. These opportunities in his field are few & far between. So here we are weeks after an application, and Jorge is a finalist currently meeting people on their campus as I write. May God's will be done. If he gets it, we'll rejoice. If he doesn't, we'll rejoice. :-)

With all this uncertainty in our lives right now, we put our faith in the One who doesn't change & who holds every piece of our lives in His hands.

So I haven't updated our family blog since 2009! Oops. Well I suppose it would be wise to update it for Aunt Concha who is not on facebook. :-)

Our family has stayed busy. In 2009, we moved to a small town in the Dallas area and have really enjoyed it. The kids are growing like weeds.

Sebastian just started 2nd grade. *gasp!* He's got his father's humor and gift of math. Karol began kindergarten and is LOVING every moment of it. She gets excited about things like classroom turtles and getting tomatoes in her lunchbox. Blaise is home with his mom for now and is not sure what to do without his siblings around. There's no one young to play (or argue) with. That should change soon...


In one week, we expect the arrival of Baby #4. We are so excited.

A 4th pregnancy is soooo very different from the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.

This time, there are FIVE of us to anxiously await this arrival. The kids are ecstatic, and had even begun praying that God would give them another baby WAYYYY before our parental hearts were asking for that!

This time, there is less stress about cribs, diapers, etc. We know what basics baby items are needed, and the rest is not worth any stress. Ironically, a greater sense of calm comes with the 4th.

And, this time, we've noticed that strangers often look at us like we're crazy! When they see a pregnant mom toting 3 kids, they strangly try to talk me out of "wanting more." This part has been humorous AND sometimes difficult. :-) We know kids are exhausting, expensive, and in need of attention. We know we look somewhere in between being "irresponsible" or being "Octo-Mom type baby addicts." ;) However, from the beginning of our marriage, Jorge & I have been strongly convicted that each child God gives us will be considered a reward, a blessing, and a gift... even when they're not acting like one. To somehow say no to the gift would not be an option for us. We know that not everyone will understand, but it certainly makes us treasure all of the excitement and kind, encouraging words that have come from family, friends, & neighbors.

So God-willing, the next post will include our newest blessing! Please keep us in your prayers!

As you may know, our family has relocated once again. How did we make it, packing up ourselves, belongings, AND 3 young children? I suppose we wouldn't have made it without one BIG garage sale, a few good glasses of wine, and the grace of God (of course)!

We are loving the DFW area. We're in a small community that is full of friendly people. We've only been here for about 4 months, but we feel that we know half of the town already!

Our oldest is now in kindergarten, and it's going so well. We feel so blessed that he has a remarkable, loving teacher and some great friends. His teacher says he is a sponge, and we couldn't agree more. Last night, he independently spelled the word "vegetarian"... and only missed one letter! He's doing just as well on the soccer field. He scored the 1st goal of the season, and loves being part of the team. He'll be 6 next month, and we can't believe how our baby has grown up.

K turned 4 last month. She is a sweetheart and such a blessing, but I must be honest... I know that she is a payback for all I put my parents through! ;) She's a fiesty character, just like her mom... opinionated & assertive. (I don't necessarily think these are bad things, by the way!) For example, rather than listening to her Christian-kid CD's (which she refers to as "baby music"), she's rather listen to Matt Maher & Christian Rock. What a gal! She decided that she will dress up like a rock star for Halloween. :)

And our baby is no baby. At 16 months, he's running everywhere! At first, he was shy, very reserved, and little would impress him. At the zoo and at fireworks shows, he seemed unamused. He also spoke less than the others. Today, he's still our "chill" baby, but he interacts more than before. He says words like "Stop", "Bubbles", and "Whoa!" He & his brother love to rough-house with each other, and Jorge has even taught all of the boys how to do the "explosion" handshake. What a hoot!

Jorge & I are doing well. Like every football season, we see little of each other, since Jorge calls games & has football meetings at least 4 nights out of the week. The other 1 or 2 nights, I'm out leading a Bible study or taking a much-needed Mom-break. I'm also starting a new career in public speaking. My focus is communication, with a specialty tract on communicating with (marketing) Hispanic audiences in educational, medical, or corporate settings. Spread the word if you know anyone that could use these services!

We hope & pray that each of you are doing well!

Happy Easter!




And I almost forgot to mention... we have a new member of the family!

Here's a recent video of Blaise doing his thing. He likes to hop high in the air, like Tigger! Love it!

It's been ages since the last post. Life is moving quickly as usual. Jorge & I are back at work for the spring semester and enjoying it. I'm especially thankful that I still get to spend a good amount of time with the kids each day, thanks to God. They're growing like weeds. Blaise is now 7 months old, and his first tooth just broke through this weekend. During church, he chomped on my finger to let me know. :) His favorite form of entertainment right now is his 2 siblings! Karol is doing well too. She's a feisty, feisty little 3-yr-old! (Some say that this little apple isn't falling far from the tree!) She's a great listener, loves to read, and does have quite a big opinion. Sebastian is such a big boy at 5 now. He's about to lose his 1st tooth, and is looking forward to cash that in! To close, I'll leave you with a video from a recent family event. Jorge's aunt & uncle beautifully celebrated 50 years of marriage. It was very moving. They had a Mass, followed by a dance... and Karol was quite the dance machine. :)

What a transitionary time in our household! (Is "transitionary" a word??) New job, new preschool, new schedules, etc. Thanks to God, all is going well.

Our Blaise is growing like a weed! At his last checkup, his doctor said that he was doing well... "especially on weight"! Sebastian is doing great at his new preschool. Today, we are on the search for things that begin with "P" for tomorrow's Show & Tell. So far, we have a pacifier, pen, penny... and he's hoping I'll let him take a pickle to school. Karol, too, is doing well. She is becoming so much more conversational these days!

Here is a recent pic of me & Blaise, taken by my old college roommate when we went to visit her down in S. Texas. :)

And while in South Texas, we hit the beach!

And last, but not least, we took the annual visit to the Basillica of Our Lady of San Juan. What a beautiful place!

Well, life is good. We're slowly, but surely, adjusting to life with 3 kids. I truly feel blessed. Blaise, our newest is now about 7 weeks old. He's beginning to coo and smile, which melts all of our hearts... especially his older siblings. Sebastian often says, "Mom, he's just so cute!" Here's a picture of Blaise & Mom!



My hubby is now one year older, praise the Lord. Karol, Sebastian, & I did our best to spoil him throughout the day. We topped off the day with an ice cream cake, which Blaise accidently stuck his foot in!




The big news around here is that in a week or two will begin to work as a full-time instructor at the university. It's an amazing opportunity, so after much prayer, we realized it was an offer I couldn't refuse. I will still get a lot of time with the kids during the day, but not as much as before. I will particularly miss hanging out as much with all of the homeschooling moms & kids. Here we all are after a recent daytime Mass at the monestary.


Last but not least, here's one of our 3!

We're days away from Blaise's arrival, and things are going great! Sebastian has a countdown happening, and just can't wait for this baby!

Happy Easter! We had a beautiful Easter here in Laredo, celebrating it with family and friends. The kid are getting better and better at that egg-hunting every year, which my sister credits to the Carrasco genes! (My family REALLY likes that candy!)


The next baby is almost here! God-willing, he'll arrive in another 11 weeks or so. We are all very excited, especially the kids!


And as usual, we have that annual not-so-perfect Easter picture to share! We wish you all well!

Things keep getting better and better here in Laredo! It's so nice to put the kids in shorts and spend time at the park in the middle of winter and cold season! :)

Jorge & I celebrated our 6th anniversary in January, thanks to God! Here is a pic of the kids with the anniversary flowers!


The kids are growing up so quickly, so I am honored to be able to watch it all happen, thanks to God. They are sooo excited for the arrival of their little brother. (And at a chunky 6 months of pregnancy, so am I!) Sebastian recently made his own bed for the 1st time, so I was sure to get a picture!


Living in Laredo gives us the beautiful opportunity to frequently visit all of our family in Corpus Christi. Here is a picture of Karol getting spoiled by her cousin, Alex, and Uncle Ralph!


While in Corpus Christi, we also attended a Roaring 20's Valentine's Dance for Sts. Cyril & Methodius Church (Jorge's hometown parish). It was the perfect way for us to celebrate Valentine's Day with family & friends! (I would've posted more pics, but my duck-taped camera kept dying! Good news: I just got a new one!)

We have just returned to Laredo after a wonderful Christmas vacation. We went to Odessa, and spent time with Grandma, Great-Grandma, Tia Vanessa, Tia Angel, and many dear friends. We also made stops in Austin, Lockhart, and San Antonio for special visits with more family and friends! It was a great time, but we're pooped and glad to be home!

Long time, no update! So much to report!

First, great news! We are expecting the next Juarez Baby! Official due date is June 28th! Jorge & I are so excited... although that morning sickness has been a doozy! Sebastian is really hoping for a baby brother! Karol, as expected, is a little oblivious to it all! We're all doing well, and looking forward to going to Buela's house for Christmas! Here's one of our attempts at a Christmas card picture!



Fun news... I had the most wonderful opportunity recently. I met a few Lubbock friends in Hunt, TX to put on a retreat for our youth from Divine Mercy Church in Laredo. It was a weekend of a lifetime!



Sad news, our beloved dog, Roy passed away earlier this month. I adopted him 8 years ago, and am so grateful to have had such a wonderful pet for so long. He showed me how to love the way God wants me to! We will all miss him.



Merry Christmas, everyone!

Here is a slideshow from our recent and wonderful visit to Lubbock! We stayed with Karol's madrina, and attended Sebastian's padrino's wedding! (Wait! Did you catch all of that?)

At the end of July, Jorge celebrated another birthday! We praise the Lord for the gift of his life! The kids & I surprised him with a cake at his job, then took him to dinner later that evening!

Sebastian had the wonderful idea of making his dad a "Dinosaur Football Official" cake! You see... Sebastian loves dinosaurs... and his dad loves being a high school football official!
And since I'm on the topic of cakes... many of you know I love cake decorating! (Definately Eva's daughter!) So I've been playing around a little more! I've been working with the Divine Mercy Church youth group, so for our night about Mary, I made a cake!

Well we hope all are well! God bless!

We attended a wedding in San Angelo, and also met Buela there for the weekend. We had an awesome time!

Our dear friend Tamara, who we know from our days at Tech, had a beautiful, and holy wedding!

And thanks to God, we got to have a fun and very entertaining dinner with Fr. David! He's as kind and silly as ever!