New Beginnings...

Looking back at where we were this time last year, I never would have imagined where 2014 would take us. As the New Year approached we prayed for God to move in big ways in 2014, and man did He deliver!!! When we initially prayed that prayer, I wasn't sure what it meant or where it would take us. And I didn't know that His plan would include moving us back to Indiana. When we made the decision to move forward and follow His calling back to Indiana, it was extremely scary. It seemed as though it would be an impossible feat, and to be honest I don't know that we were all that convinced that we were ready to leave Arizona. There were many days that I questioned God and that tugging at my heart to move back. There were a lot of emotions tied to our decision, and definitely a lot of fear. But God's calling to trust in Him was greater than any fears, reservations, or anxieties we had. So many details had to fall into place, and it felt like we hit every bump in the road. When He threw in the surprise pregnancy on top of everything else we had going on, I was really starting to wonder what He was thinking! In the end He was faithful, and once again trusting in Him took us where we needed to be to begin the next stage of our lives.
As we look forward to 2015, I am excited to see what God has in store for our family. There is something very exciting and special about beginning a new year with a brand new life. I know that baby Mila will bring so much to our family, and I am looking forward to settling into a new routine as a family of 4. I know it will not be without challenges, but having Luca I know what an incredible blessing every child is, and I am so thankful that God has given us this opportunity to add another child to our family. I feel much more secure and confident in my role as a mother now that it's not new to me, and while I have anxieties about how I will balance life as a working mother of two children, I know that everything in life that has value is hard work.
My prayer for 2015 is not very different than my prayer for 2014. I pray that God would once again do big things for our family this year. I pray that it would be a year for positive changes, new adventures, and new opportunities. I pray that He would lead us with our finances, which I know needs to be a priority this year after a very busy year of moving across the country and having a new baby. I pray for opportunities in our careers, especially for Santi. I pray that He would help us to focus on Him, and also to open our eyes to opportunities to serve Him. I pray that He would guide us as we raise not one, but two tiny humans. I know that this stage, while exhausting at times, is so important. I know that this is the time to invest in our children. I pray that we do not miss opportunities to teach them and lead them to walk with Him. I pray that our children would see us following Him and that we would be examples for them.
Welcome 2015...welcome Mila...new beginnings!

Dear Mila

Dear Mila,
I have always written little letters to your big brother Luca, so I will be doing the same for you. Although I haven't had as much time to blog about my pregnancy with you as I did with Luca, I am happy to say that things have been going pretty smoothly. I guess you will have that second child syndrome. I promise though I will get your baby book done before you move out:)
You haven't even arrived yet, but we already love you! We are just weeks away from meeting you, and I am all kinds of nervous and excited. You will be making Luca a big brother, and I can't wait to see how he reacts to his new baby sister! He is so excited to meet you. I am also very excited to have a little girl. It's been a challenge to not buy every single adorable headband and bow I see. You will most definitely be fashionable. I am looking forward to seeing the new dynamic you bring to our family. Will you look like your brother? What will your personality be? Will you be sweet and sensitive like Luca? Will you have a wild and crazy side like he does? Only time will tell...

Love,
Mommy

Here I am at 37 weeks, Christmas Eve

Sotomayor...Party of 4....Coming Soon

I cannot believe we are going to be a family of 4 NEXT MONTH!!!! Time is flying. Life is crazy. Welcoming baby number two is so very different than baby number three. So different. Add in the Christmas craziness and I feel so unprepared. I still can't wrap my mind around the idea that this is our last Christmas as a family of 3, and I am trying to savor every memory and moment. I remember this point with Luca, and we were just over the moon excited to finally be parents and to meet our little boy. But we were definitely anxious about our new roles and all of the changes. This time it's a very different kind of anxious. We are so excited to meet Mila and add another little personality to our family, but this time our anxieties revolve around how Luca will adjust and how we will handle two kids. I worry a lot about how he will react, and I worry about how I will meet his needs and hers. I remember when Luca was born I had a really difficult time finding myself in my new role as a mommy, and I was trying to figure out how to maintain my identity as a wife and teacher in addition to mommy. This time around I feel confident in who I am as a wife, mother, and teacher. I know what it's like to have a newborn. Most importantly I know how quickly that first year passes by, and I want to slow down this time and really take in every stage. This is mostly likely our last biological baby, and I don't want to miss a moment in these next couple of months. It will be gone in a flash. I look at my three year old Luca now and I can't believe I blinked and I missed it. He is a big boy now. He is about to be a big brother. Where has the time gone?! I feel like life has been on fast forward since he was born. As we approach the next few weeks, my hope and prayer is that God would prepare our hearts for this special new blessing that is about to change our family forever. I pray that God would carry me through this last month of pregnancy and that baby Mila would arrive healthy in his perfect timing. All the details will fall into place. Everything WILL get done. I am trusting in His grace and mercies to provide the strength and energy needed for the weeks ahead.

Happy Halloween...It's Snowing!!!

Well winter showed up early here. After braving a few houses on our street for trick or treat, the cold temps sent Captain America rushing back to the house to warm up by the fire. We roasted hot dogs and watched The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. Can I just say how much I love our fireplace already? I was hoping Indiana would go easy on us our first winter back...I guess not so much. As soon as Mr. Luca got to sleep, big snowflakes started falling. Part of me wanted to wake him up to catch his first real snowfall...but then I decided against that. I am certain he will have plenty more snowfalls this year. I don't think disturbing the peace was worth it this evening. I am glad we got to take him to Trunk or Treat at church last weekend when the weather was absolutely gorgeous. He dressed as a fireman (same costume as last year) for Trunk or Treat and his school party/costume parade. He decided to go with his Captain America costume for the "real" trick or treating tonight. This was his first year of going door to door. I wasn't sure if he would go for it or not. When Santi's mom dropped him off this evening there was a line of kiddos at our door waiting for candy. This was the same point at which I actually ran out of candy (it was only 6pm!). When he realized other kids were at his house eating his candy...major meltdown ensued. Luckily, after a quick explanation of how trick or treating works, he was ready to get dressed and head out. He literally ran from door to door with excitement. It was really cute. And really freezing.
This month has been so busy, but I feel like every October is. The fall foliage has been so beautiful. I have missed this season so much. We tried to take advantage of every opportunity to get out and enjoy all of the gorgeous colors. Last weekend's weather was amazing. We got to spend a morning at the pumpkin patch with my brother's family, which was a lot of fun. It's so special having all the cousins together. I knew we would need to soak in every last minute of that weather...and I was right. This weekend's cold temps hit hard. And the wind...oh.my.word. I forgot about the wind chill. I hope these next few months aren't going to be too rough. I know I will really miss my sunny Arizona winters after a few weeks of this.
Since I last posted, we have moved into our new home (what an amazing blessing!!!!) and we are finally getting settled. It feels like home now, and that's all I can ask for. After so many transitions and living with Santi's parents for 3 months, it is such a calming feeling to be at home...our home. Praise God!!!! Luca started preschool at his new preschool. He LOVES it. I love that he can go just a couple days of the week. I think he really gets a lot out of it, and being with Abuelita the rest of the time is a blessing. He has also finished up his first season of soccer at the Y, which ended with a huge celebration and a trophy last week. He was hilarious with his celebration. He started basketball and gymnastics this week. He really enjoys being involved in sports. We will see how much longer I enjoy driving him around to all these activities. We are also trying to get plugged into our new/old church. We have been attending Sherwood Oaks, where Luca also attends preschool. This was the church we attended when we were engaged, and we completed our premarital counseling there. It feels right to be back, and I am looking forward to getting involved and getting to know people.
We are now approximately 10 weeks away from Baby Mila's due date. I cannot believe in just a couple of months we will have TWO kids. I am really excited for her to arrive (I am particularly excited to not be pregnant anymore), but I am not ready at all!!! It's crazy how quickly a second pregnancy goes and how that due date sneaks up on you. I know with November and December being holiday season time is really going to fly. I feel like with all we have had going on since we found out we were expecting, I just haven't had hardly any time to focus on the pregnancy. Which I guess is good and bad. With Luca I had a lot of time to dwell on that "what ifs" and worry about every little twinge. This time not so much. I have to sit in the evenings sometimes and remind myself to check on Mila and do some kick counts because I have been too busy all day to even notice. She is most definitely a lot more active than I remember Luca being! Which I really enjoy. There is a special peace that comes when I feel her movements. I can't wait to see this little girl's personality. And I can't wait to see Luca as a big brother. Now that I think about it, I don't even think I have blogged since we found out that baby #2 is a GIRL. Let me backtrack a little...
Way back on August 29th we had our anatomy scan and everything was great...and we were elated to find out that this little one is a girl! We surprised our families by taking them out to dinner and having the waitress deliver pink cupcakes with pictures from the ultrasound. It was really neat. The name we decided on was Mila Paz. We loved how Mila sounded with Luca. Mila means "people's love". Paz is "peace" in Spanish. My Grandma Thelma's middle name was Irene, who passed away the morning after we found out we were expecting. Irene was the Greek goddess of peace. I wanted to honor her in some way, as it feels that this little girl was one last gift from her. It was a blessing (although a surprise) to have our second pregnancy happen so easily and without having to endure miscarriages again. My hope and prayer is that this precious little girl is filled with peace, and that she brings peace to those around her.
I will try to blog more frequently as D-Day approaches. Let's hope I get in a few more updates before we are a family of 4!!!

Dear Luca

Dear Luca,
Just a month ago we celebrated your THIRD birthday. I can't believe how fast time flies. Yesterday I put on a pair of new jeans that I was certain would be way too long...but they fit just fine. On Tuesday you start preschool at your new school. Last week when you went to orientation with daddy you were so excited about your new classroom, and you were especially excited about your basketball court at school! This summer you stayed busy exploring your new home. I think you are liking Indiana so far. It was hard leaving Arizona, and you asked a lot about your old home, and especially about all of your things that were stuck in storage. It broke my heart and I worried that you wouldn't like it here. I am so happy you are settling in! I am especially thankful that you now have your grandparents and cousins around. This move was so important for you, even if it was hard. I know one day you will be really grateful that we did this. As a now preschooler, you are still the same sports and monster truck loving kid that you have always been. You love being outside and would play soccer all day long if you could. You especially like playing goalie, and you just HAD to have the gloves (which we couldn't find, so Tia Mariana bought you baseball gloves instead). You also love swimming and this summer you actually started swimming under water a little! You have no fear. You can even jump backwards into the pool at the Y. For your birthday you received a real "big boy" bike with Lightning McQueen. You are so fast! You also enjoyed your second visit to Holiday World this summer, and even rode a "roller coaster". I am really looking forward to this fall and winter as you start soccer and gymnastics. I can't wait to watch you play and cheer "Go Luca!" as you always want me to do. I am also excited to see you as a big brother. I think you are going to be such a sweet, kind, and helpful older brother to this baby. I know you are excited as well, even if you are a little cautious. You are still just as talkative and funny as always. Sometimes a little too talkative. The other day you told me I needed to buy Oxiclean for the stains on my clothes. You also told Tio Xavi that he doesn't know how to play baseball. Forever my little firecracker, you keep my on my toes...and tired! My hope for you as you continue to grow into the person God made you to be, is that you are never afraid to dream big, and that you always remember the important things in life: kindness to others, thankfulness, generosity, honesty, integrity, and mercy. And I pray that God will always be stirring in your heart, and that He will call you to love and serve him in big ways. I love you, my sunshine. My big boy.

Love Always,

Mommy

Grace is Enough

I'll continue my former post about our transition into life back at "home" in Indiana. They say when you move somewhere new it takes at least 6 months to feel comfortable. Even though I grew up in Indiana and Santi had lived here for a good 10 years before we moved to Arizona, it was a major adjustment. Leaving Arizona behind was difficult in so many ways, and our lives here were slow to take shape as we lived in limbo over the summer. Thankfully we were able to stay with Santi's mom and dad until we were able to sell our Arizona home (which turned out to be a nightmare) and find a home here that fit our needs. I know this was not easy on them, and it certainly wasn't easy on us either. When you are used to being so far away from family, moving in with family is a BIG challenge. Don't get me wrong, it's wonderful having all the help with Luca, dinner made every night, and laundry folded neatly. Really, it is. But as a wife and mom it's also hard to step into someone else's home and feel comfortable. At times I felt rather bitter about our situation. I will admit it. I felt as thought I had kind of lost my place. It didn't help that I was pregnant and hormonal, and in general completely overwhelmed about the major life changes we were going through. I didn't yet have a job lined up, and that was very scary financially for us. We were worried we wouldn't be able to move out of their house as quickly as we had planned. I spent a LOT of time in prayer this summer. I was humbled by working an hourly camp job to help pay off our moving expenses and the added unexpected expenses that continued to pop up with our house in Arizona. It's hard going from being a teacher to working with a bunch of high school and college students as a camp counselor. But I got through the summer. I had one teaching interview the week after we arrived here, and not a single other phone call (despite applying for every possible opening in the near vicinity). In my first interview I had "rave reviews"...yet they hired someone who was already working an hourly position in the school...which is how it usually goes in Bloomington. Not to mention with 7 years of experience they don't want to pay for you when they can get someone fresh out of college and pay them less. I was really worried. As luck (or grace) would have it, I happened to know someone in the interview panel at that interview. She "promised" to get me a position in the district after she learned I wasn't hired. I held on to hope in His future grace all summer...sweating it out as a pregnant lady working summer camp. Let's be honest...it SUCKED. As the school supplies rolled out at Target and the start of the school year quickly began to approach...I started to have my doubts. I started to regret moving back and question God's calling us to come home to Indiana. I am only human. But thankfully He is a God full or mercy and grace. The week before new teacher orientation I was hired as a Title 1 teacher at Fairview Elementary. It was absolutely the perfect position for me at this point in my life. I get to teach and be a part of a school that is going through some big and exciting changes (from failing to thriving!). I get to work in a school that has my heart, as did my schools in Phoenix. And I don't have a lot of the added outside work of a regular classroom teacher, which is what I need with another baby on the way. Oh, and I even got a tiny raise:) And they were all worried that they could only credit 5 of my 7 years of experience. Ha! Salaries have been frozen in Arizona for years...anyways. He is good! I am truly in awe of his provisions. While we are waiting He is working. In the midst of all of that, we also found a cute little house we love just a few blocks away from Santi's parents. We should be closing on it August 29th and moving in the following weekend! I am so beyond excited to be in our own place again! It may be completely lacking in furniture or decor for awhile, but I am looking forward to making it our own.

Our Journey "Home"

I have been thinking about this post for weeks...but let me tell you life has been crazy! To sum things up, in the last three months we have moved across the country, started two new jobs, sold one house, and are in the process of buying another...oh, and just for fun we are also excepting baby Sotomayor numero dos!
I'll go back to May. God promptings are real. And sometimes He really wants to test our faith. And two things are for sure: His grace is enough, and His mercies are new every morning. We were in the midst of selling our Arizona house, and had accepted our second offer after the first fell through. We had no idea what was going to unfold in that process, and I am glad we didn't or we may have quickly changed our minds! I was also wrapping up my school year at Dreaming Summit with very mixed emotions. I was excited about our new adventure, but I was also feeling torn about leaving a school I loved. And I was questioning my career as a teacher. I didn't know what my next steps would be...continuing in public education or moving on to something new.
We also learned at the beginning of the month that my Grandma Thelma's health was quickly declining. The night I learned that she had gone to sleep and wasn't coming out of it, I also learned that I was pregnant with our second baby. By the next morning I received a text from my mom letting me know she had passed away early that morning. Talk about a range of emotions. I battled through the next few weeks of packing to move across the country, tying up loose ends in Phoenix, saying goodbye to friends, and finishing a school year...all while in the early weeks of pregnancy and feeling less than energetic and only slightly hormonal.
Saying goodbye to the only place you have called home in your entire married life, the place you built your first home, started your career, welcomed your first child...all while pregnant...is emotional. Especially not knowing when we will return. My parents and Santi's family were life savers. They came out and took over a lot of the packing and moving so I could focus on finishing my school year. They also entertained Luca as we quickly sold almost everything we owned and were left with no more than a few boxes. That was not easy! On my last day of school my mom was a trooper and crashed with Luca and I at my sister in law's apartment while my dad and Santi got on the road with Tevez to drive both of our vehicles to Indiana. After I finished my last day of school, which is exhausting enough in itself, we headed to a hotel for one last night in our Arizona home before flying out to Indiana the next day. Of course as luck would have it Luca ended up with a fever of 102 that evening in the hotel...so I didn't sleep, which is all I really wanted to do after that week. We boarded a flight and quickly headed off with a sick kid and heavy heart. I was missing my husband and puppy, worried about them driving, and worried about a sick kid. All while not feeling so well myself. My mom was amazing. Thank goodness that women is so calm..I am not. We made it to Indy thankfully, and my brother was there to pick us up. Poor Luca was pretty miserable, but still excited to see his cousins. We got him to urgent care, then crashed at the Hughes' before making the last leg of our journey to Bloomington.
I have never been so happy to have all of my family back together again in one place! It was an enormous feeling of relief pulling into my in-laws driveway and seeing Santi, Tevez, and my dad. While we were so incredibly relieved to finally have reached our destination...our journey was not over yet, and God still had big plans for us as we began to plant roots in Indiana.

Crazy Train

I guess it's time for an update. I guess the title explains how I am currently feeling. These last few months have been BIG...and I feel that my New Year's prayer for 2014 is in the process of coming to fruition. I prayed that in 2014 God would do something big in our lives. That we would have a WOW moment with God. We felt strongly that He was calling us to move back to Indiana. Now, just a few years ago I would have said "NO WAY!". Even still I feel conflicted. But I am going to listen to God's calling and take a leap of faith yet again. So we put our house up for sale in a very wonky market. We essentially quit our jobs (Santi is actually just transferring). And we are really going to do this. We are going to say goodbye to the place we have called home since we were newlyweds. The place we begin our journey as husband and wife. The place we started our careers. The place we built our first home. The place we finished school. The place Luca was born. Just like that. I have a lot of mixed emotions and the feeling is definitely bittersweet, but I also am beyond excited to begin a new stage in life back in Indiana. Back to my roots. Back to family. In the meantime, we have less than 7 weeks to pack up, either sell or rent this home, finish out my last school year here, and say our goodbyes. And just to add a little more crazy in, I decided to take a summer job in Bloomington back at the YMCA. Now that's weird to say. Oh yeah, and I kind of have to be there the Tuesday after school gets out. I really am crazy. I am seriously already exhausted. Right now the biggest stress has been the house. It would be an incredible blessing to just sell it. I am so tired of having to keep it show ready while working full time and taking care of a two year old. But we have a firm asking price that we need to stick to so we can just walk away. We lost one offer already, which was so disappointing, but I have to trust that if the right offer doesn't come that God will put renters in our path and hopefully we can sell and come out on top in a couple of years. It's just the waiting and the uncertainty that's killing me right now. I am just so overwhelmed with everything that has to fall into place over the next 7 weeks. We are having an open house next Sunday, so I am going to be praying that our buyer shows up.
Besides all the craziness of moving across the country, we are also preparing for all the craziness of the end of a school year, spring programs, field trips, Easter celebrations. Oh, and we also decided to swing one last trip to California with Luca before we move. Who knows when we will get to enjoy SoCal again. And Grandpa will be there, so of course we are excited to spend time with him. And we are going to bite the bullet and take Luca to Disneyland. I hope he loves it.
Speaking of Luca. He is quite the funny little guy. He is constantly coming up with "ideas" and "suggestions". I have no clue where he gets his huge vocabulary, but he never ceases to amaze me with the things that come out of his mouth. I feel a little guilty lately that we have been so wrapped up in moving and selling this house that our quality time hasn't been what I would like it to be. It's so hard, and we are so exhausted. And he has been refusing to go to sleep at night, which does't help. I feel so torn because I don't mind giving him that extra snuggle time, in fact I love it. But then I lose any time I have in the evening to pack, clean, grade, and all of the other things that have to happen for us to move in 7 weeks. I am just so ready to be in Indiana and for things to settle down. I am also hoping and praying that this move means God will finally answer the prayer I have had since the day I found out I was expecting Luca. I want more time with him. I want to be able to focus on him. Time is flying by. Every day he looks and talks more like a preschooler than a two year old. I can't handle it. I am thankful for our weekly froyo dates on Fridays, and I cherish those moments. I just hope we have many more moments like that coming our way.

 Goodbye Arizona...


On another note, I have somehow been able to pick up running again in the last 3 months. I started running with some coworkers after school, and I am proud to say I am back to my college running level in just 3 short months. I even ran a 5k (first one in 10 years!) at the beginning of March. I am hoping I can keep it up in the midst of this craziness. Finding the time is tough, but running is good for my soul...and my sanity.

That Moment When God Speaks

At the start if this year I blogged about our prayers for God to WOW us. For Him to show up in a big way. Things have been stirring in my heart since August and my prayers have been continual. I feel God asking us to take a huge leap of faith yet again, not unlike our journey to start our family. This calling is familiar. And yet still scary at the same time. When I stepped out in faith as we let God have control over when we would begin to grow our family, it was scary. And the path He lead us on was far different than I could have imagined. But through the challenges and stumbles He was there, and it changed my relationship with him in a major way. My faith grew beyond anything I could imagine. I never felt so close to Him. This calling is again going to lead us down a path of uncertainty, and the only thing I can be certain about is His promise to honor our obedience by being faithful in return. Our WOW time is coming...

Dear Luca

Dear Luca,
Time seems to slip by so fast these days. Last month you officially turned 2 and a half. As soon as you go to bed at night I miss you. I guess that's why I really haven't minded the fact that you have ended up in our bed almost every night for the last week. I love staying up late at night and flipping through photos of you on my phone. In just a year you have grown and changed so much. You are talking up a storm...and that sweet baby face all of a sudden doesn't look so babyish. That adorable diaper butt waddling around the house is gone, and big boy undies fill my laundry basket. I love watching you change and seeing your personality develop more and more as you become the little person God created you to be. But man some days I miss my tiny little baby. You hardly fit on my lap anymore when we rock in the chair at night. You can be such a stinker, and the "the terrible twos" get the best of you at times...but you can also be so, so, so sweet. The other night you held my face in your hands and said "I'll never leave you" and my heat melted (for the millionth time since you were born). You are still obsessed with monster trucks. We took you to Monster Jam a couple of weeks ago and it was worth every penny to see your face light up when we walked into the stadium filled with life-size versions of your favorite toys. Yesterday I asked if you wanted to take your monster trucks inside to wash (you have been loving having "car washes") but you told me that "monster trucks live in the sand". You of course haven't given up your love of sports yet either. You love dressing up in your jerseys, cleats, shin guards, and even a bicycle helmet you call your football helmet. I can't wait to watch you play on a team one day. I hope that you know how much I love you. And I always will. I will always be there for you, and when life gets you down you can always come to me. I LOVE YOU!!!!

One Day at a Time

A new year is upon us and as I reflect on the previous year, I am thankful for the lessons learned and the memories made. It wasn't the easiest year, but we got through it and I am ready to set some big goals for 2014. I mean WOW goals. Goals that I know can only be possible to reach if God shows up in a big way. And I like that. Last year as we welcomed 2013, I prayed for an easy year. I wanted just one year without major life changes. Since we were married it seemed as though life was crazy and every year we had something big going on. Wedding, moving across the country, starting careers, building a house, grad school, travel, pregnancy loss, bringing Luca into our lives, new jobs. While I can say we didn't have major life changes in 2013, we had our share of challenges. But those challenges have helped us to reevaluate our goals for our family's future. And I don't think I will pray for an "easy" year again. It felt like we were stagnant. If big things aren't happening in your life on the regular, it's too easy to fall into complacency. I am ready for God to move this year!
So, what exactly our our goals for 2014? I don't like resolutions because they seem to cliche, so I am just setting a goal to take things one day at a time. How's that? I feel like if I can take each day as it comes and do the best I can with what I have in that moment, God will take care of the rest. But part of that means making different choices each day than we have in the past. One of our biggest goals this year involves our financial situation. While I know we have the power to make some simple changes to improve our situation, I also know that we will be praying for God to intervene in some areas. Part of changing our financial situation involves a potential BIG move for us...so stay tuned for that one.