(Not So)Still Life with Boys- Part 1

Note to readers: In an attempt to give a more fair and balanced look at our life, from time to time I will cede the floor to other members of my family. This month's guest editor is my number one girl, Mama. Be kind, she hasn't written much ever since putting her career on hold to raise yours truly and is probably a little rusty.

First there was Carlos. He walked out of the rain and simultaneously into The Big Hunt and my life on a cold January evening. We soon discovered that we had a shared affinity for what he calls female singer/songwriters and what I call "chicks with guitars and pianos." Thus began one of the most effortless friendships of my life. And despite my attempts to remain just friends, seven months later I succumbed to his keen wit, spectacular sense of humor, easy-going manner, disarming smile and, of course, his dark, lash-fringed eyes.

The Courtship

Two years and 4 months later we got married, after a couple of pina coladas, during an afternoon downpour on the beach on the Caribbean isle of Antigua. Thankfully the rain cleared up quickly, allowing us to document the occasion as befits an island wedding:

The Wedding

In just over seven years together, we've managed to pack in a lifetime of experiences. Among the list of highlights are: career changes, graduate school (his PhD trumps my MA), buying a house, two international moves and two children.

The Wait (or The Last Days of Freedom)

As most of you know, the first years of parenthood are not the easiest. But through it all he has proved to be a loving, involved father and is still the smartest and funniest person that I know. He is truly my best (heterosexual male) friend.

Then came Sebastian, who taught me that there really is such a thing as love at first sight. From the day that I first heard his heartbeat and saw his little bumblebee-like form on the sonogram at just 8 weeks gestation until the minutes before his birth on December 27, 2006, I had no idea how much joy one little person could bring to my life. But from the moment that he was first placed in my arms, I knew that I would cry when he first went to school, went on his first date, left for college, got married and had his first child because I could never imagine him being bigger than that sweet little bundle in my arms at the hospital. And although only one of those events has happened so far (and I did cry the first day that he went to preschool), I know that the intervening years will not make any of the rest any easier.

Day One

A horrible sleeper since birth and the world's pickiest eater, he also inherited his dad's sense of humor and his mother's good looks! Perhaps he'll even pick up my modesty. He is whip smart: 100 percent bilingual and has an uncannily accurate memory. He loves to make cookies and cupcakes. His terrible twos were intense but, thankfully, brief- although we are currently in the throes of the bipolar threes. He's incredibly agile. Somersaults were once his specialty but I think that recently he has taken up training to be an Ultimate Fighting Champion (see the video below). He seems to have inherited the nurturing male gene from Carlos: after a rocky first couple of months as an older brother, he is now (mostly) very good to his little brother. And lastly, his current favorite catch phrase is "Feliz Leche!"

Day 757

Rounding out the bunch is Joaquin. For most of my pregnancy, I was afraid that I would not be able to love him as much as I loved Sebastian. My mother-in-law is always saying "I love everyone equally. I'm a Libra!" I never really believed her before but as it turns out, she is right. Even though I'm not a Libra, my fears were totally irrational and unfounded. On February 23, 2009, my heart expanded just enough to fit perfectly around the newest addition to our family.

Day 2

Joaquin inherited his father's beautiful eyes and long lashes and, unfortunately, his mother's temper, which he makes up for with unaccountable sweetness. He is constantly on the move and never stops jibber-jabbering. He thinks that Sebastian is the funniest person in the world. He is an even worse sleeper than his older brother but a much better eater. At a year old, he eats a wider variety of food than Sebastian does. And channeling Adam Sandler in "The Water Boy," he "loves mama!"

Day 366

He is also going to be one tough cookie if he manages to survive his older brother's overzealous affection. I attach exhibit A, Wrestlemania: