When Jim Leyland stepped down as manager of the Detroit Tigers I have to admit I was bummed out. Leyland grew on me. He was like the grandfather that I had for moments here and there. Gruñón. Now that he’s no longer the skipper, the nostalgia kicks in. It’s no longer 2006. Seven years have passed. Perhaps, the feelings of nostalgia are also there because it’s been a year that my grandfather passed away. Although I hate to admit it, I do miss him.

Welcome home abbey from Gustavo on Vimeo.

I was so glad that they allow siblings to visit. Sofia has known about “Abbey” for most of the pregnancy and she finally got to meet her baby sister. So far she has been great about it.

I am blessed to have a second daughter. Honestly, I can’t say that I wanted one or the other. I am just happy that Abbey is here. If we shoot for number three I am confident that it will be a girl. Keep in mind I have one brother-in-law with four girls and another brother-in-law that had three girls, went for the boy and ended up with twin girls for a grand total of five girls.

Obviously, it’s never a good to ask your wife, who is in labor with baby number two, whether she is up for number three. My wife’s response was expected.
Our little family is complete. I think.

I get it though. Once you’re hooked, you will continue to return to running. Since late January I have an urgency to “get it over with it” and finish my daily running. In recent weeks, I’ve been forcing myself to run a minimum of three miles five to six times a week. In April I have run the most I have ever run. I have to admit though, that my pace is quite embarrassing (9:15/mi.) BUT I don’t care. The goal here is to get healthy and fit. Ultimately, like my buddy Elena says, it’s all about you. Running is a competition against yourself and no one else. Can you beat your personal best? It’s a mind game and I think that’s why I continue to return to running.

With two 5Ks under my belt I’m on to readying myself for a 10K. And more importantly to me, with twenty pounds shed, I will continue with what’s been working.

SJ was in awe, watching the Tigers play the Angels at the big A. The beach though, was a different story. She wanted nothing to do with it. She better change the way she feels about the beach quickly because otherwise Hawai’i is going to be interesting to say the least.

Without a doubt…SJ loves ballet folklorico. Here she is alongside her cousins. It’s too bad we couldn’t get a picture with two other cousins that also participated in Friday’s festivities in Porterville.

Random thoughts on Easter:

• What’s important is not what’s in the egg but rather that it’s plastic and it opens and closes.
• Don’t feed your baby junk food – that’s what all your relatives feed her behind your back.
• Why does it seem as though every holiday revolves around chocolate? It seems that when I fall off the wagon, it registers on the Richter scale. I cannot control myself when I am around chocolate eggs.

Random thoughts on Disneyland:

• I highly recommend taking your 15 month old to Disneyland. It is so much fun.
• Even though we don’t get on the so called fun rides because of the baby, it is still enjoyable getting on rides I had never been on (Small World for example). Well, the enjoyable part is looking at your kid’s face. Love it!
• Although the Pirates of the Caribbean ride is for all ages do not take your 15 month old on it. SJ started crying not on the first drop, but on the second because of the darkness and wind blowing in her face. I guess she can sense the feeling of falling? Well, I guess we all can right? Besides that, everything else was cool.
• The Buzz Lightyear ride was a lot of fun for Sonia. SJ really liked the joystick that makes the ride go in circles. Not so much fun for me. I kid, I kid.
• Don’t take your stroller! Rent one from Disney instead. So much more convenient. At the end of your day you can even drop it off at the exit. No need to check it in or anything like that. Oh, and if someone “accidentally” takes your stroller in the park or if it starts messing up, there are several places where they will give you a replacement (at no cost).
• I’m still debating whether to take my dslr to an amusement park again. Too much camera. At least I wasn’t the guy walking around with a speedlite flash attached to his Canon 7D.