Four Oh

So a few words on turning 40. Turning 30 was not the greatest time for me. We had just moved to Chicago and although it was new and exciting it was a lonely time. I had thought that by 30 I would have been a lot more "settled" in a career for lack of a better word. I was happily married but it was tough at times for us as the only real friends we had in town were each other. It was just like when I went to high school and had to start over again making friends. Well it didn't really happen in high school and it didn't happen in Chicago. Oh well, I learned one very valuable thing: that NYC is where I feel at home. I think I also felt like I should have accomplished a lot more by 30 than I had. By 40 however, I've managed to check 2 very big things off the life list: we bought a home and we have a child. I often wish that I didn't have to judge myself against other people- that I could just be happy with who I am and what I've been able to do in life. Being a father to such a wonderful daughter and 10 more years of marriage and being a landlord should be enough right? Could I make more money? Yes. Could I be on a better career track? Without a doubt. But I've done the best I could and right now it feels like everything just fell into place. On the cusp of my 40 th birthday I feel pretty damn lucky.

Mariana continues to astound. This week she learned some more body parts: arms and legs. She takes our fingers and points to different things in the book so we can say what they are. She's finally getting the gist of the tooth brush- that it's not just for clanking around in the cup- that you actually are supposed to smush it into your teeth a bit. We also put a solution of hydrogen peroxide mixed with water into her ears at night as per her doctors instructions. She now knows its coming and slumps willingly to one side to accept it. She asks for Mommy in the morning and when I say she's sleeping, Mariana puts her little folded hands up to her face to show sleeping. She is a genius.