Our Little Tax Write-Off

The time is finally here. Team Bonilla is on the move. Today, we will move to our new home. It is bittersweet because our old home is where we had been for years. It was Jacob’s first home. I still remember bringing him home for the first time. It is where he took his first steps. He loves his home.

As for the new home, it is bigger and Jacob should love it. It is just half a block away from a great park and walking distance from a few restaurants and small businesses.

The transition has not been easy. Moving rarely is easy. There was some work that needed to be done in order to make sure that it was comfortable for our family. Then there is the packing and actual moving. But we know that once everything is done, it will be worth it.

Looking at our old home being empty will be tough. But we know that this new chapter in our lives will be worth it.

Everyone loves baby firsts, right? That first smile, the first time they sit up, the first words, the first time the crawl, first steps, the first time they walk on their own. Firsts are wonderful! Well, most of them are.

There is also baby’s first tantrum — and Jacob has had his.

Shortly after we stopped his favorite songs and cartoons on the iPad because it was time to eat dinner, he started refusing food and getting very fussy. It got worse and worse. Eventually, he was squirming and kicking. Crying and screaming at the top of his lungs. Val, being the loving and concerned mother that she is, was very worried and thought that something may be hurting him.

We ran the shower because he loves bath time and we thought that might soothe him. Nope. Finally, it was getting so bad that Val was ready to take him to urgent care because she thought he was in some kind of massive pain.

Then we remembered his cousins around that age and thought, “uh oh.” Could this be a tantrum from turning off his songs? Before we rushed to find a medical explanation, I decided to test this theory.

I took screaming Jacob back to the iPad and started playing the songs again. He immediately stopped and was calm again.

It was indeed a tantrum. Not all firsts are fun.

And to think that we were excited that he was walking up to 12 steps before falling down. We are in some real trouble now! Our little man is more mobile and has learned more about a little thing called balance. It started today. When I arrived to pick him up at daycare this afternoon, his teachers told me that he was walking all over the place today. It was all of a sudden, like he just decided, “You know what? I am going to start walking today.” Then he proceeded to chase me all around the daycare room. He was making turns and everything. It was one of the most amazing and rewarding things that I had every seen. I was so shocked and so happy.

We know that this will make things a lot tougher from now on. Now that he has discovered how to get around better, he will just be looking for trouble. However, it is still a great thing to see.

Watching him walk makes me both happy and sad. Happy that he is growing up and learning. Sad that he is growing up so fast. Love this little guy. After watching his friends at school walk for a while, he is very happy and excited to join them. You can tell from his face as he walks.

Below is a video of Jacob excited to show off his walking ability at grandma and grandpa’s house.