the blankie your great grandma made you

Dear Chicken Nugget,


As you get older, day by day, we've been noticing that you seem to like some objects more than others.  And, with your new ability to grab things, you are loving stuff that's tiny-hand friendly.

One of those objects you adore is great grandma's blankie.

It's colorful (white, blue, purple, pink, yellow) and it's got holes.  Holes!  You love those holes because it allows you to grab at it and bring it to your face and mouth.


Your great grandma Lorene made it just for you before you were born.  We didn't know if we were having a boy or a girl so she added pink and blue, just in case.


By the way, the bib you're wearing in the photo above is awesome.  Over the last couple of weeks you've become a drool-monster and it's our way of keeping your clothes dry.

You should thank great grandma Lorene for making you this wonderful blankie and all our friends and relatives who have bought you great toys and clothes for you to grab and drool over.




Yours eternally,


Tu papa

your name

Dear Chicken Nugget,

As I type you are by my side taking a nap.  You and I are on the couch, each using the baseball blankie to cover our feet.  You are such a beautiful blessing to have in our lives.  I've only known you for three days and already I am completely in love with you.  So is your mother.

But this letter is not about us being in love with our Chicken Nugget, this letter is about your name.

We've gotten the same question several times over the last three days:  Where did Santiago Romeo come from?

This is our explanation:

Santiago (S-ahn-tee-ah-go) was the middle name of your great grandfather, my grandfather, Bolivar.  His full name was Bolivar Santiago Escudero.  He was a pretty incredible character who loved life from beginning to end.  He was born in Ecuador, was a part-time boxer when he was young, a tango singer, he could play the harmonica and the organ, was a father of eight children, and later in life, a proud American.  He lived to be 98 and passed away just last summer with your grandmother Betty, and your mom and I, by his side.

Romeo (Roh-meh-oh) was the original name of your great grandfather, your mom's grandfather, Paul.  His full original name was Romeo Tristan Scaramuzzi.  He is a very charismatic guy who has also lived a pretty incredible life.  He was born and raised in Brooklyn, shook hands with Babe Ruth, went to school with Jackie Gleason, and was a para-trooper during World War II.  He didn't see combat but served in Brazil where he picked up some Portuguese and Spanish.  He raised four children, including your grandma Sue, and now lives in Omaha, Nebraska with your great grandma Arleen.

We picked those two names in honor of our grandfathers.  And, we picked those names because we really like the way they sound in Spanish and Italian - which is how we're pronouncing them.

Plus, I think Santiago Romeo makes a great soccer player name.

We love you Santi and I hope your name treats you well.

Eternally yours,

Tu papa

Some sing, some dance

Dear Chicken Nugget,

Your mom and I just got back from Bloomington, Illinois where we celebrated your great grandparents' 70th anniversary.  Yes, 70th anniversary!  Louis and Lorene Miller have been married for 70 years. 

The whole Miller clan showed up in Bloomington to celebrate the occasion, including your grandparents, Sue and Dale, your tia Sara and tio Jerry and your primo Timothy.  Overall there must have been over 30 people celebrating this weekend.

Something you'll learn as you get to know your families (mine and your mom's) is that they celebrate differently.  They do some things the same like eat.  Both families do a good job of gathering over meals and eating well.  You'll always be well-fed, Chicky.

But, the Millers are musical - they sing and play instruments.  The Escuderos (my family) dance.  So this weekend, the Millers pulled out song sheets and sang around a piano.  And, they sang beautifully.  They sang songs from the 1940s when your great grandparents got married and they sang songs of praise.

I pretended to join in during rehearsals, mouthing words and turning pages in the song book for your mom.  But really, I've been blessed with many great things, Nugget, and a good singing voice just isn't one of them.

The Miller Family Choir put on three performances at the Senior Homes where your great grandparents live.  They were wonderful!

I hope, dear Chicky, that you inherit a good singing voice so you can join them in song.  If marriage longevity is genetic, your mom and I are in it for the long haul and we'd sure love to hear some songs of celebration.

You are getting half of your genes from me though, so good luck with that voice.


Eternally yours,

Tu papa