7 Months Old

When Matthew first entered our lives- it seemed at times that it took great strength and patience to get through a week. Now, without much struggle- the months are flying by! When people ask me how old Matthew is, it pains me to say 7 months. It just sounds so old to me. I look at my little baby and can't believe he has been with us so long! The one thing I can take 100% comfort in is that all of us- Damien, Michael, Claire, and myself have not wasted a minute of his life. We enjoy every new milestone, mouth wide-open smile, hiccup, baby goos and coos, and sweet moments of his life.

This month, Matthew has developed a lot! He is sitting for long periods of time while playing with his toys. You can tell he feels pretty cool to be doing something so 'big boy'. While sitting he is able to watch Michael and Claire play and also likes to watch Mommy cook dinner and clean up the kitchen. He is using both hands more evenly this month. He used to only reach out and grab with his left, but he now uses his right almost as frequently. He is getting a bit more tummy time and has been pivoting, but gets tired of it and rolls over. He now will roll from his back to his tummy as well as from his tummy to his back. He is getting very quick and I have to be very careful if I am holding something because he will bat at it. Long gone are the days where I could hold a drink in my hand and enjoy it. Matthew either hits it or wants a taste! He is really bearing weight these days, too. He loves to stand (with assistance, obviously) and is even entertaining the idea of pulling himself up. He has grown a little more impatient with car rides as he now knows what it means when I put him in his carseat. He will hold onto me for dear life when I try and put him in there. Luckily, if Claire is in the car she will start to sing, 'Three Little Fishies" and he will become distracted. This new found impatience doesn't have the best timing as most of Matthew's morning is spent carpooling the kids to school. But as the kids have had to adjust to the new school routine, so will Matthew.

Matthew has really been a lot of fun this month. He is constantly smiling at things and people and hyper-aware of his surroundings. He understands peek-a-boo and likes to sing songs and tango. Since the kids were small, we have always done a tango dance to a song from the Wiggles. Although Matthew has never seen the Wiggles, he still loves the song and knows to put his hand out to tango with us! Matthew has always been a Mama's boy, but this month in particular, he is always watching where I am and wants to be with me if I am close to him. This makes it difficult when others are holding him and I am in the near vicinity. Sometimes I feel like I am MacGyver when I am trying to allude him! He has been doing this funny slapping thing when I hold him these days. He just slaps my shoulder over and over and I am not sure he even knows he is doing it but it sure is cute. He also has gotten into the arm squeezing this month- not so fun. This month he has been doing so much more with his hands. He reaches out for things, holds them, and knows how to mimic simple movements. If I say 'Bang Bang", he will usually do it. They kids find this fascinating and funny. One other thing that I can't forget to mention is that ever since he was about 4 months old, when people say hi to Matthew, he plays shy and puts his face into my neck. It is the sweetest thing! It is not that he is bashful, he just gets so excited that he has to retreat to my shoulder to compose himself before he engages again. I kind of hope he doesn't give this up for a while!

We traveled a lot this month and he was a champ. He is so used to napping on the go and just rolling with the punches. Whether we travel by car or airplane- he has never caused a problem and I am so thankful for this!

Matthew continues to love food and has gotten more tastes of things this month. Everyday, he eats rice cereal with a veggie or fruit and snacks on small pieces of things that we are eating. He feels cool at dinnertime when he joins us at the table in his highchair. He loves to drink water from his sippy cup and as I mentioned earlier, loves to steal drinks from our cups, too. When I put out some finger food for him on the tray of the high chair, he will reach out and grab one but hasn't figured out how to let go of it in his mouth. Instead, he puts his whole fist in his mouth and sucks and sucks until the food has disintegrated.

Matthew got 2 teeth this month! First came the lower left incisor and then the right. It is kind of cute to see the little white teeth glisten when he smiles! Lucky for me, he has only bitten me once thus far and I have faith that he will be a good little boy and not do it again (fat chance, huh!).

Life with Matthew is awesome. He enriches our lives and reminds us to ignore life's bigger stresses. There is nothing like the innocence of a little baby to remind you what life is really about. We love the feeling of being around our large families with Matthew, love being with him in church, and love the quiet moments after Damien and I put Michael and Claire down for the night when we have Matthew all to ourselves.

Kindergarten

Can it be? Is Michael really starting Kindergarten? I remember last January when we were applying for Kindergarten and having a hard time believing that we were at this point in our parenting- 'parents of a kindergartner'. Well, the time has come and Michael is ready for school. The new group of Kindergarten moms are awfully organized and have been having play groups with the kids all summer. Due to the fact that we were gone most of the summer, Michael missed most of them but was able to join the kids on the last playdate. It was crazy to see him running around with the kids he will be in school with for the next 9 years!

Unlike entering preschool, which made Michael nervous and apprehensive, Michael has welcomed this new change with flying colors. He was very excited to start school and take this new challenge head-on.

On the morning of August 23rd, his first day of Kindergarten was here! School starts an hour earlier than his preschool did so it makes the new school mornings a little slower and harder to get out the door. But on his first day, he popped right out of bed, put on his uniform, and welcomed a day full of new beginnings. All the kids looked so cute in their uniforms. Damien and I both went to Catholic school and wore uniforms, but it is a whole different experience to see your child in one. And from a parenting perspective, it has been so easy to just put the uniform on in the morning instead of fumbling through his drawers to see what he should wear!

When we got to school, most of the kids were standing near their parents. You could tell they were all excited, but unsure of the process. The teachers came out and told them to take a seat on the benches outside the classroom. When the teacher rings the bell in the morning, you give your mom and dad a quiet wave to say goodbye. We waited with Michael for a few minutes until the teachers came out. She rang the bell and Michael waved goodbye. And that was it! No sad tears, no nervous faces or anything. It was a smooth transition. We picked him up a few hours later and he was smiling. He told us how cool Kindergarten was and how it was nothing like preschool. And just like that, the school year is off to a good start.

The school wide theme this year is, "Keep The Faith". I think it is so appropriate for our family. From the day Michael was born until now, we have had to rely on our faith to get us through the difficult times. God has been with Michael and our family through many seemingly scary times. He has also been with us through the triumphant times. Faith is what has got us here to this very day- and I have faith in this school that it will guide my children through both an education and spiritual journey.

I thought I would be so sad to see Michael go to Kinder-garten. I thought that my heart would ache when I saw him in his uniform and making such a giant leap to a big boy school. But surprisingly- Michael's easy transition has put me at ease. I think another part of it is that he is still only going for 3 hours a day. I know it will be harder to send him off next year when he will be away from me for 7 hours. I truly feel blessed that I have been able to stay home with my kids. I feel spoiled in a way because I am aware of everything that happens in their day to day life. Staying home does make it a little harder to let them go because you are so used to having control over their day, solving all their problems, and being able to make sure they are alright. Luckily, Michael's teachers seem to be very sweet, sensitive, and nurturing.

Michael, we are so proud of you. You are a wonderful and charismatic boy who brings both happiness and color into most any situation. We are so proud of you that you were able to trust this new experience and make the most of it. While part of me is sad to have you away from me everyday, I know that Kindergarten will help mold and shape you into an even more well rounded and amazing little boy. You have come a long way and fought the odds to be with us and we will never be able to thank you enough for your bravery and fight. Welcome to Kindergarten! We know you'll do great!

Cool Kids

Time seems to have flown by since I had Matthew. I get through the days and make sure that the kids' needs are met, make sure they are happy and fed, and go to sleep. (Occasionally I pay attention to Damien, too!) I have watched them grow and change on a daily basis, but what is blowing my mind are the big changes in their personality and how they view the world around them.

Today, Michael came downstairs and asked for a comb. I told him there was one in the bathroom and I heard him go in there and shut the door. He was in there for a while, came out and turned off the light. At the time, I was feeding Matthew so I didn't look at him when he came out. Then Michael said, "How do I look?" Then there was a pause. "Do I look cool?" I looked up and saw Michael in all his splendor. He had a smug look on his face and was eagerly awaiting my response. "Wow, Michael. You look so cool!" I said. I bit my cheeks as not to laugh but I couldn't quite get over the whole outfit! He had wet his hair and combed it all forward. He was wearing two shirts, one longer than the other and to top it off- he had on a suede frayed cowboy vest. A white wrist band adorned his right wrist and he had on athletic shorts and sandals. In his mind, he looked cool and he had the confidence to prove it.

I wondered what went through his head as he got his outfit together. Was he thinking, 'You know what would make this outfit pop? A vest. But not any vest. It must be suede and scream- cool.' What was his thought process as he gathered up everything and why all the sudden was he searching for an outfit to make him seem cool? None of this really mattered at this point. I had to address him in this very moment- vest and all. I had to echo and affirm his coolness and make him feel good. He obviously had a vision and he felt he had pulled it off. What was even funnier, ehhem- I mean cooler, than the outfit is that he wanted me to take pictures of him doing what he called, 'cool poses'. Then he wanted me to shoot a video (which I won't post as not to totally blow his cover). I went with all of this, never bursting into the hysterical laughter which kept trying to come out.

Claire caught on to the whole photo shoot thing and asked if she could go upstairs and put on her coolest outfit. 'Of course' I told her. She came downstairs, confident in her choices and joined the photo opp. She had on her pink checkered Vans (courtesy of Natalie), her jeans with embroidered flowers on them, her olive green shirt complete with sequins and lace, and a clip snapped onto the front of her hair. It was so interesting to see their choices, both very cool- yet very different.

I went along with all of this and relished the moment where they didn't rely on me to make them feel cool and confident. They are getting older and are able to express themselves independent of me. They can dress themselves, do their own hair, and pick out clothes that express their likes and moods. I think I would've been a little bit sad knowing that they don't need me as much anymore if it weren't for Matthew who was in my arms through all of this. Earlier in the morning I had dressed him, put his diaper on, and if it weren't for me- he'd be a mess. So, while I will continue to embrace Michael and Claire's cool independence, I will enjoy the fact that Matthew is still completely dependent on me to exist! However, I don't know what I will do the day that Matthew walks downstairs in a suede vest! Remind me when Michael gets a little older to give it to Goodwill!

Broadway Baby

My Dad gave Claire a new CD Player for St. Claire's Day and she has been enjoying it ever since. She especially loves listening to my Annie and Beauty and the Beast (Broadway version) Cds because you can listen to them and the songs tell a story. Well, it was late afternoon and I told the kids they needed to go to their rooms for some quiet time (aka- time when you are away from mommy so she can find some sanity). I really don't care what they do during quiet time. When they were younger, this time was called 'Nap Time'. Now that they are older and only nap every once in a while, we call it 'Quiet/Rest Time'. They can read, put together puzzles, play with their toys, listen to music . . . I don't care as long as they stay in their rooms. Well, this particular afternoon, Claire chose to listen to Beauty and the Beast.

I stayed for the first song. We heard the narrator say, "Once upon a time, in a faraway land- a young prince lived in a shining castle. Although he had everything his heart desired, the prince was spoiled, selfish and unkind". And so the story went. The Cd continued to play, and I left Claire to play and clean her room to the music. About an hour or so later, I went upstairs to check on the kids. Michael was playing in his room with the door open, but Claire's door was closed. I knocked, but she didn't answer. So, I slowly opened the door and there was Claire sitting on her bed. At first she didn't see me, but as soon as she did, she startled and quickly stood up. The look on her face made me think she was hiding something, so naturally I asked her, "Claire- Are you hiding something? What did you do?" She said she wasn't hiding anything but the look on her face made me suspicious. I was going to ask her a follow-up question but something on her face caught me eye. "What is on your face?" I asked. It looked like she had smeared lip gloss on her cheek. I asked her if it was lip gloss, and she said no. And then it hit me. "Where you crying?" She shook her head no. "Claire, if you were crying- you can tell me." Again, she denied it. I heard the music and song that was playing was where the Beast 'dies' and then turns back into a human. "Oh, Clairey. Were you crying because you were sad that the Beast died?" Not a moment passed before she burst into tears. Big, sobbing tears. I picked her up and sat on her bed. As beautifully as the song played, so did this picture perfect moment. Claire in my arms, soothing my baby, telling her it would be okay while the music played on. It hurt my heart that she didn't want me to know she was crying, yet longed to be comforted. I was so happy that I walked in at that moment and was able to rescue her from her sadness.

Because I am with Matthew so much of the day, I do yearn to spend alone time with my older kids. Lucky for me, when I walked in on Claire that afternoon, Matthew was fast asleep. I had plenty of time to hold her and give her the support and love she needed. It felt so good- that I too, shed a tear or two. I love that music brought Claire to tears. I love that music was able to pull emotion from her heart. I love that in the end, she wasn't afraid to show this emotion to me.

As I held her, the song wound down, her emotions winding down with it. And as I held her, we listened together as the Cd played, "Certain as the sun, Rising in the East. Tale as old as time, Song as old as rhyme, Beauty and the Beast."

Jill is 30!

In the midst of our crazy summer and the million things going on, I forgot to write about my sister, Jill, turning 30! I especially can't believe I forgot since I made a mental note to broadcast it to the world after she was so excited when I turned 30. She even called me the night before I turned 30 to let me know that it was my last day in my 20s. I don't think Jill really cares how old I am or that I am 21 months older than her. I thought it was funny when she has the shot- she takes it. When we were kids, I always loved being the oldest. I got to drive first, graduate from high school first and move out of Mom and Dad's house first. Yet, as I have surpassed all of the 'seemingly cool' age milestones, it is her turn to watch me approach "The Hill" and then eventually go over it- FIRST. So, I guess I deserve all the phone calls the night before my birthday. It is just her way of getting me back!

It was nice to be at my parent's house this summer in August when Jill turned 30! Brian (her husband) treated 45 of her family and friends to a Seattle Mariner's game. They were slated to play the Boston Red Sox, so we knew Safeco Field would be sold out and rockin'! The birthday was surprise party of sorts. Meaning- Jill knew something was going on, but didn't know what and where. It was funny to kind of mess with her head. The plan was so go to a dinner in Seattle, followed by the baseball game. Her husband told her that she needed to bring her swimming suit and rollerblades. She was both nervous and apprehensive after his warning, but it was fun for the rest of us to watch her sweat a little bit. I had a hard time keeping it a secret as I was constantly sneaking away to do one of a million little touches for her party. It didn't help that the baptism for Matthew and Kyle was less than 24 hours after Jill's party. But it was one heck of a weekend!

We all met at FX McRory's in Seattle and waited for Jill to arrive. The funny thing was that she snuck in before we could say "Surprise" and instead, she said, "Surprise- I'm Here!". We all had a great time there and then walked over to the game. We had some fun things planned for the game and wanted to make sure we got there before she did. We had 8 poster boards, each with a letter that said, "Jill Is 30". Unfortunately, a few of the people holding the signs, didn't quite get the message. We also had 40 "Faces of Jill". We took a picture of her, made it life size, cut it out, and then glued it onto a tongue depressor. It actually looked quite real and we got many a laugh out of them. After an hour or so, a few of the faces became disfigured and people were coming up with many interesting things to do with the "Jill Face". Enough said. We passed around a new treat every inning to the guests and all of us were stuffed by game's end.

It was a late night as the game started at 7:05 p.m. Luckily, all of the kids that were in our group were troopers and made it through. Matthew enjoyed his first MLB ballgame and the game was a thriller and the stadium stayed packed until the last out. Somehow, Damien managed to ignore the boo's that filled the stadium when the giant video screen showed Barry Bonds finally hitting home run 755. All in all, Jill was happy and so were her family and friends. It was wonderful night for a wonderful sister, mother, wife, friend, and beautiful person. Unfortunately, our pathetic attempts at getting on the jumbotron failed (Jill faces, and all!). But it didn't matter. Being with my sister, my best friend, on her 30th birthday and seeing the positive and amazing impact she had on all who surrounded her that night- was as good as it gets. Happy 30th Birthday Jilly and here's to many, many more. Love you.

Teething Twosome

I had written a while back that I loved Matthew's gummy mouth. I loved that when he smiled, the light glistened off his little gums. I loved that when he chewed on my knuckle- I could barely feel it. I have always loved that when a baby has a mouth without teeth- you can be pretty certain that you have an itty bitty baby. Well- those days are gone. After months of drooling, gnawing on teethers, fists, and fingers-Matthew has his first tooth! He woke up the morning of August 11th, just shy of 6 1/2 months with extremely swollen and red gums. I felt bad for him and knew that the tooth was so ready to come in. The kids and I played with him in the morning and put him down for a nap. Somewhere between falling asleep and waking up, he sprouted his first tooth.

The funny thing about Matthew getting his first tooth is that at the same time as Matthew was working so hard to break his tooth through his gums, Michael is working on losing his first tooth. And would you believe that it is the same tooth in both my boys mouth? I suppose once you have a few kids, this losing and gaining teeth thing overlaps. I just find it funny that they were working on the same tooth at the same time! (In case you are wondering, it is the bottom right incisor). Michael is really excited that his tooth is loose. He tells anyone that will take the time to listen about this new experience. He has a hard time eating hard or sticky things as it puts a lot of pressure on his wiggly tooth. Everyday- it gets a little looser and I am actually looking forward to seeing him with a little black hole in his smile. He is looking forward to losing it too, as he thinks losing this tooth will make him able to whistle. Um, we'll see about that.

So there you have it. My little baby finally got his first tooth and my biggest baby is losing one. Needless to say, I am surrounded by the wonder of childhood and infancy and truly enjoying each and every new stage. Even if these stages overlap a bit!

Matthew's Baptism

On August 5th, Matthew was baptized! Our little family felt so blessed to see him welcomed into God's family! We had a private ceremony which was presided over by Fr. Art and it was wonderful. Fr. Art married us and has baptized all of our children so it felt great for him to be with us during this very important and holy moment.

The scheduling of this sacrament was a confusing one because we had to work with Fr. Art's schedule and also coordinate with my sister. We decided a while back that we would baptize the two cousins together since they are so close in age (3 1/2 months apart) and it just felt right. We know that when Kyle and Matthew look back on this special day, they will not only be thankful for all the family and friends who were there to witness their special moment but also appreciate the uniqueness of their receiving this sacrament together!

We are thrilled that Jill and Brian are Matthew's godparents and we feel honored and touched to be able to be Kyle's godparents. It was wonderful to be given the responsibility of guiding Kyle through his life with God and we know that Jill and Brian feel the same way. The ceremony/mass was great despite both the boys being tired and ready to nap. Matthew fell asleep half way through the mass and was surprised to be woken up to the holy water being poured over his head. His surprise only lasted a moment as he soon fell back to sleep once Father wiped off his head. Kyle did the best he could, despite being tired and hot from the temperature in the church. He quieted down once the baptismal candle was lit and in front of him. It proved to be a great distraction! We were so happy to have all three grandmother's read a reading and for Father to deliver us an introspective homily about eternity.

After the baptism, we all went over to Jill and Brian's house and had a wonderful time. The love we felt from our family and friends was immense and we can't thank everyone enough for making the effort to be there. Damien's parents and his brother Ryan left Yosemite late the night before, got home, packed, and turned around to go to the airport to share in Matthew's special day. We truly appreciate all everyone went through to support our family. Once everyone left the party, the boys played on the floor in their matching baptismal outfits and Jill and I let out a sigh of relief that we had finally done it (with an incredible amount of help from our Mom). The boys are baptized and it was a day that we won't soon forget.

8 Years Later

It has been eight years since I married Damien. In my heart, our wedding/marriage was so right, so perfect. I look back fondly on the memories and shake my head when I look back at pictures and see two young kids taking such a giant leap! Not only were we young, but so were our family and friends! In so many ways, it doesn't seem that long ago. But when I realize that Gina was still in high school, Seamus was 2 years old, and I didn't have any kids- I realize just how long ago that was!

I remember the night before the wedding so clearly. After the rehearsal dinner, everyone gathered at my parent's house and had a pre-wedding party. I remember chatting away with my sisters and girlfriends while the guys were out back shooting hoops. It was so wonderful to be surrounded by such an amazing group of people and for a few moments- they were able to shake my nerves down a bit. I remember the night winding down to a close, and knowing that I would have to say goodbye to Damien- only to see him again the next day when I walked down the aisle. I remember catching wind that Damien's friends were going to throw him into the lake that night as a prank and how I got so upset! Somehow, after crying about this and getting wound up, Gina ended up singing me to sleep. I remember getting up the next morning to a giant bouquet of red roses from my husband-to-be. I remember getting my hair done with my Mom and sisters and how I had cold cans of Coke on my eyes because they were red and puffy from the crying fit the night before. I remember when I first caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror once my hair and veil were done and how I thought, Now I look like a bride. Who could forget the limo pulling into the driveway and all my sisters, sister-in-laws, friends and family belting the song, Going to Chapel and I'm Gonna Get Married. I'll never forget how the feeling of being calm and cool went away and how the nerves began to set in.

I was calm most of the day, enjoying the fun surrounding this awesome day. We took pictures, laughed and listened to music in the Bride's room, and tried to avoid having the bride and groom cross paths. Soon the ceremony would start and the coordinator told us it was time. My bridesmaids left me and headed for the back of the church. It grew quiet and for the first time that day, I felt alone. I wanted to see Damien so bad and I just knew he felt the same way.

There was a knock at the door and my Dad came into the bridal room and saw me. He said, "How ya doin' kiddo? You look beautiful." I said I was okay. We walked around the perimeter of the church, arm in arm, so that Damien would have no chance of seeing me before the doors opened. I told my Dad I was nervous- he said I'd do great. All the basketball games he had watched me play in, all the pep talks he had given me, and here we were and I think both of us said about two words to each other. The wedding had started and I was just waiting for my cue. And there it was, and the doors opened, and there he was . . . waiting for me. It was literally a breath-taking moment. And the rest is history. Eight years of history- to be exact.

As we danced at the reception to The Way You Look Tonight, time stopped for a few minutes. We had waited for this day for a long time and we soaked up every ounce of it. We were married and ready to ride the roller coaster of life together. We had no way of knowing what our future would hold for us, but it is comical to look back and know what was in store for us (can you say peril in Paris?). All in all, our marriage has only gotten stronger since the day we promised our lives to each other. Three children, life in a foreign country, living in 5 different apartments/houses all in eight years is A LOT! While some times have been difficult, I am confident that neither Damien nor I would change a thing. God only gives you what you can handle. And handle we have.

So, Damien . . . here is to another eight years of happiness and roller coaster rides. I wouldn't want to experience life with anyone but you.