Grandparent's Day

There are a lot of really neat days that the kids' school celebrates. One of them is Grandparent's Day. Last year, they didn't include Kindergarten in the celebration so this was our first year to have the wonderful grandparents of my kids honored. The celebration was the morning of Matthew's birthday so the day was already jam packed full of activities. The parents were not invited to this special day, instead, the grandparents were to facilitate getting the kids to their classrooms and then meet them in the church for a special prayer service.

All the grandparents said that the prayer service was really special. They didn't sit with the kids but were able to see them file into the church with their classes and then watch them during the mass. Afterwards, Mark, Marlene, and my Mom Linda got to visit Michael and Claire in their classrooms and see what a day is like for them. It was a special glimpse into the world of their grandchildren and I know that they appreciated it to the fullest. If I think back to my elementary days, I would have loved to have had my grandparents at school. When we picked up the kids and grandparents that afternoon, neither could say enough about how special the whole experience was for them. I am thankful to have such amazing grandparents in my children's lives. Both Damien and my parents are worthy of a day to celebrate their role as a grandparent.

19 Weeks

I had an ultrasound appointment today for my 19 week check up. While I felt good, the irrational side of me worried (as usual) that there was going to be a big change in my cervical length that would turn my life upside down. However, my more rational thoughts prevailed and things are looking good. My cervix stayed the same length as two weeks ago at 3.95 cm and I won't have to go in for another ultrasound until 21 weeks. After 21 weeks, it will be every week that I get an ultrasound as we will be on 'Bedrest Watch 2009'.

I feel great. Seriously- great. I realized today that so far- this is my only semi-predictable pregnancy. (Don't worry, I have been through too much to completely let down my guard.) With Michael's pregnancy, things went horribly wrong. It was nowhere near what I had expected. With Claire's pregnancy they told me that most likely I would carry full-term and that Michael's early birth was a fluke. Hmmm. Yeah. Wasn't expecting all the drama with Claire's pregnancy either. With Matthew's pregnancy, I was hopeful that things would be better but we'd have to see how my body responded to the cerclage. In the end- the cerclage was a life saver and allowed me to stay out of the hospital until Matthew was born. So here I am with pregnancy #4 and I actually have a fairly decent shot of repeating a previous pregnancy! Go figure! I am still guarded and fairly prepared if something does go wrong. I have had that 'Oh No!' moment too many times to just think it might not happen again. Basically, I am trying to enjoy this pregnancy. I am relishing the quiet moments with this happy, healthy baby kicking away in my tummy and trying my hardest to enjoy these precious moments. We'll have to wait and see what the future holds for this little baby. But in the meantime, I am going to continue to do my best to protect this precious life and do all I can to keep the baby safe.

Crafty Claire

Claire has been hilarious these days. For years, I have called her 'Little Mommy' because she is so on top of everything in the house and with Matthew. When our parents are here and can't find something in the kitchen like a strainer, they ask Claire because somehow she just knows where everything is. The other day, Damien brought the kids to school and she kept him on task and told him when they needed to be done with breakfast, teeth brushing, etc. in order to be on time. She even wanted to write the morning timeline down and keep it in her bedroom for future reference. She is just really in tune with the flow of the house and I love it! In terms of organization and just being aware- I don't know what I would do without Claire.

That being said, I think she is feeling a little confused about her 'duties'. Lately, she has been a hall monitor of sorts and it is absolutely cracking is up! When Damien was in Barbados, she spent a lot of time with my Mom. One afternoon, she was doing a Valentine's Day project with her when my Mom opened a diet root beer. My Mom decided after a half an hour that she was done with the half drunk root beer so she poured the rest into the sink. Apparently, Claire was really surprised by this. Maybe she thought Nonna was bring wasteful or something because she very slyly brought me this note as I was laying down in the family room. She said, 'Did you read it? I just wanted to you to know.' I bit my cheeks so I wouldn't laugh and nodded that I had it under control. Of course I quickly got up and showed the note to my Mom who laughed so hard. What a crack up!

Another funny Claire story happened a few days later. Matthew and Claire pal around a lot. Basically, Claire is home most of the day when Michael is in school so he has taken a liking to hanging out with her (Matthew loves Michael, too). They wrestle, he loves to play with her toys, they just have a good time together. Well, the other day, Matthew messed up a huge project Claire was doing in her room with her Littlest Pet Shop figures. She was mad but instead of lashing out at Matthew, she went to the kitchen and wrote the word, Dude, on a post it note and taped it to the back of his hair. I didn't want to support her action, but it was so funny and because Matthew didn't notice it- I didn't say a word. He must have worn that note for a good hour and soon Damien and Michael were in on the hoax, too. The funny thing to me was the choice of her 'cutting' word. Dude? Is that a bad thing? I love it! At least she didn't pick a word that was offensive! Claire was proud of her revenge and loved seeing him walk around with the paper in his hair. In the end, it was pretty darn funny and we've officially hit a new level of outsmarting someone in this house. If you come over to visit, you better watch your back!

Barbados Boy

A little over a year ago, Damien and I went on a fabulous trip to Costa Rica. I can't tell you how often I think back to that trip and how absolutely glorious it was. In fact, as Matthew is tugging on my leg and just spilled my glass of water (seriously) I am sincerely wishing I was back with my husband on the beach bathing in the sun. Oh, memories! Well this year, Damien again qualified for his company's Club Trip to this year's location- Barbados. I am so proud of him and certainly think he earned the trip. I knew that if he did qualify for the trip, I wouldn't go. I have already traveled abroad pregnant once and look how that turned out! Once he got word that he had made the trip, he told me he wasn't going to go. What??? I was seriously appalled! He said he didn't want to go because I couldn't go. While I appreciated the sentiment, I thought that was nonsense! Let's put it this way. If I won a all expense paid trip to an exotic location and he couldn't go, I hope that Damien would want me to go with a friend or family member. I pushed him, supported him and told him that he had to go and that it would be an absolute blast! Thankfully, he came around and got excited for the trip!

His company pays for he and a guest to attend this trip and because I couldn't go- he chose to go with this really great friend Keith. I thought it was a great choice as I knew they would have an absolute blast together! The timing of it was crazy. They had to fly out on the eve of Matthew's birthday which made for one hectic night. Thankfully, they landed safely in Barbados the next day and started their five-day tropical vacation! They had a great itinerary of events to keep them busy. It started with a beach side welcome dinner, followed the next day with a catamaran cruise out in the ocean (complete with massages). Rough life! They also swam with turtles, snorkled, body surfed, boogie boarded, played 18 holes of golf on a gorgeous course, and watched the Superbowl on a movie sized theater screen on the beach. Yes, they had their toes in the sand as they watched the big game! If you're a guy- it really doesn't get much better than that! Well, maybe you would want your wife with you- but you catch my drift!

While he did call home a few times a day, I was happy that he took the time out for himself to relax and enjoy a few days without stress. When he did call, he sounded really happy and that in itself made me happy. I think that sometimes you need to have experiences away from your spouse and kids to just be with your buddies or have some time alone. This last June he supported me 100% to join my Mom and sisters in Vegas and I know I had the time of my life. I think supporting and trusting each other is so important. If I has the choice- I would want to do most everything with Damien. But from time to time, I do like to be with my sisters/Mom.

After five fun-filled days, Damien returned home safely and all of us were so happy to see him. My Mom was with me for the majority of the time he was gone so I had someone to keep me company and give me a hand. It was a win-win situation for our family and I am so happy Damien had the chance to see the another part of he world. Now welcome back to reality, Damien. It missed you!

Matthew's 2nd Chut Chut Cheese Birthday!

Today is an amazing day! Two years ago today, I met my sweet little Matthew for the first time. I will never forget how I was immediately bonded with him and how deeply in love I was from the minute they laid him on my chest. We waited patiently for him and had some tough times and boy was he worth it! I can't believe it has been a whole two years since that wonderful day.

Our agenda today was absolutely insane. It started off with bringing the kids to school and then quickly turning around to pick my Mom up at the airport. She flew in to be here for Matthew's birthday but also to celebrate Grandparent's Day at the kids school. After we got my Mom and brought her back to the house, I headed to my doctor's appointment. Damien then waited at the house for his parent's to arrive and then drove everyone to the school. When I got back from my appointment, it was just Damien, Matthew and I at home. We spoiled him and sang and danced for his birthday! After that, we went to the school, picked up the grandparents and then went out to lunch. Phew! (And it was only noon!)

For a large part of the afternoon, we all just relaxed and enjoyed our little Matthew. All day long, all he could talk about was Chuck E. Cheese. Because I am on limited activity, I knew I would need to have his party outside the house or I would over-do it. I asked Matthew where he wanted his birthday and without hesitating he answered, chut chut cheese! So the plan was set and Matthew would have his birthday with the Chuckster. If given the chance, Matthew told everyone where he was going to have his birthday. He told them he was going to eat pizza. He told everyone that he was going to get blue cotton candy and root beer. He even told everyone he was going to be two (although he would hold up all five fingers when he said it). This kiddo was more than ready for his birthday and he couldn't believe the day was finally here!

Once he woke up from his afternoon nap, he was ready to open some presents! We decided that we would all give him his presents early because he would be so overwhelmed at his party. He was so excited to open his presents and everyone that gave him gifts gave him such personal, perfect little gifts. Matthew is into a lot of fun little things these days. The biggest thing is Elmo, followed by Sponge Bob, and he also loves all things Disney and shoes. Kind of an eclectic mix but it is what he likes! Daddy and Mommy gave him a mini rolling Elmo suitcase and Elmo slippers and he went berserk!

The party at Chuck E. Cheese was awesome! We had a lot of family and great friends join us for the chaos. The great part of having a party there is that they do everything for you. No set-up, clean-up, cooking, etc. But hard part is that for ninety minutes, you experience 100% craziness- but the kids LOVE it. First the kids are playing the games, then they come and eat pizza, then you eat cake, then Chuck E. comes, then you open gifts, then it is over. We had an absolute blast and Matthew really had a great time. There were few more kids that were Matthew's size at the party but they were a little too afraid of 'The Mouse' to pose for this picture. I was surprised at first that Matthew was a little bit nervous around Chuck E. Cheese. That changed pretty quickly and by the end- he was his best friend.

I had to include this picture because it is so sweet. It took Matthew a little bit to get used to Chuck E. Cheese (the mouse) but he was so sad after he had to go away. He had just blown out the candles on his cake with Chuck E. and the next thing he knows- his new best friend is leaving. It took a few minutes for him to calm down, but he eventually got control. Did I mention he was getting tired?

We loaded the car and got home thankfully in one piece! To add to the hysteria of the evening, Damien had to catch a plane to Barbados (more on that later). He had an 11:25 p.m. flight from San Francisco Airport and needed to leave the house at 9:00 p.m. to make it there on time. My Mom was going to stay with me while he was gone for the five day trip so I was looking forward to that. We got the kids dressed for bed and all three asleep just as Damien left. It was a crazy day but a special day as our little baby turned a BIG two years old!

17.5 Weeks

We had our ultrasound appointment today and it was amazing to see how much this little baby has grown. There is something so amazing, so miraculous about going into the doctor at four weeks, seeing what looks like a bean, only to see in a few short weeks- a heartbeat! Then to go in a few weeks later to see legs and arms sprouting. Each and everytime I get an ultrasound I am just amazed at what my body is doing to grow this sweet little baby in my belly. While I love going in to see how the baby is doing, I am at these ultrasounds to get my cervix measured. Only a few more weeks and I will be going in for an ultrasound every week until this baby is born!

My ultrasound appointments are very much the same every time. First, my doctor does an internal exam to actually go up there and feel the length of the cervix and to make sure the cerclage (stitches) are still holding. She does this so she has some kind of idea how things are going before she does the ultrasound. Then she does a trans-abdominal (on my tummy) ultrasound where she first ultrasounds the cervical area and gets a good estimate at it's length. Basically, we are on a holding pattern until my cervix shortens to 2.5 cm which means I would be placed immediately on modified bedrest (3 hrs. in the morning / 3 hrs. in the afternoon). For clarification purposes, the measurement of 2.5 cm is not how the cervix is dilated. It is the length of the cervix from top to bottom that she measures. A typical pregnant woman's cervix measures somewhere between 5.5 cm - 4.5 cm in length at this point in a pregnancy. Two weeks ago, mine measured at 4.3 cm and this week, my cervix measured anywhere from 3.9 - 4.1 cm. So basically, as expected- my cervix is already beginning to shorten and will continue to do so for the remainder of the pregnancy. Another change that was present was that the bottom of the uterus was starting to 'nipple'. Basically, throughout my pregnancy- the weight of the growing baby will put pressure on the cervix and open it from the top down until the baby is eventually sitting on the cerclage. Right now, that has started hence the 'nippling'. If you can't picture what I am talking about, think about the uterus as a nice round oval. At the bottome of the uterus where it meets the cervix, it looks like a tiny bottle nipple. It is starting to work it's way down to the stitch which only sits 2.5 cm below. Okay, so a lot of technical talk here! But never fear, we knew all of this would happen and knew what we were getting into when we decided to get pregnant again! All of this happened in Matthew's pregnancy and we just hope that we are as blessed in this pregnancy to make it to 36 weeks again.

All in all, the appointment was great. My doctor was very pleased with how things looked- considering my issues and was encouraged. I think that it would be hard for a lot of people to get news that things are changing in a negative direction, but after all Damien and I have been through with my pregnancies- this is just par for the course. We wanted a big family and by the grace of God, we have been blessed with three healthy children thus far. I am enjoying this pregnancy. I love feeling the baby kick and punch around in my tummy. Even Damien has been able to feel the baby already. The only difference between this pregnancy and my previous pregnancies is that I am really getting the feeling like I could be happy if this was the last time I do this. It is a great feeling. A feeling of closure, a feeling of peace and I needed that! So instead of freaking out at the coming changes in my pregnancy (which of course I will freak out a little bit), I am really trying to focus on enjoying each and every stage because this will most definitely be my last time. Seeing the baby this week was awesome. It was the first profile of the baby I have seen and it made me excited to meet this new little life! Now, if only we knew if it was a boy or a girl? Only a few short months and we'll know the answer to that!

Claire's Self Portrait

We have a great 'Art Enrichment' program at the kids school. From time to time, I get these great pieces of art home that are refreshing and so interesting. The latest and greatest was a self portrait done by Claire. Claire has always loved to draw and write independantly. She makes the cutest pictures for us but they don't normally include the detail she used for her self portrait. Apparently in their class, they studied two different self portraits that other artists created and then they were told to try and create their own! I noticed a few new things on this art piece that I have never seen Claire draw before. For starters, she really took care to put detail into her eyes. Normally she just draws green circles and calls it a day. But this time she worked on shape and included pupils! The next change was her mouth. They must have talked about including teeth because I have never seen her draw teeth in her pictures before. The whole project was so cute! Daddy actually did her hair that day and he left it down with a silver headband. I love this picture and want to make sure I hold onto this one for a while. I think it is pretty cool to see how Claire 'sees' herself. I remember last year when Michael did this project. He drew tons of freckles all over this face. I wasn't sure if he even noticed he had so many freckles but apparently he did. I am glad that there is this great opportunity for the kids to be artistic at school and I can hardly wait to see what they bring home next!

"Bye, Mom!"

Matthew is in a stage of huge developmental growth. It started with him saying a few words and now he has more words than we know what to do with. He understands conversations that aren't even aimed at him. You can't sneak a piece of candy within the near vicinity without him either smelling it or hearing you open the wrapper. Basically, he is on top of it. This little guy is very aware of his surroundings and keeping us all on our toes!

Matthew loves to be independent and he loves to go through his daily routine of imaginary play. Once we get home from dropping Michael and Claire off at school and once Matthew has had breakfast- he will go and find Claire's Supergirl backpack, load it up with random treasures and pretend to leave. "Bye Mom!" he says and then watches me as he slowly walks to the garage. I always ask, "Where are you going?" and he will answer that he is either going to school, work, or Elmo's house.

I love our little predictable routine each morning. He hates when Michael and Claire go into their classrooms because he wants to hang out with them all day long. There are many points during the day where he will look at me and say, Minah (Michael) or Rawr (Claire) because he is sad they are gone. He really loves his older siblings and he doesn't want to be the odd man out- hence the backpack and dramatic pretend departure. Anyway, I just wanted to write about this so I don't forget this when he is older or when he starts school and I am doing my own pretend play because I will be lonely!

Choo-Choo

I am going to the doctor a lot lately. At this point, I have ultrasounds every two weeks and also need to get a progesterone shot and listen to the baby's heartbeat with a Doppler weekly. We are definitely frequent OB fliers nowadays. But all is well- life is good. The BIG difference between Matthew's pregnancy and this pregnancy is just that . . . Matthew! When I was pregnant with Matthew, I made all my appointments during the three hours my older two were in school. But now- every week, this little guy comes with me to my appointments and is so awesome. He knows Mommy is going to get a shot and loves waiting to listen to the baby who he affectionately calls 'choo-choo'. The first time he heard the heartbeat, the nurse told him that the baby would sound like a choo-choo train. Well, when we got home Matthew couldn't wait to tell Daddy that he heard the baby choo-choo. It was really cute. At my appointments, he just sits in the chair and either watches me or a movie on my iPhone. He is the best and is so far making this difficult process as easy as can be. Let's just hope this trend continues!

Monterey Bay Aquarium

We needed a three day weekend. With our busy schedules- an extra day was going to mean a lot to our family in the long run. What was even better was that Damien got Monday off, too! On Saturday- we just hung around the house and caught up on the things that should have been done a long time ago. I had the idea that we should get the heck out of town on Sunday to rejuvenate ourselves and just have a change in scenery! Damien and I decided that we would take the kids to Monterey because it had been a while since we had been there and the weekend weather was supposed to be amazing!

We love the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It has a lot of offer and is set in such a beautiful little city. Damien and I took a few trips down there when we were dating and pre-baby and Michael and Claire have been there a few times, too. Matthew was a little baby the last time we went and this trip for him would be a guaranteed eye opening experience. Even better, the aquarium was having a special exhibit about penguins. Matthew thinks penguins are so cool and we couldn't wait to see his reaction when we came upon them!

The trip down there was so peaceful and serene. The kids sat back and watched a movie while Damien and I relaxed and shared in some great uninterrupted conversation. Imagine that! We talked a little about potential baby boy names (we already have the girl name), we caught up on the parts of our lives that seemed to have fallen through the cracks, and enjoyed the absolutely gorgeous weather and scenery that made the day so magnificent!

Just as expected- thekids LOVED the aquarium! They got to touch starfish and sea cucumbers. They got to see a man in scuba gear feed enormous fish; they loved the penguins, and screamed when sharks swam right in front of their eyes. Michael took great pleasure in reminding me how much eels look like snakes (a huge fear of mine) and tricked me into looking into a giant tank only to realize a second later that there was a enormous octopus above my head. They loved everything about the aquarium and were sad when we had to leave. At the end of our day there, we actually went back and spent an extra few dollars to change all of our tickets into season passes. It really wasn't much more and if we can make it down there again, it will be more than worth it!

Afterwards, we treated the kids to some goodies along the beach and just enjoyed being together as a family. We ended up eating lunch at Bubba Gump's and it was really really good. We have passed it several times over the years and Damien insisted that we finally try it so we could see if it was good (and it was)! The kids loved the different kinds of seafood and enjoyed being able to go to the neighboring candy store and pick out five candies afterwards! They thought it was very cool.

At the end of the day, the kids begged us to let them put their feet in the ocean. I didn't plan ahead and bring their swimsuits (although it was warm enough for it) because I wasn't about to chase after them, mainly Matthew, if he darted into the water. I did let them take off their shoes and roll up their jeans to get their legs and toes wet. Damien and I warned them that we didn't have a change of clothes and if they got wet, it wasn't going to be our problem! Well, all went well for the first ten minutes or so until Michael misjudged a wave and got soaked. Claire, feeling a little too dry herself, then 'accidentally' got wet, too. Misery loves company! We played hardball and told them that we couldn't help them with their problem. We figured that this would be a good opportunity to teach them a lesson. They whined the whole way back to the car and Damien I kept exchanging glances that confirmed the fact that the lesson was learned.

One thing I was reminded of on this trip was how amazing my kids are. I am so blessed to have such wonderfully inquisitive, imaginative, loving, caring, funny, silly, and special children. I knew that this trip was a memory I would have for the rest of my life. They are all at such a great age and really made the trip doable and fun. We will hopefully enjoy a few more trips like this before life gets flipped upside down again this June.

In closing, we all had a great day. I had to post this picture because it so perfectly captures the need to bug one another that Michael and Claire share. Neither would concede and let the other look through the telescope. Instead for about three minutes- they made one another completely frustrated. I told them to stop, but when they didn't- I seized the opportunity to take a picture of their craziness. I hope one day that they can laugh at this picture!

Park Day

Well- we are half way through the school year and things couldn't be better. The kids love school, they have completely adjusted and seem to be thriving and happy! Michael is in school five days a week and goes full day. Claire goes five days a week as well, but they are half days- and by half days, I mean three hours and twenty minutes long. It doesn't seem like I have much time between the time I drop her off and when I pick her up! Wednesdays throw a wrench in the whole schedule because they are always super short days. Apparently it is this way throughout the diocese and we just have to embrace it! On Wednesdays, Claire only goes to school for two hours (which is barely enough time to grab a coffee or unload the dishwasher)!

Because I went through the whole 'Kindergarten thing' last year with Michael- I know that on every early day (Wednesdays) the Moms take their kids to the park after school. This way the kids can still play together and it is also a great way for the Moms to get to know one another. Last year was awesome because Matthew was the perfect age. I could let Michael run around while Matthew sat in his stroller eating snacks for the entire hour. This freed me up and allowed us to spend some great time outdoors that was both relaxing and peaceful. Well, now that he is a walking, talking big boy- things have changed. I have no shot at keeping this guy in his stroller. Naturally, he wants to go get dirty and play with the thirty or so wired kids running around the play structures!!!

My challenge these days is keeping him safe. Being that I am pregnant and really don't feel like climbing the big toy with him- I have to be careful to watch him and make sure he doesn't get into too much trouble! There is a little kid play structure and a massive big kid toy structure (which is way more fun and dangerous). He always starts out on the little one but keeping him there is a real challenge! Over the past few weeks, he has really gotten good at successfully climbing the structure and is so proud of himself! It is fun to watch him and I couldn't help but take a few pictures of an overly confident and happy Matthew!

Claire and her girlfriends are always off running around (mostly chasing the boys) and I could barely get her to slow down to take the above picture. I think it was such a great idea to let these kids get together at a park which is so much less structured than a classroom. They have so much fun together and their 'real personalities' come out! It is such fun to watch them play together. Matthew looks forward to meeting up with a few younger siblings who get brought to the park day with their Kindergarten siblings. Right now he is buddy buddy with a sweet two and half year old girl who he often walks hand in hand with around the park. My little ladies man! Both Claire and Matthew look forward to the short Wednesday park days and now that Matthew has become a little safer (i.e. not walking into the path of a swinging swing)- I find myself looking forward to it too! Well, the 77 degree weather doesn't hurt either!

Goose Sees Geese

We have had unseasonably gorgeous weather and we almost don't know what to do with ourselves! It is January, right? Well, the long sleeves, long pants and jackets we have been wearing seemed pointless with the 77 degree weather we had. I felt kind of guilty because I know how much California needs water but the warmth was just too good! It was beautiful. A full week of 70 degree weather and I felt like we were in Spring!

The entire week we were outside. We went to parks, went on small walks, ate out at restaurants with patios and it was so nice! Well, this morning I knew that between the time that I had dropped Claire off at school and before I had to pick her up- I wanted to take Matthew to this amazing farm in San Jose. Emma Prusch farm is a short ten minutes from my house and it is open to the public and free! Did I mention it is free? I had planned to have a nice leisurely afternoon there where Matthew could explore and just enjoy the beauty of the day and the animals.

I was going to go by myself when Damien said he would love to come with us! Yes! I didn't even mention it because I thought his afternoon would be filled with his work, but luckily he was able to make it! The three of us set out for the farm and Matthew could barely contain himself! Damien and I rarely get to do something just with Matthew so it was really special to be able to give him our full attention!

When we got to the farm, Matthew couldn't believe that roosters, chickens, geese, and peacocks were just roaming the property freely. I explained to him that this was their home so we couldn't chase them- and surprisingly, he really responded to what I said. He was respectful of the animals and I was proud of him. While we were there- we saw a lot of different kinds of birds, pigs, cows, goats, sheep, and horses. He couldn't believe it! He was trying so hard to communicate his delight and soon just started making all the animal sounds. My personal favorite was his imitation of the rooster. It was hilarious!

The day was a real success and it was nice to just be able to enjoy him and pay attention to all of his needs and requests. I think it was extra special for him to have both of us there. We sure did enjoy it. The sun was out, the day was relaxing, it was thrilling to watch him discover the different animals, and it was nice for me to spend time with Damien, too. Our little Matthew has been a wonderful little guy. So easy going, a good listener, a great sibling, and a sweet special son. The outing was perfect and all three of us enjoyed ourselves to the fullest.

**If you are confused by the title, one of Matthew's nicknames is Goose.

15 weeks

Here is the first belly shot from Baby #4 at fifteen weeks. More than any of my other pregnancies, I am showing a lot earlier. I know this will slow down a bit (at least I hope) but I am enjoying that I at least look the way I feel- pregnant! This week, I also started feeling the baby move and it felt wonderful. There are so many quiet first weeks in the pregnancy where you just have to have faith that things are going well in there! It was nice to get a little reassurance via a tiny kick that there is a sweet baby in there that we are anxious to meet! I went to the doctor this week for an ultrasound and everything continues to look great. During Matthew's pregnancy- things went without complication until 26 weeks when I went on modified bedrest. God willing, I hope to to the same with this one. Until then- it is kind of a waiting game. The kids are loving Mommy's growing belly and Matthew even tries to match my size by pushing his tummy out! He will also tell you that he has a baby in his belly!

We are having a lot of fun with this pregnancy so far. All of my symptoms have been the same as the other pregnancies. Absolute exhaustion, no morning sickness, and no real food aversions. Thankfully, I am now in my second trimester and happily kicked the first trimester to the curb! I am feeling great, getting my energy back, and feel strong and ready for the road that lies ahead. Until complications arise, I am doing my best to enjoy this whole process. I have my good days and then I have days that are tough for me (usually happening on or around the day I get my weekly progesterone shot). Thankfully, I have a wonderfully supportive husband who knows what I need and sometimes just listens to me when I need to talk. He made the decision along with me to have another baby knowing full well that it would be an up and down hill journey. I also have a great family who is there for me and know how to best support me. I feel great. I feel blessed by this new little baby and will continue on the best path I know to make sure he/she makes it into this world safely.

Michael's View on the Family

Michael brought home his journal this week and along with some of his great writing, was a really cute portrait of our family. I love this picture so much for so many reasons. I think it is so cute how he included such detail on the different members of our family. Claire has long hair, Matthew is shorter, Damien apparently has shrunk in size in comparison to me, my hair looks like spider legs. But seriously, I just love how he views our family! As you all know, I am pregnant again and this is the first time Michael has acknowledged the new baby in our family portrait. What I find so interesting is that he calls the baby '2nd Baby'. In Michael's mind, Matthew is the first baby and this baby will be the second. I just love that! In my eyes, Matthew is turning into such a big boy. He will always be my baby- but he is transitioning in my mind to being a big boy, not really a baby anymore. But Michael still thinks he is the '1st Baby' and I like that. All my kids are my babies. When they are married and with their own children- they will still be my babies.

As we are moving through the weeks of this pregnancy and we are calling the baby in my tummy 'The Baby', I love that Michael added his own fresh perspective about what he thinks is going on. Let's hope '1st Baby' and '2nd Baby' agree on their priority when this is all said and done!

Bronco Basketball

I was asked to come to a Santa Clara Women's Basketball game to not only watch the game, but to meet some of the donors that help make full scholarship for the team possible! The kids were really excited to go to the game and were also thrilled that they could go to bed later than their normal school night bedtime because the game started at 7pm. We had a great time! There was a pregame reception as well as food and drinks during the game in the upstairs suite! The kids grubbed on cookies, sandwiches, and even got to have some Coke (I was tired and I caved in when they asked me)!

This was Matthew's first time at a basketball game that I he can remember. He thought it was so cool to be so high and be able to watch all the action. If we have a basketball game on the TV at home- he yells 'ba-ball, ba-ball!' You can only imagine his excitement when he got to see it in person! Michael and Claire enjoyed it too and seemed to be more interested this time than they have in times before. Michael understood the score and the time on the clock and because this game went down to the wire- he was so giddy to see who won in the end!

SCU played St. Mary's and despite a hard fought game, the Gael's beat the Broncos in the last minute. We had an awesome time. It was nice to return to our alma mater and support a school that ultimately brought Damien and I together! When it was time to go- Matthew cried and Michael and Claire hesitantly headed toward the exit. I really like going back and watching games. Sure, it does make me want to jump out there and play but considering my present condition- oh, and the fact that I am fifteen years older than some of the girls- I am not sure how well I would do. In the end, it means a lot that my kids can come watch a game on the very same floor that I played on many years ago. It is inspiring to me and I hope that it is to them too!

Tagged!

Over the past year or so, I have seen a few of my blogging friends get tagged. Each time you're tagged, you are given specific instructions on what you are supposed to do! Well, a friend of mine tagged me this week and it is the first time since I began blogging back in 2006 that I have been tagged. I was tagged to find the 4th folder on my computer, then post the 4th picture from the said folder, explain it, and then go tag 4 more people to do the very same thing. So here goes nothing!!!

The fourth picture in my fourth folder throws me back to a time when I really had my hands full! Michael and Claire are 17 months apart and for the first few years I was really busy with these two! When this picture was taken, we were living with my parents in Washington. If I had to guess how old the kids were I would say that Claire was about eight months, making Michael newly two. We had a free weekend so my whole family decided to head down to the tide pools and show the little kiddos a great day full of exploration. We had an awesome day. My Mom, Dad, Natalie, Laura, and our little family went and it was an amazing time. As the tide went out, layers and layers of sea life was revealed. We saw little crabs, jelly fish, amazing shells, and so much more. Michael was really starting to talk then so he tried his best to explain how he was feeling and what he was seeing. Claire, looking so chubby and cute, was content to be held and carried around. I remember feeling so great that day. After a long pregnancy and difficult first few months home with both the kids- this excursion lifted my spirits and made me feel good and refreshed. I can't believe how much time has passed since this picture was taken. It reminds me to enjoy every day with my children because time is slowly passing and we'll never get it back.

I really enjoyed being tagged and now need to tag four more of my blogging friends. There are some of you who I want to tag but you need to have a blog so get on it already!!! So without further adieu, I am ready to tag four of you:

Karen @ Life With Luke

Jocelyn @ The Road Less Traveled

Anna @ Addison Sofia

Danielle @ The Weaver Family

Good luck and there is no pressure. Just have fun!! I know I did.

Back to the Routine

If this picture does not let you know how tough it was to get back to our school routine, you don't know the look of overly tired, non-enthusiastic kids. We had an awesome Christmas break. It was so great that I truly enjoyed most every moment with the kids and didn't yearn for them to go back to school. I love being home with them. It satiates me in a way I cannot even begin to explain. As the first day of school after Christmas break neared, I mourned it as much, if not more, than they did. I liked waking up without having to get everyone dressed and out the door for school. I didn't have to drive carpool, make lunches, wash their uniforms, help with their homework. It was a glorious break from a real routine and I was sad to see it go. The morning we woke up for school, the kids looked wiped! We even put them to bed early the night before but they both woke up with puffy eyes and looked disheveled. My poor little babies. None of us wanted this day to be here, but nothing could stop it. We got to school on time but by the end of the night- we were all so tired! I never really valued vacations or days off until my kids got into everyday school. Sometimes a break from the routine is a welcome reminder to just enjoy life in it's unstructured form!

Crib Prizes

I have admitted several times that I am not very good at establishing good sleeping habits for my kids. My approach is, 'Hey, one day they'll sleep through the night'. Well Matthew has been doing a great job sleeping at night but was getting tired of being in bed with us. He always starts out in his crib at night but around three o'clock in the morning, I would just bring him into bed with us out of pure exhaustion. This worked until he decided it wasn't comfortable anymore. He would kick around, work himself up and then be awake for hours, and even walk on us while we were sleeping. Yeah, not working for any of us! Once I had my cerclage surgery and couldn't pick him up for a few days, Damien had to do the night routine. He was great and really filled in when he was needed! Well, it took one night of it and he was on board to help me get this kiddo in the crib!

We decided to just go cold turkey. The approach? Put him to bed and not let him out of the crib until morning! We took turns going in every time he cried and just stayed with him until he would fall back asleep. We did this all night long and it was tough! In the morning, I hyped up the fact that if he slept in his bed all night- he gets a prize in the morning! I didn't plan ahead but luckily have a bin in the garage full of left over party favors from when Michael and Claire were little. Not sure why I kept all of this stuff but it sure is paying off now. The great news is that Matthew has taken to his new routine! It took a good week for him to not want to get out of his crib- but we are in a good place now! We wake up more rested and Matthew gets these ridiculous prizes that he thinks are the coolest things in the world!

Cake Face

There were a lot of things I wanted to do for Damien on his birthday that I couldn't do because of my cerclage surgery. My natural flow is to always push the envelope and go go go, but I knew that I had to slow down and heal in order to get better! We had a great birthday party for him, but there were little things that absolutely bugged me that I couldn't do for him! He is really so wonderful and deserves the very best. For starters- I know how much he loves this cake I make and all I wanted to do was make it for him! I thought about pushing it, but then decided it was better to just buy a cake from Safeway and give him a rain check on the homemade cake.

Well, more than a week after the procedure- I felt great. Damien was out with this buddies playing flag football this Saturday morning and I knew I had the opportunity to surprise him when he got home with the cake he should have had on his birthday. The kids were so eager to help! It was really cute. They love their Dad so much and really understood the importance of doing this for him! Once the cake was cooked and cooled- it was time for the frosting. The kids helped (well, in some ways they did more damage than good but who cares) frost the cake and then they were thrilled to be able to lick the frosting off the tools we used to decorate! They were hilarious. That little uptight part of me wanted them to try and stay clean and not get the frosting all over the kitchen- but they looked so cute getting messy and were having so much fun! In the end- Damien loved the cake and the kids were so proud that they were so involved in the whole process. I felt so happy that I was able to do something I wanted to do for him in the first place. Happy Birthday D!