Warning: Will Not Be Denied!

Okay, so everyone knows that Matthew wants to be a bigger kid than he already is. Michael and Claire represent pure coolness to him and that is why he emulates so much of what they do! If they do it- he will try and do it. I am convinced that is why he potty trained himself so early! I also think it is why his language is so advanced and his sense of humor is so darn funny! Well- he has been having a little bit of a hard time with his bigger siblings playing sports. He wants to play so bad but is still just a little too little. If Matthew were my only child- he would be playing some kind of silly sport right now (sad, but true). But because my practice and game schedule is so busy right now- he'll have to wait a little bit to play on a team! When it is time for Michael and Claire to go to soccer practice- Matthew frantically searches for his soccer ball and proclaims, "I have to go to my practice, too!" He even calls these Nike sneakers my Mom bought him 'his soccer shoes'. He just wants to be like them so bad! We take him to their practices a lot and he will tell me, "Bye, Mom. I have soccer practice!" It is so hilarious!












Well, we took Michael and Claire out to lunch after their soccer tournament and once we had finished eating, we decided to take a few pictures of them with their trophies and medals. Once I had snapped a few different shots, he came over and said, 'Take a picture of me, too Mom!"- and so I did. Then he thought to himself and said, "Take a picture of my back." I had no idea why he wanted me to do this so I asked him. "Take a picture of my back like you take of Michael and Claire!" he told me matter of factly. OH MY GOSH! This kids is unbelieveable! He will not be denied anything that Michael and Claire have or do. So- I proceeded to take a picture of . . . his back. We were cracking up so bad at the restaurant. My parents were still with us and it was just hilarious to all of us! I had to post about this because it is these kinds of little silly stories that I don't want to forget and the fact that I have the pictures to document it- makes it even better!

Silly Fight

At times, there can be a lot of fighting at our house. Mostly it is fighting between Michael and Claire but lately- Matthew has learned the 'skill of fighting' and has joined in on the chaos. I really don't let my kids get away with hitting/pushing/slapping. I have found that in the long run- it is best to stay on top of this and not make idle threats I don't intend to follow up on. We have a rule in the house. Don't use your hands. I am sure some of you are laughing at me and that is okay. I laugh at myself sometimes, too. I have found that by repeating this phrase to my kids- I can cover a lot of my expectations with it. It gives me something to fall back on. I let the kids know that I value them telling me about a problem rather that smacking someone in the hope of solving it. Sometimes I feel like a broken record but you know what? It works! Do Michael and Claire still fighton a daily basis? Sure. Does Matthew run around here weilding a foam axe while hitting people randomly? Yes (but only while wearing his 'turtle hat'). I realize that they are kids and are going to hit but what I want them to know is that if they choose to hit- they will get in trouble. It least gives me a little buffer around here.

We do love a good fight around here, though. There is a lot of competivite juice in this house and when we get the chance to fight fairly and for fun- we pretty much go all out! Damien, Michael, and Claire all had cans of silly string and they prepared to go to war in the backyard. As usual, Damien was totally game for this while I opted out to stay inside with the two little guys. Someone had to do it :) It was so funny to watch them spray each other down out there. There were a few rules. Rule #1- Claire wanted to make sure it was clear that she and Daddy could spray each other, but that Michael was not allowed to get her. No surprise there. Rule #2- No spraying anyone in the face. Claire broke this rule in this picture. Rule #3- Michael then stated that Claire could not spray him. So basically it was everyone get Damien and their plan seemed to work.

They had so much fun out there and it was good for everyone to let loose a little and have some fun. Michael was the one who bought the silly string at the Dollar Store with money from his piggy bank and had the whole idea of fighting. He was awfully proud of himself for accomplishing his goal! Watching the string fly and my two oldest kids laughing hysterically as Damien wiped the string out of his eyes, hair, and other parts was so much fun. You have to stop and enjoy life or it just passes you by. Thank you Michael for thinking of such a fun activity and reminding me what really matters most.

Soccer Tourney

Michael and Claire have had such a great time playing soccer this fall. Both of their teams have been really successful and we are so lucky that they both have coaches who have helped them to become better soccer players while also making sure they were having fun! At the end of the season was a tournament that both Michael and Claire were really looking forward to! Neither of their divisions kept standings or scores during the season so they were kind of excited to compete and have it count!

Of course, this just happened to take place on the weekend when my parents were scheduled to visit! I know that my parents would want to see them play but i was afraid it was going to be a little bit of overkill! They each had two games on Saturday and two games each on Sunday. Throw in my soccer game on Sunday morning and Damien's basketball game on Sunday night and we were looking at a grand total of ten games in two days! Crazy! The tournament was better than I could have imagined. Both kids LOVED it! Claire was thrilled that Nonna and Grandpa got to see her score a goal and Michael was on fire on defense shutting people down to the applause of my parents. It was awesome! Damien's parents, who were in the area for my party later in the day, got to see a game, too! It was a crazy weekend of soccer but so much fun.

Michael's team who was undefeated all year lost 1-0 in the championship game. The boys were in great spirits though and were proud of their effort. Claire's team finished third and they too had a blast. I am so glad we chose to participate in the tournament. For two days there was a competitive buzz in the air and although it was crazy to play so many games in such a short period of time- my kids played their hearts out and were so proud to show off their hardware.

My Birthday (The 34th Edition)

I am never one to shy away from my birthday. I don't need a lot of fuss- but it is a lot of fun to think that there is a day approaching that is all about me! Seeing that these days I am basically doing everything I can to keep our household running- I don't have a lot of time to think about me. A real treat happened a few days before my birthday when Damien asked me to look at the calendar to see what we had going on that day. I looked and written in Damien's handwriting was Lisa In-Spa. Oh, yes! He had booked an hour-long massage and a mani/pedi. What was wonderful about the surprise of it all is that if he told me that I should book an appointment- I probably wouldn't have done it. But the plan was all set in place by my wonderful hubby who knew JUST what I needed. The massage was unbelievable. I hadn't had one since before I was pregnant with Emily so there were a lot of kinks to work out. And I loved my nails, too. So pretty and polished!


My parents planned to fly down the weekend of my birthday and I was so excited. I love having them here. We had a lot of fun just hanging around the house and playing with the kids. My two eldest kids had a soccer tourney the whole weekend so when we weren't relaxing at home- we were at the soccer fields. More on that later. On my actual birthday, it felt weird to say I was thirty-four. Man, it gets weirder and weirder to say how old I am as I get older! It's not like I feel old- because I don't. It's just that I can't believe I am moving through my life so quickly! I suppose that if I am shocked that my kids are growing up so fast- I might want to realize that I am growing up fast with them!!!

Damien and the kids gave me the sweetest gifts. I am really such a lucky girl to have such fantastic kids and a thoughtful husband. I love the joy on the kids faces when they give me gifts. They stare so intently at my face just waiting for my reactions. So sweet. I loved that this was my first birthday with four children, too. I just kept looking at Emily and thinking that last year on my birthday- I saw her heartbeat for the first time. It is so crazy to think what can happen over the course of a year. To celebrate my birthday in style, we all went out to dinner at Bucca Di Beppo. We went there last year too and it is just such a great place for a big group to have fun, eat good food, and be able to socialize while keeping the kids in control. We had the 'Pope Room' this year and I only wish I had a picture of the nineteen people that sat at this giant round table with the Pope's head in the middle of the lazy susan.

My birthday was everything I wanted it to be- and more. A big thank you to everyone who thought of me, sent me a message, gave me a call, and those that were able to make it to my party. I am lucky to have so many people in my life that love me.

Emily is 5 Months Old!

Chubba, chubba, chubba. I am loving this happy chubby baby! Emily is so much fun. She just brightens our days and is such a wonderful addition to our family. I couldn't imagine life without her. Her disposition is so peaceful, happy, and just overall satisfied. She brings such joy to me and Damien but makes her siblings giggle over the silly, happy things she does. I really can't believe she is five months old- yet at the same time I really feel like she is getting older.

This month, Emily has started to crack up. No seriously- she is laughing all the time. She likes to be startled a little bit. For some reason, this always brings on laughter. If you just stare at her for a few seconds and then make a funny mouth noise, she will startle and then crack up! Emily loves when Daddy tickles her! (Mommy is not the 'tickler' in this house.) Daddy has always been the one to tickle the kids until I swear they are going to pass out. I am always the one saying, 'Stop it!' The boys love to be tickled. When I stop Damien, they will ask for more. Claire is like me, she doesn't like being tickled, either. Right now, Emily doesn't seem to mind it. She lets Damien tickle under her arms, on her belly, under the neck, on the back, on the legs and feet. Emily's favorite thing is when Damien takes her hands and then puts them on the top of his head then drags her hands down over his face. She thinks that is so funny! What is not funny is when she gets hiccups from laughing. All of my kids did this. When the hiccups come- the fun is over and with each hiccup, they spit up all over the place! She is now so much more aware of what we are doing. If I start to laugh or smile- she will do the same. Also, if I speak in a really sad voice or say, "Ohhhhhh", she will give me big lip.

Physically, Emily is rolling. Well, kind of rolling. If you put her on her back- she will flip instantly onto her tummy. The funny thing is- she won't roll from her tummy to her back, which is the easier of the two rolls! She is doing some pivoting when she is on her tummy and reaches out and bats at toys. She also tried the exosaucer this month and loves it! Emily has really wanted to start to bear weight on her chubby legs. It is cute to see her try and stand for only for a few seconds, then land like an adorable lump in my lap. She is also babbling a lot more this month and those darned two bottom teeth are trying to make their debut. I am sure we have a good three or four weeks of fun teething ahead waiting for those to break through. Fun stuff! In the meantime, I love when babies drool. Claire was my drooling queen as a baby. Emily is right up there, though and we'll have to wait and see if she steals the throne from her big sister. Claire actually didn't get ANY teeth until she was nine months old. I don't think Emily even has a shot at that. I can already see the faint white lines beneath her shiny yet swollen gums.

At five months, Emily weighs a healthy nineteen pounds! I love a big, chubby baby! The thighs with ten rolls on them, the rolls right before the wrist meets the hand, the double chin, the big belly, the cheeks! I could seriously go on forever! My sisters and I were all chubby and my Mom LOVED it so I think we are all partial to the big rollie pollie baby. I would've loved her if she was not chubby, but in the meantime, I love squeezin' her rolls!!!! She will go in at six months for a check up to get more precise measurements so I'll have to wait for a month to see her stats as compared to the other kids. She still has very little hair (none of the others had much hair and neither did I as a baby). I am anxious to get a little clip in there but I bet it will be another two months or so. Her eyes are still a breathtaking blue and I think she will keep them! Matthew and Claire both started with blue and went green/hazel. I read in Claire's baby book that at this age, Claire had a ring of brown and yellow around the pupil and this is definitely not the case with Emily. I know Michael will be happy to include her in the 'blue eye club' in our house. Then it would be Blue Eyes- 3, Green Eyes- 2, and Brown Eyes- 1. Hey, I am happy to be their brown eyed girl!

All of the kids are able to play more with Emily these days since she is really reacting and interacting. Matthew and Emily have nice quiet playing time when the older two are in school. They all make sure to include her in things and bring her toys/objects that they think she will like. The bigger kids are asking to hold her more and Matthew does this hilarious impression (I think it is me) when he talks to her. He gets this silly voice and says, "Hi, Emily. Hi." He drags out each syllable and it make us all laugh!

No food yet for my chubby girl. I have always waited until six months so I expect I will do the same. She is obviously not going hungry. Matthew still proclaims that all Emily can eat is milk and carrot cake. I have no idea where he got that but it is hysterical! In a nutshell, Emily is amazing. She is a good baby with an awesome temperament, she is napping like a champ during the day, she does pretty well at night, she isn't a whiner, she is smiley and just makes all of us so happy. I try and think what it would be like if we hadn't chosen to have another baby and I just can't! She evens the playing field (three boys, three girls) which makes Claire so happy, and she helps me to remember to not sweat the small stuff and to enjoy not only her growth, but the growth of my other children. It really goes by all too fast. I am trying to slow down and savor it all. Yet, if I forget- I have my blog, my Diary of Motherhood which should help me when I want to peak back into the life of mothering small babies when my children grow older.

Will it get easier as they all get bigger and require less of me? I am sure of it. But right now, I choose to breathe it all it. The spit up, the diapers, the the sleepless nights, potty training, banana peeling, hair combing, shoe tying, and so much more. I know that someday- my kids will require none of this from me. I will be dealing with curfews, boyfriends, girlfriends, driver's permits, and midterms. And while I know that I will enjoy mothering them through those things too, I choose to live life to the fullest and be present for this amazing part of my mothering journey. It will pass too quickly. It is passing too quickly. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a diaper to change.

O-R-E-O

I know that I gush a lot on here about how funny Matthew is, but I just can't help it! It is his sense of humor, the way he knows how to deliver a punch line at the age of two, the one eyebrow raised glance towards me that sends me swirling into hysterical laughter. THE KID IS JUST FUNNY! He has these knock knock jokes he says that are far beyond his comprehension level. He really has no idea what it means, but he knows it makes people laugh. He also watches Michael and Claire and will turn their funny episodes into something all of his own. For instance, Michael was doing on of those games where you fold a piece of paper in fours and then fours again so that you can move your fingers in it to reveal different colors or numbers. Michael was going through this with Damien and then asked him to pick a number. Matthew then listened to Claire tell a story about how Auntie Nannie used to close her hands and tell the kids that she had a surprise for them in there. When the kids would open it- she would say "LOVE" and hug them. Matthew digested all of this and went to Damien minutes later with his hands closed like he would have imagined Auntie Nannie's to be. He said to Damien, "Open my gate". (We still don't know where 'gate' came from but Damien opened his hands, anyway.) Then Matthew shouted "LOVE". As quickly as he finished this part of his trick he then told Damien to "Pick a number". (Damien picked 4.) Then he shouted "FOUR" and looked to all of us for approval! He was so proud of himself and went around the table having us open 'his gate' over and over and over. Weird but hilarious.

Sometimes it is the way Matthew goes about things that make me laugh. Matthew felt so cool after Claire's soccer game when the person bringing treats had an extra treat for him. He waited all the way home to open his Oreos and I left him alone for a bit while I tended to Emily. I came back about five minutes later and this is what I found. A crazy little guy, un-sticking Oreo halves, scraping the creme off of one side, laying them all down on the carpet, waiting for a reaction. And he was so cool about it. Once he saw that we were all laughing at him, he started doing it with attitude and the rest is all hysterical history. Man, I love this boy. He lightens the mood often with his wit while continually filling my heart with tremendous amounts of love. I CANNOT wait to see who and what this little guy turns out to be. It is going to be a funny, funny ride.

Congrats! You Win . . . Antibiotics For A Year!

Poor Emily. The day after Halloween, I could tell something was bothering her. Sure enough, her burning hot little hand brushed against my face in the middle of the night and I knew she had a fever. I gave her Tylenol and hoped that she was just teething. However, I knew that it wasn't that. She was too miserable. Too 'bugged' by something. I let it go on for about thirty-six hours hoping it would get better but it didn't. She just got worse and I was not a happy Mommy anymore. My little girl was sick and I had to get to the bottom of this!

I called my pediatrician the next morning and told them Emily's situation and they told me to come in the office in an hour. When I was getting her dressed- I thought to myself that maybe it would be a good idea to get a urine sample JUST in case she had another UTI. So I fashioned my homemade 'pee catcher' out of band aids and a Ziploc again and got enough to be tested in the office. When Emily's doctor checked her out- nothing seemed to be wrong with her. Her ears were good, throat good, everything was good. Then he tested her urine and wouldn't you know- the UTI is back. Ugh. Part of me was relieved to have a good reason for her fever/sickness and I was happy it wasn't a virus that was going to spread throughout my whole house. But another UTI? I thought we were over that! First her hospitalization from it, then the procedure at the hospital to show us nothing was formed wrong but still- this darned UTI keeps coming back. Basically, my doctor told me that because the infection just won't stay away- Emily will have to be on antibiotics for up to a year. Can you believe it? I mean, things could be SOOO much worse. But a year of antibiotics? Man, that is a long time!

Once she was on antibiotics for just over twenty-four hours, she started to feel better. I, of course, was exhausted after the Halloween push and then having to deal with a sick baby on top of that for three days. After coming off a pregnancy where I wished and willed my body to 'just give me another week' of growing the baby in my tummy- I feel a bit silly for complaining about such a minor issue. I know how bad Emily could have had it if she had come early and then I would've laughed at the Mom who worried about antibiotics for a year. I think it is amazing how I can worry about this after all I went through with Michael. I felt so desperate for him to just live and then eight years later, I am all upset about her continuing infection. Funny how life changes, huh? All in all, it will be okay. All of the things that could have gone wrong with this certain condition, didn't. So I will try and be thankful that all I have to do is remember to give her the antibiotics when I give my other kids their vitamins. Maybe you can help me remember!

Happy Halloween!

Literally, there was so much going on this Halloween. So many costumes, so many little requests, so many details that I didn't want to forget. Life this year with four kids all dressed up was so much fun but a little more logistically challenging! I love this time of year because it is such a fantastic time for my kids to have some self expression. Aside from Emily's costume (obviously), I let my kids pick out their costumes and like every other year- it was so interesting!

Michael started out the 'costume hunting season' by again staying in the Star Wars realm. I gently tried to encourage him to try something new- but for the third time in four years- Michael stayed true to his Padawan roots and went with Star Wars. The funny thing about him this year was that he didn't want to go out and buy a new costume (yeah for our budget)- he instead wanted to wear a Darth Vader costume we've had for about the last two years. He had never worn it for Halloween before and he seemed really happy and excited with his choice.

Claire wanted to go out and go shopping for a costume and I was sure she was going to go with Disney Princesses again. She did stop and look at them for a good while but I was so pleased to see her gravitate towards a Monarch Butterfly. The costume was so cute, more mature than her costumes in the past, and just really beautiful and different. Not a costume I would had thought she would have chosen but she and I both loved it. Once we got home and she tried it on- she was in love!

Matthew cracks me up. Seriously- this kid is wise beyond his years. We were in Old Navy randomly one day (not looking for costumes) and he was completely drawn to this hysterically funny plush chicken costume. Part of me was thinking that maybe it was a little dorky for my cool guy, but the minute he tried it on- I could not contain myself. It was so funny . . . just like Matthew! He couldn't wait to try it on for Daddy when we got home and when he saw Damien's reaction- he was dead set on being a chicken!

Emily had no choice in her costume this year but Claire sure thought it would be cute if she and her sissy were both butterflies. Emily looked so cute in the butterfly bunting and it was really comfortable for her to wear and also easy to carry her in. Honestly, I couldn't get enough of her sweet chubby face in this costume. All of her siblings thought she looked so cute and it just warmed my heart so much!

Halloween was celebrated a day early at the kids school. We got up extra early in order to get everyone ready to drive to school and watch the school's Halloween Costume Parade. This was Claire's first year to parade around as the Kindergarten doesn't participate in it. She was so excited! Both Michael and Claire looked great, confident, and so happy with their costume choices. Matthew was just as happy to be a 'chicken onlooker' and Emily knew no difference. It was a great morning and really got them in the spirit for the next day which was finally HALLOWEEN!!!

We planned to have a small group of family and friends over to celebrate the spooky day. We took it really easy and just hung around and talked for a while over pizza dinner, Damien's famous caramel apples, yummy salads, and a big boiling pot of special brew (dry ice and warm water). The kids loved trick-or-treating and it was especially fun for us to watch Matthew prowl the streets in his white feathered costume. He really got what it means to trick-or-treat and it was so cute. Michael had a last minute costume change and dissed his Darth Vadar for a self created spy costume (think dressing in as much black as possible and then wearing sunglasses). Hmmm. Creative. We had some of the kids cousins over (Brennan and Gabe) and also had one of Michael's friends from school.

It really was a fun night and I can only imagine how much more fun it will be to have a more mobile Emily next year. I love my kids. I love the chaos that having four kids brings. I know that sometimes it can overwhelm me- but for the greater part of being the mother of my beautiful, creative, funny, sarcastic, loving and special kids- and am so incredibly grateful. It is nights like this that make me so happy that Damien and I opened our hearts and lives to such a big family. Happy Halloween Everyone!

Max the Ghost

Matthew, Matthew, Matthew. I love this kid. He is so funny, so creative, and just so much fun to be around. Now that Michael and Claire are in full day school, I get to enjoy and participate a lot more in Matthew and Emily's days. We do a lot of hanging out, singing silly songs, okay- and Matthew watches the occasional (wink, wink) DVD so Mommy can blog, or do laundry, or whatever. But you get what I am saying. I am really trying to enjoy these little guys while they are just that . . . little. All of my kids are just growing up too fast. I want to preserve this 'stage' in Matthew and Emily's lives because they are still at my fingertips and not in school all day. I want to fully dive in and participate because I now know how fast it passes.

Today while Emily was napping, Matthew and I made lollipop ghosts. You know- the kind where you put a kleenex over the lollipop and draw a face. Although it was a simple craft- Matthew thought it was just the coolest thing! We made a few and then he asked if he could take his ghost, who he named Max, into the other room. 'Of course you can. Just don't eat him!' Please note that he had JUST had a lollipop so it wasn't evil of me to tell him not to eat another one! Matthew was awfully quiet in the other room and I had every reason to suspect that he was trying to eat his friend, Max. I snuck in and found him sitting down with little teeny tiny pieces of kleenex all over this pants. 'Matthew, what are you doing?' I asked him. He tried so hard to think of a good excuse but all he could come up with was, 'Max was so hot so I take his coat off.' SERIOUSLY? I had to try so hard not to laugh. He knew he shouldn't eat the lollipop but he was apparently having the hardest time listening to his conscience. That is why he ripped the tiniest pieces of kleenex off of Max rather than rippping the kleenex off in one grab! He just picked away hoping I would either stop him or get distracted and then he could eat his friend! Anyway, I thought it was so funny and I took a picture of the before and after so you could see how gently he pulled the kleenex off to help Max . . . because he was so hot!

Pumpkin Patching It

I had every intention of taking the kids to a really cool pumpkin patch this year. While I would mentally try and schedule this fun trip to the pumpkin patch- something would always come up and distract me! Go figure! Most of the really cool patches are about twenty minutes away and for some reason, we just couldn't get there. Finally, in a last ditch 'your kids are going to resent you if you don't take them' effort- we planned a trip to the local patch. It was going to be a tight squeeze as we had to pick Michael up at soccer practice at 6pm and then get to the patch before it got too dark.

We met Ali, Mark, Jocelyn, and their kids at a local patch Matthew, Emily and I had run across days before. Basically, it is in the middle of a parking lot in strip mall but it still looked pretty darn cool! They had about seven bounce houses, pumpkins everywhere, hot cider, hay bales, and it definitely succeeded in transporting you to a pasture somewhere rather feeling like you were in the actual location of being next to a Tai Kwon Do studio. Moving on. The kids had a blast jumping around and they could have cared less where we were because they were just having too much fun! We paid for them to have unlimited access to the bounce houses for thirty minutes and told them to have at it! Emily was a good girl, too and I just tried to keep her warm and bundled on my shoulder.

Before we left, I had the foresight to think about a good family photo opp at the patch so I dressed everyone up in their orange/black/white clothes so we would all look Halloweenie. However, my effort totally failed because everyone was wearing their jackets by the time we took pictures which made my crazy 'running around the house trying to get everyone in cute outfits' effort completely fruitless. But at least I know (and now you do too) that beneath those jackets is a good Halloweenie look! The kids all picked out pumpkins and I had to play 'bad cop' and tell them NO- they couldn't get the pumpkin that was bigger than the back of the car. 'But please?' they kept saying and I had to keep insisting no. Not only could we not even pick up the pumpkins that they picked out (think the size of a car tire) but they would have been outrageously expensive. We really had fun at the pumpkin patch and I realized that no matter where we took them to get their pumpkins- they would have been thrilled. Now we need to carve them as we only have a few days until the big spooky day!

It's Soccer Season!!!

It's that time of year again. Soccer Season! Soccer is offered through Michael and Claire's league in both the fall and spring but we always opt for fall and let them try something new in the spring. Both kids are having so much fun and are playing with and against a lot of their classmates which they love!

Both Michael and Claire and their teammates got to choose their own team names which I thought was fun. Michael's team is called The Fire Chicken Hawks while Claire's team voted almost unanimously for Pink and Blue Diamonds. It just cracks me up. The team names are so fitting for their ages. Michael is having so much fun on his team! He had to play up a year in U9 (which consists of mostly third graders- he is in second grade) because of his age. That darned prematurity! I asked the league if they would let him play in U8 with second graders because he was only born in April because of prematurity and due in August- but no such luck. While I worried for it for a bit, Michael is doing great! He fits right in with the third graders and is having tremendous success. He plays mostly in the defensive line and does a great job at shutting people down! He stops almost anything that comes his way and makes me so proud with his ability to keep going and not give up on any play! You can tell he loves it. Michael is so focused and intense and it is really fun to watch him play!

Claire is loving soccer, too. She loves that she is out there with her friends and just has the best time. She has really come out of her shell this year and realized that she can use that big girl body of hers to position herself to get the ball. She has made some real improvements and is having a blast. She plays all the positions on the team (the coach is really good about that) and she seems to like and have success at them all. Just like her brother, Claire is super competitive out there and intense. What I love the most is that she has a big smile on her face after every game.

Both Michael and Claire's teams are doing really well and they have a made a lot of new friends. Both of the coaches are great teachers while still emphasizing the importance of fun and fair play. I speak for myself when I say that I have loved watching both of them play this year. They are both such great kids and really truly work hard at practice and at home to get better. I seriously couldn't be any prouder of those two kiddos.

Mi Famiglia

We visited my family this week and it was so wonderful to be home. The plan was that Damien, Michael and Claire would fly in with us on Friday but then fly home on Tuesday so the kids didn't miss too much school! Then, I would stay with my two babies until Friday and then rejoin them in San Jose. It seems splitting up is the only way to make sure that my family gets quality time to see Matthew and Emily. Michael and Claire are now more tied down with school commitments so I wanted to take advantage of the time I have with my two youngest and stay longer with my family.

We didn't have much planned for this trip which is exactly how I prefer it. I like to be able to settle in and feel normal rather than scrambling around from event to event and then miss out on the good ole relaxation with the fam. I knew that I wanted to see as much extended family as possible (which always includes my two Grandmas) and I also wanted to celebrate an early birthday with my nephew/godson Kyle who was going to turn TWO in a week. Beyond these events, I was game for anything.

The weather for the entire week was amazing. Sunny and crisp and just beautiful. One fun event we did while Michael and Claire were still there was sign up all four kids (Michael, Claire, Matthew, and Kyle) for a gymnastics class. Michael and Claire got to go to their own class, while Matthew jumped in Kyle's class and they all had so much fun. This was Matthew's first ever class. First time bring instructed by a non-family member and I was really curious to see how he would do. He really doesn't spend a lot of time away from me so I wanted to see if he could make the transition to being on his own. Luckily- he did great. They did circle time (Matthew is in the dark grey shirt and Kyle is in the red shirt) and both boys seemed to think it was pretty cool to be together in there. They bounced on trampolines together and Matthew felt so comfortable in this new class because Kyle was with him. It was really cute. Michael and Claire had a blast and really learned a lot of new moves in their one hour class. I hope we do this more often when we go up there!

For those of you that know me, it should come as no surprise that I don't consider myself an animal lover. People lover? Oh, yes. Animal lover? Not so much. I don't hate animals by any means, but I just don't feel that loving connection that so many of you out there do. I think some animals are really cute, but not cute enough to have one of my own. My kids have had many fish and somewhere along the line, we told them they could have a kitty of their own one day. I am holding out hope that somehow they will forget this and we can be a goldfish family forever but I am sure at some point- we will have a cat. Growing up, we had three cats (Cuddles "great cat", Samantha "sweet cat that fell victim to a coyote", and K.C. "the cat who didn't like people"). I loved Cuddles. He was our first pet and such a nice little kitty. Samantha was only with us for a little while and then never came back one day. And that would bring us to K.C. which stands for Kitty Cat. We got K.C. when I was seventeen years old. Considering that I am now thirty-three, that would make this kitty sixteen years old! That is one old cat! Over the years, there have been many times that we thought he had run away, but he would come back. He would get in fights with other cats and come home a little beat up, but he would keep on truckin. This cat was tough and maybe that is one reason that he was never that 'curl up in your lap' kind of cat. My kids liked looking at the cat but if they got too close, he would scratch or bite them. A nice cat- just not a people cat. Well, poor K.C. has been really sick and per recommendation from the vet- it was time to put him down. It was late at night and Gina and I were in the kitchen talking and I reminded her about how K.C. was going to be put down the next day. We were sad. K.C. has been around for so long. And besides, no one wants to put an animal down. It just doesn't feel right. After reminiscing about the cat, Gina decided that K.C. was going to eat like a King that night. Our cat has always loved sandwich meat. You name it- he eats it. So Gina made this gorgeous meat platter for K.C. and deemed it his 'Last Supper'. It was really cute. She went out on the deck with him and gave him his feast. She just sat there watching him eat and even got a few pets in while was busy eating. The next morning, K.C. went to cat heaven and we all felt pretty bad about it. While I am not an animal lover, I felt bad for our K.C. It was his time to go but I can say for certain he lived a long, happy life with the Saccos.

The last few days of my trip, sans Damien and the two eldest kids, were really wonderful. I missed them but also loved only having total responsibility of two kids as opposed to four. I shopped with my Mom, took my family out to dinner, went on a few walks, hung out with my sisters and just had a wonderful time. It was fun to see them enjoy Matthew and Emily and it was also great to have some quiet time to myself. I flew home alone with the two babies and aside from trying to juggle bags, babies, breastmilk, car seats, and a bus of a double stroller- we did great. I had a fantastic time at home and I can't wait until we go back again!

Emily is 4 Months

This is getting ridiculous. Four months? It can't be true! Time is flying by so quickly I feel as though I just want to grab onto the minutes ticking by and try and slow time down! No matter how much I want to admit it, my sweet Emily is now four months old. I hate saying it because it seems so old to me. Although the first weeks in a baby's life are so hard, I like knowing that I have an itty bitty peanut of a baby. I certainly can't say that about Emily these days.

So much of an awareness explosion happened this month. She just seems to be so happy in her own little environment these days. She watches everyone move throughout the house, she is sleeping so well, she's eating really well, and she is inching up on some physical milestones that will really change her appearance from a newborn to a full fledged baby baby.

Emily has been laughing most of this month. Sheis laughing and smiling at most everything we throw her way- even when we aren't trying to make her laugh. I was talking sternly to one of the kids the other day and I looked down at her and she was smiling in my arms thinking I was hilarious! What? I was just yelling at your brother and sister and that is funny to you? She really is understanding that Damien and I are her Daddy and Mommy. She will see me and start kicking her legs in excitement and if someone is holding her and she sees me- she will lean forward in the hopes that I will take her from them. Emily also seems to hold this little special smile for her Daddy first thing in the morning. Emily and I smile together in bed in the groggy first hours of the morning- but when Daddy says hi, she kind of throws her neck back in pure bliss and gives him the best smile ever. I love it! She had her four month check up this month and she is growing like a champ. She now weighs 17 pounds (over 95%) and is 25 inches long (80%). This is what all of my kids have done in terms of growth. Slow and steady for the first two months and then they shoot up and gain/grow. The doctor said she was really healthy and was pleased to confirm that the VCU was negative- clearing her of any further testing and or risks associated with her hospitalization last August.

Overall, Emily is a very good baby. Thank you God- because if my fourth had colic or was difficult, I would be in some serious trouble. This month Emily made some big trips. She went to Disneyland and also went to Seattle to visit my family. She continues to have her siblings by their heartstrings as they think EVERYTHING she does is the cutest thing ever. Some of her nicknames right now are Emilini (Matthew refers to her using this name), Emmy, Sweet baby, Emilino, Embo, and Emilina. I know- we're crazy. Her beautiful blue eyes are so breathtaking and we still don't have an official 'color' of hair as she doesn't have that much of it yet. She has loved reaching out and grabbing things this month and can play for long chunks of time by herself. At night she is waking to eat anywhere from three to five hours at a time. Napwise, Emily rocks and will take naps as long as two to three hours long. She is great in the car and puts up with our ridiculously busy schedule. One of my favorite things to watch her do is play with her hands. She'll be on her back and bring them midline and thinks they are so cool. She moves her fingers in slow motion and just lays there mesmorized! Emily has started teething and is drooling a lot. Poor thing. I do love her big gummy mouth and am not looking forward to seeing teeth in there . . . yet.

There are a few cute things I want to remember about my four month old Emily. The first is that she is currently scared to look in the mirror. I will be holding her in front of me and talking to her in the mirror and all of the sudden she will break into hysterical crying like she is scared do death. I don't know why she does this but I think it is kinda cute. Not that she gets scared- but that the reflection of Mommy and Emily in the mirror scares her. How silly! Maybe she sees me and gets confused that I am in the mirror and not with her? Who knows! The second thing I love is that Emily does what we call, Big Lip. When she gets sad or mad, she doesn't just cry. She sticks out her bottom lip so far and wiggles back and forth a little until she can work out a little whimper. It is so cute! In fact, now all the kids do Big Lip. So funny.

In closing, Emily's fourth month was amazing. Someone asked me the other day how old she was and I told them four months. Then they said, 'I bet you wish time would go by more quickly. It will be so much easier when you don't have to hold her all day'. The truth is- I want time to slow down. Is my life crazy right now? Oh yeah. Am I busier than I have ever been in my whole life? For sure! But these days are so precious and I will never get them back. I have changed my shirt three times today (no joke)- not because I want to be more fashion forward- but because I have been spit up on all day long. Someday, I am sure I will be able to wear one shirt all day long and keep it clean. The 'clean shirt days' are coming and until I get there, I am going to enjoy holding this little sweetheart who is just waiting for me to change my shirt so she can spit up on me again.