Emily's Baptism

Today is a wonderful day! Our sweet Emily Anne was baptized. It was a gorgeous day in Kirkland. Honestly, one of the nicest February days I have ever experienced there. Surrounded by family and friends who love her so much, Emily joined God's family and we couldn't feel more blessed!

We are not the most organized 'baptizers' you have ever met. Sometimes when I am at Mass- I see these teeny tiny babies getting baptized and think how organized their parents must be to have them baptized so young! Michael was baptized when he was about ten months old, Claire was the youngest to be baptized at six months old, Matthew was eight months old, and Emily was finally baptized when she was eight months old. It feels amazing to have all four of my kids baptized and to close this chapter in our lives. In only a few short months- Michael will receive his First Communion so at least we won't have multiple Sacraments happening at the same time!

We decided to baptize Emily at Holy Family Catholic Church in Kirkland, Washington (my hometown). Not only is this my family's parish, it was my Catholic grade school church, I received my Sacraments there, Damien and I were married there, my parents were married there, and Claire and Matthew were also baptized there. This church holds a lot of meaningful memories and I am so glad we were able to organize and schedule all of the necessary parts that went into making this weekend a wonderful success.

Emily has a lot of people in her life that love her and we knew that we wanted as many of those loving people to be there on her special day. Damien's mom and his sister Lani were able to fly up to celebrate with us and I am so incredibly touched by their effort and love for my little baby. It meant a lot to me that they would switch their schedules around and pull a lot of strings to be with us today!!! Damien's Dad lovingly offered to stay back with is brother and his grandparents who were ill so that Marlene could share in Emily's special day. We absolutely acknowledge his sacrifice!

We are thrilled that my sisters Natalie and Laura and our good friends Keith and Dan agreed to be Emily's Godparents. What a wonderful group of people to lead her in her life of faith. We feel so wonderful about the four of them and are honored that they were next to her as she joined God's family! Fr. Art Liebscher, SJ presided over the baptismal ceremony. He is a very special part of our family. Fr. Art is a Jesuit at Santa Clara University, married us, and has baptized all of our children. What a gift it was to have him here today.

The ceremony was beautiful. My favorite part of the today (other than seeing Emily squeezed into her darling baptismal gown) was Fr. Art's homily during Mass. I was so emotional and wish that I could recall more of it to share with you. In so many words, Fr. Art spoke of the lives of many honored Saint Emilys. All of these Saint Emilys led lives deeply rooted in the vocation of faith. They were motherly, they were so giving, they were sensitive to humankind, and they made the world and the time in which they lived a more rich and blessed place. Fr. Art then spoke about the life of our little Emily. He touched on the idea that she has yet to really set foot in the world but if she is anything like her namesakes- she will live a life that will most definitely touch the lives of others. To hear these words while looking at the sweet face of my daughter was so deeply touching. I cannot wait to see what my beautiful girl will offer the world.

After the ceremony, we all headed back to my parent's house for a reception and it was nothing short of fantastic! The weather was unbelievable and most everyone went out on the deck and could see the Olympic Mountains peeking over Lake Washington in the distance. People played basketball, soccer, sat at tables and caught up with one another. It was just what I envisioned would happen and was so much fun. Again, it was nice having people from Damien's family present to represent his amazing family and to bring some his family into mine. I was very touched to have both of my Grandmas present. Emily has three Great Grandmothers with us today and it was beautiful that two of them could be there. I was touched by the many people in our lives who were with us today who showed us how much we mean to you- so thank you!

I am so happy that Emily is baptized. As I close this chapter in my life, I thank God again for blessing me with these beautiful, healthy, amazing children and I am glad they are all officially a part of His family. Emily, you look beautiful today. We are already so proud of you and cannot wait to explore life with you, ride the waves of your success with you, hold your hands through the your more difficult times, and love you know matter the circumstance. We love you so much and congratulate you on your baptism.

Fun at E and Papa's

E and Papa (Damien's parents) live up in Wine Country or 'The Country'. It is not a big city but instead more of a weekend getaway town that offers a break from the fast paced life here in Silicon Valley. Don't get me wrong, I love the pace of life here but it is nice to leave it once in a while and breathe a different breath of fresh air. My kids absolutely love E and Papa's house. It has so many things to offer them and one of them is the property on which they live. They can go to E's park (a small side strip of land with a big playset and room to ride bikes), swim in their swimming pool, a front yard perfect for running though the sprinklers or playing catch with a football, a lush jungle of sorts in the backyard where they can go exploring, and a ping pong table which stays there 365 days a year! What's not to love!!!

We were happy to be able to make it up the country for a day trip and we had such a great time. We had a delicious luncheon and even got to play with Lani and her kids who came over just to see us! My kids love playing with their cousins and it was cute to see them all enjoying one another. Emily is getting older and learning to love people. She is completely captivated by Megan and Caitlin and was especially drawn to the baby doll. They were so sweet with her and it was just adorable! Girl Power!

I barely even saw Seamus, Michael, and Claire (except to eat) because they were deep on the property making bows and arrows and using their imagination. You know, I have so much respect for Seamus. He is Lani's oldest child and he has always been fantastic with my kids. When Michael was about three, he started giving Michael attention and Michael LOVED it!! They are about five years apart in age and Seamus has always made Michael feel accepted despite the age gap. Seamus is Michael's idol- there is no question about that. He is even really great with Claire and I can't thank him enough for the hours he has spent helping them to expand their imagination and build up their confidence. What a cousin, huh?

Later that night, E made a great big crab dinner (Marlene knows I love crab) and we got to just sit around and catch up. The highlight of the evening for me was when Marlene (E) let Matthew have a big tub of spumoni ice cream. I am not sure he has ever had this classic italian ice cream but he loved it and kept walking around the house saying, "I yove spu-yonie". He cried when I had to take it away from him when it was time to go home but he talked about it the whole ride home. We had a great time at E and Papa's and they are always such great hosts and we love to go up and see them when we can! Thanks E and Papa for the great day! We love you!

Emily = 8 Months

Emilini! How do you keep getting older without me realizing it! I thought we had a deal! You would stay small so my heart wouldn't have to hurt!!! Oh gosh. This is happening so fast and it is just so hard to believe that my sweet girl is now eight months. Emily is so happy. She is such an easy baby and is just happy to be around her siblings and her family. She's not a fussy girl, not a crier, not a crabby pants at his point.

Emily is LOVING eating! We let her taste dinner every night and she just keeps so entertained and quiet when she is snacking. She is still taking a 5 oz. bottle every 3-4 hours during the day and eating baby food three times a day. She is sleeping pretty well. On average, she only wakes to eat twice a night. I was at my pediatrician the other day and he was talking about how he is writing a piece on how to get your baby to sleep through the night. He said, "I know you have four kids, but I will not be using you as a reference on this subject!" He is right. I am no good at the sleeping baby thing. Emily is about 22 1/s pounds these days but we'll know more accurately at her nine month appointment.

Emily's personality continues to shine through more and more each day. She's laughing at things that are funny, she will cry if one of her siblings is crying, and if the kids are fighting/wrestling- she will do this grunty scream at them to make them stop! She gets so excited when she sees her big brother and big sister come home from school! Right now, one of her favorite things to do is have me hold her and walk her down the hallway where she can touch the 8x10 frames on the wall holding her and her siblings pictures. I will say 'Michael' and she will attack the picture of him and kick her legs like crazy. So cute.

Mobility wise- she is getting so much closer to crawling. She is rocking on all fours, is a pro at sitting and can even sit up from laying down position, she rolls all over the room and even does a few yoga poses which still startle me when I see her doing them! She had a healthy month but has been plagued by some silly congestion which only really bothers her when she is trying to sleep . . . at night . . . when I am trying to sleep, too! Lots of fun. By the way- do you just love her scrunchy face in this picture? This is what she does when you try and take a picture of her and you say, cheese!

All in all, Emily is doing great and just rolling with the punches. Time is flying by but I am sure of one thing . . . our family is celebrating every single moment with this little angel. We are so happy she joined our family this year. None of us could imagine life without her. Thank you Emily for all the joy you have given us and we are looking forward to many many more bright days with you in our life!

SUPERBOWL!!!

I am still adjusting to life after Jamaica. My Mom and Natalie left yesterday and we are home alone with the kids for the first time since our relaxing trip. I swear- we have to learn the whole multitasking thing again! Jumping back into this lifestyle is not easy so it is nice we have a big game on today to distract us all.

I let Damien sleep in this morning and in the early morning hours, I kept the kids busy by making posters for the Superbowl! I told them they needed to choose a team to root for. Either cheer for the Saints or the Colts. I got them paper to make their posters so they could cheer for their team during the Superbowl! Michael, Claire, Damien and I all picked the Saints and Matthew picked the Colts. Gotta love the underdog in this game! Matthew was really happy he was the only one cheering on the Colts. God love him!

The game was really exciting! We ate Chuck University Chicken, sipped on some Coke, had chips and guacamole and just relaxed (a very different kind of relaxing than in Jamaica). We were all cheering for our team when I happened to look over at Michael's sign and it read; "GO SANTS!" I thought that I shouldn't say anything about his spelling error 1) because I thought it was cute and I didn't want him to change it and 2) because at this point, it wouldn't help things. However, Claire noticed and then went crazy with his error. She even went in the other room and made a 'Go Sants" poster, too. Luckily, Michael had a sense of humor about it so it kind of became a funny joke!

Michael decided to sell origami during the game, put up a poster on the wall and held his hat out like a beggar on the street. I was suckered into buying 4 separate origami and I don't know how many Damien bought. At 25 cents a pop- Michael made some cash (for folding paper and selling it)! All in all- we had a great day. Damien and I are still exhausted but we are slowly falling back into our circus-like routine. And by the way- congrats SANTS!!!!

Jamaica

Back in August- Damien informed me that the destination for the his company's 2010 Club trip was going to be in Jamaica. I sighed and thought how nice it would be to sit on a beach and relax- without a worry in the world. At the time- I had a two month old baby in my arms and knew that even if he qualified- I wouldn't be able to go. Back in March of 2008 we took an amazing trip to Costa Rica and I have found myself often drifting back to those memories to sustain me during some of my more difficult times trying to juggle the lives of my four children. As the end of 2009 approached, it was looking more and more like Damien was going to hit his quota and qualify for the trip. What a tease! What a waste this trip would be. I couldn't leave Emily at home when she was this young. I had the poor me's for a while- sulking about this giant trip that was dangling over my head. Uhh. Well, the end of the year came and wouldn't you know- my husband did qualify for Club. Part of me thought that maybe we would try and go but the 'what would a GOOD mom do?' question would quickly squash all of my silly hopes.

I called my Mom on the phone and told her about the trip and what a waste it would be. She then quickly turned things on me and told me that she and Natalie would fly down and watch my kids while we went away. What? My head was spinning. Should I do this? Should I really do this? She then said, "If someone offered to watch you five kids so Dad and I could get away- I would've jumped at the chance!" It was then that I knew I had to go. The kids would be fine. I would be fine. In fact- I would be better than fine because I WAS GOING TO JAMAICA!!!!

Oh my gosh, it was hard to leave the house when the town car came to pick us up to take us to the airport. I kissed all my kids and was really quiet on the drive up. My heart was aching, my stomach hurt but I just knew I had to keep moving forward. It would all be okay. Sure enough, after my typical twenty minute silence buffer, I was in good spirits and so excited to get out of town! Damien's brother was able to upgrade us to first class (I know, as if the trip couldn't get any better) and it was the flight of a lifetime! The seats went all the way back so we could lay flat, they gave us a really nice comforter for the flight to Miami, and I slept from take off to touch down (which was good since it was a red eye flight and we landed in Miami at 4:00 a.m. our time). We spent a few hours in Miami before heading to Jamaica. When we landed in Jamaica- it was if we were in a movie. The Jamaican accent is just beautiful! The land was beautiful, the weather was beautiful, and we were so happy. Ahhh. We needed this!

We arrived at the Ritz Carleton in Montego Bay, Jamaica and quickly met with the woman and her staff who were organizing the Club trip for Damien's company. Everything was so well thought out, organized and they had an awesome five day all expense paid trip planned out for us. We retreated to our room which was so pretty and luxurious and got ready to get some lunch on the beach. I seriously felt like I was dreaming and just knew I had to live in the moment because life with four busy busy kids was at home waiting for me! That night we had an ocean side dinner on the beach and it was a 'barefoot only' reception. Toes in the sand with my husband- this was just too much.

The next morning we headed to a great destination called Dunns River Falls. Everyone in our group went and it was hailed as a 'must see and experience attraction' in this part of Jamaica and I was really excited. Dunns Falls did not disappoint! Basically you follow a path all the way down to the beach where you see a giant cascading waterfall. We were all given water shoes and started to hike up these long falls and it was amazing! Sometimes you had to hold hands with a lot of people in a long chain to traverse the rocks but other times you just tried your best to get good footing and climb. It was about a 45 minute long experience and one I will never forget. The one thing I would like to forget were the banana spiders which you could see in giant webs in the trees. That was a bit scary but otherwise- it was just breathtaking! That evening we dined at the White Witch Golf Course and it was so gorgeous. I was so happy I decided to come on this trip.

That night in the lounge- we met up with a lot of people that Damien knew and were having a great time. There was a beautiful Jamaican woman in there singing Bob Marley and we were enjoying catching up with friends while listening to her sing. She wandered over our way singing No Woman No Cry. Then she handed Damien the microphone which then brings me to one of my most proud moments of Damien. If you know Damien, you know he does dialects really well. And let me tell you, his Jamaican accent is pretty good. He starts singing No Woman No Cry and everyone starts going crazy! The woman didn't dare take the microphone back because (and I am not exaggerating) people in the lounges next door started coming in to see who was singing. The next thing I know, strangers are taking his picture while he is singing, and our group is just laughing hysterically at what was happening. I watched with immense pride for about the first minute before I realized I had better get some of this on video! I got a few minutes worth and I am so happy we have it! He sang it so well and someone even asked him if he was a professional singer! It was so awesome! Definitely one of his finer moments and one I will NEVER forget. Classic.

The next day, we decided we wanted to just hang out at the beach and do next to nothing. After a few hours of just vegging out- we took a Hobbie Cat ride out into the ocean driven by one of the guys who worked at the hotel. It was so cool. We were out there for about twenty-five minutes or so and it was so spectacular. Our driver noticed that I was holding onto the side of the boat with white knuckles and he asked me, "Why are you worried? No problems mon. No problems." He was right. Most of the locals we met there all seemed to have this cool relaxed outlook on life. Why worry when things will most probably be okay? I took what he said to heart and loosened my grip. I needed to relax. That was why I was there. No worries. No worries.

The next day we went to go swim with dolphins . . . in the ocean! How cool is that? On these Club trips you can pick from a bunch of different activities. Our first urge was to go to the spa but then we figured we could do that anywhere! These dolphins were amazing. We were able to hug them, kiss them, touch their teeth, tickle them, and be right up next to these human like mammals. They are so smart and it was so spectacular to be able to get so close to them while being out in their element. I am so happy we did this and our kids think we are the coolest now that they have seen the pictures!

We also went snorkeling off one of the Hobbie Cats that afternoon. Basically, our hotel guide took the boat out about ten minutes into the ocean, dropped anchor and let us swim. I have a love/hate relationship with snorkeling. Yes, I love the sight of the beautifully colored fish in their own habitat but I prefer they stay at an arms reach because it freaks me out when they get too close! I am most afraid of eels but luckily- they said they don't see them there much. We dove off the boat and were having a great time until I saw a small jelly fish under Damien's stomach. I did my best underwater scream to alert Damien and let him know what was near him and pushed him away from the jelly. Then the paranoid part of me went above water, yelled to our guide and asked if it was okay if there were jelly fish out here! He said it was okay but if we saw a bunch- to swim in. So, if you know me- I was no longer snorkeling but on 'Jelly Fish Watch' to make sure we weren't in danger. I know that I tend to be a bit dramatic when it comes to animals/fish but I didn't want to be stung! Once I started searching- I saw a ton of them. They were all clear so you couldn't seem them unless you were a crazy lady like me- peering through the blue waters until I saw one. I came above water and yelled to Damien, "I'm out. I'm out!" I started swimming as fast as I could to the boat. We didn't have flippers so I was doing my best to get the heck outta there while battling the saltwater swells which had me swallowing tons of water while trying not to panic. Basically, if you are stuck in middle of the ocean, you don't want me there to try and save you. After about ten minutes of what I would consider 'serious yet pathetic swimming' I made it to the boat completely out of breath. Phew. No stings, I was safe. Now let's get back to shore. Turns out- the anchor got stuck under the coral. Uh huh. Just my luck. I was DONE with the ocean but had to be patient and let our guide get us free!

That night we went a catered dinner at the Jerk Center on the Ritz Carleton property and enjoyed the meal so much! The jerk seasoning is so flavorful and just so tasty and all of the meat was so tender. We had a great time trying the fare of this beautiful island and just enjoying the peace of it all as we felt the end of our trip inching nearer. We had such a blast that evening. The people in Damien's company are so nice and so fun to talk with and it was cool to catch up with people from all across the world!

On our last full day, we spent the majority of it lounging pool or beach side and ordering out meals to our lounge chairs. Rough life, huh. I realized that I hadn't thought too much about the kids while I was enjoying my time in Jamaica. I really thought I would be obsessing over them- but I wasn't. We called home a couple of times a day but because I knew they were in such great care- my mind was at ease and for the first time in a couple years . . . my mind was quiet. I could hear myself think. I could do what I wanted to do without having to budget for nap times and meals to cook. I took it easy and loved hanging out with Damien and being able to have uninterrupted conversations and just being guaranteed time to enjoy one another. It was just what the doctor ordered.

On the last night, Damien had his awards ceremony. Once again, I was proud of him and all of his accomplishments. I get complimented a lot about how well I seem to manage four kids and our hectic life. I don't think Damien gets the credit he deserves because not only does he work so hard to be successful, he makes time to be with his family, he is attentive to all of us, he has his priorities straight and I think he makes it look easy! I was happy for him that he was acknowledged for his his hard work. Everyone likes it when people appreciate what they do and how well they do it. It was his time and I was really happy for him.

After the delicious dinner, there was another barefoot reception on the beach with a giant bonfire and these beautiful little lit up cabanas that you could relax in as we all enjoyed our last night in Jamaica. We loved our time in Jamaica. In fact, I can't even tell you something that I didn't enjoy because I loved it all! The Ritz was amazing, the weather was incredible, the group of people were really fun, I loved being there with my husband, the people of the island were incredibly friendly and genuinely nice, we felt safe at all times, and we got to experience so many new things together. I love staying at home with my kids. At first I felt bad that I was going to leave them, but I know I will be a better Mom for having had some time to myself to relax, reflect, and let go. We had a great time on our trip and I sincerely hope we get to return to Jamaica again!

Matthew Turns 3

Well, it happened. My little Matthew turned three. I can't believe it! What a big boy my little guy is. He was so excited for his birthday this year. In fact, for the past 365 days- he has been telling people about his eventual birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese's. He really gets it now and it is so cute! If he did something new physically (like hopping on one foot)- I would ask him where he learned to do that. He would respond, "I learned on my birthday". In fact- most everything he does, he claims to have learned it on his birthday! It is really hilarious. This year, it was hard for him to understand that he was having two parties. First, a small party with family and then on his actual birthday- we would celebrate with him at Chuck E. Cheese. It took some explaining but eventually he got it. I, for one, was having a hard time understanding how this beautiful little boy, my baby, was turning three years old. Time is flying by so quickly now and I want to hold onto this sweet, innocent, young Matthew and make him stay this way forever!

It was fun having four kids this year on Matthew's birthday. The more the merrier! Emily loved the balloons and Matthew loved having her there! Matthew certainly felt cool on his BIG day! He picked a Cars theme for his cake and picked a Spiderman pinata. I was going to tell him he should stay with one theme but then I realized I was a bit crazy and realized he should get whatever he wants!! We had a really nice time at his party. It was super low key and just nice to catch up with everyone while celebrating our Goosey!

On Matthew's actual birthday (after watching Michael and Claire's basketball games at the gym) we all went to Chuck E. Cheese's for some fun and birthday celebrating! My Mom and Natalie were in town (they are going to watch the kids while Damien and I go to Jamaica) so they were able to celebrate with us! Damien's brother Mark and our nephew Brennan also joined us and we all had so much fun! Matthew as in ALL his glory. With a cup of tokens in hand and a pocket full of prize tickets- he ran around the restaurant like he owned it! He ate pizza, saw the Chuckster, got his cotton candy (it had to be pink) and won a bunch of little prizes when he turned in his tickets. Matthew had a great time and that is all we wanted for our little man.

A sign that he is getting older happened on the ride home when he asked me, "Mom, can I go to sleep in the car?" "Of course!" I responded. I swear, no more than thirty seconds later he was completely zonked out! When he was little, I had to BEG him to go to bed and walk him around in circles for what seemed like hours! And now he asks me go to sleep? I am LOVING Matthew being three!

Matthew is such a great kiddo. He is happy, smart, ridiculously funny, sensitive, inquisitive, sarcastic, loving, passionate, and a huge part of the happiness of our family. This has been a big year for him. Matthew went from being the baby of the family to meeting the new baby of the family. He handled the transition so well and I just love him so much. He is starting to really play an active roll in the family and fits in with the already established family dynamics. He is a great brother to his three siblings and a fantastic son to us. We are all so blessed to have him in our lives and hope he has an amazing year ahead of him. This is his last year home with me full time. Next year, he will start preschool (only two mornings a week) and start creating a life for himself outside of my care. While this saddens me greatly, I am excited to share my little boy with the world. Lord knows he brightens our days and I can't wait to see how he brightens the world one day at a time. Happy 3rd Birthday Matthew! I hope you learned a lot on your birthday this year!!!

Swinging Away!

Don't you just love lazy days when you can wander on over to the park and just watch your kids play for hours? (Okay, maybe more like an hour. I get too antsy if it is longer than that!) I wish this happened more- or I guess I wish I made it more of a priority. We have the most amazing park across the street. Seriously, it is like a five minute walk and we need to go there more! Well, today I got motivated and let a few items on my 'To Do List' remain unchecked so I could take the two little ones to the park. At first, I had Emily in the stroller and we were just watching Matthew run around, climbing, jumping, and sliding down the slides. Then in donned on me that Emily could certainly sit in a swing and have some fun!

Emily loved it! She didn't even know what to do with herself! She laughed and screamed and laughed some more and I just enjoyed it so much. She is getting so much bigger and it is nice that know that we can go places where she can interact and get in on some of the fun action (not just watch her siblings do it). What was cute was watching Matthew's reaction to realizing Emily was in the swing! He ran over as fast as he could and wanted to swing with her pronto! Then Emily started laughing at Matthew swinging next to her and they were just a couple of kiddos cracking up! Love it.

Matthew didn't get to go to the park much last year due to his very pregnant Mommy. It is such a thrill for me to be healthy and able to take him places without worrying. He loved all of the little tunnels, tubes, slides, and swings and as I mentioned above- loved playing with Emily. They are too cute together. Now he asks me every day if we can go to the park and while I don't think it will be a daily event- I do want to make taking them to the park a priority because before I know it- this precious time will be gone. Here's hoping for more sunny days and a lot more park time!

Cheetah's Basketball

I am loving this season of basketball! It has been so fun to go to the gym each weekend and watch the kids play. Because I am not coaching Michael's team- I can just relax and watch him move around the court. He has really surprised me this season. He is so intense, so composed, so perceptive, so explosive and is just having the best time out there! Michael and his team have been doing great, too! My favorite thing to watch Michael do is steal a pass. He just sits there and plays coy and then when the offense player throws a pass to another player- he just pounces on it and gets the steal! Off to the races he goes to the other end of the court for a layup! It is great to watch. He is so good on defense and hustle plays. He never stops moving and is just fantastic out there. Aaahhhh. I am loving this!

At first, Michael was upset that his team name was the Cheetahs. I think his frustration was in direct reference to the girls singing group, The Cheetah Girls. Once I told him that I didn't see the connection between basketball and music groups, he decided he was okay with "The Cheetahs" even though the team name sounded a little girlie to him. He has one classmate on his team and the rest are just other 1st and 2nd grade boys from the area. He does play against a lot of his classmates which is fun for him. I am so proud of Michael and sometimes when he is sprinting around the court, diving for balls- my mind rolls back to the image of him as a tiny, sick baby in an incubator. How great God is for helping Michael fully recover from his tough beginnings to make him healthy and strong enough to kick some behind on the basketball court! Go Michael, go!

Lady Lions Basketball

I was really excited for Claire when she decided she wanted to play basketball this Winter. I found out that a lot of her classmates were going to play and it seemed as though this season was going to be a great first season for Claire! A few days after I signed her up, a few of the Moms of Claire's friends came up and asked me if I would coach the team. "Um, I have a five month old and three other kids. I don't think this is my year!" I told them. Then they offered to watch my kids during every practice and fill in where they were needed and I took a few nights to think about it. One practice a week and one game a week. It sounded crazy but after Damien and I talked about it for a while- we decided to commit to it! Claire was just beside herself that I was going to coach her. She was just so happy and wanted to start working on things right away!

It turns out that all but one of the ten kids on Claire's team (Lady Lions) are in her class. It has been a great platform to learn more about basketball but it has also been a great chance for the girls to get to know and trust each other more. This is all ten of the kids first time playing basketball so it has been interesting to coach them and figure out the right way to lay a foundation so that they can learn and be successful. Claire and I are having so much fun out there together. While I don't put much emphasis on scoring- just trying your hardest out there, I was so happy when Claire scored her first basket! She made it and then looked to me with the biggest smile! It was a great moment shared by Mommy and Claire. What I am most thankful for is getting a little push to go ahead and coach. I didn't think I had the time or the energy but it has been a great source of happiness and satisfaction for us both. Our team is doing great but more importantly- Claire and I are making memories together. Damien has been able to coach a couple of Michael's teams and now I am happy to not be pregnant and healthy enough to give Claire what she deserves, too! Go Lady Lions!!!

Sissies

I am seriously loving seeing Claire and Emily together. I never had a brother- just four sisters so any picture of me and my sisters growing up looks something like this! I found these matching sweaters the other day and had to get them. Total impulse buy. Oh- life is good. Life is good.

Emily is so fond of Claire. The minute Emily sees Claire when she comes home from school- she freaks out. Legs kicking, arms flailing, and a smile so big that Claire just melts! Claire is also really good at taking care of Emily when I need a minute or two to make dinner or take care of something.

Looking back on my last pregnancy- I realize how ridiculously bad I wanted a girl. Somehow in the moment, I convinced myself that having another boy would have been okay (and it would have) but now I know how badly I wanted a little girl. Partially for me but mainly for Claire so she could take pictures like these and always know that she will have a sister and friend for life. I know firsthand how strong sisterhood is and I am so thrilled these two will have each other through so many special moments in their lives.

Emily is 7 Months Old!

This is getting ridiculous. Seven months already? I just don't believe it! It is just crazy. But I guess I have to just accept that my little girlie is growing older. It is just hard because she is most probably my last baby and I know that as she turns another month older- I have to say goodbye to another monthly milestone. I am sure I will look back later on in life and realize that it wasn't nearly as big a deal as I made it out to be, but in the meantime I still mourn the months passing.

Okay, now that the sappy stuff is out of the way- let's talk about Emily! Emily is seriously getting so big. She already weighs a whopping 22 pounds! Chunky monkey! She has really grown a lot in terms of her physical development, too. She is sitting independently and really doesn't fall over. She started picking up toys and transferring them from hand to hand. She will roll all over the room (still no crawling yet). She loves to jump in her bouncy exosaucer. She has started to hold things and bang them when you ask her to bang them. She enjoys playing with toys in her high chair. And lastly, she has become completely fascinated with her siblings and is completely entertained just watching them run around the house.

We have had an extremely busy month. With Christmas, New Years, Damien's birthday, and school- Emily has been shuffled in and out of her car seat and has been SO incredibly good. Her disposition is so calm. I think she has the best temperament of all of my kids at this age as she is just happy to be around people and observe. She is definitely not high maintenance-thank goodness. Emily is really starting to be a part of our world. She knows when to laugh, she knows how to make a cranky face, she knows how to tell me she is hungry by panting, she will listen to me when I tell her I am coming and calm down. Life has gotten a lot easier in terms of the care I give her.

Emily had a great Christmas. She loved the sounds and the lights and just loved being along for the ride on the numerous activities and events we drug her to. This month she really became aware of the words I am speaking. If I tell her that Daddy is coming, she looks all around for him. If I mention the names of her siblings, she searches them out. She understands num nums (food), ba ba (bottle), and pluggie (pacifier). Oh, yes. Life is getting a teeny tiny bit easier for this mother of four! Emily has really enjoyed eating this month. Not only does she love the two meals of fruits/vegetables she gets but she is loving being able to eat little snacks. It has been helpful for me too, to be able to reach back in the car and pop a little treat in her mouth. Makes for a more enjoyable car ride! Her chubby rolls are ridiculous. Her thighs are so deliciously chubby I can't stop from squeezing them! It doesn't hurt that she is extremely ticklish. If you so much as touch her feet- she cracks up. If you squeeze her calf a little bit she will burst out laughing! One thing she has in common with Michael is that when she starts to laugh- she shoves her fist in her mouth. It is too funny! We are still waiting for her hair to grow to officially give her a hair color. It is definitely not as blond as Matthew's and we are thinking it might be more like Clairey's. Only time will tell.

To sum it all up, I love my darling little baby. She gives me the best smiles, she loves to look in my eyes, she loves to hold onto my necklace, she rubs her face on mine just to let me know she needs me. I love it all. Those bright blue eyes just melt my heart and I can't stop myself from thinking what she is going to look like when she gets a bit older. At times I think she looks a little like Michael, other times I swear she is a carbon copy of Claire- only for me to get a glimpse of Matthew which then completely confuses me. We called Matthew 'The Hybrid' but perhaps Emily will be the one who will fuse all of my children's looks together. Whatever the case- we are in love with this baby. Happy Seven Month Birthday Emilini!!!
*We started calling Emily Emilina and then Matthew changed it to Emilini, pronounced Emiyini.

A New Kind of TIME OUT

We love to have fun with our kids. Not only is it fun to have fun, but it is so funny to watch the kids' reactions to their parents being a little crazy! Matthew is at a great age. I say this with the confidence that very very soon- he will start to become sassier and have attitude. So I choose to enjoy each and every last minute of his sweet demeanor and love him up! When Michael and Claire are at school- Matthew is king of the castle. No one bugs him, he really doesn't have to share, he can play with Michael and Claire's toys that they forbid him to play with the night before. Our house is a wonderland of sorts for Matthew during the day. He misses Michael and Claire so much but he is smart and knows to make the most of his time home without them!

Damien has been playing this game lately where he puts Matthew on top of the fridge. Before you worry about him falling, please note that Matthew is an extremely cautious kid (and Damien is very close to him even though the picture doesn't show it). Once up on his perch, Matthew nervously laughs because he can't figure out if he should squeal with delight that Daddy put him up there or if he should cry from the fear that is about to overtake him. Either way you look at it, I think it is so funny when Damien throws him up there. Recently (and don't call CPS) Damien has been jokingly putting Emily up there to get a reaction out of Matthew. Now he doesn't leave her there but Matthew just loves it. Emily is so sharp it is scary. The girl knows what is going on. She doesn't miss a beat and cranes her neck ALL DAY LONG to see what is going on around her. She watches Daddy put Matthew on the refrigerator and gets excited. So when Damien put her up there- I swear she knew that she was cool. It was so funny. We are just having a blast with the kids. This really isn't a significant post but I know I will forget these sweet and funny times as the kids get older.

Goodbye 2009

I want to take just one minute to remind myself how incredibly blessed I am. As we head into a new year, 2010- I leave behind so many wonderful accomplishments, blessings, and memories in 2009. What a great year 2009 was for me and my family. 2009 held so much promise, so much change for me. It was challenging but rewarding. It was bright but also dim at times. It was another year spent journeying down a path that was not marked- but rather unpredictable and rugged. At times I wanted to give up on my journey. Other times I found my journey to be remarkably focused, empowering, and amazing.

My heart grew another size bigger this past year in order to make room for all of the love I have for my newest little girl Emily. It also swelled in size watching my other three beautiful children's hearts grow with love for her, too. I became stronger this year- the strongest I have been in my entire life. I strengthened my relationship with God and I know that He will always be there for me in good times and in bad. I fell more deeply in love with my husband who yet again found a way to successfully balance his career, pregnant wife, and four children. I am more thankful than ever for the health of us all. Knowing everything that could have gone wrong with all four pregnancies and the way it might have impacted the lives of my children and me - I cannot be anything but thankful to God for blessing us and making us whole.

I am so honored to be the Mommy of my four babies who continue to amaze me with their adaptability and understanding. This year, although wonderful at times, presented challenges to them too and they were beyond amazing. I am also so happy to be a part of the lives of so many of our family and friends who during the past year picked us up and helped us on our way to the eventual birth of baby Emily. Without so many of you- we would have struggled and I am so grateful to have connected with such amazing people who knew what we needed before we even had to ask.

I feel so satisfied with my life. I feel a sense of completion with our family. I see a future that is bright and I see a year of exploration and adventure now that we are all healthy. I see soccer games, homework, dentist appointments, vacations, early mornings, late nights, and a home filled with love and laughter. For more than eight years now- I have been growing babies. Now I am excited to raise them. I pray for God to continue to watch over us and give us the strength we will need to get through life's obstacles in the coming year.

So that's it. One good minute of reflection. What a great year. I will miss it.

Goodbye 2009. Thanks for everything.

Damien's Official Birthday Party!

Damien always complains that I somehow manage to turn my birthday into a Birthday Week. I tell him that it takes a lot of work and commitment to stretch the birthday spoiling out that long! Well guess what folks? Damien did it. He managed to have a Birthday Week and now I don't think he will ever settle again for one measly day of pampering again! It all started when we celebrated his birthday at my Mom and Dad's house on the last night of our trip. He got cake, gifts, and attention sprinkled all over him. Then we flew back to San Jose and relaxed for a few days before we celebrated his actual birthday by breakfasting, bowling, and chinese dinnering. Wasn't that enough? NO, shouted Damien. Okay, he didn't really shout it but you could see that he liked this 'birthday attention' thing. Well, as sad as it is- today commenced his official Birthday Week. And might I add that is was a really, really good week.

We planned to have a very small friend/family birthday party at our house today. Lucky for us all- a lot of family and a few friends were actually able to come! When the numbers were small, I decided that I would make a really good birthday dinner for my hubby and make another giant attempt at pampering him to the fullest. Then the numbers for the party grew and grew and I knew this 'pampering' for Damien was going to get a lot more work! I wanted to make him a dinner he would love so I made him Pulled Pork Sandwiches (it was actually chicken but pork sounds more official), Baked Beans, Cornbread, and Coleslaw. I tried a few new recipes and was so happy with all of them. A definite win-win situation. We even ended his party with a Hostess Chocodile Cake (chocodiles are chocolate covered twinkies and are really hard to find)! Damien was so pleased with it all and that was all I was hoping for!

We had a nice night with his family. It is always nice to get together where we can relax and just catch up with one another. I remember Damien's birthday last year. It was the day after my cerclage procedure when I was pregnant with Emily and there was just so much going on at the time. I can't believe we even managed to get people together last year. This year it brought me such intense joy to see Damien holding his little Emily. The two of them are really bonded and seeing them together makes me so happy. It's amazing how much your life can change over the course of a year. For our family, one more year made us a bigger, stronger, happier, healthier and more faith and family centered.

It is hard for many to imagine having a birthday on New Years Eve but I find that although it is logistically challenging- it is a perfect day for Damien to turn one year older, be officially one year wiser, and as he watches the world close the book on the past 365 days, he too closes a book on another year of his very blessed life. Happy Birthday Damien. Here's to another 365 glorious days with you and our beautiful babies.