Emily's 1st Birthday Party- San Jose Edition

Today, a wonderfully loving and supportive group gathered around my beautiful Emily to celebrate her very first year of life! We still can't believe she is one. It is just crazy to think that an entire year has passed since she was born! I am sure I will never really understand how quickly the lives of my children pass before me.




Before Emily joined us, we didn't have any summer birthdays in our immediate family. Seeing as that Emily's birthday is going to always fall near the end of school- I doubt there will ever be a lot of calm surrounding it! I also learned that it is a hard time to get people to come to a party because everyone heads out of town to start their summer fun! But you live and you learn and I know now that I need to give myself a little extra time to plan this sweet baby's birthday!

I was thrilled this year to learn that my sister, Jill and her son Kyle were going to be able to join us for the big event! They flew down from Washington to be with us and we were all so happy to see them! There was a special thrill around having cousin Kyle here to run around with which was great! My kids were occupied with a friend while Jill, Damien, and I rushed to get everything ready! We didn't have a theme for her party. Just lots of pink and sugar! We got a bouncy house for the backyard and had a pinata stuffed to the seems with candy. Sounds like fun to me! The one thing we didn't plan for was the heat. It was projected to hit at least 90 degrees today so we went out and got a covered tent to put the tables under. We weren't interested in seeing how many people would melt!

The focus of the day for me was on Emily. Sure, I wanted to show my guests a good time and feed them well, but more than anything- I wanted Emily to feel special. I knew she wouldn't know that it was HER day, but I wanted her to have fun and feel loved by everyone there. I made posters showing her growth over the past year, I got her a bubble machine so that she could laugh while trying to swat at the big bubbles, I had balloons, and made some of her favorite little munchies. I know that she didn't notice but I just wanted to do the very best I could for her. You only turn one once you know!

Everyone at the party had a great time. I will go as far to say that the highlight of the day was watching Emily eat her cake. I know she is my daughter and yes, I am insanely proud of her. That being said, please trust me when I say that she attacked her cake like no baby I've seen before! It was unreal! I have a video where she is just poking in a finger here, poking in a finger there, then she grabs a small handful of frosting and then out of nowhere she just pounces! I can't even do this moment justice in describing it! She just attacks the cake and it practically disintegrates! The kids all are laughing hysterically around her, adults are cracking up and Emily is just loving it! It was all fun and games until it got in her hair and eyes. After all that eating it was time for a Birthday Bath! She was not pleased. We got her cleaned and dressed and she made another appearance for gifts and the pinata. She had so much fun and I could tell she just didn't want it to stop!

The day was wonderful and the party was just exactly like I wanted it to be. I could've done without breaking my digital camera (I dropped it when taking pictures of the kids smacking the pinata) but every other element was wonderful. A lot of work? Yes. Worth all the time and effort for my BIG ONE YEAR OLD? Of course. Happy Birthday Emily!

Emily Turns One!

Oh, Emily. One year ago today- you stole my heart. You made both Mommy and Daddy cry tears of joy. Your sweet chubby face melted me and I haven't been the same since. You made Michael and Claire's mouths drop open in pure amazement that you were here and you were a girl! You made Matthew (who was the baby until your arrival) a big BIG brother.You changed our whole family, the course of all of our lives, and made our family complete. All of this happened one year ago today. We are so happy you are here. We thank God for the gift of you. You are our little miracle.

In just 365 days, you went from a little tiny baby to a sassy, I-can-do-anything-I-set-my-mind-to, determined, sweet, emotional, happy, slightly dangerous, giggling, rough and tumble, adorable, focused and loving little baby girl. You fit into this crazy family immediately and add to the excitement of it all. As you grew, you amazed your siblings with your new tricks and sounds. Your grunts turned into coos. Your coos turned to screams. And now you have sounds and words which help us better understand your world. Michael keeps telling me you are a miracle. "Mom, can you believe that our baby is crawling before one year old? That's a miracle! She's a miracle baby!" Claire has been your little Mommy since you first came home. She has loved your sweet evolution and been such a source of love and security for you. Matthew thinks you are so funny and always has. Since you came home from the hospital, there has been no real jealousy on his part. He has instead put you under his wing and shown you the way. And to tell you the truth- you try so hard to be like him. You have no idea that you are only one and shouldn't be attempting things that a three year old does. Somehow- trying to jump out of your highchair, climbing up ladders, trying to get on a bike, diving into the bathtub, climbing and pulling stools over on yourself, and walking around with sharp objects seems natural to you. Well I have something to say about all of this craziness. Please slow down and be more careful! You are too precious to keep getting hurt all the time! (Although I do admire your tenacity.)

When you were born, you weighed 8 pounds and 1 ounce. You were a big baby and came four weeks early! Unfortunately, in your first week- you lost a whole pound. The doctors were a little concerned and we needed to get you to put on some weight and start moving in the right direction. Well, you must have heard what he said because you started gaining weight at a rapid pace! At your one year check up, you weighed in at 26 pounds and 8 ounces! No wonder you have the most wonderfully plump legs and arms! They are so kissable and I can't resist you! You had a very healthy check-up and are doing great. You were devastated when you got your finger prick and every time you looked at your finger with the bandaid on it- you burst into tears! If you can remember, you got sick when you were two months old and had to be hospitalized. After being discharged five days later, you were put on daily antibiotics that were going to help prevent another UTI infection. Every night before Mommy put you to bed- I gave you antibiotics and after a year of it, you and I were tired of it! Thankfully, your pediatrician took you off of them today and we'll see how your body responds without them. We are so happy to get rid of those nasty antibiotics! Yippee!

You are such a funny girl. As you grew older, you really seemed to have a grasp on the world around you. You know what you want and really aren't fearful of trying to get what you want. You are by far my most dangerous child to date. You take risks that the others would've never attempted. In fact, you have earned the nickname Little Houdini from your siblings because no matter how I restrain you, you manage to get out! Emily, you love to explore the house and the backyard. You crawl around and find the most teeny tiny things and sit and investigate them. First you manipulate it in your chubby fingers and then you always put whatever you find in your mouth. You are a very physical little girl, too! You love to do things in a BIG way. When you get excited, you like to bang your hands on whatever you can find. A common hello to someone who offers their face to you is a heavy slap right on the cheek. You are not trying to hit them but it is just your way of saying Hey, how you doin'! You also are very sweet and gentle. You have learned the word nicey and when you are rough, you calm down when I say this. You are a good listener and understand a lot of what I am saying to you. You love to hug and kiss us and like to cuddle the mornings. You won't let anyone take you away from me when we wake up! I can't lie. I LOVE THIS!

You started saying some words around the middle of your tenth month. Right now you say Brrr (Bird), Bub (Boob), Beh (Belly), Buh (Bug and Bye bye), Mama (Mom), Da (Dad), Tata (Cracker) and Nuh (Num Nums). You shake your head 'No' when you don't want something. You can sign More and All Done. When you want something- instead of pointing you stretch you arm out palm up and wait for us to get it for you. You had taken several steps in your eleven month and by your first birthday, your step record was seven steps. You love to pretend to sing, you love to clap and wave hello and goodbye. You think it's hysterical when the kids or Daddy chase you saying, 'I'm gonna getcha and then I'm gonna eatcha!' You are scared of dogs and whoopie cushions.

Emily, Emily, Emily. Thank you for all the smiles you give me, the pat-pats on my back when you hug me, the pinches on the backs of my arms (ouch), the millions of times you have put your fingers in my mouth (why you like this, I don't know!), the thrills, and the many moments of pure bliss that come with having you for a daughter. We couldn't have dreamed of a happier and more wonderful fourth child. You make all of us so insanely happy and melt us with those big beautiful blue eyes! This last year has been a learning experience. We had to figure out how to fit you into our hectic but fun lives. Lucky for us, you go with the flow and have made the transition so natural and just perfect. We love you with all of our hearts and wish you the happiest birthday ever. Here's to many years of memories, laughter, love, and learning ahead. Happy First Birthday Sweetheart!

Goodbye 1st & 2nd Grade

Well, it happened. SCHOOL IS OUT FOR SUMMER! Yeah!!! Our family is so happy! Michael and Claire are just so happy to be free from the structure of school, I am happy to rid myself of uniform/lunches/homework duties for a while, Matthew and Emily are excited to have two more playmates around the house, and Damien just loves everything about summer and is happy it has commenced! I have a feeling there is going to be a lot of pajama wearing past lunchtime, Beach Boys CDs playing, water fights, popsicle eating, and fun activities on our horizon!

Today's school schedule was a little silly. The kids started school at 9:00 a.m. and ended school at 10:30 a.m. Basically, it was just enough time for them to go to school, participate in the end of the school Mass, say goodbye to their teachers and friends, and get their report cards. They had to wear their "Sunday's Best" to school today and both Michael and Claire were happy to not have to wear their uniforms! It seemed like no sooner did I drop them off at school did I hear a knock at the door when they came home with our carpool. I quickly changed them out of their nice outfits and into something summery! Woohoo! Summer vacation is finally here! I told Michael and Claire to pick a place where we could go have lunch and celebrate! They chose Damien's favorite restaurant Red Robin (please notice the sarcasm in my typing). I love it there but Damien pretty much loathes it. It kind of makes me laugh when the kids choose that restaurant because I know that Damien will put on a happy face even though he is dying on the inside! We all loaded in the car, rolled down the windows, threw on some Beach Boys, and off we went!

We actually had a great time at lunch. The kids expressed what they loved most about 1st and 2nd grade. Claire said she loved her teachers Mrs. Ahlers and Mrs. Duncan. She is sad to leave her teachers and first grade all together. She really had a great year and is so sad to see it go. She did say that she is looking forward to not having to get up in the morning. Amen to that! Michael was very sentimental. For the second year in a row, his teacher is leaving the school. So . . . for the second year in a row he had to say goodbye as opposed to saying, 'See you in the halls next year!'. Ms. Zisko was a great teacher and really guided Michael to success this year. We will miss her next year. Michael is so looking forward to sleeping in and staying in his PJs all day. Good for him- he worked hard to get almost three months off! I couldn't be happier for Michael and Claire. Summer is here and they deserve every last lazy minute of it!

Emma Prusch Farm

Today is the last full day of school for Michael and Claire (they have two half days left). While I am anxious for summer, I am sad that my alone time with Matthew and Emily is going away. I do enjoy the quiet mornings where the three of us hang out and enjoy the peace of the morning. I get to sit and watch Emily crawl around and explore the house while Matthew plays with his toys and isn't threatened by Michael or Claire taking his stuff! Now that I have two school aged children- I totally understand how absolutely precious this time is with my two littlest babies. I know to cherish, enjoy, savor, and breathe it all in.

Damien didn't have a lot of meetings today so I asked him if he wanted to take Matthew and Emily to the farm. I was so happy he could go! We loaded them into the car and I think we were both looking forward to spending some time bonding with them. Matthew starts preschool in the Fall so these school-less mornings will soon be a think of the past. I can't believe how fast these kids are growing! To think that next year I will be home alone with Emily two mornings a week is just crazy! We arrived at the adorable farm and Matthew and Emily were going crazy! Ducks, geese, chickens, roosters, and other birds roamed the property freely. You get to experience a special kind of closeness with these animals that you can't experience in any kind of zoo or other habitat for animals. And the best part? It's free!

At the farm are birds/chickens/geese, cows, goats, sheep, pigs, bunnies, and some horses. There weren't a lot of people there so we could really take our time and explore. Emily loved touring the area where the birds lived. Matthew turned into Mr. Cool Guy and made his fingers into the 'rock on' sign. He was looking at the three toes on the chicken's feet and made that sign with his hands thinking it would make the chickens come to him! Hilarious! We headed into the barn area and Emily was immediately freaked out by the mooing of the cows. Poor baby. She was practically clawing Damien with fright! She didn't mind the pigs until they snorted. Basically, the whole barn experience was a little overwhelming for her but she did a pretty good job overcoming her little fears. Matthew saw a woman walking a cow and insisted he get his picture taken with it. By the time the woman had set the cow up to take the picture, Matthew decided he wanted to go on the play structure. I told him that he had to take a picture with the cow first and then we could play. Clearly, by the look on his face in this picture, he wasn't too pleased. I didn't care that he was pouting at all. We thought it was so funny and knew that it would make a great picture. I will have to think of a funny caption for this one!

Although it was a fairly quick trip to the farm, it was wonderful to give all our attention to these two beautiful babies. Soon, they will be running (and crawling) amongst their siblings who will be released from structure for three long months! Life sure is good and I am glad we took a little time out of our busy life to enjoy our time with them to the fullest. Matthew and Emily loved being at the farm, they got a kick out of each other (Matthew laughed at Emily when the cow scared her), Emily loved seeing Matthew play on the toys and slide down the slide, and it was nice to have Daddy with us for this fun little adventure. Life is short. You have to live it up. I am proud to report . . . we did!

Seamus & Alex's Graduation

School is almost out for summer which will free up a lot of our weekdays. Yet as a summer approaches, it is crazy to see all of our weekends fill up so quickly! This weekend, we drove north to Sonoma to celebrate a number of different celebrations for two of my nephews. First off was celebrating the graduation from 8th grade by Seamus and Alexander. I can hardly believe these little guys are going to be in high school next year! When I started dating Damien, Seamus wasn't even born yet! The quick passing of their youth reminds me again to grab hold of my kiddos as best as possible and live every moment to the fullest with them. In addition to the graduation celebrations was Alex's birthday! It was a day full of celebrating! Let's see . . . birthday cake, graduation cake, Swedish fish, yummy appetizers and a full BBQ dinner were on deck and one thing was for certain. I knew that despite all efforts to eat healthy- I was going to derail HUGE from my diet. Whoops!

The party was held at Lani's In-laws home where we always have so much fun. My kids beg me year round to go there so it was no problem getting them dressed and out of the house this morning! The house is perched on top of a mountain offering views of San Francisco, Oakland, and practically the whole bay! They don't call it the Sky Palace for nothing! It truly is breathtaking. But do you know what isn't breathtaking- the very real chance that we will see or even encounter wildlife up there. For those that know me, I am a little skittish when it comes to animals. I know, I know. I should be better at staying calm when I am around them but it is just the way I am! I get the most scared when an animal darts of comes out of nowhere. My freak out is a sight to see for sure! Well, we were all down by the pool and having a good time. The older three of my kids were in the pool and Damien was in a lounger with Emily. My nephew wanted to use one of the floating rafts in the pool so he swam over to the side right in front of Damien and lifted it up off of the hot concrete. Do you know what was under there? A baby rattlesnake! (It was a pretty decent size, too!) It slithered around and everyone was screaming because no one knew where it would go! Would it go into the pool, towards Damien and Emily? Thanks to some quick thinking from my brother-in-law Eric, he quickly handled the situation by dropping a heavy cinder block directly on top of it. Ewwww! But at least we were out of harms way! Eric explained to us how baby rattlesnakes are more dangerous than adult rattle snakes because they don't just bite you and give you a certain about of venom. They just release all of it when they bite which could very well be lethal! I can't say I ever really fully relaxed after that point but we did have a very nice evening celebrating two awesome guys!

After an amazing dinner which we ate all too much of- all too quickly, we sat down to toast Alex and Seamus. My sister-in-law Lani is such an amazingly strong woman. I knew her in college before I started dating Damien so we have a very unique and awesome history together. From the day she became pregnant with Seamus, I admired Lani's ability to persevere through anything and everything. I am so very proud of her and proud of the amazing way she has mothered Seamus over the years. As she spoke to the loving group of family and friends surrounding Seamus today, we all felt so moved by her heartfelt speech. She was emotional when she spoke about her son and her emotion spoke volumes. Lani and Seamus have been through so much and they are both very deserving of this moment! Alexander, the oldest of the eleven grandkids, is such a great kid. Always happy, always willing to help and just a pleasure to be around. We were so happy to celebrate his graduation from 8th grade as well as his birthday, too! Both of these boys brighten our lives and we couldn't be happier for them and we are so happy we could share in their special day! High school- look out for these boys!

Signs That Summer Is Here

I am starting to get that feeling that summer might officially be here. No, not officially according to a calendar but officially in the hearts of everyone in my family. As the weather has warmed up and it is continuing to get lighter outside at night- we are talking more walks, playing outside, swimming, playing sports in the backyard, barbecuing, and are just seemingly more relaxed these days. A change is a comin' and I can't wait! It's almost summer vacation!

Yeah, I know what it means. Summer vacation with all my kids in one place. Four kids running/crawling around the house all day long. To some that might sound like a lot to handle but I am so excited I can't hardly stand it! No more washing uniforms and deciphering if Michael and Claire should wear their PE sweatshirt or their regular sweatshirt. Did I mention I can't wait to not have to pack lunches at night? Sometimes after a long day, I can't wait to put my feet up and watch some mindless television. Nothing spoils that more than knowing that I have to pack lunches. But soon, I will have a three month break from that! And you know what else comes with summer vacation? A welcome break from the alarm clock. Soon I won't have to listen for a beep beep to wake me up but instead, Emily. Michael, Claire, and Matthew will wake up and go watch cartoons and leave me sleeping. (How nice is that? Oh, and Claire will get up and pour them all cereal! Summer is the best!) And although I love my carpool, I am looking forward to not having any pressure on me/Damien to make sure other people's kids get to school on time. At this point, summer vacation can't get here fast enough! (If you are wondering what is wrong with the right side of Matthew's mouth- he got hit in the face with a swinging hammock. Anything on the left is probably just something sticky. Lovely, I know.)

This summer will be so much different than last summer. I gave birth to Emily the day after school got out so my summer was all about survival. I tried my darnedest to enjoy my kids last summer but it was a lot of work. For one thing, it was super hot so we stayed inside most days with the AC on. I was afraid of sweet newborn Emily overheating! I was also on a mission to lose a good portion of my ginormous baby weight gain. This summer I can be happy knowing I got the large bulk of that off and now am focusing on toning and just working out to be happy! As a family we are a lot more durable and less weighted down now that Emily is older and more independent. You have to pack sooooo much stuff when you travel with a newborn. And lastly, I think that as a family we feel very content with where we are in our lives. Not a lot of change going on here. Just trying to stay happy, make sure everyone gets what they need, and a few fun tricks up our sleeves to guarantee a fun summer.

I asked the kids what they were most excited for this summer and their responses go a little somethin' like this:

Michael: "I am excited to go to Lake Chelan and have fun with my family and friends. I want to play a lot of soccer and tennis. I am also excited to listen to The Beach Boys!"
Claire: "I am excited to go to Lake Chelan and probably Raging Waters. And play soccer, basketball, and probably tennis. I'm going to have a fun time!"
Matthew: "To get wet! To play with water guns and water balloons. I can't wait to eat chicken nuggets!"
Emily: "To have my sister and brothers around all day. I missed them when they were in school!"

Memorial Day

We were looking forward to a relaxing weekend. Man, the last few weeks of school are intense! Lots of changes to the normal routine and plenty of extra activities which have sent me swirling lately. There are a lot of May birthdays in both Damien and my families. A lot to remember but a lot to celebrate, also. We headed up to Healdsburg for a jam packed weekend that promised to have lots of activity with a chance to relax here and there.

We first started out by meeting Damien's family at a local creperie for a Heavenly and Teresa's birthday. We packed a lot of people into this quaint shop and enjoyed a lot of yumminess while trying to contain the eleven kids jammed between us at the table! Following the party, we headed back to Mark and Marlene's house where Marlene had a surprise for everyone. With a cue from Dancing with the Stars, she had hired some professionals to come and teach everyone the Tango. I'll admit- at first I was a bit hesitant but after seeing Michael and Claire get right in there and learn the steps and dance with each other, I couldn't turn my back on them or this experience.

The next day, we celebrated Ryan's 30th birthday! The kids swam for most of the day and we all just relaxed and enjoyed the sun, the great barbecued food, and Ryan 30 years! Ryan had stuffed a pinata for the kids to break open and they had so much fun with it! All of them got to hit it until a waterfall of candy and cavities poured out! There was a lot jam packed into the weekend but a break from the craziness of our San Jose lives was just what we needed! End of the school year here we come!

Spring Fling

I absolutely love going to programs at the kids school. To think that some schools have cut their music program is just terrible! All it would take to let you know how important music is to some children is to go and watch how happy kids are when they are singing, dancing and/or listening to music. I imagine that for some kids who struggle with numbers and letters - music class would be a place where they could let go of their frustrations and be successful! I am thrilled with the music program at my kid's school. They are always coming home humming a new tune or telling me about upcoming musical surprises! Each class puts on one mass per year and I am guessing that they have about four performances per year. That is a lot of singing and preparation!

At this year's Spring Fling, the kids were buzzing with excitement. Matthew could hardly sit still knowing that Michael and Claire were sitting yards away from him! Each class sat quietly and waited their turn to sing and each performance was both precious and hilarious, too! Grades 1-4 perform but there are two sections per grade. That makes 8 performances that are awesome! This seasonal performance is one of my favorites. There is always a cute theme and the songs are great for kids but appeal to adults, too. It's kind of along the lines of how the movie Shrek is funny to both young and old! Michael's class sang a song about being best friends. They each wore a sign around their necks with a broken heart and walked up and stood on the risers looking great! When the music started, they linked with their neighbor to make a heart. It was pretty funny! Claire's class sang a really cute song called Music Makes Me Sing. Totally perfect for first graders to sing! All in all- Damien and I loved it! And Michael and Emily's opinion? The greatest show ever! They couldn't believe their brother and sister were on the big stage! Can't wait for more shows next year!!

Claire's Girls Society

Right now on Claire's door is a sign that reads like this:

Girls Soceity in ORDER!!!!!!!!!

Get Out!

Be Quiet!

Boys Lose! Except Jesus and Santa

Forty Niner Fever

I love sports. I love playing them and I love watching them. One sport that I really wasn't into when I was growing up was football. Sure, I watched games on television and even understood the rules- but I just never had a moment where football was near and dear to my heart. The Seattle Seahawks were always around but my Dad was never a die hard fan (and they were never really that good). On top of that, in all of my Dad's years of watching football- he never went to go a game at the Kingdome. His excuse back then . . . he didn't want to come back smelling like beer. He thought that people would get excited and then spill their beer on him. Whether or not this is true- he never went to a game. He did, however, expose us to many other sports and teams. We went to Seattle Supersonics games, Mariners games, UW Husky football and basketball games, high school football and basketball games, and even some professional soccer games. But we didn't go to NFL games.

When Damien and I met, he loved that I liked to watch sports. But when it came to football, I never had too much to say. He on the other hand, did. He is a HUGE San Francisco Forty Niner fan. His grandmother, Hellie, sparked his love for the 49ers and I have to admit- his love for the game was contagious! Soon, we looked forward to Sundays and the occasional Monday to watch some great football! When we were dating in college and watching games together, the 49ers were really good which made it so exciting to watch them. Over the years, Damien's love for his team has steadily grown (despite the fact that the 49ers haven't been that good lately). Every Sunday we find a television to gather around and enjoy the game! My kids are beginning to love it, too. They ask lots of questions about rules and players and seem to be understanding things more and more. I hope to bring them to a game this year because I know they would love it and I know that Damien would love to share the experience with them, too!

Emily's First Step!

Emily took her first step today. Damien and I were with her our bedroom and I was trying to make her walk to get a ball or other interesting object. Then I told Damien to put his arms out. "Walk to Daddy!", I told her. And what do you know? She did? It was only 1 1/2 steps but she walked. Watch out world. This little Emily has a lot of exploring to do!

Emily . . . 11 Months Old

Emily, you are such an amazing little girl. This month- you showed me that you aren't so much interested in staying a little tiny baby. Instead, you are trying your hardest to be nine, seven, and three years old. Michael, Claire and Matthew are your idols! You won't be satisfied with being a curious and outgoing eleven month old- you want more and are working hard to get it! Watching you work to be bigger, faster, better is absolutely hilarious! You are so close to walking! The problem is that you won't really try and walk because you can get places faster when you crawl. You have developed a speedy crawl where you put your head down and just GO! We all think it is hilarious but you don't when you crawl into walls and other objects. We are working on having you look up when you speed crawl to avoid further accidents!

Because you are always where your siblings are, you tend to get hurt a lot because they are doing 'big kid' play. Lots of wrestling, chasing, and yes- the occasional hit or kick comes your way. I felt so bad for you earlier this month when the door was slammed on your middle finger. Poor Matthew was trying to keep you from going outside and didn't realize when he slammed the door your finger was there! Ouch! You lost your sweet little middle finger nail but thankfully- it is already growing back! You and Matthew are really becoming good friends. You are home alone with him until about 3:15 when Michael and Claire come home from school. You love to play with Matthew and now that you are growing bigger and are more of a presence in our world- he thinks you are awesome and loves to do things with you. One of his favorite activities to do with you is to feed you snacks. He just feels too cool!

This month you got your four top teeth all at one time. Just when we were doing a great job with your nighttime sleeping (only waking a few times a night)- these darned teeth decided to make their entrance. I know it was a lot of work to get them through but now that they are here- they are absolutely adorable! Your two front teeth are just so cute and you have a little gap between them which we all love. I adore your smile, sweet Emily! You and Claire are growing so very close. Claire takes great care of you and makes sure you have what you need to make you happy. This month Claire has been picking you up and holding you more. She rocks you back and forth to calm you and just loves you with all of her heart! She loves picking out your clothes and also loves to babysit you in her room. You two play with her giant container of fake plastic food and her Littlest Pet Shops. I love it because you two are bonding but it also gives me a break, too!

Your brother Michael loves you so much! I love watching you two play because you remind me of him as a baby. My Mom used to call me and Natalie (oldest and youngest of her five kids) her 'bookends'. I now get to think of you and Michael as my bookends. Michael thinks you are hysterical. Seriously, you can make Michael laugh like no one else can. He finds your little nuances to be so sweet and amazing. When you first started crawling, he exclaimed, 'It's a miracle!' He is very patient with you. He tries to get you to walk but then laughs hysterically when you speed crawl to your destination. Emily, you still love to do scrunchy face. You say Mama, Da (Dad), Bur (bird), and are so in tune with what we are saying to you. You sign 'more' and 'all done'. When you see me and want me, you extend your arm out with your palm up like you are reaching for me. You love to look at books and listen to Mommy talk to you about animal noises. You are one smart girlie! You are eating everything we put in front of you. The only annoying part of your eating process is that you have to take everything out of your month once it has been in there to further inspect it. Messy, messy!

I can't believe that in one short month you will be one year old. Wow. I don't have much more to say about that. As much as I have taken the time to enjoy each and every part of your life- time still moves more quickly than I would like it to. One thing I can say for sure is that in your short eleven months, you have managed to wrap your sweet little life around the hearts of your family. We love you so much and are so happy and blessed to have you in our lives. We love you Emmy!!!!!

My Mother's Day

In 2001, I officially became a mother. My beautiful, strong, and amazing Michael changed the way I looked at the world and made my dream of becoming a Mom a reality. I spent my first Mother's Day watching him in pure amazement. He was one month and one day old on my special day. I had never held him. I remember gazing at him through his incubator and stroking his tiny fingers. I knew I was his Mommy but it was hard to feel like his Mommy because I had no control over him and wasn't able to take care of him. The one way I connected with him was through my touch and voice. I talked to him non-stop and sang to him when I could. We made a tape recording of our voices and left a cassette recorder in his incubator so the nurses could push play when we were gone. On Mother's Day after spending most of the day with Michael at the hospital, Damien and I went back to the convent where he took a picture of me holding Michael's picture. It was only way I could hold my son . . . through a photograph. Then I lost it. Complete meltdown, sadness, remorse, and utter helplessness. When I think back to that day- I can still see, taste, and smell it. It might be the most well remembered Mother's Day I will ever have. Today, my Michael loves to talk to me! Tables turned! I hold him when he lets me, I enjoy watching him move through his very happy and healthy world. Never in a million years could I have imagined the moment/scene/scenario where I would actually become a mother. And although it was on the other side of the world- that moment is priceless. I became a mother to my beautiful Michael in Paris, France and after many years of healing and growth- I wouldn't change a thing. He is just as amazing today as he was the day he was born.

Oh, Clairey. You melted my heart when I first saw you. I could have sworn you were going to be a boy but when I saw you for the first time so pink and so beautiful and heard the doctor yell, It's a Girl, my life was forever changed. We spent many a day in the hospital waiting to meet each other. In fact, I almost met you as soon as I met your brother Michael but thankfully, you decided to spend some more time in my tummy! We spent so many quiet nights alone together in the hospital. You gave me the strength I needed to get through that tough time and looking back- it is so sweet that we had so much time to just rest and be together. You entered this world into a family who was lovingly waiting for you. You softened me in so many ways. After having your brother, I decided that I was definitely a "Boy Mom". Even though I had four sisters- I just couldn't imagine being the Mom to a little girl! However, you made me realize there was a large part of me that wanted a daughter. You made me feel whole and complete. Because your brother was born so prematurely- I hadn't experienced the joy of having a full-term baby who was healthy and could lay on my chest after birth. But you healed parts of me that I didn't realize were still hurting. Seeing you with your brother on my first Mother's Day with you was amazing. I am so proud of you and thank you for the many blessings you have given me in your short but incredible seven years.

Matthew. Where to begin. After having Michael and Claire so close together in age- Mommy needed some time to reconnect with herself before she had another baby. When Daddy and I decided to try to get pregnant again a little over three years later, I was so excited! Who would you be? How would you change my life? Your pregnancy was challenging but so worth it. I was convinced you were a girl and when you came out and were a boy I was beyond ecstatic! Your sweet chubby face instantly melted me and I was immediately bonded with you. You had to go to the NICU for five days which you would think would have been easy for me since your brother was in the NICU for over three months. But no. It tore me apart. I felt something special with you from the moment you entered this world. The way you looked at me and seemingly needed me made me want to be with you at all times. When you came home, our little family of five was complete and we were all so happy. I was so relaxed around you when you were a baby. There was an ease that came with mothering you. You were so content, so connected, so happy to be with me that my heart grew bigger than I knew it could. As you have grown older, I still feel tremendously connected with you. Because it had been four years since I had been new Mommy, I got to experience motherhood from a much more confident, content place. I knew not to sweat the small stuff. I knew to enjoy the middle of the night feedings, and I knew that you were growing faster than I liked and I had to enjoy every last bit of you. Thank you for the joy you continue to bring me. And please continue to make me laugh like you do now. You are such a bright spot in my life!

Emily! Dad and I are pretty sure you are our last baby. I knew that with every milestone you hit- I had to say goodbye to certain phases of your life and the phases of your brothers and sister. I knew to appreciate you for all that you were and all that you are. Your pregnancy was wonderful. Daddy and I had figured out how to best manage my pregnancies by the time you came around. I enjoyed your pregnancy so much because there wasn't a time that I truly felt threatened. Having already had two boys and only one girl, I secretly wanted you to be a girl. I wanted to experience being a Mommy to a sweet baby girl again- but I also wanted Claire to have a sister. When you were born and the doctor held you up- she turned to your Daddy and said, Tell everyone what you have! Daddy screamed, It's a Girl and I knew in that moment how you had made our family complete. You, my beautiful Emily, have made me so happy. You have spent almost a full year in my arms. You constantly search rooms for me and when I see you and we lock eyes, I know how much we mean to each other. I try as much as I can to cherish you and embrace the good and the bad with the notion that this precious time is fleeting. I hope to never forget what it felt like to become a Mommy for the fourth time and I hope that as you continue to grow older, we can stay as close as we are now. I love you so much, Emily.

This Mother's Day for me was about reflection. It wasn't planned, it is just what I felt. My first Mother's Day as a Mommy of four beautiful children. I believe this is the last Mother's Day I will experience where I will be a new Mommy. It made me so happy but also sad because I know that the phase of growing babies in my tummy is now over. I also breathe a breath of relief knowing that you are all healthy and here with me. We have had four pregnancies which have tested us in so many ways. The hours I spent laying down, the countless appointments and ultrasounds, and the journey that Damien and I have taken was all worth it because my four babies are here. I thank God that he blessed me with the big family that I always wanted. I thank God for guiding us through some very tough times and for keeping us safe. I thank God for my husband who is stronger than I ever could have imagined. I thank God for amazing family and friends who supported us through years of challenges and triumphs. And lastly- I thank Michael, Claire, Matthew and Emily for making me what I always wanted to be. Happy Mother's Day to all the amazing Moms in my life.

Claire's Extra Tooth

It all started on one February morning in 2008. Damien and I were preparing to leave for Costa Rica later that day when I noticed that Claire had a big space between her front two teeth. I questioned her and then went to look more closely and her front right baby tooth was so loose and ready to come out! It wasn't loose the day before so I was a little suspicious of the situation. After some questioning, I found out that Michael and Claire were rough housing in Matthew's crib and that somehow, Claire hit her tooth and essentially knocked it out. Well, she lost the tooth a few days later and within days, a sharp pointy tooth started growing in. Hmmm. Something wasn't right. I tried to think of different senarios which might explain the odd looking tooth! When she knocked her tooth out- did she damage the big front tooth, too? It didn't make sense! Sure enough, the tooth was not round and square like a normal big front tooth. It was long, sharp, and pointed. Admittedly, I was a bit upset about it. Claire was my only girl (at the time) and I loved her beautiful sweet and soft face. This new jagged tooth didn't really blend in so I decided to get her to the dentist to see what was going on.

When we went to the dentist, it was discovered that the jagged front tooth that grew in was most likely a mesiodens. A mesiodens is an extra tooth that sits in the gumline and comes down when it has some space. They weren't 100% sure it was a mesiodens so we had to wait six months and take some x-rays to see if there was indeed a big tooth up there. The fear of pulling the suspected mesiodens was that if it happened that the sharp tooth was just a malformed permanent tooth, Claire would have no front tooth at all! So we waited, and waited and finally decided to change dentists because her old dentist didn't think there was any rush. The new dentist suggested (after an x-ray confirmed there was a real big tooth up in there) to pull it asap as not to further damage the other big tooth waiting to come in. So that was that. We scheduled the extraction and kept Claire as calm as possible about it until it was time. (Pictured is my nephew Kyle who is holding the pulled mesiodens and who thought it was a dinosaur tooth. Isn't it huge?)

I didn't tell Claire it was time to get her tooth pulled until she got home from school. I let her know that the dentist called that afternoon and said they had a last minute appointment open to get her tooth pulled and I took it. She was immediately nervous but I urged her to stay calm and not freak out. She did just that. What an amazing little lady! I had my sister Gina watch the kids so I could give Claire my full attention. We got in the car and rode over to the dentist's office and I felt nervous, too! Something about getting your tooth pulled just doesn't sound fun! We arrived and Claire was doing pretty well. She clutched onto her stuffed panda and just tried to breathe and relax. Before we knew it- they called her back and just like that, she was gone. My mind was going crazy and I had to take a little walk. When I came back a few minutes later, the receptionist said to me, "Did you hear that? Claire just laughed because the tooth came out!" I was so relieved knowing it was over. They apparently gave her some laughing gas and a shot to numb the area. With one pull, the crazy looking mesiodens was out! She came out a few minutes later with a mouth full of gauze and a huge look of relief on her face. YEAH!!! It was out! She looks adorable with the huge hole in her mouth. I am so glad that tooth is out and I know Claire is, too. We had to be really careful with what she ate for the next 24 hours because there was a big hole in her gums. She was a great patient and we all can't wait to see her new tooth come in!

Michael's First Communion

For the entire school year, Michael's second grade class has been preparing for their First Communion. It is our first time experiencing the lead up to this sacrament so it was all new and exciting! Now that we have all four of our kids baptized, it's time to move onto a new sacrament! Both Damien and I have been surprised by how much preparation goes into getting your child through their First Communion. Sure we both went through it when we were kids- but preping as a parent of a child getting their First Communion is completely different world! It has all been worth it but it has been a lot of work. Not only do Michael and his classmates study and prepare in school, but there are also several family masses and meetings that we have been going to this year.

We opted to have him receive his First Communion today as opposed to Mother's Day weekend. My Mom, Dad, and two sisters (Laura and Gina) flew down to be with Michael on his special day! Damien's parents and a few of Michael's aunts (Lani, Heather, and Ali) and uncles (Mark and Haripal) from Damien's family also attended and I know that Michael felt very loved and supported. (So glad all of my kids look so happy in this picture. Really, it was a great day!)

The morning of the First Communion was a little bit of a rush. The ceremony started at 10:00 a.m. and Michael needed to be there at 9:30 a.m. so we were moving at a rapid pace! We got Michael all dressed up in his new suit and he was so mad at me for wanting to take some pictures. I don't blame the guy. It was a Saturday and he was exhausted. Still, the photo brigade must go on so we took a bunch of pictures despite his wishes for me to go away! (Hopefully he'll thank me later :)

The ceremony was absolutely beautiful. Michael and Claire's school does such an amazing job of making any memorable moment at the school even more special. They have everything planned out and things run so smoothly. We dropped Michael off with his classmates and it was fun to see them all dressed up. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't looking forward to dressing Claire in a beautiful white dress next year. We were all able to get seats in the packed church, which was great, and the weather was beautiful but not too hot. (There is a red arrow pointing to Michael if you enlarge the picture.)

When the kids started walking down the aisle of the church, I started to cry. How beautiful are these kids? How innocent? How excited? It made me think of Michael's beginnings (those memories are always with me) and I bowed my head in graditude to God and thanked him for giving me my son. I am so incredibly blessed to see Michael so healthy and able to receive this sacrament. Wow. Wasn't expecting that one. He was very poised during the ceremony. Every child had a chance to participate in the Mass and the program said Michael was going to help sing a song. He didn't mention a thing to me- which is pretty typical. Then out of no where, Michael and about four other classmates go up on the altar and in front of a packed church sing and sign the words to this beautiful song. Tears started streaming down my cheeks. It was beautiful. It was so unexpected. Michael looked so confident, so serious, so touched by God's grace. Damien, Michael, and I were sitting away from our families but I wish I could have seen the look on their faces and the tears welling up in their eyes, too. I was so incredibly proud of my son.

When Michael received his First Communion, I could tell he was nervous. They had the parents and children sitting near each other in the front of the church but I wasn't with Michael until we met in the aisle. With only seconds to spare, he turned to me and said 'I'm nervous'. I whispered 'You'll do great' and he did just that. It was short but sweet and so amazingly special. Michael's Godparents (Uncle Mark and Auntie Gina) were there in the church to see him through this special sacrament. I know that it meant a lot to me and Damien to have them there supporting Michael in his continuing relationship with God.

On a side note, Michael (who shares a special bond with my Dad and St. Joseph) gave my Dad a St. Joseph coin before the ceremony. He told him he bought one for both himself and for Grandpa. Michael then said that they should both put the coin in the pocket of their suits so that during his First Communion they would be connected with St. Joseph. I thought this was really cute and my Dad just loved it.

Afterwards, we all came back to our house where we had a great, relaxing party. I was nice to talk with everyone and honor Michael on this very holy day. The food was delicious and we all just enjoyed one another. God, thank you for giving us the gift of our beautiful, amazing, loving, and miraculous son. Congratulations Michael on your First Communion!