Meeting Her Great Grandmas

Emily is one lucky girl. Not only does she have two Grandmas who already got to meet her, she got to meet both of my Grandmas (her Great-Grandmas) and thy just loved seeing her! We went to visit my Nana and introduce her to her thirteenth Great Grandchild. How amazing is that! Nana was just thrilled to meet her and thought she looked very healthy, especially in the thigh area! Chubby, chubby, chubby is what she said when she first laid eyes on her! My Mom, Damien and my other three kiddos came with us and she couldn't get over how BIG everyone had gotten! Matthew was a little hesitant at first to talk but before you know it- he was jabbering on about his birthday at Chuck E. Cheese and how he had barfed (barshed) in his crib the night before. It was hilarious. It was if someone had flipped a switch on him and didn't turn it off! We had a great visit with my Nana and I know she loved seeing us, too. How incredible to have a picture of Emily as part of four generations of women on my side. On a side note, when Michael was born- we got a picture of five generations when my Great Grandma, Nettie Massa (my Nana's mom), was still with us.

Emily got to meet my other Grandma (my Dad's Mom) when we had my Dad's family over for a relaxing summer luncheon. My Grandma was so happy to meet Emily and prayed so much and so hard during my pregnancy that she would be spared an early delivery! I respect my Grandma so much and was so happy to see her and let her meet her fifth Great Grandchild. Again, we are four generations strong on my Dad's side of the family, too! Grandma was really excited to see all of my kids as she hadn't seen them since we were up around Christmas time. It was a wonderful meeting and I am looking forward to seeing her next time we travel up north.

For the record- Emily will meet Damien's Grandma and Grandpa soon to complete the new baby introductions. More to come soon!

The Space Needle Adventure

It is embarrassing to admit that I have never been to the top of the Space Needle. It is by far the most recognizable thing in Seattle and smack dab in the middle of the city. I have been to the Seattle Center which surrounds the Space Needle many many times over the years but have never taken a ride to the top! People ask me all the time, after finding out that I am from there, if I have ever been up to the top and I have hung my head ashamed and answered no! I have no real excuse. Maybe because I saw it most every day of my first eighteen years of life- it doesn't feel that special to me. Whatever the case- I needed to finally go up to the top!

The whole idea of going to Seattle Center and riding the elevator up the Space Needle came from my sister Gina who offered to play hooky from work and give the kids an experience they would never forget! My Mom decided to join us and our plan was put in place. Gina showed up to my Mom's house the next morning and told the kids about the exciting adventure she was about to take them on. They were a little bummed at first because they would have rather me stay at home with the babies so they could do more 'big kid' stuff. I can't blame them as having Emily and Matthew with us can make things more difficult. Ignoring their protest, we pushed onward. Damien was in Canada doing business and called just before we were about to leave. "You know that this is supposed to be the hottest day in Seattle history, right?" he said. No, I didn't know this but was about to experience it!

Getting downtown was no trouble at all. Our first stop of the day was the Space Needle because it was the one thing we really wanted to accomplish. When we got to the ticket counter and saw the long line to go up, I suddenly realized one of the reasons I had never ridden the elevator up. Cost per ticket? $16 for adults and $9 for kids. Seems like a lot of money to see a city in which I grew up next to! But thank goodness for Gina who persuaded me to fork over the cash all for the memory. Our 41 second elevator ride to the top was nothing short of exhilarating. At first you're thinking to yourself, Wow, this is high. But then it keeps going making you lose your balance a little. The kids, who were right next to the window of the elevator, thought it was the coolest thing ever! Claire got a little bit scared but Michael could have probably gone another 41 seconds up before he would start to panic! Once to the top- we all filed out onto the 360 degree observation deck. Basically . . . the fun stopped here. When we went out, the 103 degree heat practically knocked us over. I had Emily in her carrier, Matthew was mad he couldn't see over the railing, and Michael and Claire were cranky from the heat and the ten minute walk from the car to the Needle. My Mom, Gina, and I tried to convey to these twerps that they were on top of the Space Needle, a major landmark, and they could see for miles and miles! No cigar. Soon, they were fighting over who would look out of the telescope first and angry with me for taking so many pictures of them. Again, can't blame these poor hot little kiddos. We lasted about fifteen minutes on the observation deck before retreating inside for some AC and a couple of cool drinks. I guess what it comes down to is that we all made it up to the top of the Space Needle. Check that one off of all of our lists!

Afterwards, we got some lunch and then headed over to the many rides which encircle the Space Needle. We started in the kiddie area where my older kids rolled their eyes but Matthew's eyes grew large with delight! Michael and Claire hopped on the bumper cars while Matthew rode the Merry-go-round (horsey ride) and then the pirate ship. He has seriously told so many people about his amazing experience on these two rides! He felt like such a big boy! Once we let Matthew have his fun- we walked over to the 'big kid' area where Michael and Claire finally perked up and got excited! First ride of the day for them, the log ride with Mommy and Auntie Gina. I was in the front, Gina behind me, then the two kids. As we clicked up, up, up the steep slope- my non-existent abs failed and I flopped back onto Gina. "Sit up" she yelled through her laughs. But I couldn't. Pregnancy snatched my ab strength and instead I said to her through my own ridiculous laughter "Hold on! Don't fall back on the kids!" Luckily, Gina is a pillar of strength and saved my two oldest kids from what could have been 'the worst ride of their lives'. They loved this ride and begged us to go on the Pirate Ship afterwards. I sat with Claire on one side and Gina was with Michael on the other. Claire, being the more hesitant of the two, immediately loved the ride. She was cracking up and having a great time. I was laughing so hard that I was crying watching Michael on the opposite side of the ship smiling- only to look terrified and lose his stomach on the massive decent. Pretty fixed on Michael, I didn't realize when the happiness turned to sheer terror for Claire. That pirate ship ride can get pretty intense the higher it gets! She was so scared and more relieved than you know to have her feet on solid ground. We rode a few more rides until the heat was just too much. It was so ridiculously hot and we knew we needed to go home and get the babies out of the heat.

My Mom, with one last burst of energy, ran over to a vending cart and bought all the kids cotton candy and a soda. I am not lying when I tell you that within two minutes of taking the cotton candy out of the plastic bag- it melted. Now listen. I have never met a cotton candy that I didn't like and not even I could eat or chew the cotton candy. The heat turned it into a strange consistency and we had to toss them.

A big thank you to my sissy for coming up with a great outing for me and my kids to Seattle. I am now proud to say that I have been to the top of the Space Needle. And I know as my kids grow older- they too will thank Gina as well for the amazing experience!

Leaving for Leavenworth

Our original plan for our trip up to Washington was to lay low. We planned on staying local and just doing little outings here and there. Well, one morning when we were sitting out on my parents deck- we thought about possibly heading over to Lake Chelan (one our favorite Washington vacation destinations) for the weekend. After some thought- we realized that it just wouldn't work. After thinking about getting away for a few days, we decided that we might try and spend two days in Leavenworth. Leavenworth is about two hours east of my parents house and is such a cute little German town. The entire town is Bavarian themed and is so cute. The shopping there is plentiful and we knew that if we made the effort to get away for a few days, it would be well worth it!

Leavenworth is nestled between beautiful mountains and is very quaint and serene. We found a great little hotel just about a ten minute walk away from the main drag that had everything we needed and wanted! The hotel had it's own mini golf course, a swimming pool, an arcade, a movie theatre and a restaurant which meant that we really didn't have to leave the resort if we didn't want to! This was the first time we were going to spend the night in a hotel room with four kids. Although it went well, it was crazy! Michael and Claire shared a bed, Matthew slept on a special bed on the floor (blankets and a pillow made to look cool even though it wasn't) and Damien and I shared the other bed. Of course, little baby was a tad bit fussy so we ended up sleeping in a recliner. You gotta do what you gotta do! In the end- all that mattered was that we were successful and it made it less intimidating to think of staying in a hotel room in the future!

On the first day we were there- we checked in and then headed into town. It was so flipping hot, a scorching 106 degrees, which makes it hard to have a little baby out of an air conditioned room. I kept pouring water on her and stripped her down in hopes of keeping her cool enough. We went through many of the hundreds of shops in town and then retreated to an air conditioned restaurant which was exactly what we all needed. After some more shopping and subsequent eating loads of salt water taffy- we went back to the hotel for some swim time. The kids had an absolute blast! Damien took them in the pool and everyone enjoyed to refreshing break. Michael and Claire have turned into quite the independent swimmers after a refresher course of swim lessons earlier this summer. Now the handful is Matthew who still doesn't understand water safety but is getting better. Nonna, Grandpa, Emily and I sat under an umbrella while Damien, Laura, Jill and the kids swam the evening away.

The next morning after a complimentary Bavarian breakfast buffet, we promised the kids we would hit the arcade and the golf course. Matthew must have asked once every fifteen minutes when we were going to golf! What an awesome hotel to offer so much for kids! The miniature golf was really fun, even though it was so hot outside. It was amazing to just look around at the beauty surrounding this little town. Matthew got his fill of golfing and even my parents came out and shot a few holes! Grandpa graciously gave the kids a load of tokens for the arcade which provided the kids with a lot of tickets which they then used to get lots of candy. I was going to put a limit on the candy but then I figured- 'Hey, we are on vacation!' We went into town once more and then decided it was time to head home.

It was a short two day stay- but it was awesome! I would definitely go back again and the kids are already asking if we can go back to the hotel next summer! Having four kids isn't too intimidating to me. But when we get out of our comfort zone, it certainly takes some time to figure out our new flow. We survived the car ride, stayed overnight in a hotel, had TONS of fun, and managed to maneuver through a vacation town despite the ridiculously hot temperature. And to think we were only on day #6 of our trip up north!

Bellevue Arts and Crafts Fair

Maybe I am a nerd (a real possibility) but I love most kinds of fairs. It can be a county fair, a 4-H fair, a state fair, a science fair (okay, not really), or an arts and crafts fair. I love the atmosphere, the food, the rides, and discovering new little trinkets that I just have to buy! Every summer in Bellevue, WA- they host an amazing fair that I just love going to. It just so happened that we were going to be visiting my family when it was happening! The fair consists of lots of artists selling their wares. You can find beautiful canvases, paintings, clothing, sweet knick knacks, and so much more! And to top it off- they have an amazing kids area where my kids could use their creativity and imagination.

While we are in Washington, we are experiencing a pretty big heat wave. Think mid nineties and humidity all mixed together. It was a hot day at the Bellevue Arts and Crafts Fair but so beautiful, too! We started roaming through the blocks upon blocks of artistry and were immediately drawn to this gentleman who was selling his photographs of Italy and France. They were unbelievable. I would've looked more intently if I had any chance of bringing a giant painting home but I thought about how many bags we had in the airport already and knew that if I came back to my Mom's with a giant canvas- Damien might disown me! I had to peel my family away from this booth and continue on our way. For a few years now- I have been searching for a certain kind of glass ball. My Mom has a few and I just love them but they are so hard to find! Well- I found them! It is about seven inches in diameter and it is just perfect. I will have to pack this to go home but it is so worth it. Damien has been searching for this holy grail and I knew he would be happy I had found the one I wanted!

After eating some delicious Thai food, we continued onward and headed over to the Bellevue Arts Museum where they had the kids area. When we were approaching the museum- we saw blocks of brightly decorated pavement where kids and artists, too had taken sidewalk chalk and made their own creations. The kids loved seeing the hundreds of pieces of chalk just sitting on the ground waiting to be used! Inside the museum, they got to make their own sock puppets and then weigh them and name them as if they had just created a little sock baby! Michael named his two baby socks Ferb and Mitchell. They tipped the scales at 2 ounces each! It was hilarious! Claire enjoyed playing with the giant bubble wands while Matthew was captivated by the tubs full of uncooked rice (to pour and play with). They had an earthworm exhibit where the kids could hold and play with them. Michael was up looking at them and I thought I should bring Matthew up there too. For the record, I hate snakes. Earthworms by nature are a little too similar to my biggest nemesis so I was nervous to see them. When I got close and saw how nasty and big the worms were, I let out a tiny squeal which elicited a dirty look from the woman manning the station. She said to me, "Some of us have fears that we don't necessarily want to pass onto others." She was right. But seriously- who plays with earthworms anyway?

It was growing increasingly hot and Emily needed to go home so we wrapped up the afternoon by eating some of the delicious desserts from the fair. Michael chose some chocolate dipped strawberry concoction on a kabob, Claire opted for an elephant ear, and Matthew chose a $2 grape Popsicle I could have purchased at the store for 25 cents. We all had a blast, I found my glass ball, and I really hope to be able to go again next year!

Face to Face

My family has seen Emily in tons of pictures. We have even Skyped a few times and they got to see her moving around and being loved thanks to modern day technology. However, there is nothing like seeing someone in person and being able to establish a person to person connection. She is so loved by my family and yet, they hadn't met her yet. My family was not only looking forward to seeing Emily, but they were looking forward to smooching her, touching her, and holding her. I knew they just couldn't wait to get their hands on her. My Mom and Gina had already met her but the rest of the clan was just waiting to get their first glimpse!

The first night we were there, the weather was absolutely gorgeous. The kids frolicked in the backyard and went in the swimming pool. I just soaked up the moment and was so happy I was finally home. It had been a long time. Auntie Nannie was officially the 'baby hog' of the trip. If she had an opportunity to hold Emily- she did. She would steal her out of other people's arms and suddenly the two would disappear to the back of house until we would realize they were missing.

Auntie Jilly and Kyle were also excited to meet their newest cousin/niece. Kyle was just the sweetest to Emily and she seemed to always be such a bright spot in his day. Bey-bey he would yell and come running when she was in the room. It was just too cute! And I have never seen him be so gentle. Kyle was so good to her and so was Jilly, who couldn't help herself and bought Emily her first bikini!

And last but NOT least, was Auntie Laura who is just the best with babies. She is the best Auntie in the world and just adored Emily! She talked to her as Emily played, held her and rocked her, and just took in the sounds and the sights of her new baby niece. It was adorable. Laura has told everyone she knows about Emily and I am sure had some kind of countdown until she got to meet her. I know that all the waiting paid off for Laura because she had the look of pure bliss on her face everytime she was around her baby.

All in all, the first meetings were everything I had hoped for. I loved seeing my Dad hold her and talk to her, I melted when my Mom saw Emily again (it had been 5 weeks since she had last seen her), and loved watching Gina walk her around and calm her down. My family is wonderful with babies and I was so happy that Emily could feel the love from them. And it was only day one!

Emily's First Flight

We haven't been back to Kirkland since December because of my strict 'no fly' orders with Emily's pregnancy. I was so excited to book flights for the entire family so we would be able to spend two weeks relaxing with my family. Let me just start out that packing for a baby is TOTALLY different than packing for a toddler or an adult. You need so many things for a baby- it's incredible! I started packing two days before we left so that I could minimize the 'stress factor'. Before I knew it- we were packed and ready to go!

We needed to come up with a new 'airport strategy' now that we have four kids in tow. We brought the double stroller which held Emily and Matthew's car seat, all the kids pulled their own bag, and Damien carried the three other bags, computer bag, and diaper bag. We looked like a traveling circus but made it to the check baggage counter successfully! Just when we thought we had it all figured out, Emily blew out of her outfit twice in the terminal which thankfully- we found humorous. The biggest surprise of the whole flight was Matthew. The last time he flew was last December which would have made him just shy of two years old. Basically, he forgot what it was like to ride on an airplane and thought it was just the coolest thing . . . until he passed out for nearly the entire two hour flight. Michael and Claire were a piece of cake on the airplane (as usual) and Emily didn't make a peep either, only waking to eat once and poop out of her outfit. I was so happy when we touched down. We had made it without any issues and my family was about to meet my newest little girl!

Competitive Tooth Losing

Tonight was absolutely insane. We are leaving tomorrow for my Mom's house for two weeks and have so much packing to do! Damien's parents came down to help us out and also wanted us to go out for our anniversary (although a few weeks early). Earlier in the day- I took Claire into the doctor because she has had this nagging hacking cough for almost a month! Luckily, the doctor said that it isn't really a cold anymore but instead, inflammation in her lungs. He prescribed for her an anti-inflammatory medication which would calm her lung irritation down. They warned me to give it to her a few hours before bedtime as it can cause a child to be super hyperactive. Well, I forgot. Damien and I went out for dinner and when we got home, I remembered she needed her meds and gave them to her. The kids were getting ready for bed when Michael mentioned to Damien that his front tooth was really loose and bothering him. Damien told him he really needed to wiggle it and get it out to make room for the big tooth behind it. This piqued Claire's interest and she came over to see how wiggly Michael's tooth was. She then showed us that her front tooth was loose. Yes, it was loose but no where close to being ready to come out. Claire started running around the house like a crazy lady and we knew the medicine had hit her hard! I told them to go to bed because we had a big day of flying ahead of us. We said prayers with them, turned the lights out, and enjoyed the peace and quiet . . . for a while. About fifteen minutes later, Claire called us into her room and said "Feel my tooth now!" I turned on the light and noticed that she had a little blood on her nose and face. Still totally hyper, she sat up and I wiggled her tooth that was now literally hanging on by a few threads. I couldn't believe it! Well, ya I could. Between the hyperactive medication and Claire's competitiveness- she was dangerous!

We brought her into the kitchen to take a better look and Michael soon came down from his bunk bed after hearing all of the commotion to see what was going on. When Damien asked Claire if she wanted him to pull her tooth out, she said yes. A minute later, she was crying saying she didn't want it pulled out because she was too scared. We explained that she had worked her tooth to the point where if we didn't pull it out- she might lose it in her sleep and swallow it! She agreed and 'Daddy the Tooth Puller' came to her rescue and pulled out her front left tooth. Phew. That was over. But then, Michael toyed with the idea of having Damien pull his tooth out, too! This was nuts! Now it was ten at night, I wasn't totally packed, and here we are debating losing teeth in the kitchen! Michael would get up the courage to have it pulled, and then decided not to do it. Then decide to do it, then decide not to do it. Finally, I said he needed to make a choice because we all needed to go to bed! Michael decided to go ahead with the extraction and Damien got into position. Michael's baby teeth are really small so it was hard for Damien to get a good grip on it. The first pull slipped a bit but made it so much more accessible to be pulled. With one big tug, Michael's tooth was out and there were happy tears from both Michael and Claire. I couldn't believe that in one night- they both lost a front tooth! Chalk it up to big growth spurts and a little hyper induced craziness. We created a busy night for the tooth fairy!

The whole time this was going on, Matthew looked confused at his older siblings (see top picture). I don't even think he knew that you could lose teeth. He was really curious and loved looking at their little white teeth. I had to explain to him that he couldn't try and get his teeth out until he was a big boy like Michael. Hopefully he won't pull a Claire and try and lose teeth prematurely! Man, I wonder what all of this will be like for Emily when she grows up! It sounds weird, but this is the craziness I love with having four kids. Sure, there is a lot of commotion around here sometimes, but it sure is a lot of fun, too!

Pure Imagination

What happens when you take away all screens from your kids? Screens meaning TV, Nintendo DS, and computers. They use their imagination. Go figure! Michael and Claire kept bugging each other all day today and kept tattling on one another and after and hour of this- I took away all screens. We really loosen up in the summertime when it comes to TV and video games. Especially this summer with a new baby in the house! But on this particular day- I had had enough. At first they were just mad at me for the punishment I gave them and then it grew really quiet. No fighting, no complaining, no tattling. It was music to my ears! Of course I grew suspicious of the peacefulness and went looking for Michael and Claire to see what they were up to! I opened Claire's room and found them playing together and completely decked out to go on their imaginary airplane! It was awesome! They had put on new outfits, packed their backpacks with tons of stuff (think tropheys and fake food), and were playing nicely together which was so wonderful. My favorite thing about their outfits was seeing Claire wearing one batting glove!

I find that at times- it is so easy to put the kids in from of the television to watch a show or movie. It provides me with a much needed relief from kids hanging all over me! However, I also find that this temporary relief sometimes leads to a different problem- lethargic, lazy kiddos who have no urge to go outside or use their imagination! This 'no screens' punishment was a great reminder to me that even though it is summer- I need to get these kids moving and away from the television!

Saturday's Best?

I am not even sure how to start this post because my heart is still hurting from this hilarious story! To clarify, today is Saturday. To further educate you on this situation, my beautiful Michael dreads Sunday mornings because of church and having to get dressed. I was up early this morning with Emily and enjoying sipping my coffee while goo-goo gaa-gaaing with her. I heard a small voice from the back of the house and realized that Matthew was up and wanted to get out of his crib. I put my coffee down and walked into the boys room quietly as not to wake Michael who was still sleeping. With Emily in one arm, I used the other arm to hoist Matthew out of his crib and started to tip-toe out of the room. "Mom, I'm up.", Michael said in a scratchy voice. I walked over to the top bunk where he was all nuzzled in his Spiderman comforter and said good morning. "Man, I don't want to get dressed this morning. I hate getting dressed in the morning!", Michael exclaimed. I really didn't think anything about what he had said. I just thought he was being regular 'morning Michael'. Then suddenly- he whipped off his comforter and there Michael was- all dressed in his Sunday's Best ready for church. "I got ready all by myself and am ready for Mass!" he said. My heart sunk. I smiled immediately because I realized Michael had gotten dressed all by himself, belt, buttons and all. But is was Saturday, not Sunday. He was still smiling proudly at me and I wondered what I should do? Should I tell him right now that it is Sunday or wait a while and let him feel good about his accomplishment? I decided to just go ahead and tell him. When I told him, he just stared at me. He didn't say anything but he just stared at me in disbelief. Then he got down from his bunk and went into the family room to watch cartoons with his siblings. He wore his Sunday's best for about two more hours before he changed into some comfy clothes and never mentioned for the rest of the day his little mistake.

I thought it was hilarious. Kinda sad, but nonetheless absolutely hilarious! Michael has fought us on dressing himself in church clothes for a long time and wouldn't you know that the week he decides to be independent- he messes up on the day? I loved the fact that he did it all on his own and told him all day how much I appreciated his effort. Just maybe next time- make sure you have your days right!

Claire & Her Canvas

It was one of those days when I looked at my kids- who were pretty darn bored, and realized that we all needed to get out of the house for a while. Without thinking too much, I declared it 'Art Day'. "Hey, let's go to Michael's Craft Store and you can all pick out an art project today!", I told them. Claire and Matthew were both really excited but Michael was mad because he would've rather stayed home to play his Nintendo DS (Can't blame him, either. Who wants to do art projects when you can spend a lazy summer day playing video games! Tough!!!) I love projects. I am not sure if it started with the way my Mom occupied the five of us with different projects to get us through the day- but I am usually up to any project (unless it has to do with weeding or laundry).

All of my kids are pretty artistic and creative so I knew that they would all enjoy a distraction from our monotonous day! While at Michael's, the kids bounced around from aisle to aisle declaring they had found their art project only to see something bigger and better. I let them roam around for about twenty minutes and then told them to make their final choices. In the end, Michael abandoned some pretty cool art supplies for a small egg of silly putty (which he did play with for the whole rest of the day until I found it that night completely thinned out on a blanket which necessitated me throwing it away before it attacked my carpets!) Claire opted for a canvas which was on sale and some paints to go with it. Matthew wanted an Ice Age coloring book and some new pens. Done and done.

While all the kids played with their new items, it was Claire who sat diligently at the counter painting her masterpiece. I was making dinner at the time so I got to really see how she approached her design. I had to resist telling her Claire touch up that spot on the sun, etc. When you have small kids, you kind of have to guide them through things. I have to remember to back off sometimes from the older kids and just let them do their thing. Claire must of sat at the counter for two hours perfecting her painting. I loved watching her analyze what she had made and certainly loved the look of pure satisfaction she had on her face when she was done.

You know, sometimes- you have to remember to do something new and different for your kids. Getting out of the house these days with four kids (emphasis on the one month old who is completely unpredictable in the car/world) can be difficult. However, I have been really pleased with myself when I go the extra yard, no matter how crazy it is, to get out and do something special for myself or my family. I am sure that every time I look at Claire's canvas hanging in her room I will be reminded of the crazy times I had during Emily's first month. While Claire created a painting that reflects her imagination and interests at the age of six, she too created a piece of art that will for many years, remind me of the crazy life I was living at the time, too.

My Angels

I know that I cannot get through my pregnancies all by myself. In order to be successful- I need a whole slew of people who support me to be able to make it close to full term. While I know that I can count on my family and friends- I could not do this without my doctor. Let me first start off by saying she is brilliant. Not only was she committed to my high-risk pregnancy, her support and encouragement propelled me to get as far as I got. By profession, she is an OBGYN but she is also a talented vaginal surgeon. This is one of the reasons I was so adamant about her placing my cerclage because she is so confident when working with that area. Some doctors are hesitant to place the cerclage deep enough into the tissue- but because she is very well versed with this area, she was able to be aggressive with her cerclage placement which allowed me to get through this pregnancy without official bedrest. Amazing!!!

One thing I loved about my doctor was her bright outlook on my pregnancy. On my weekly visits- she always greeted me with an encouraging smile and would cheer for me that I made it to 18 weeks, 19 weeks, 25 weeks, 30 weeks, etc. No week was not worth celebrating as she knew how stressful and difficult it was for me to get through those seven days. She understood how much I needed to feel like I had accomplished something and for her encouragement- I am truly grateful. I was so happy that she was able to deliver both Matthew and Emily. She is so calm, so wonderful during the high-stress moments of birth and worked well with my natural childbirths. She understood that I needed quiet and calm instructions and was a big part of my success with my births.

I am sad that I won't be seeing her on a weekly basis anymore. As happy as I am to say goodbye to pregnancy, I will miss the weekly visits with her and all the staff in the office. For nine months- that office was like family to me. Like they say- when one door closes, another opens. I am taking this all in stride and moving on with my life and celebrating the fact that I am in such a better place now. Sure, I might see almost every hour in the middle of the night with Emily- but it sure beats watching the hours tick by while laying on the couch. And did I mention that I get to look at my beautiful baby girl all day, too? I will forever be thankful to Dr. Kilkenny (Totman). She took me under her wing after I had come back from France with no faith in the medical profession. When I met her, I was a scared 25 year old who had just been through the emotional trama of having a micro-preemie in a foreign country. She told me I could trust her and she never went back on her promise. She was there for me through Claire, Matthew, and Emily's pregnancies and made my dream of having a big family, which I thought was impossible after finding out I had an incompetent cervix, a reality.

I believe that throughout your life, certain people come along and lift you from your problems and worries like angels. She certainly is an angel who came along and changed my life. Thank you, thank you, thank you God for sending her to me when I needed her the most. When I look at Michael, Claire, Matthew, and Emily- I know I am so very blessed. I may not see my doctor on a weekly basis anymore, but I certainly think of her every time I look at the family she helped Damien and me create.

So . . . You're Staying?

It seems that the major 'adjustment period' is over and now everyone is just settling into their place in the family. All of my fears of Matthew feeling displaced have subsided and we are carrying on like we did before Emily joined us! It took us a while to figure out our flow because I gave birth to Emily on the first day of Michael and Claire's summer vacation. Once I brought her home, it was a little overwhelming to have all the kids home all the time but after a few days of figuring things out- it was great. In the long run, having Michael and Claire home all day was the very best thing for Matthew. While Matthew was trying to get used to having a new baby in the house, he also enjoyed playing with his brother and sister who usually were in school all day.

Only a few things have changed in terms of the kids behavior since Emily has arrived. Most of these behavioral changes have happened because I have been too busy to follow through with my normal expectations/rules for the kids. For instance, if I tell one of the kids not to do something and they do it again, I usually follow through with some kind of punishment (i.e. time out, taking away their Nintendo DS for Michael and Claire) to keep consistent. Now that I am so much busier with four kids, I have been more inconsistent which means that my kids are testing my limits and not being as well behaved. We've watched a lot more television/movies than normal, I have a larger threshold for the kids craziness, and I am constantly giving the kids third and fourth chances as opposed to first or second chances. All of this not a huge concern of mine but it does make the day a bit more difficult! We are trying to enjoy the rest of the summer and not worry too much about the few behavioral hiccups we've encountered as a result of adding another baby to our family. It will work itself out as we gain some more order to our lives as school starts in a little over a month. Until then, I will trade some 'not so good behavior' in return for not having to pack lunches, wash school uniforms, and make sure homework is done. This summer has been a lot of fun. We haven't traveled a lot or done any major outings yet. But one thing we have done is survived the first month of a newborn successfully and for that, I am thankful.

Picture Perfect

Tonight, Damien had a soccer game and I contemplated taking all of the kids to watch him play. I knew it would be pretty crazy to keep track of them all but I also knew that they would have an absolute blast running around outside on a beautiful warm evening. I fed the kids dinner and then loaded them all up and away we went. Michael, Claire, and Matthew were so thrilled to see Daddy running around and giggled when he occasionally waved to them. I was happy to be out and about- enjoying the fresh air while feeling pretty accomplished since I managed to get us all to the game in one piece! After watching them run around, kick the soccer ball we brought, and having to keep a watchful eye on Matthew who kept running a little too close to the street- I told them to sit and watch the game for a while. They all sat together and I plopped Emily down on Matthew's lap and wouldn't you know I got the most adorable picture of them. Everyone looking natural, all eyes on the camera, no hitting, kicking, or teasing- just sweet beautiful children looking happy to be with one another. I love this picture. My first picture of the kids where it isn't at a special event or where one of them isn't crying, looking the wrong way, picking their nose . . . you catch my drift.

We had a great night out together watching Damien play soccer, followed by a marathon epsiode of watching the kids play on the toys. Barely one month ago, we added Emily into our already crazy family and now that we have gotten a little practice with having four kids, we are able to continue like we did before she was born. We are loving life with our four children and by the looks on their faces in this picture, they are loving their life and their new little sister, too.

Emily Is 1 Month Old!

Emily's first month has been wonderful. We transitioned into life with a new baby with an ease about us and knew that no matter what happened- we would just make it work. No sense in getting all stressed out and wasting her precious first days! Our experience in parenting three other children really helped us have a great start with Emily. We knew that approaching most every situation with patience was going to help us be successful with her. We tried as best we could to just go with the flow rather than try and worry about a real schedule. When traversing the bumps in the road that we encountered during Emily's first month- we tried to move forward cautiously but without stress. Knowing that Emily is our last baby- we don't want to waste a minute of her life sweating the small stuff! Time goes by too quickly and I just want to soak up every ounce of her sweetness so that when I look back at her first days, weeks, and months- I know that I enjoyed every little bit of her.

So how is our sweet little girl doing? She is doing wonderfully! During her first few weeks, she was quiet and slept a lot. We have been thrilled, however, that she is now more awake and enjoy watching her stare into our eyes and discover so many new things. She is responding more to noises and Emily loves to hear me talk to her. If someone else is holding her and she hears me talking, she will slowly look around the room until she finds me. What a big girl!!! She doesn't mind being held and passed around the room which is a good thing because she has a lot of family! She is doing a great job sleeping. She does spend many hours napping in our arms, but also does a great job during the day sleeping in her bassinet. For those of your that know me- it should come as no surprise that she is sleeping with me at night. I love it! We snuggle together all night long and it is just the best!


As you can see- Emily is really starting to chub up! At her one month appointment, she weighted 9 lbs. 4 oz. She had a rough start with her weight gain during her first two weeks and was down a pound at her two week appointment. After some tweaking, she quickly started to gain weight and is now on a great weigh gain trend. None of my other kids had this problem but luckily- we have figured out a good plan for Emily and she is flourishing now. During the last two weeks, she has gained over two pounds and is making up for lost time! She eats every 2 1/2 to 3 hours during the day and eats every 3-4 hours at night. We are all managing quite well. I get enough sleep at night between feeds which is good because I have been pretty calm during the day with my other kids. We all know what it is like to be sleep deprived and possessed! Well, maybe not all of us but I do!


Physically, I am amazed by Emily's strength. She is holding her head up a lot and when she is laying on her tummy- she is able to lift her head up and turn her head from side to side. She loves to lay on her back and have someone talk to her. She responds by kicking her legs and moves her arms around like she is swimming. She still startles from time to time when she is on her back which always makes me so sad! That classic newborn reaction to feeling like they are not secure after being so tightly wrapped up in the belly. I am loving her slow facial movements, her long blinks, her sweet little peek-a-boo tongue, her lips which makes so many different shapes, and her fingers which always look like they are trying to grab something in slow motion. Her hair is still brown, her eyes are still that steel/gray blue, and her coloring is still beautifully olive. She is so pretty! Of course, I am biased!

One month ago, I didn't know Emily and today- I can't find a moment in my day when I am not thinking about her. She has blessed us all with her sweetness and my other kids just absolutely love her. At night, when Damien and I have put the other kids to sleep- we often find ourselves just staring at her. She is amazing. She was worth all the work. She is here and we have adored the past month with her. We love you Emily!!!

"Her Name?"

Matthew is one inquisitive kiddo. He asks a lot of questions and is constantly on a mission to try and figure out how things work. I refer to him a lot as an 'observer' because if he isn't asking how things work, he will just watch you make it work and figure it out on his own. He has been obsessed for a long time with these Disney Storytale Books we have that contain about twenty-five different Disney stories in them. He calls them his 'Biggie Books'. We have three of these books and he can sit for about thirty minutes at a time and flip pages and look at the pictures. For a long time, he would bring the books to me and point to a picture because he wanted to know what a certain character's name was. I would answer, "Aladdin, Ariel, Tinkerbell" and he would listen to me tell him their name and go back to reading the book. Within a few days, Matthew started coming back to me and asking, "Name?" and I would go through the same process. This 'process' became tedious and I would tell Matthew, "Go ask Claire what her name is." Sure enough he would go ask his sister for the information he needed. Soon, Matthew's curiosity carried over to things outside of the book. He would bring me one of Claire's dolls and ask, "Her name?" He moved from dolls and characters to household items. What is hilarious is that he would bring me a fork and say, "Her name?" This little naming game has now turned into the way he asks for the name of anything. My Mom and sister had to laugh when he started saying it to them because it sounds so funny to see Matthew holding a Lego and then hear him say, "Her name?" If Matthew brings something to me and I don't know the name, he will always respond "I ask Rawr (Claire) her name."

I love when kids say things the incorrect way. I love the little hitches in their speech and don't want to correct them because it is so cute! Michael used to call Claire 'Hi' when she was a baby because we used to tell him, "Say hi to your sister" and he just thought that her name was 'Hi'. Damien still wishes he calls her 'Hi'. Claire was the queen of misnaming things and saying things in the cutest way. We used to call her mush mouth because you could barely decipher one word from the next. For some reason, she used to call cheeseburgers 'cheese-yats'. I still don't get this one but it used to make me smile so big!! Matthew is pretty good with this communication skills. So far, he doesn't have a lot of mistakes in his speech and when he develops more of them, I won't want to fix them because we all know that by the time they are in Kindergarten- they pretty much have language all figured out. Now, I am not sure how Emily will do because she is my last baby and I am sure I will want to stretch her 'baby phase' out as long as I possibly can. I know that my sister Natalie, who was the baby girl of five girls, still said Burber King when she was in the fifth grade. Do I want it to go that far? Not so much. But I still will bask in my kids saying silly things wrong because it just reminds me that they are little kids. And kids grow up so fast. I need to figure out how to slow this aging process down!!!

Emily's Due Date

Due dates for me don't really mean anything. My doctor never really cares about my due date while I am pregnant and I don't really see the date as significant because I know that chances are- I'll never make it there! Emily came three and a half weeks early, just like her brother Matthew. Claire came two weeks early and Michael- well let's just say he barely missed his due date by three and a half months. While I never really focus on the due date of my babies- it is always strange for me to hold my baby on their due date and to think that this was the day that they would've been fully cooked!

I look at my beautiful Emily and cannot imagine if I had to wait until today to meet her. The past three and half weeks have been so wonderful with her. We have been working on figuring each other out. She is learning so much about the world around her while I try and decipher each and every noise she makes so I can best take care of her. I stare at her all day long and thank God for giving me such a precious miracle. She is perfect. Sometimes in the past I have felt down about my troublesome pregnancies. All the work, the worry, and the waiting can really be a burden. Yet maybe a special surprise, a little gift for all of this hard work, is getting to meet my babies a little early and to get out of being pregnant for another three to four weeks!

When we found out we were pregnant with Baby #4 way back in October, I can't believe that this baby, my Emily, was the one who we were waiting for. I think back to the butterfly movements she made at fifteen weeks that let me feel the life inside my body for the first time. I think back to the nightly kicking shows she put on in my tummy and how she loved to kick her Daddy while he slept too. I loved the hiccups she would have, the rolling movements that made me feel like she was trying to get out, the many times I saw her heartbeat on the ultrasound screen and the times she amazed her soon-to-be siblings with a giant kick or punch that sent them swirling into hysterical laughter. And to think that all along- it was Emily. All that time, my little girl was waiting to grow big and strong enough to join us in this great big world where she would be constantly embraced by the love of all of her family and friends. Happy due date Emily. We sure are glad we got a sneak peek of you!

4th of July

Happy Fourth of July!!! So much can happen in one year. As you might recall, last Fourth we were in London, England with Damien's brother and his family and this year- we are at home with another baby and a lot more on our plate! We really didn't have a lot planned for the Fourth for obvious reasons. We had originally thought that we would either have some friends over for a BBQ or just hang out as a family.

On Wednesday night- I got a phone call from my sister Gina at about 9:30 p.m. She asked me to go onto my email and look at a picture she sent me and to be honest- I was tired and didn't want to do it. I went on there and there was a picture of her by my front door. It took a few seconds to click and then I realized that GINA WAS HERE! She flew in from Seattle and she and Damien managed to totally surprise me and I couldn't have been happier. I was so happy she could meet Emily but also happy she would be here for the Fourth of July!

On the morning of the Fourth, we went to a great little hometown parade in Santa Clara. It was such a great parade for the kids! It was done on a smaller stage than the big parade in downtown San Jose, we could find a shady spot to watch the parade, the kids got to be right up front to see all the floats and performers come by, and it was all over within an hour. It was perfect! We all had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!

Afterward the parade, we went to Psycho Donuts which isn't really patriotic but was a lot of fun. They have the most eclectic mix of donuts and the kids had such a blast picking out their favorite. Michael chose a donut covered in chocolate, peanut butter, and nutter butters, Claire chose a glazed donut with fruit loops on the top, Matthew chose an apricot donut, I opted for the rice krispie treat donut, and Damien got donut fries and a maple chocolate donut that was by far my favorite. It was a really fun activity for the whole family!

A few days before the Fourth, I spent $17 dollars- yes $17 dollars on a package of pop-it blowers from Target (you know the ones where you pull the string and confetti comes out). I wanted the kids to have some kind of 'firework' activity since fireworks are banned in our county. Damien thought they were actually real fireworks and was devastated to learn that they weren't! He immediately got online and looked up where he could purchase fireworks because our county doesn't sell them. Sure enough, he found out where he could get some which was only twenty minutes away and loaded the kids in the car and tracked them down!

We had a great BBQ dinner with our family, Gina, Heather, Fr. Art, and Ali. When we started the firework show later that night- our neighbors came over to witness Damien in all of his pyro splendor! I must say- the fireworks were actually really good. The kids LOVED them! Matthew referred to some of the fireworks as 'Good Guys' and others as 'Bad Guys'. He even said one was 'Grinchy'! Emily was completely unfazed by all of the explosions while Michael and Claire thought the whole expereince was so cool! Overall, we had a great day and were happy to be in the USA celebrating to the fullest!