A-Pear-Antly

Apparently, I don't know how to eat a pear. Luckily, Matthew does! We both ate this deliciously juicy fruit tonight and he told me that I didn't do it the right way. "No eat it yite that!" At first I didn't understand what he meant- that is until Damien found his pear in the family room after Matthew went to bed. We laughed and laughed at Matthew's interesting approach to enjoying his pear. You gotta love it! Aren't kids the best? They take something so expected, such as the approach to eating a pear, and turn it into something unexpected. I think Matthew is on to a new art form!

La Festa

I LOVE the neighborhood where we live. There is always something going on. Bright and early in the morning I see people running by our house on their way to the trail. While I clean up dinner and wash dishes, I can glance out my window and watch people enjoy their after dinner stroll. The energy here is good and the neighborhood in which we live is amazing. Lincoln Avenue, which is just a few minute walk away, has special events all year long. The avenue is full of quaint little stores and some excellent restaurants. It has an old town feel with contemporary touches and I love it.

This weekend was the Italian Festival. I was excited to venture down there to enjoy the sounds and the sights- but mostly the tastes! Immediately- Michael gravitated toward the calamari stand and couldn't wait to sink his teeth into some delicious squid. Michael, although Irish looking on the outside, LOVES Italian cuisine. Not just pasta and good bread but the more authentic food. He loves a good fried squid and actually prefers the pieces with the tentacles (as opposed to the little calamari rings). I love watching him eat it, too. This kid has always given me a headache with his complaints over eating but he can put away a whole basket full of calamari. God love him! It was a gorgeous night as we strolled down the street listening to an old Italian man play the mandolin. We ate canolis, calamari, pasta, chicken parmesan, sausage sandwiches and gelato. The kids were fascinated by the music and the people and digesting that this festival was about them and their own Italian roots.

It is strange to share my Italian heritage with my children but not my husband. Same goes for him when speaking of his Irish roots. I am the only one in the house who isn't Irish. Although Damien and I don't share our dominant heritages, we have both adapted to them and in many ways consider them our own. The Italian Festa was better than I could have imagined it to be. I want to bring my kids there every year to see, taste, and breathe the amazing Italian culture so they understand where they are rooted. I look forward to loading them all up in a plane years from now to bring them to Italy so they can see for themselves the beauty that country holds. Until then, I will continue to give them access to anything that might help them understand where they come from. It was a beautiful night on Lincoln Avenue. Can't wait until next year . . .

Addictions to Mom and Chocolate

Emily is growing increasingly aware of the world around her. She responds to certain sounds, and voices and is getting to know us which is so exciting!!! My favorite thing right now is that she watches me wherever I go. She will find me in a crowded room and just stare at me with those big beautiful eyes. I JUST LOVE IT!!! She manages to wiggle herself into position to see me and it melts my heart. It brings such a smile to my face when I turn around and see those eyes staring at me! When I was a baby, my Nana loved my eyes. She used to say that my eyes looked like 'two burnt holes in a blanket'. Now that I right that- I realize it sounds a little weird but I know what she was saying and it is a common phrase in my family. I had big brown eyes and she couldn't get over how cute I was. No modesty here! Emily's eyes aren't brown but they are still so big and beautiful. Right now her eyes are a beautiful shade of blue. I suspect (and I could be wrong) that her eyes will do the same as Claire and Matthew's did which is start blue and turn to green but we'll see! Nevertheless, they are beautiful!

I have wanted to put this picture on my blog for a while now. See- while Emily seems to be addicted to looking at me, my husband is addicted to chocolate. Full fledged chocoholic here! He loves chocolate so much that he will go to most any length to get his fix! This picture was taken back in June when Emily was just a few weeks old. I was taking a shower and came into the kitchen to see Damien almost finished making a batch of his famous chocolate chip cookies with Emily balanced on his shoulder. What a guy! Making cookies while holding a newborn. For any of you that know me, multi-tasking is my middle name! So to see Damien in action, multi-tasking to the fullest, was just priceless! I hope you enjoy this picture as much as I do!!!

First Day of School

First day of school! First day of school! The kids were really looking forward to starting school this year. With Emily being born on the first day of summer vacation, we definitely had a lot of time at home to relax and unwind. By the end of the summer, I think all of us were looking forward to some structure- some kind of schedule to get us through our days. We had a blast school supply shopping where the kids brought their supply lists and did a scavenger list of sorts to find what they needed. I hit up the uniform store and got all of the necessary pieces to make sure they were ready. The one thing I didn't do was plan to be in the hospital with Emily when school started. This proved to make things more hectic than we anticipated but with the help of family- we were able to give the kids a great first day of school.

The day before school started, I rushed home from the hospital to shower, lay out their uniforms, and label all of their school supplies. I gave them kisses and told them I hoped they would have an amazing first day of school and that I couldn't wait to hear all about it. I also promised them a 'First Day of School Pizza Party' at the hospital. My work was done. I now had to reply on Damien, his parents, and his sisters to do the rest. Damien had spent the night at the hospital with me and woke up early in order to be able to drive home and get them ready. Over the years, he has become so good at doing Claire's hair and when I saw the pictures- I gave him two thumbs up! She looked adorable. So ready for 1st grade. Michael looked handsome and confident as he prepared to start 2nd grade. Mark and Marlene were a HUGE help to us. They made the morning special for the kids and helped out so much with Matthew. They got them some sweet first day of school prizes and gave them tons of attention which is what they needed with Mommy, Daddy, and Emily in the hospital. My parents added a little excitement by sending the kids about twenty-five boxes of cereal- just like they did last year. Always a BIG hit with the kids. Personally, I would like to thank everyone who helped out with making the kids so happy and grounded on their first day of school. The circumstances weren't what any of us predicted, but we survived it. It was emotional for me to have to miss such a special day but thankfully, my kids did great.

Michael is so ready for 2nd grade! He built up so much confidence in himself in 1st grade and is ready to tackle whatever comes his way. He knows the school, the rules, the general flow of things and is ready to get back in school and be with his friends. Clairey has been waiting for this day for a long time! The big change with her being in 1st grade is that it is full day. Kindergarten was only half day so it will be an adjustment for her (and for Mommy) to be gone all day. I know I will miss having lunch with her everyday. I remember feeling this way with Michael too. In part, it is a beginning to the end. For the rest of their school careers, they will be gone all day. I am so glad that when I look back on their little lives, I know I enjoyed the lazy days of babyhood, toddler life, preschool and Kindergarten. Time flew and my babies are so big now. It makes me so sad that they are gone all day now but also makes me so happy with the decision I made to stay home with them. This precious window of having your kids at your fingertips passes oh so quickly. I have loved being with them and feel confident letting them go a little bit because I know I did the very best I could for them. Congratulations to my two beautiful children who make me so so proud. I know you will have an amazing 1st and 2nd grade year!

Emily's Hospital Stay

Honest to goodness. Just when you think you have it all under control, you realize that you really have no control. I should know this by now. All the drama we have been through in the past eight years and I still sometimes forget that I am not in control! Thankfully, it is at times like these that I know God will come through for us and give us the strength we need to get through anything.

It was a normal Saturday. We were having friends over that night for dinner and I had cooked/prepped all day. We had a wonderful night. Everyone had such a good time and my sweet Emily was in a good mood and happy. We cleaned up and went to bed satisfied that even with four kids- we could still throw a good dinner party. Emily woke up to eat at 2:10 a.m. and I fed her milk, burped her and went back to sleep with her in my arms. Around 3:00 a.m. she woke up and was making a strange noise. I walked her around for about twenty minutes and listened to her making this hitching sound in her breathing. I tried all of my tricks and I couldn't seem to get her out of his pattern. I noticed that she was upset but not moving her limbs like she would if she was normally upset. Something wasn't right. My Mommy Alarm was going off and I went to the back of the house and got Damien. I told him I was worried. I told him to turn on the lights so I could look at her and when I did, I saw that she was pale and her skin was mottled (when the veins are really prevalent under the skin). When it comes to breathing issues, I don't mess around. She wasn't breathing right and told Damien to call 911.

The paramedics came and when they got here- she had an oxygen saturation level of 86%. Not so good. They wanted to take her to the hospital via ambulance so they strapped her in the back and I rode in the front seat. She screamed the whole ten minutes to the hospital and it broke my heart because I know she wanted me. When we got there, we were put into a room immediately and they quickly determined that she had a 102 degree fever. It is extremely dangerous for any baby under three months to have a high fever. They worry about infection and fear that the infection can spread through the baby's body at a rapid pace. That is why they needed to test her for so many things when we first got to the hospital. Because it was 3:30 in the morning, Damien couldn't bring the other three kids to the hospital to be with us so he called his sisters and they came over right away. He got there as fast as he could and I was so relieved when he got there. Emily was given Tylenol right away and they they took her down the hall to do chest x-rays. Keep in mind that this whole time, she was screaming. I was a wreck. I wasn't crying- just hurting for her but I knew I had to stay in control. They were telling us a lot of things and I needed to be able to understand what was going on. Once we got back from x-rays, they had to take her blood which was a whole other screaming mess. They they got some urine via catheter to see if she had an infection there. They started talking to us about performing a spinal tap to see if she had meningitis but neither Damien nor I wanted to put Emily through that. We thought that after all the tests, they would come back and tell us she just had a fever and send us home. Not the case today.

The ER doctors told us they wanted to admit her because they suspected she had pneumonia. Then they told us it was likely she had a UTI (urinary tract infection). I was still shocked they wanted to admit her. Aside from her face being pure red from crying for the past three hours, she looked fine and wasn't acting funny anymore. But they know best and we prepared to be at the hospital for the next 24 hours. They placed an IV in Emily's right hand and brought us down to our room. The doctors were still pushing the idea of the spinal tap but we were so scared of it. We called our pediatrician for a second opinion and he suggested we go ahead with it. I was a nervous wreck. I knew that the spinal tap involved holding her down on her tummy and placing a catheter up her spinal column to get spinal fluid. They don't use anesthesia at all and I was completely terrified for her. Our nurse let me know that it is a pretty routine test they do on small babies and that it would take less than twenty minutes start to finish. She was ready to take Emily down the hall where they would perform the spinal tap and I was sick to my stomach. I asked her if she would hold her and comfort her if she was upset and she said she would. And just like that, I watched them take her from me and I just melted down. We had been up since 3:00 a.m and it was now noon. So much had happened in the last few hours. Damien and I went for a walk outside and I tried to take my mind of what my little baby was going through at that moment. Twenty minutes passed and I had to go back in and see if she was done. We waited for just a few minutes and in came our nurse, holding Emily just the way I had asked her to, and it felt so incredibly good to have her back in my arms. I just held her and told her that I wasn't going to leave her anymore. That she was going to stay with Mommy.

They gave her IV antibiotics strong enough to treat her if she did indeed have meningitis. We wouldn't know for at least another 24 hours based on the results of the spinal fluid culture. They were also looking to see what the cultures of her blood and urine showed. We were praying that it was not meningitis not only because of the severity of the infection but that it required at least a three week hospital stay. Within a few hours, we quickly realized that we would not just be here for just 24 hours. We were going to be here for at least the next 3 days. Damien called his parents who came down immediately. They stayed at our house which allowed Damien to stay overnight with Emily and me. We had our own room and it was really really nice. It was not a place I wanted to be but if you had to be in a hospital room with a baby, you would want to be there.

We were in the Pediatric Intensive Care unit at Good Samaritan Hospital whih is only about a ten minute drive from our house. We knew that the next few days were going to be hectic because the kids were starting school in two days. I knew that I was going to miss Claire and Michael's first day of school. I was devastated but couldn't let them know that. Instead, I told them that after their first day of school, Daddy would bring them to Emily's hospital room so we could have a first day of school pizza party! Damien brought them to the hospital, we ordered pizza, and watched a movie on the TV. I am sure they will never forget their first day of 1st and 2nd grade. What a memory.

Emily continued to get better. She showed no signs of fever and the blood and spinal fluid cultures were looking negative. The culture that was growing positive was the urine culture. Little Emily did have a urinary tract infection so they changed her IV antibiotics to work more swiftly on that infection. I tried to get comfy in the hospital and do the best I could to take care of Emily. If you think about it, the way you take care of a two month old is to walk them around most of the day. However, I couldn't because she was attached to the oxygen saturation machine and the IV stand. It was tough. I basically walked four feet and then turned around and walked it again. Over and over and over and over and over. The nurses were so nice and wonderful. The kids came to see Emily every single day. I wanted them to know she was okay and that Mommy was okay, too. It was crazy but somehow- we made it.

We spent four total days in the hospital. Damien would spend the night and then wake up extra early to go home and get the kids ready for school. Damien's parents kept everything organized at the house and helped out a ton with the kids, especially Matthew. Damien's sisters Ali and Heather frequented the house and even spent the night there to help out. Our families were doing anything and everything they could to help us get through this little hiccup. It's funny. A lot of people said to me they felt bad for us and that it wasn't fair we had to go through this. While I completely understand and appreciate their sympathy, Damien and I never really worried too much. We are so used to dealing with this kind of drama that we just basically put on our hospital game face and worked to get through it. After going through everything we did with Michael, after seeing him suffer so much- I don't get too thrown off by much else. I did feel really terrible for Emily but I didn't spend any time feeling sorry for myself. We are so thankful that everything worked out in the end and that Emily is healthy and able to come home with us. We had to juggle so much, rearrange just about everything, and grin and bear hospital life- but the fact is that we survived it and as silly as it sounds, it just made us stronger.

A Chance Meeting

Technology is so amazing. Tonight, I met a friend that I have never met before. Sounds confusing but technology made it possible. Back in college- I was friends with a guy named John. I lost touch with him after college but caught up with him on SCU's alumni website and found out he had a blog. Funny enough- their family blog was what inspired me to create my own blog! Well, I have read their blog for about four years now. In those four years, I have read about his wife Sheelagh and followed her through three pregnancies. It wasn't until a year and a half ago that I started commenting on their posts. Up to that point, I read their blog but 'blog stalked' if you will. (For those of you that don't know what blog stalking is- it is when you read someones blog but you don't leave a comment.) Once I started commenting on her blog, we started to comment more frequently on each other's posts. It seemed like we had a lot in common and were going through a lot of the same things at the same time. Her second baby is a few months older than Matthew and her third is three months older than Emily so being pregnant with her and waiting for her to go into labor was so thrilling! We have supported each other over the past few years but had never even met!

Sheelagh emailed me a few weeks back and said she was going to be in San Jose and would love to meet! How awesome! I put it on my calendar and was really excited to go over to her sister's house for a Girl's Night Out! I was really curious what she was going to be like. When you read about someone for that long and look at tons of their pictures, you have this idea of what you think they might be like- but don't really know. Upon meeting her, she was exactly how I imagined her to be. Super friendly, so nice, and completely down to Earth. It wasn't awkward at all but instead comfortable because we have 'known' each other for so long! We had a great night. She was so happy to meet Emily and I was happy to meet Jonah and we just chatted the night away and enjoyed the face time. All the ladies at the party were so welcoming and so fun. I had such a great time and hope to meet her again someday. Until then, I will continue to let technology play it's role so I can watch her beautiful family continue to grow!

Emily is 2 Months Old

I really can't believe that it has been two months since Emily joined our family. It has taken a few months to let the dust settle and to find some sort of normalcy here but we are doing great! Everyone seems to have really adjusted and we are now just resuming life like it was before- just now with one more adorable, chubby, beautiful baby! At this point- we can't seem to slow the days down as we have been really busy lately. Emily just goes with the flow and has experienced so much in her first two months. She is healthy, happy, and all ours! It doesn't get much better than that!

At Emily's two month check up, she weighed in at 12 pounds 4 ounces. We have finally figured out the whole 'eating thing' as we encountered some difficulty in the beginning. I was so stressed in the beginning about Emily's feeds that I could hardly write about it. Basically, she is an ineffective, yet still cute, breastfeeder. She loves to latch on but doesn't do a good job at drawing out the milk. At two weeks old, she was one pound under her birth weight (babies tend to be back to their birth weight at this point) which was reason for concern for the doctor. Immediately after that appointment, I started supplementing her breastfeeds with an ounce of pumped breastmilk. Well, this got tedious because I knew she still wasn't getting enough milk from the breast. So when she was about three and a half weeks old, I started pumping exclusively and then feeding her the milk. I pump four times a day and get enough milk for her for the whole day. It has made things easier for me to know she is getting what she needs and it's also great to understand she is more effective with milk from a bottle as opposed to the breast. She is thriving which is all that matters to me and I work hard to make sure that she gets all of her milk from me- so everyone is happy!!!

Emily is a happy and relatively easy baby. She is not fussy and is a good napper and sleeper. She naps in her bassinet and will stretch them out to an hour or more at a time which frees me up so much! At night, she still gets up every two to four hours to eat. Thankfully, she eats and goes right back to sleep. Not a lot of hours spent walking around in the middle of the night with an awake baby (which was the case with Matthew). During the day, she eats every two to three hours and seems really satisfied. She likes her pluggie (pacifier) but only takes it at certain times of the day. She goes to sleep by being walked around or rocked and loves it when I sing to her.

We got to see Emily's first smile this month and she has been melting our hearts ever since! She is so much more aware this month of her surroundings and she gets such a kick from watching her siblings run around and make tons of noise. She is tracking a lot more this month and is just more awake than she has ever been before. She is using her hands a lot and even found them to suck on. Emily is pretty good in the car except for the occasional freak out- but come on, she is after all a baby!

Physically, Emily's eyes are still a beautiful blue color and her hair for the moment seems to be staying the light brown she had at birth. But similarly to Matthew when he was a newborn, we really can't tell what color it is because she just doesn't have a lot of it! Her skin is still so pretty and smooth. Her baby acne went away this month which is a good thing. She still has a few little 'stork bites' (tiny red areas on the skin since birth) on her eyelids, nostril, and back of the neck but those will go away within a few months. In the meantime, I am enjoying them because they remind me of when she was first born! This month has been amazing with my newest little angel and seeing her smile at me has just made me so incredibly happy. I know she has tons of personality in there and is just waiting to figure out how to use it. The kids are getting such a kick out of her and loving her all day long. She brings so much joy to all of us and we can't wait to see what the next month brings!

Saint Claire's Day

August 11th is St. Claire's Day. She is always so excited and beside herself as it starts getting closer. We weren't able to be with Grandpa this year so he helped plan 'her day' from a distance. I always ask the kids what they want for dinner on their Saint Days and Claire chose the ever popular Meatloaf, mashed potatoes and garlic bread. In a desperate creative attempt, I fashioned two pounds of meatloaf into a giant "C" without Claire knowing it. Not the most appetizing thing to an adult but so thrilling for a child! When I brought the platter to the table at dinner, Claire squealed with delight at the sight of the meatloaf and of course, Michael started complaining because he didn't get meatloaf in the shape of a "J" for Joseph on his saint day. Well, I explained that he chose spaghetti with meat sauce on his saint day. Then Michael proclaimed "Fine. I am going to choose meatloaf for next St. Joseph's Day!" I may have just cornered the market on Alphabet Shaped Meatloaf. Just wonderful.

We had a great dinner and then got Grandpa on the phone so Claire could open her gifts from him. He got her two Nintendo DS Littlest Pet Shop games that were clearly a huge hit! She was so incredibly excited! Then we cut into the ceremonial Baskin and Robbins cake which chosen by Claire was white cake with strawberry ice cream. Michael's wouldn't touch it because there was no chocolate in it and I couldn't get away from it because I LOVE the little frozen dollops of frosting!

All in all, it was a great celebration in honor of my biggest baby girl. I will forever be grateful to my Dad for making my kids aware of their own saint days and for teaching them yet another way religion plays a role in their everyday lives. I have said many times before that my relationship with my Dad is something that I treasure. Since I can remember, he has always there for me. He has continued to be there for me as I have started a family of my own and now he is there for Clairey . . . and she thinks the world of him. Claire and my relationship with my Dad has never been forced but instead just instinctive. She loves him the same way I love him and it means the world to me. Happy Saint Claire's Day and thanks Dad!

Mark and Lani's Hawaiian Birthday

Right on the heels of getting back from Washington was a combination birthday for Lani and Mark up in Healdsburg. I will admit- the thought of unpacking from a two week trip up north and then repacking to head out again was a little daunting to me. But somehow- we managed and were off again! Mark and Jocelyn were back in the States on a short visit but luckily- we were happy to be able to see them before they returned to England. Emily did a great job on the two hour car ride and so did the other kids. It was a peacefulness I welcomed after our crazy chaotic morning trying to get everyone ready and out of the house on time!

When we pulled up, we immediately saw Mark, Jocelyn, and their boys. We got to introduce them to Emily and my other kids were so happy to see their Aunt, Uncle, and cousins. Once we said hello, I noticed a large area of Marlene's front yard had been transformed into a beach. Yes, a beach! Sand, beach chairs, shovels, buckets . . . it really was a sight! After all, it was a Hawaiian themed party so why not go all out! Apparently, Lani and Jocelyn spent a good part of the previous day constructing it and I must say- they did a great job! All the kids at the party just LOVED the beach and frolicked between the sand, pool, and huge inflatable waterslide.

My kids always love going to to E and Papa's house. Right now, Damien's sister, husband, and kids are living in the cottage. Alexander and Sierrah (their cousins) love them so much so it is nice for Michael and Claire to have playmates when we go up there. Seamus was over for the party so all the BIG cousins rough housed in the pool and just had tons of fun. With the addition of Emily, Damien's parents now have eleven grandkids. As if his family needed to get any bigger!! It is truly is a sight with all of Damien's parents, siblings, their spouses, and children. Twenty-seven people in all.

The party was an absolute blast and although it was a bit hectic to get re-organized and travel again, we had a wonderful time. Summer is almost over and this was a great way to relax and enjoy our family while having a lot of fun. Mark and Lani had a great birthday, the cousins had so much fun playing together, it was great seeing Mark and Jocelyn and letting them meet sweet Emily, and Damien and I enjoyed seeing his parents and family, too.

Time to Go

What an amazing trip we had to my parent's house. It was a long two weeks which I needed really badly. I needed to go back home, to reconnect, to remember how loved and supported I am, and to relax. I was so happy they all got to meet my new little Emily. She really is so sweet and such a great little baby.

We were always with great company which made for relaxing evenings and good conversation. One thing I couldn't get over was the beauty surrounding us. The gorgeous sunsets, the way the morning sun ticked the Olympic mountains off in the distance, the lakes, the greenery . . . it was all so beautiful.

One night, we left Emily with my parents and went downtown Kirkland for some dinner. It was nice to just focus on the older three without worrying about burp cloths and miscellaneous baby paraphernalia. We chose this cute little burger joint on the lake and then walked down to the beach afterwards to feed the ducks. This seemingly insignificant evening provided me with the most gorgeous picture of my little boy. Boats on the water, sun setting in the background, people out on the town to enjoy the summer night. You can't just happen upon this beauty in many cities but Kirkland is definitely one of them.

My children really enjoyed playing with their cousin, Kyle. He has grown so much over the last eight months. Such a big happy boy these days. Matthew and Kyle followed each other around, explored the many square feet of my parents house, tried valiantly to share toys, and just had a blast together. Michael and Claire noticed how much he had changed and thought it was pretty cool. I mentioned this before but Kyle was so sweet to Emily. It just melted my heart.

After fifteen days with my family, it was time to go. Life was waiting for me back in San Jose. School is on the horizon, soccer is bracing to start, and I needed to get organized (i.e. school supplies, school uniforms, new soccer gear for the kids). We had an incredible trip up north and I am already looking forward to coming up again. I am so thankful for the tremendous amount of support I got while at my family's house. I am still trying to figure out how to juggle my four kids but my family took some of the pressure off and let me breathe a little. I love you all!

10 Years

Ten years ago today, I married my best friend. Cliched? Maybe. True? Absolutely. As we sat poolside at our hotel in Maui, Hawaii back in 1999- we vowed to return there for our ten year anniversary. We wanted to come back and live it up bigger and better and mentally scheduled ourselves out a decade for this 'great return'. Not so fast! Did we not think about where we might actually be in ten years? Did we skip over that giant chapter of our lives that might have involved children? Funny because Damien and I knew from very early on that we wanted to have a lot of kids. Yet somehow, the Hawaiian heat got to us and we just thought it would be no big deal to be back there in ten years.

When I look back at us, those two kids that stood on the altar and got married, I often think that they didn't know what was coming their way. We had lived an amazing twenty-three years already but what would be packed into the next ten years would be enough excitement and drama to span two more lifetimes! However, that is what you risk to start your life with someone. You don't get a manual on how to stay happily married and no one can predict your future with a crystal ball. You jump ship, hand in hand with your loved one, with your faith in God in your pocket and start that journey through life together as a married couple. And man, it is a beautiful thing.

As I write this blog, I am in my morning lounge pants. That electric blue bikini I wore poolside in Maui is long gone- probably donated to Goodwill at least eight years ago. We are not in Hawaii but instead together as a family just trying to enjoy every day with our four beautiful children. I couldn't have even imagined ten years ago that I would be where I am today. Not by a pool, but with a pool of spit-up on my shoulder from Emily's morning feed. This life we lead now far surpasses what I thought life could be like ten years ago. So much of it is more difficult but so much of it more amazing than I could have ever dreamed. I'm still hand in hand with my husband but behind us walk four brand new lives that the two of us created. Those two silly young kids poolside created a family. A 50/50 family of three girls and three boys who now have decades ahead of them to create anything and everything they want. How powerful is that? Together- Damien and I created what we wanted. We have our family of six, intact and strong, centered around God and one another.

Ten years is a great milestone for both Damien and me. So much packed into a relatively short period of time so why not document it year by year . . .

1998- Both graduate from Santa Clara University. Engaged in July!

1999- Married August 1st in Kirkland, Washington. Move into apartment on Newhall Avenue in Santa Clara. Continue jobs at Tek Systems (Lisa) and Adobe Lodge (Damien). We also buy our first car as a married couple. A 99 Black Honda Accord which until 2001- was our first baby. Sad, isn't it? Damien finishes his Master's Degree at SCU.

2000- We find out we are pregnant with Michael in November. Damien gets a new job at Cisco Systems and Lisa goes to work in Events at Santa Clara University.

2001- We plan a fantastic 15 day trip through Europe and plan to visit Rome, Florence, Venice, and Paris. Michael is born April 12th while on vacation in Paris. We live there for the next three months and then return home joyfully in July! Lisa stops working to stay home with Michael full time. Michael continues thrice weekly therapy appointments to get stronger and Damien accepts a new job at Ketchum Integration.

2002- We find out in February that we are expecting Baby #2! Wow! Kids will be 17 months apart. In May, we move up north to Washington to live with my family in case I go into early labor with Baby #2. Sure enough, we are admitted to the hospital in June with premature labor. Thankfully, we hold that off and spend the next 73 days in the hospital. September 27th we meet our daughter Claire who is just amazing. We hunker down and focus on raising essentially two babies at once! Damien starts work at Onyx Software.

2003- Damien gets a job promotion in San Francisco and we move back into an apartment in Santa Clara, CA in November. We buy our first house in December and are thrilled to have a place to really call our own!!

2004- We move in and focus on raising the kids. We travel a lot up to Washington and try and enjoy life with its more calm nature since the kids are getting bigger.

2005- Michael starts preschool. We travel with the two kids back to Paris to show Michael where he was born. We also visit Bordeaux. Damien goes to work for Pivotal Corporation.

2006- Claire starts preschool! Damien and I cruise to Mexico to experience some relaxation and peace and quiet! We find out we are pregnant with Baby #3. All travel is stopped again and Lisa goes on modified bedrest until baby arrives. In December, we take the plunge and join the minivan world with our Toyota Sienna in preparation for #3.

2007- On January 30th, Matthew joins our family! Michael starts Kindergarten! In December we buy a house in Willow Glen and are so excited to move into a house with more space and a bigger backyard!

2008- Damien and I travel ALONE to Costa Rica in February which was an unbelievable trip! In July, we travel with the three kids to England to visit Damien's brother and family. We also see Paris and Ireland during our journeys. Michael starts 1st grade and Claire starts Kindergarten. We find out on Halloween that we are pregnant with Baby #4!

2009- Miss Emily joins our family on June 12th (the first day of summer vacation). We celebrate our 10th wedding Anniversary! Michael and Claire start 2nd and 1st grade. They are now both in full-day school!

Of course there is a lot more that happened during these amazing ten years- but those are the bigger bullet points. Just writing this out makes me realize we've had a lot of big life changes in ten years! It is crazy to think what the next ten years will hold!

On this particular anniversary, we were at my Mom's house and she graciously offered to watch the kids so we could go out. Without hesitation- we took her up on her offer. We made reservations at a wonderful restaurant in Seattle near Pike Place Market. I wanted to be able to walk around after dinner so this seemed like a great choice. We had a wonderful time. I am so very lucky to have Damien as my husband. It is always so comfortable, so freeing, just so right when I am with him. On the way over to dinner, I opened the glove compartment to get something out and I saw a card in there. (How he knew I would open the glove compartment is beyond me- but I did!) It was seriously the most beautiful card I have ever read. The words read as follows:

"Someday, many years from now, we'll look back on this crazy time in our life together and wonder how we did it all ... and then, those ordinary, everyday moments that we often take for granted will shimmer like starts as we recount them ... I'll sit close beside you, you'll take my hand in yours. We'll look at each other and say: "I'd do it all again ... and I wouldn't change a thing."

I had just finished putting on my make up but out of nowhere- I just started crying. Those words couldn't have been more true. We made it to our ten year anniversary just as we added our fourth child to our family. All of this wonder mixed together provides us with many chaotic moments. But I know one day I will look back at the craziness, the noise, the insanity, the hustle and bustle and miss it. Without Damien, I wouldn't have Michael, Claire, Matthew and Emily. They make my world so wonderfully perfect. When I think back to the first night I met Damien, I can still see him wearing that red flannel and those black Adidas shoes. I can't believe that it was Damien I would marry and with him- make this beautiful family. I am so content these days and our anniversary was a wonderful way to put it all in perspective.

Thank you Damien for ten wonderfully fantastic years of marriage. And thank you to all of our family and friends who have added such vibrant color to our bright, bright lives.

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!