Multiple Christmas Mornings

Every year we think how nice it would be to have snow for Christmas... this year, we got our wish!  This was the view of our grill out our back window!

Being that Bruno and I are from Massachusetts and Michigan, we usually laugh at how people in Virginia react to even the threat of snow storms.  Many times, they will close schools in advance of one snow flake falling!  But this time, they were right on and we got about 20 inches of snow.  It was beautiful to watch all day Saturday but painful to shovel (Bruno did 90% of the shoveling but Grace and I tried to help)!

And tomorrow we are off for Christmas in Massachusetts.  Here are some pictures of our ThanksChristmas in Michigan and our pre-Christmas here in Virginia.  Our girls are spolied to have some many runs at opening presents!

Abigail opening up one of her presents.

Michigan State Connect 4 - how cool is that!

The much-anticipated and sought-after Zhu Zhu pet!

The happy family!

Christmas morning (Santa makes a special trip) in VA

Grace is very happy with her salon Barbie.

Stay tuned for more pictures of opening presents at our third Christmas celebration!

We wish everyone a very happy holiday!

Remembering Mimi

During this holiday season, there is always one day that causes my family to stop in their tracks. The joy and anticipation of Christmas comes to a halt.  The rush to buy presents and finish the Christmas cards is put aside.  Tears are shed, emails are exchanged, phone calls are made.  December 15 is the anniversary of my Mimi's (Nora O'Connor) death.  It was 20 years ago today and while certainly time has healed the pain from that day and period in our lives, there is nothing that can replace the void left by her leaving this world.

Words cannot express what a phenomenal, wonderful, funny, caring, joyful woman Mimi was. She was a mother to Mary, Pat, Tara and Nora, a grandma to many of us grandchildren and the "great-one" (great-grandma) to several great-grandchildren. 

I could spend all day writing about Mimi, our fun memories and our last moments with her before she died.  But I could not do justice to her legacy and everyone in our family has their own special memories that have been shared over the years.

I will share a few thoughts that were sent over email this morning and over the years.

From my mom:
“I thought about how incredible it is in life to be at peace, with yourself, your family, your God. She did not fear what was ahead, her faith was too strong. She embraced life fully and it was the same with death.”

From my aunt Nora:
“To know her was to be blessed; to be her family was to be on the receiving end of ultimate love”

From my cousin Patty:
"Love is what shines through - imagine the love mimi gave to us all - to mom, Pat, Tara and Nora, so that they could know how to love us. The love mimi gave us is reflected now in our children's faces - how lucky we are to have started life embraced with such wonderful devoted love. What a sad day to reflect back on, but also a day to remember the greatness which was mimi."

From my cousin Kate:
"The unconditional love that we all feel from all of you is a priceless gift that we receive everyday. One that we are all grateful for and our lives our much more complete knowing that you are here for us in any and every way.  Aunt Tara, Nora, Pat and Mum you certainly carry on the tradition of being fun and so loving like Mimi. Mimi would be so proud of all of her "little family."

From my cousin Kerri:
"I can't help but to also think of 20 years ago today when Tara and my mom came into my purple bedroom on Riley Ridge to tell Ryan and me that Mimi died. Seems like so long ago. I miss her, think of her often, and I'm grateful that I have all of you to share memories and stories about her."

Mimi went to church every day (usually walking to get her exercise - probably a couple of miles), she had a deep, unwavering faith that she was proud of.  And she had, as my east coast cousins would say, a wicked sense of humor.  She experienced great loss in her life and many struggles, but through it all, she maintained a passion for life, family, friends and God.

She was such a fun grandma!  She baked with us, had us over for sleepovers, and fed us junk food.  Kerri remembers her melting cheese on doritos and serving neopolitan ice cream for dinner to Kerri and Ryan and letting them eat it in front of tv.  I know that my mom and aunts do not have any memories of that happening when they were children - ha!

We all have memories of her last few weeks, days, and hours.  I clearly remember a few days before she went in for surgery, I leaned over to kiss her goodbye for the night and she whispered in my ear "Say a little prayer for me."  I walked out of her apartment absolutely stunned... she had never, ever asked me to do anything for her.  She was the most humble, caring and selfless person I have ever met.

We celebrate her life today and share our memories.  We keep her memory alive and we see her in our moms and aunts and cousins.  We treasure every memory we have, we hold them close and dear, some we share and some we hold in our hearts.  So today, we celebrate and remember Mimi.

Mommy-daughter time

Before Grace went to kindergarten, we would have "mommy-daughter breakfast" about once a month.  Normally Bruno would drop her off at school, but usually once a month, on a Friday, I would take her.  We would drop Abigail off at her daycare and then Grace would get to pick where we would eat breakfast: McDonalds, bagels, or the bakery.  Most times, she selected the bakery and would order a giant chocolate croissant.  I would get my standard chocolate covered donut.  We would sit and chat and talk about school, her friends, what our plans were for the weekend.  I loved those breakfasts.

Now that she goes to kindergarten and it starts at 8:00 a.m., there isn't the opportunity for those special breakfasts, so I told her we would make new plans for our special time together.  This weekend, I took Grace to see the Nutcracker for the first time.  On our way there, she said "I'm so excited to spend the afternoon with my mommy!"  She loved the ballet and the intermission and picking out a small nutcracker for a keepsake.  I loved hanging out with her.  She is such a sweet girl.  Everyone tells you how fast time flies when you have children and to appreciate the moments when they are young and sweet and will hold your hand walking down the sidewalk.  I did just that on Sunday! 

I think it is so important to make special time and memories with your children.  It doesn't have to cost money - you can take them to the park - but I know they treasure that personal attention and time with each parent one-on-one. And I know I treasure that time as well. I can't wait for our next special outing!

P.S. - My friend, Fannie, just posted a beautiful poem on her blog that shares many of my same thoughts.  I admire people who can write poems - it's a talent I never hard. - http://startthestory.blogspot.com/

There is no place like home

I realize it's not quite Thanksgiving yet, but we will be traveling and I'm not sure I'll have time to post something on Thanksgiving.

On Sunday, Bruno was making some buffalo wings and I commented that we should make them when we go home this week.  He laughed and said "we are home!"  But he knew what I meant.  Yes, we have been married and owned a home for 10 years and have two children.  We have what most would consider our own home and our own family.  But there is nothing like going home to the rest of your family. 

The house my parents live in now is not the one I grew up in.  They bought it after I graduated from college and I was fortunate enough to be able to live with them after I graduated for a year or so.  I love the house they now live in... it is full of windows and light and has a wonderful screened-in porch that we use during our summer trips home.  It is warm and open and is decorated beautifully and always smells like a delicious candle is burning somewhere.

We don't go home (to either of our parents homes) enough but it makes the time we do spend there even more special.  We have friends who say to us "now that you have two kids, why don't you make your relatives visit you for the holidays or just do your own thing."  And it reminds me that there are some people who don't have the wonderful, loving families that we have.  Family is a very important priority for us and if it means driving 7 hours in a car with two little ones or flying on a plane on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, with the rest of America, we do it.  Not because we have to but because it's hard for us to imagine not having a holiday with either one of our families.

And so on this Thanksgiving week, there are so many people that I am grateful for... I wouldn't even begin to make a comprehensive list.  So I will try to sum it up and say we are thankful for all of those who touch our lives in many different ways; we are thankful for our health and for our children's health; and we are thankful to be in the presence of family this holiday season during Thanksgiving in Michigan and Christmas in Massachusetts.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Corn Feast

It was bound to happen one of these days - the challenges of working parents.  (Don't worry, I appreciate the challenges of stay-at-home parents too - just being a parent has its challenges.) 

Grace had a corn feast at school this morning.  Essentially the kindergartners perform a play about the pilgrims and eat food with corn in it.  Grace practiced her line all week - "There was a big rock at the shore of the new world."  We were asked to bring in food made with corn.  I had plans to try a new recipe for sweet corn and bacon cupcakes. 

Then the Senate leadership decided to release their health reform bill last night at 7:30 p.m.  So, I came back to work, scrolled through 2,000 pages, sent out a notice to the members of our association.  That would have been fine... but... I couldn't make my sweet corn and bacon cupcakes.  So I made salsa with corn in it and that would have been fine... but...

I had a meeting scheduled this morning at work that I absolutely couldn't miss which meant that I could not go to the corn feast.  Bruno also had a meeting that he could not reschedule.

I'm sad and disappointed that I had to miss the corn feast.  I know there will be more events that I will be able to go to but I still feel bad.  I don't want Grace to have to be "that kid" whose parents are too busy to come to school events.  Oh well, it was bound to happen.  I asked my friend to take pictures and I'll share them once I see them.  And I will stop beating myself up now about this because things just happen that are out of our control.

And on to brighter topics - countdown to Michigan - yipee - just 5 days away!

What a day can bring

This weekend it was beautiful out.  After days of cold, wind and rain, the sun felt so warm and was so bright.  The autumn leaves were falling and some neighbors were being productive and raking them - we were just soaking in the warm weather!  A day can bring sun and warm and beautiful colored leaves and a day (even the same day) can also bring sad news...

I was checking my email Sunday and I had an email from one of my neighbors. One of her daughters is, I would guess in her mid to late 20s and lives in Massachusetts.  I met her a couple of months ago when my neighbor brought her daughter by to meet me.  She was sweet and asked Grace all kinds of questions and said how cute Abigail was.  She was so happy to be staying with her mom for a week vacation, and my neighbor couldn't have been happier to have her daughter home.

My neighbor's email started with her saying "I never dreamed I would be writing this..." Her daughter was diagnosed with leukemia this weekend.  I don't know the full story but all I know is she was admitted to the hospital on Friday and they started her first transfusion on Sunday.  My heart is breaking for my neighbor and her other children, she has a daughter and son who live in Arlington.  She will have to juggle being with her daughter in MA, while also trying to manage her own life in VA. 

Then today, I had another email from Grace's school telling the parents that a mother of a kindergartner was just diagnosed with breast cancer.  She has a 5-year old who plays with Grace every day after school.  I saw both the mom and her husband and their daughter on Sunday at a birthday party for another kindergartner.  She looked great and was smiling.  She must have known her diagnosis but was able to put on a happy face for her daughter.  They have not told their daughter yet.  And my heart breaks again for this woman and her family and her daughter.

Ugh - I hate that these two women and their families have to cope with such scary and life-changing news.  In one instance they too may have been walking in the leaves, soaking up the warm fall sun, and then in one day, everything has changed, forever.  And all of this happening smack dab in the middle of the two most wonderful (in my opinion) holidays of the year. 

I have reached out to others who have gone through leukemia and asked what I could send that would be a comfort to my neighbor's daughter and to my neighbor.  And I know that Grace's school will provide all the resources it can with the support of other moms and families to help this mom and her family face the reality of breast cancer and I have offered to help with whatever she may need.  I know they are both being treated by world class medical doctors.  And I know they must be incredibly sad and scared.  And I know we can keep them in our prayers every day. 

As Thanksgiving approaches and I anxiously count the days until we are on the plane going to see my family, I will also keep in mind those who are facing such hurdles this Thanksgiving.  And I will be thankful for many things I may not have thought to be thankful for a few days ago.

Halloween Pictures

As promised - here are the Halloween pictures!

Pictures

I am still waiting to upload the Halloween pictures but in the mean time - here are some funny and cute ones of the girls.

Abigail REALLY likes Bruno's homemade spaghetti sauce!

She really wants to bib off which I know is not a good idea but...

Doing pretty well without the bib.  Now would someone please wipe this child's face!

That's better.  All cleaned up wearing the adorable coat that Auntie Maurilia bought her for her birthday.

She loves stuffed animals!

And here's beautiful Grace...

Posing for the camera.

Stay tuned for Halloween pictures!

Remembering Sarah on Election Day

(I promise to post a happy halloween post soon once I get the pictures loaded up...)

Tomorrow is Election Day in Virginia.  I have worked in government affairs/politics for my whole career so election day is a big day for us political junkies.  But since 2006, election days mean something else to me.  In 2006, on election day, I received a call at work from my brother telling me that my childhood friend, Sarah Lincolnhol, had died in a tragic car accident the night before.  I could not believe what I was hearing.  I couldn't stop crying and I couldn't stop thinking about her family and her little girls.

To put it in perspective, Sarah and I met when we lived in the same neighborhood - we were about 4 years old and she was one of my first friends.  We walked to kindergarten together and then we rode the bus together in grade school.  We had sleep-overs, we shared teachers and friends, we played basketball together.  We went to high school together, we played on the golf team together.  We made new friends but still maintained our friendship.  We went to different colleges and started to lose touch. 

But in 2006, I received pictures over email of her children from a mutual friend of ours.  I emailed her and we started to get caught up on each other's lives.  She was a stay-at-home mom with two beautiful girls... Maya and Abigail.  Maya was about the same age as Grace (about 2 at the time) and Abigail was about 8 months old.  We made plans to meet up over the Christmas holidays when we would both be back in Michigan.  I thought to myself how fun it would be to see her daughter, Maya, who looked just like her (and still does) and my daughter, Grace, who looks a lot like me, playing together - just as Sarah and I did.

That November night in 2006, Sarah drove to meet her husband for dinner after he got out of work. Her mom and dad were visiting and stayed with the two little girls.   As any parent knows, dinner out without your kids is a special treat and I'm sure Sarah and her husband had a nice dinner.  Then they drove home separately.  And then, in a tragic split second, a drunk driver crossed the median and crashed into Sarah's car.  A few months later, Mothers Against Drunk Driving placed a sign in Sarah's honor at the site of the crash.

Sarah had an incredibly loving and close-knit, Irish, Catholic family - she had 7 brothers and sisters and two wonderful parents.  Before having children, she was a social worker for developmentally disabled adults.  She had a contagious laugh and a huge smile.  She was kind and generous and fun! 

Accidents like this immediately make us question “why” this had to happen to a vivacious, young, daughter, wife, mother, sister, sister-in-law, aunt, granddaughter and friend to many. I know that the Lincolnhol's strong faith and support circle of family and friends helped them through the immediate loss and over the years.

And so tomorrow, I will go vote, but I will also keep Sarah and her family and friends in my thoughts and prayers as they reflect on her much too short life.  And I will reflect on all the blessings that I have in my life and I will hug Bruno and our little girls, Grace and Abigail, just a little tighter tomorrow.

America Sings

Yesterday, Grace had her first kindergarten performance.  The kindergarten classes performed "America Sings" which included all of the famous patriotic songs.  They practiced for the past two months, had dress rehearsals and were told to wear red, white and blue.  Grace was so excited as she went off to school that day.  The performance was at 8:30 a.m. which was nice so that we didn't have to scramble back to school in the evening when things are already so rushed.

She proudly stood in the back row and waved to me and Bruno as soon as she spotted us in the crowd.  She smiled and giggled and sang all of the songs loudly! 

It was such a great way to start the morning - with about 35 kindergarteners belting out songs, smiling, waving to their parents or loved ones.  And then seeing those parents snapping pictures, smiling, waving to their kindergarteners.  We are so blessed to be part of a school where the teachers and parents want the best for their children and are committed to sharing in their children's experiences. 

I can't wait for the next performance!

Chocolate Rolo Cookies

I still consider myself new to the blogging world even though I have been blogging for several months.  I assumed that my family and friends were reading it and that it wouldn't really be of interest to anyone else.  So, I was really surprised one day when I noticed a comment from a woman named Ingrid.  Hmmm, I don't know anyone named Ingrid.  It was a very nice comment but I was still a little perplexed.  So, I clicked on her name and realized she is Ingrid from one of my favorite blogs - 3 B's - Baseball, Baking and Books. And I also thank Susan from another one of my favorite blogs She's Becoming DoughMessTic who also commented on my blog. 

I was so touched that Ingrid and Susan would take time out from their busy days to post a comment.  So Ingrid and I started exchanging emails and shared some stories about our little ones.  She has also been so sweet to keep asking how my little nephew Nolan, who was born premature and has had some reflux problems, is doing.  (He is doing much better but my brother and sister-in-law still have some challenging days and nights.)  I recently told Ingrid that I would soon post a recipe since I also love baking so much.

I love looking at all of the wonderful baking blogs out there and getting great, new ideas.  I love seeing pictures of the recipe as it is being made but I learned that it is very time consuming and can be quite messy to take pictures while you are baking.  So, for my first post, I did not take many pictures along the way.  And major kudos to all of the food bloggers who take pictures of their recipes as they are making them - keep it up, it is worth it for us readers out there!

One recipe that caught my eye was for Rolo cookies... chocolate and carmel - my two favorite combinations (althuogh a close rival to chocolate and peanut butter).  These are delicious fresh out of the oven and I would suggest warming them up in the microwave for a few seconds if you don't eat them right away.

To be honest, I'm not sure I will make these again.  They were quite a bit of work and the dough was quite sticky to work with (even after leaving it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before I rolled in the Rolos).  But they were delicious and if you need something that you are going to serve the same day, these would be great.

If you don't own this product, you should buy some - it is fantastic!  (I am not getting paid for this promotion and I don't even know if I can use trade names in the blog without Reynolds Wrap's permission but I somehow don't think they will mind if I am promoting their product!)

I rolled some in sugar, left some plain and sprinkled some with salt.  All were delicious.

Mine came out a little flat but I have that problem with evey cookie I make!

ROLO COOKIES (adapted from RecipeZaar.com - I omitted the nuts)

2 1/2 c. flour
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 c. sugar plus 4 tbsp. sugar - separated
1 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. butter, softened
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
Rolo candies

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In small bowl, combine flour, cocoa, and baking soda. In large bowl, beat sugars and butter until fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs; beat well. Slowly add flour mixture; blend well. Chill dough for at least 30 minutes.  For each cookie, with floured hands, shape about 1 tablespoon dough around caramel candy, covering completely. Place 4 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl. Roll the dough into the sugar and place on an ungreased sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool slightly and remove from sheets to cool on wax paper.  Do not cool on wire racks or the soft center will fall through. Makes up to 60 cookies. (My batch only yielded about 36 cookies - oops - I guess I made them too big!)

Enjoy!

Fantastic Friends

This past weekend, my four dear friends from Michigan and Indiana came out here for a girls getaway weekend.  We go way back with each other - some of us became friends in grade school.  We have never waivered in our friendship.  We have never fallen away from our friendship.  We have just always been friends.

There is an old saying I learned in Brownies.  "Make new friends but keep the old.  One is silver and the other is gold."  All of us have made new friends over the years.  Some of us moved to new cities for college or a career and some of my friends stayed in Michigan after college.  We have friends from our children's school, from our neighborhood, from work and from church.  They are the friends we see each day, week or month.  And they are wonderful friends. 

But there is something so cherished as being in the presence of friends you have had your whole life.  Friends who I don't have to explain anything to.  Friends who have been with me through the speed bumps I have encountered in my life. Friends who have celebrated my happiness and success and friends who have held me when I was sad.  Friends who I have had crazy, fun times with and friends who I have sat with for hours just talking.

So many people are amazed when I tell them I have friends from grade school.  They find it hard to believe that I would still have something in common with people I met over 30 years ago.  It is amazing when I think about it.

I may only see these dear friends a few times a year during my visits back to Michigan and when they visit me here.  Some of them I may not see at all during the year, but we keep up through email and phone calls.  But it never matters how much time passes between each visit.  We always pick up where we left off and we never miss a beat.  We are forever friends who will forever be there for one another.  And there is not a better feeling in the world.

Abigail's birthday

Last weekend we celebrated Abigail's one-year birthday. 

Birthdays in my family are always a very big deal.  When I was little, I was able to chose what I wanted to eat for breakfast on my birthday (almost always chocolate chip pancakes) and for dinner (almost always steak and mashed potatoes - I'm a mid-west girl, what can I say). I also probably got to chose what I wanted for lunch but I don't remember that as much (probably because I ate the same thing for lunch for the first 15 years of my life - peanut butter sandwich, no jelly and potato chips).  And dessert was almost always yellow cake with chocolate frosting.  We were fortunate that my aunt and uncle and cousin lived down the street from us and my grandma just lived about 20 minutes away. So every birthday, meant a very fancy dinner in the dining room surrounded by family - what wonderful memories!

And so this last weekend, my mom and dad flew into town and my cousin Kerri and her husband Mark (who live in DC) came over to celebrate the monumental 1 year birthday.  We gathered around the dining room table (although we didn't have what I would characterize as a "fancy dinner" - but it was delicious nonetheless).  I didn't know what kind of cake to make for Abigail.  I really wanted to make her the Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" chocolate cake recipe but I wasn't sure chocolate cake would be such a great idea for a one-year old. 

So I decided on a heart shaped cake with a big surprise - rainbow colors on the inside.  There are a lot of recipes out there for rainbow cake, but I got my inspiration from Dinner Cakes.  Now I know I probably should have made the cake from scratch but I didn't want to take away time spent with my mom and dad to make a cake... so I resorted to the box mix.  My mom, Grace and I had a lot of fun making it.  I didn't turn out quite as pretty as I had hoped but it looked pretty cute.

Abigail was not very in to the cake - maybe all the colors scared her - ha! 

After awile, she did start to put her hands in it and ate a little bit.  And she loved opening up her presents and playing with the toys, and the boxes they came in and the wrapping paper. 

"Ok - where is my cake!"

"What in the world is this?"

"Ok - This is pretty good!"

Bruno and my dad have the same birthday so we celebrated their birthday as well.  And since I was late getting Kerri her birthday gifts, we celebrated her birthday too... we have a lot of September birthdays in our family... Len's was earlier in the month too!

It was a wonderful weekend.  My mom and dad are such a tremendous help with the kids and my mom is particularly great at helping me organize my disorganized house!  We created some more wonderful birthday memories that I will always cherish!

Sleep

I still need to post pictures and stories from the past weekend when my parents were in town and Abigail celebrated her first birthday... but I'm too tired : ) 

Abigail has generally been a very good sleeper - much better than Grace was.  But, since August, she has been waking up at night.  Now, I fully acknowledge that there are babies out there who are TERRIBLE sleepers and Abigail is not a terrible sleeper.  So, do I really have the right to complain?  I don't know if I have the right, but I'm going to anyway.

She usually wakes up once a night - we had been giving her a bottle (which usually put her back to sleep within a few minutes), but then we decided that we really shouldn't be feeding her as she doesn't "need" that extra bottle at night.  She was teething so we tried motrin and that seemed to help some nights.  Other nights we would rock her and that would put her back to sleep.  Some nights we let her cry-it-out.  (Those of you who are moms know the "CIO" method can be very controversial - ha!)  There are some nights when she will sleep through the night, but here we are, two months later and she is still waking up several nights a week.

I asked the doctor if she had any tips.  "Well, you shouldn't be picking her up, or rocking her, and definitly shouldn't be feeding her.  Just go in, pat her back and then go back to bed."  Ummm... ok.  Does this woman have children?!  Ok, I decided to try it.  Monday night she woke up at midnight... went in, patted her back, and slowly left.  Our horrendously old, creaky wood floors are just wonderful for startling her.  Of course once I leave the room then the real crying begins.  And, then, Grace wakes up and starts crying saying she can't get back to sleep. Abigail finally fell asleep again around 1:30 a.m.  I got a whopping 4 hours of sleep.  And on it goes...

I need my sleep - most people do.  There are those eccentric few who only need a few hours of sleep.  I'll never be one of those people.  I am cranky and irritable and overly emotional - I could cry at the drop of a hat when I am over-tired. If I weren't at work, I'd probably start crying right now for no apparent reason.

And so, I give myself a few minutes to feel sorry for myself, and then I think about all those other babies out there who may be sick or have other problems that keep them and their parents up night after night.  My brother has a friend whose son, among other health issues, doesn't produce melatonin.  And because of his other health problems, can not take melatonin supplements.  So, night after night, they have no idea what they are in for - many times their son may stay up most of the night.  It's when I think of those poor parents that I get mad at myself for even feeling sorry for myself for one second.

Then I thank God that I have a healthy baby girl who will one day sleep, consistently, through the night - I hope!

It's somebody's birthday!

Today our little baby Abigail turns 1! It may sound cliche but we cannot believe how incredibly fast this year has flown by!



Last year, on Sept. 23, I thought I was going into labor. I called Kerri to put her on notice (since she was going to stay with Grace when we went to the hospital) but I had to call her a few hours later and tell her that it was just false labor. So I stayed home from work the next day - the 24th.



I called my mom that morning to tell her about the false contractions the night before. She was fortunate to be here for Grace's birth and I knew she wanted to be here as close to Abigail's birth as she could. I remember telling her "if you were retired, I would tell you to just hop on a plane today!" She thought for a moment and said "I think you are going to have this baby soon. I'm booking a flight for tomorrow morning." I was thrilled and relieved to think my mom would be here!

It was a gorgeous day so I put on my walking shoes and went for a very long walk. It may be an old wives tale but you frequently hear that long walks can help move the labor process along. As it got closer to my due date of September 30, I kept wondering, "how will I know if I am really in labor". I asked the doctor and she assured me that I would know! (With Grace, my water broke before my contractions so I knew then that I would be going into labor.)

And then about 5:00 p.m. on the 24th, the contractions started again. Within a couple of hours the contractions started getting stronger and longer and I knew I was in labor this time around. I called Kerri and gave her a heads up that I would probably need her to come over at some point that night. But then about an hour later, when the contractions were just a few minutes apart, I called her back and said "you better come over now!"

As soon as she arrived (around 9:00 p.m.) we took off for the hospital. I had to wait for a room to become available and at that point my contractions were about 1 minute apart. It was definitely painful! The nurse asked if I would want an epidural and I responded "as quickly as I can get one!" Within an hour, I had a room and an epidural. Thank goodness for modern medicine (apologies to the anti-epidural people reading this).

And then at about 1:45 a.m. on September 25, the doctor came in and predicted that I would have a baby within about 15-20 minutes. And sure, enough, at 2:10 a.m., Abigail Elizabeth graced the world with her presence. Her arrival was much different than Grace's. There was no one else in the room except for me and Bruno and Abigail (after the doctor and nurses left). It was in the middle of the night so we didn't call anyone. After Grace was born, we were blessed to have my mom and Kerri with us and we called everyone we knew. But with Abigail we wanted it to be different and we just wanted to soak up those prescious hours with our new baby girl.

Abigail looked at us with her big blue eyes - yes, I know she couldn't really see us. But we could have stared at her for hours. She was perfect and beautiful and healthy and we couldn't have been happier.

And my mom arrived that morning to hold her granddaughter for the first time just hours after she was born. What a special moment! She stayed with us for about 10 days and we were so incredibly grateful. She is an amazing help and it's just wonderful to have that support with you those first few days when everything can seem so overwhelming. My dad also came just a few weeks after Abigail was born and of course got tears in his eye the first time he held Abigail!

Abigail has brought such joy to our lives and love to our hearts. She has made us laugh and we have watched her grow before our eyes. Babies change so much that first year.

She is our baby girl and now she is one. Happy birthday to our dear, sweet Abigail.

Couple of funny stories

First of all, little Nolan seems to be doing a little better. The procedure he had last week did not show any physical problems so we were all very relieved to hear that. He does have very extreme reflux and it is being treated in a variety of ways. But he has had a few nights where they have been able to lay him down which is a great step in the right direction. So, we keep him in our prayers and know that this is a rough road for Ryan and Erin.

Now on to a couple of funny stories.

Lima Beans - Last week, I gave Abigail some lima beans. Grace jumped up and down with excitement when she saw me pull them out of the freezer. So I also gave Grace some as well. Abigail loved the lima beans and ate a ton of them. So much so that Grace didn't get to have as many as she wanted and was upset. These eating habits must come from Bruno's side of the family. When I mentioned this story to my dad he said "lima beans - yuck... I don't even like to see lima beans on my plate!" I am so pleased that Grace and Abigail are such healthy eaters and it even prompted me to try a lima bean - they are not too bad!

Marriage Laws - Last night Bruno was putting Grace to bed. She told him that a boy in her class wants to marry his mom. Bruno said "well, that's against the rules." And Grace said "you mean, against the law?" Bruno said "yes". So Grace then thinks for a moment and says "well, that makes sense. His mom is much taller than him!" Bruno of course was cracking up laughing! Ahhh - the innocence of childhood!

Mom and Dad visiting - We are so excited that my mom and dad are visiting this weekend! Grace wanted them to come for the whole week - which we would love - we just need them to retire!

Labor Day Fun

We were so excited to have Maurilia, Victor and Ava come visit us over Labor Day weekend. We did a lot of sightseeing, had some great meals and just had fun being together.

Ava took three steps toward her favorite auntie (that would be me)! She is such a happy baby! She and Abigail had fun watching each other and taking toys from each other. Grace had fun playing with Ava too! Grace is just waiting for the day when she can boss them around - ha!

Since the weather had on the warm side on Saturday, we decided to do a night tour of the momuments. It had been years since Bruno and I had seen the momuments at night and I forgot how gorgeous they are at night. And to our surprise, there was a red/harvest moon that we saw rise over the Washington Monument.

We are so glad that they took the time from their busy schedules to come visit us! It is so nice to have family in town to spend time with and not have to worry about anything!

First Day of Kindergarten

So after the past two posts, I need to sneak in something light-hearted since I will be back to the serious ones next week as Nolan goes into the hospital for a few days to be monitored for his eating/breathing habits, etc. and will have a procudure on Wednesday - more to come on that but please keep him and Ryan and Erin in your prayers next week.

Two weeks ago, Grace had her first day of kindergarten. She was so excited and didn't even seem nervous! There were no tears shed - by either Bruno, her or me! She looked so adorable in her little uniform heading off to the Catholic school.

Of course I was anxious to pick her up (she only had a half-day her first day - she will normally go a full-day). I asked her how it was and she said "Well, there sure are a lot of rules in kindergarten!" I asked, "like what?" And she said "You have to raise your hand to even talk to the teacher! And we had to practice walking in the halls quietly about FIVE times!" Of course I was laughing at this point. So a little later, I asked her if she thought the day went fast or slow. She responded by saying "well, all those rules equals a long day!" HA!

My friend Jami also had a great story about her daughter's first day of school. She asked her who she sat by at lunch and her daughter responded "I have NO idea!" Ahhh - to be a fly on the wall on the first day of kindergarten!

Despite all the rules, Grace was ready to head back the next day and stayed at extended day that day. I picked her up a little early from the after school program and she was upset that I was there early. It actually made me feel good to know she was having so much fun!

She does know one little girl from preschool that is in her class so I think that has made the transition much easier. So far she loves her new school!

We can't believe that our little baby Grace is now in kindergarten - where does the time go!? She is such a big girl now and such a joy in our lives!

September 11

I have been wanting to post about Grace's first day of school; however, I thought it would be cuter if I could include a picture from her first day. But, it's been such a busy week - meetings, late nights working, school homework for Grace, getting up with Abigail at 5:30 a.m. - that there has not been time to upload a picture! And I have been so busy that I didn't have time to reflect on today - September 11.

It didn't hit me until I was driving back to my office from a meeting I was at downtown this afternoon. The highway was closed because of a procession to the Pentagon, the streets downtown were clogged and the flags were at half-staff. It was drizzling, cloudy, dark and windy. Not at all like the day eight years ago.

I just read a post that my friend Fannie put on her blog. She has an incredible way of painting pictures with her words. She said "the day was crystalline eight years ago"- what a great word! Fannie and Tim were living in Texas at the time but I would describe the day in Arlington, VA using the exact same word - crystalline.

I was working from home in 2001. I had just opened the window in our little house. The sky was a gorgeous shade of blue, the sun was warm but the air had a cool fall feeling. I turned on the Today Show and heard about a plane hitting the World Trade Center. And then I watched in horror as the second plane hit. I called Bruno, who was at work at the House office building across from the Capitol. We couldn't believe what was happening. We hung up and I continued to watch the news coverage.

Then suddenly the Today Show reported that the Pentagon had been hit by a plane. I called Bruno immediately and he had not even heard the news about the Pentagon. He decided to leave work right away and luckily beat all of the traffic leaving DC. I finally got a hold of my cousin Kerri (cell phone coverage was very spotty) who was also working on Capitol hill and she was headed to a friend's house downtown. There were rumors of another plane headed for the White House or the Capitol. And now we know that thanks to the bravery of some incredibly heoric people, that plane never made it to its final destination.

I couldn't wait for Bruno to get home. He didn't have a cell phone and this was before everyone had a blackberry so I just had to sit and wait. I stood outside waiting for him and realized that I couldn't hear any planes in the air (they had shut down all air traffic)... the only noise in the beautiful blue sky was the sound of fighter jets patrolling the sky.

When Bruno came home we just hugged each other for a very long time in complete disbelief of what had happened. Of course our efforts immediately went to making sure our family and friends who worked in NYC and at the Pentagon were safe - it would be hours before we would know for sure. And my parents were in Italy on the vacation of a lifetime, worried sick about how everyone was doing. Luckily we were able to communicate via e-mail as many of the phone lines in the DC area were jammed. We watched the towers fall and the side of the Pentagon burn.

I spent days just watching the TV - I just couldn't turn it off. It was surreal and scary. Eventually we turned the TV off and eventually we would drive by the Pentagon to see the horrific hole in the side of a building that symbolizes the strength of this country.

I will never, ever forget moments from that day. And I will never forget what a beautiful morning it started out to be.

Our prayers and hearts go out to those who lost loved ones on that fateful day.

The C-Section Date

Today was the day that Nolan was scheduled to be born. Erin was due close to September 8th, so many months ago the doctor wanted to schedule the c-section for September 1. We have a lot of September birthdays in our family - Len, Kerri, Abigail, my dad and Bruno - so we thought Nolan would join the rest of the crew.

We all focused on the September 1 date... we usually have a family bet that occurs with the birth of each baby and for this one, we disregarded the due date because that was already determined (or so we thought).

And then in mid-July, Erin started having contractions. It was a roller coaster ride with trips to the doctor, medications to try and stop the contractions, going to the hospital and ending up on complete bed rest. Erin received medication to help little Nolan's lungs grow more quickly in the event that he would be born early. She had a test that was supposedly 99% accurate and the results showed that she would not deliver within two weeks of taking the test. I can't remember the exact number of days (Erin and Ryan remember) but just a few days later, little Nolan James graced the world with his presence.

It has been a very rough 6 weeks for Ryan and Erin. Nolan had to spend time in the NICU but they were able to bring him home the week we were in Michigan. He has had a tough time with reflux, strider, potential allergies to breastmilk and certain formulas. He has tried numerous medications in various strengths. And he is unable to sleep lying down (even propped up in a swing or car seat) - someone has to hold him all night long.

There have been countless trips to various doctors and a trip to the ER. Throughout all of this, I have never heard Ryan or Erin say "I'm so exhausted" or "I don't know how we will manage". (That's not to say they haven't said it or haven't thought it - I have just never heard it.) All I have ever heard is them say "We are just so worried about Nolan and it is so hard for us to see him so uncomfortable." This is what is called unconditional love. To love someone you had never met until 6 weeks ago so much that you stay up all night holding them, walking them, trying every medication, searching the internet for tips and ideas, calling the doctor and seeing specialists - all in an effort to help this ease a little baby's pain.

I wish we could do more to help them. Erin's family has been incredible in helping Erin out - with her mom staying there most of the time since Nolan has been born. My mom and dad have taken some weekend night shifts, watched Owen and made meals. Nora and Len have made meals and visited. Other friends and family have also chipped in. Bruno and I wish that we could take a few night shifts and make some meals. But unfortunately, the 500 miles that separates us doesn't allow us that opportunity.

We send our love and our prayers to them today on Nolan's due date and every day. We are so blessed to have little Nolan James in our lives - he is keeping everyone busy but he is a miracle to all of us and we love him unconditionally.

Kindergarten Anxiety

Well, the time has come for our little Grace to be off to kindergarten. In many ways I can't believe where the time has gone, but I also know she is ready for this next phase of her life! We met her teacher briefly last week and then had a 30 minute orientation with her teacher today.

I have asked her how she is feeling and she says "excited" and "a little nervous". I told her that all the kids will be a little nervous. Of course what I haven't told her is now nervous I am. In my heart I know that she will do great, make wonderful friends, and soak up everything there is to learn. But I still worry about the little things - who will be her new friends? who will she sit next to at lunch? will she like her teacher? how will she do at "extended day" after school is over? Ahhh - so many questions and they will all be answered soon!

So, Wednesday is the big day - stay tuned for pictures and stories about the first day of school!

Time for a dance party!

It's been a busy week! There hasn't really been anything in particular, just seems like everything was scheduled for this week - dental appointments, seminars for work, open house at Grace's school, etc.

So, what do I do to relieve the stress?! Have a dance party in our living room! I ask the girls if they want to have a dance party and Grace usually says "yes!" and disappears for a few minutes only to come down from her room in a leotard and a fancy skirt that Aunt Erin bought her - it is a great "spinning skirt"! Bruno will sometimes join us but he has other ways of relieving his stress that don't involve dancing (I think it has something to do with bench pressing 500 lbs or something like that).

Then we turn on the TV and tune in to our XM radio (through Direct TV). We prefer the "20 on 20" station which plays the top 20 requested hits. And then we just let loose! It is so fun and even Abigail is getting into it - she loves to be spun around and bounced up and down. She is also starting to bob up and down if she is sitting or standing when the music is on. Nothing like her cousin Owen who was dancing the day he was born - not sure if he still likes to dance but he always loved to bop up and down when he was a baby!

Anyway - given the stress I am feeling over Grace starting kindergarten (that requires a whole other blog post next week) - I have a feeling we may have many dance parties this weekend!

Have a great weekend everyone and consider hosting your very own dance party!

Michigan Vacation

We spent last week in Michigan and had a fabulous vacation! My mom and dad are a tremendous help with Grace and Abigail and the girls just love their Jamma and Poppy! We love sitting on their screened-in porch eating dinner and chatting for hours after the kids are asleep. We ate a lot of Michigan-farm-fresh corn (there is nothing like it) and had a few drinks - it was so relaxing!

My mom and dad watched the girls for two nights so that Bruno and I could have our own vacation in Saugatuck. We love the little town on Lake Michigan - great food, shops, bars and a gorgeous beach! We loved not having to be watching the clock and enjoyed late dinners and sleeping in! (Anyone with little ones knows that you always have to be mindful of when the next meal or nap will be and many times have to make your plans around them. And there is no such thing as sleeping in with two little children around.)

We can't thank my parents enough for giving us a break from the everyday routine that parents of two kids juggle. We know they didn't sleep much (thanks to Abigail being close to getting her two front teeth) and we know they were probably exhausted each night after they put the kids to bed. But we also know they cherish the time with their grandkids since they don't get to see them all the time. Grace loved her vacation with Jamma and Poppy and wished that we could have stayed away longer - maybe next year!

The most important development is that Nolan was able to come home a few days before we arrived. He is just adorable and growing bigger and bigger by the day. Unfortunately, he has had some issues with reflux and sleeping so there have been some long days and nights trying to make him comfortable. Erin's mom has been an amazing help to them, staying with them during the week to help Erin out during the day and with taking care of Nolan at night. My mom and dad have also been a huge help with watching Owen, making meals and visiting Ryan and Erin as much as they can to help out with Nolan. Ryan and Erin are blessed to have such wonderful family and friends who have been so helpful during this stressful, and at times, exhausting, stage. Through the exhaustion and stress, none of us forget that new babies are such a miracle!

Here are some other pictures from our vacation in MI!

Holding my precious nephew Nolan for the first time.

Bruno holding his precious nephew Nolan for the first time.

Abigail watching Grace and Owen play - soon enough she will be trying to keep up with them!


The three kids having fun in Owen's backyard!

Celebrating 50 years of love

This weekend we went to Massachusetts to celebrate my Aunt Mary and Uncle Bob's 50th wedding anniversary! What a monumental ocassion to share with our family.

On August 1, 1959, Mary O'Connor and Bob DeMattio were married at St. Ambrose Church in Detroit, Michigan. Fifty years later, we celebrated that special day in their lives and honored their deep commitment to love and marriage. There were about 30 of us who shared the day with them - all family.

The day was filled with joy beginning with a mass in which they were honored. Then it was on to brunch at their house. Then most of the family went to Kate and Tim's beautiful home on the water in Weymouth. We had a fabulous lunch and a gorgeous view to enjoy. Then the crew went to Patty and Chris' beautiful home in Topsfield. Mary and Bob's children and their spouses hosted the incredible party. A great deal of planning and preparation went in to making the day extremely special and Kate, Tim, Patty, Chris, Mike and Heatherly certainly succeeded!

After dinner, several people offered stories about Mary and Bob from their younger years. Evyerone had different stories to share but the themes were the same: Mary and Bob have been an inspiration to all those whose lives they have touched. Their deep love and commitment to each other is evident to all those who they know and love.

I have always respected the O'Connor women, Mimi's daughters, Mary, Pat, Nora and my mom, for their commitment to love but also their strong independence. These are women who take vacations without their husbands, who play bridge and have other hobbies without their husbands, and who enjoy plays and movies without their husbands. But in the end, they love their husbands unconditionally and with strong commitment. I have always admired and respected this in my mom and aunts. I think these days this is probably more common place - girls get-away-weekends, girls nights out, etc. But when my aunts and mom were just married, this certainly must have been going against the grain of the norm. Mimi and grandpa John instilled a great deal of confidence in these women and, at the same time, must have been an inspriation to them of how to have a loving marriage!

What a fabulous weekend to be surrounded by family and unconditional love! While we all wish we could see each other more often and live closer to one another, we all recognize that when we do get together, it's as if no time has passed. And we cherish every minute of that time together.

Congratulations to Aunt Mary and Uncle Bob - may your lives continue to be blessed with the love and support of your dear family!

A new life

There are no words that can capture the emotions of how you feel when you get a call saying that someone you love is in labor and about to bring a new life into the world. There is the excitement, anticipation - wondering if the baby will be a boy or girl. And there is also concern that everything will be ok. We received such a call on Saturday from my mom and dad telling us that Erin was going to have a c-section and we would be welcoming baby LaRose into the world within the hour. We were excited and nervous, especially since Erin was delivering the baby 7 weeks early. We said some prayers that everything would go well and that baby LaRose would be a strong and healthy baby.

And then the pure joy and happiness when we received the call saying that Nolan James was born weighing 5 lbs, 9 oz. and was doing very well. Erin said he came out screaming which I'm sure was the most beautiful sound she and Ryan could ever want to hear. And since then Nolan continues to do amazingly well... so far he has been breathing perfect and as of yesterday was being fed through a tube but was doing well with it.

Erin and Ryan will have to leave the hospital without little Nolan, which I'm sure will be very hard for them. But they know that he is in the best hands with the nurses and doctors at the hospital. Thank God for the miracles of modern medicine that can help little Nolan grow big and strong.

We are blessed to welcome Nolan James and thank God for the miracle of new life.

Catch-up

I was looking back at my previous blog posts and noticed the one when I pronounced Abigail was sleeping through the night at 4 months old. All in all, she is still a great sleeper. But it reminds me that just when you think you have a schedule or have figured out what your baby likes, they like to keep you on your toes! We have certainly gone through phases with Abigail's sleeping patterns... she did sleep from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. the last two nights and we hope that trend will continue. However three nights ago was a different story.

She had been waking up at night and we had been feeding her a bottle and she would go right back to sleep. Well, I didn't want her to get in that habit so I declared three nights ago that we weren't going to feed her if she woke up at night. We would check in on her, close the doors, put in our ear plugs and let her cry. Yes, we are one of those horrible parents who believe in "cry-it-out". Anyway, she started crying around 1:00 a.m. Every few minutes I would check on her and settle her down. Then awhile later, Abigail woke up Grace so Grace started crying because she "couldn't sleep". So I settled Grace down and decided I would rock Abigail to sleep. As I'm rocking her and see her eyes start closing, Grace starts in again with the crying. This wakes up Abigail. At this point, I put Abigail down and go into our bedroom... Bruno listened to my advice to put the ear plugs in away and is sleeping soundly. I announced to him that both kids were crying - so he got up, rocked Abigail to sleep and I took care of Grace. Ahhh... finally back to sleep!

Another exciting event that I forgot to post about... last month, Bruno was invited to the Congressional picnic at the White House. As you will see by the picture, he had a great time schmoozing with the big wigs!

We had a great time in MA for the 4th of July. Apparently the weather in June had been horrible with something like 24 out of 27 days of rain. But the skies cleared for us and we had a fabulous time seeing Bruno's mom and dad, grandma, sister and brother-in-law and of course, our adorable niece! Ava and Abigail had fun together - they are both crawling now! Grace had a great time running around the Freitas' back yard and splashing in the pool!

That's all for now... we are just enjoying the summer and looking forward to our upcoming trips to Massachusetts for my aunt Mary and Uncle Bob's 50th wedding anniversary and to Michigan for our annual August vacation!