Standing Still in Time

This weekend surmised everything I love about Motherhood. The girls and I were finally able to sit back, relax and enjoy a summer weekend. Something I have been aching to do for quite some time! We headed down to RCB around 5:30 Friday night. The girls were excellent in the car despite the traffic and the fact that they were starving. We got in about 6:30 and opened up the house. We made some dinner and played some games. Then Hannah read us a book and we got in our pj's and snuggled in for the best night's sleep we have all had in a very long time. In all honesty, I woke up in a panic at 2:30 AM thinking something was wrong or that someone had stolen the children. Yet, upon checking in on them, they were both sound asleep and I didnt hear from them until they walked into my room and woke ME up at 7:15AM! THANK YOU OCEAN AIR! It was quite the greeting and I was so excited to spend the day on the beach with the girls. We went for our morning walk to look for seashells, or rocks, as the water at RCB tends to be quite rough and shells dont really make it to the shore. Upon our walk we met an adorable black lab whom we stopped to play ball with. I took a ton of pictures and literally soaked up every single minute of the morning.

After arriving back from our walk we hit the beach to make our sand castles and play with our beach friends. The water was amazingly rough and I couldn't wait to hit the waves which reminded me much of the North Shore Hawaii Surf Competition-The Pipeline. Seriously, the waves were 10 feet tall! My sister in law Leanne and I were able to get in and have a blast until the strength of the water took her down pretty hard. Scary moment, but thankfully she was okay. I even had a minor episode when a wave broke pretty far out and sent me plummeting down on the rocks unable to get up for a few minutes. I remember being a kid and wondering how people got hurt riding waves. I was a water baby.. still am but as I have grown older I have come to appreciate the fact that the ocean water is a force not to be reckoned with. I can now wrap my mind around how strong and forceful it can be an how easily it can truly take lives. I respect it all the same and I know my limitations these days. However, diving into the waves brought back a few moments of my childhood innocence about the water. This as well as Hannah and I doing cartwheels in the sand. Yes, I actually decided that I could step out of my Mommy comfort zone and be a kid again. We put on quite the display of acrobatics and it REALLY felt good to be a kid again. I think I may have shocked Hannah a bit. She had no idea her Mommy still had it in her.. quite frankly, I think I shocked myself!

I really am grateful for the weekend we had. Precious moments spent with my girls and family. It certainly will be one of the most memorable of the summer. Now we are heading up North for a 2 day work break to spend some time at the New Hampshire house. I am one lucky girl and I am glad for the break in work and the time I am able to spend with the family and my precious little miracles!

Overwhelmed

To say the past several weeks have been a blur of craziness would be an understatement. I swear I keep waiting for the calmness to settle in and for summer to begin, when the truth is, summer is already almost over. (I really cant bare to think of Hannah heading to kindergarten in a little over 4 weeks!) Where did these past two months go? Once again I have been caught up in the hustle and bustle of life and have barely had a moment to stop, stand still and breath.

Billy was called to work up in New Hampshire the week before Block Island. He spent that week up there and then sporadically the week of our vacation. (He was able to get to Block Island for a day or so). The week we got back, he then had to head up there to work for weeks at a time. At first I was nervous about it but then I got use to it and although I did miss him, I was able to fall into a schedule. A good one actually. The kids were heading to bed by 7:15 every night.. and falling asleep.. ON THEIR OWN! This was huge and it also allowed me to get everything accomplished. Although Layla still refuses the crib, since Block Island she has been going down in her pack n play every night and will fall asleep without me being in the room. This is HUGE for us and a milestone that has taken nearly 2 years to accomplish. There have even been nights where she has slept the entire night! When she does wake, I can usually get her back down within seconds! Now if I can only get Hannah to stay put in her bed we would be all set. Yet, I am too weak to deny her cuddles in the middle of the night when she is scared or lonely. Plus, having Billy away has certainly done it's number on her. She had a really tough time with it and did not like that he wasnt home to laugh and play with her. Thankfully, as of this week it looks like he wont have to go back up there for a while. In the meantime though, he needs to keep working... all this not working has really done a number on our finances. I know it is a tough time, but something has got to give! Unfortunately during the past 6 weeks or so, Hannah and Layla have been sick with viruses for most of them. I dont get it. Hannah was literally falling asleep at all hours of the day and in the blink of an eye. One second she's up and about talking to you and running around, the next she's on the floor sleeping. Anyone who knows Hannah, knows this is just not her. I was so worried that something bad was going on, however all her blood work came back normal so no Lyme's or Mono. It must have just been a nasty virus. Although, I am still not ruling out an ear issue with her as she keeps getting these low grade temperatures. Layla's diarrhea has come back full throttle and although it is not as many times as it use to be per day. It is still quite a bit. I am trying not to get overly concerned because she is happy most of the time and her sleeping habits have improved. I have an appointment in Boston for her in the next week or two, so we shall see what may come of it.

Last week we were knocked down pretty hard. I was heading over my in laws for dinner since Billy was in NH when my father in law had a heart attack. It was a pretty scary few days, but thankfully he is doing well and fingers crossed he stays that way. He had a stint put in the main artery to his heart and although it was a tough procedure since the plaque had calcified so hard they had to drill through, the blood is flowing smoothly now. Billy was able to get home and see him over the weekend which truly helped. The crazy part is that Grampy is a picture of health. He has never smoked, doesnt drink coffee, and maybe has one beer a year and this still happened. Unfortunately, genetics has played a role as his father passed away from a heart attack at the age of 54. His mother, Gramma Rose also had congestive heart failure and other heart conditions. You can't change your genes however, we are all so grateful that he is alive and well. In the coming weeks he may have to go in for another stint in another artery, but a stress test will show if this is needed or not. Whewww... again, a crazy few days, but the family gathered round and got through it all. It's funny, I never really thought about Billy's parents ever having health issues. I am always so consumed with my parents and health issues. I always looked at his parents as being strong and healthy and therefore not even worrying about it. Mine on the other hand.. oh dear I cant even go there as we are going through a terribly tough time right now that I can even bare to post about it. Nor should I. Let's just say that the last several weeks have left me with many many sleepless nights worrying about what the future may hold for my family. So all in all Grampy's heart attack was a shock on all of us. Yet we are so grateful to the Lord above for keeping him here with us. Especially for his 4 granddaughters who adore him.

I am looking forward to our ONE relaxing weekend this weekend as the rest of August is booked up entirely. We are going to head down the beach and decompress. I am very much looking forward to it and to be quite honest, I TRULY NEED IT. Hopefully it will rejuvenate me for a few more weeks!

Hannah Banana Meatball's Milestone

Well I have survived the turning FIVE! Yes, my 5lb 2 oz little meatball turned 5 yesterday! Thankfully our weekend was a blur of craziness which left me little time to be depressed over the fact that my first born miracle is now 5. However, there were a few moments (mostly in the nighttime insomniac mode) where I began to get choked up while taking a trip down memory lane. What kept me afloat and optimistic is the sure fact that I have my Hannah. I have her. There was a time when uncertainties about her health made us unsure if she was going to make 4 months. Five years later, I HAVE HER! I KNOW that I am BLESSED. I know that I am fortunate. I know that my life has been graced by a miracle that the Lord above sent me.

It is so wonderful to watch Hannah grow into this unbelievable little person. Strong willed, determined, sentimental, emotional, happy go lucky and independent child she is. I never thought she would get my emotional sensitive qualities, but she has. Yet, she is also so strong and determined that I know for sure Hannah is going to do something great in this lifetime. She excels at so much! She wants to be involved in so much!

Wasn't it just yesterday that she crawled for the first time? She was 11 months and we were on Block Island when all of a sudden, she just crawled! She had never attempted it before. Just decided she wanted to get from point A to point B quicker and did it! I was so worried that she wouldnt crawl as a side affect to all the medication she was on..or because some portion of her brain had been damaged, but no, she crawled, right then and there! Less than two months later at 14 months.. she walked. Same thing. She never really attempted to walk. She was far too busy perfecting her crawl when one day she just stood up and walked. Straight across the room. I want to say it was 6 or 7 steps she took. I chuckle when I am thinking about it now because this said then, what we would soon learn about her personality.

Hannah really is a star. She's my star. She is my hero. She brings so much joy to everyone she meets. She keeps us on our toes and she keeps us laughing. She dances through our lives bringing me more joy than I ever could have imagined. She inspires me and can help change my mood in an instant. Lately, I love the new "friend" quality in our relationship. She quickly learned about my love for Michael Jackson as she had to endure my depression over his death. She now loves to dance on our coffee table to thriller! LOL Sometimes I think she is a mini me, but then she also has so many of her Daddy's great qualities as well.

So baby girl is 5 and life is continuing to go on and on quicker than I ever thought imaginable. Yet, I know that these are the good years and I am completely grasping onto every single second of them!

Happy Birthday my dear Hannah! Happy 5th Birthday! xoxoxo

Greener pastures only a few days away!

Well hasn't this been the week of up's and down's! Yesterday was such an insane day, I am not even sure where to begin! These past two weeks I have literally had a function or appointment every day after work. I know some people can go about their weeks running around like a chicken with it's head caught off, but I will be honest and say that I totally cant handle it and it stresses me out BIG TIME. To have something every day literally throws us all off schedule and I can never seem to get caught up or organized. The kids get overtired and it all turns into a big vicious circle of a mess. I will not ever pretend to be Superwoman.. it's certainly not me! To boot, Hannah has been off the wall, fresh, unruly, so much so that I couldnt even post because I didnt have anything very nice to say about her. Layla, as well seems to be in a down few weeks although I am not even sure really what is normal for her anymore. I have been trying to add some things back into her diet to see if we can maybe help along some of these food allergies. Some things she can seem to tolerate, other's, instant diarrhea. Needless to say that I had attributed some of her sleepless nights to belly pain compounded by teething.

So as for my ups? Well Lord knows I am so very excited to be heading to my piece of heaven on Saturday for a whole week. Block Island will surely cure my craziness blues! I know I will get everything done although it seems a bit overwhelming at the moment. Moreover, my dear husband bought me my dream stroller. Borrowing his sister's for Hannah's 7 mile BCH walk definitely did the trick and he won us a Bumbleride Indie Twin in Vita (HOT PINK)! We have been in bidding wars with a few strollers for the past several weeks and we are convinced that it is fixed and the owners spike up the bids. So yesterday was much the same. I bid the limit I was allowed and knew I had lost. I went to take Layla to the doctors for a weigh in and I came back to see that Billy had won the stroller??? To my amazement, he was trying to surprise me and bid over what he originally set for a limit. He wanted to see if he could put the stroller on the ferry and send it out to me on the island. IS HE THE BEST OR WHAT? Of course I ruined it by coming back and checking to see how much it sold for and saw his name next to it! All the same, I am THRILLED and cant wait! Finally, a stroller that serves all my needs! I like to walk long distances with the girls and every stroller I owned was horrible. You get what you pay for. I also like to use strollers on the beach and walk the beach and have the kids take their naps. This stroller does it all AND it fits through doorways.. It has complete sun shades and rain gear. I am a girl in all her glory! Did I mention it was HOT PINK? HA!

My downs? Billy informed me at 5:30 last night that he would be leaving for New Hampshire to work the rest of the week out. I was in shock. Yes, he needs to be working as he has hardly had any work and funds are tight. BUT THIS WEEK? I was so counting on him to watch the kids in the evenings so I could get all my errands, cooking and packing done. Moreover, I hate going on vacations without him! This is our ONE vacation a year and once again, I'll be without him. I did get over the shock of it all and saw the bright side .. he is working. AND he did make my lasagna for me as well. Hmmmm He must be going for the husband of the year award!!!

On another down note, I had had it up to my ear drums with the girls unruly behavior and decided to take them to the Treatment Center last night. This after already being to the Pediatrician for a weigh in I figured I would take them and just make sure they were alright seeing as the Block doesn't have the best health care facility out there. Low and behold, both girls had throat and ear infections. Can you stand it? I was totally stunned. This is only Layla's 3rd ear infection and I would have never guessed! Hannah, this is the first time she has ever had an ear infection with the tubes in. WHOA! Thank God I decided to take them. Of course I then I had the Mommy guilt because Hannah has been complaining about not feeling well for over a week now. I just thought she was exaggerating because when you ask her what's wrong, she says her belly, throat, and tooth every time! It's hard to take her seriously. UGH I felt like the worse Mom. So antibiotics are now being administered and I dragged the poor beans to the office today so I could keep on track with my work since I will be out all next week. Needless to say, I now know where the unruly behavior was coming from and had to sit them down and apologize for reprimanding them all week. I returned all the things I took away. Again.. Mommy guilt STINKS!

That's it in a nutshell. I am so anxious to get to that ferry I can hardly contain myself!

Walking for my miracle baby

This past Sunday was our 5th annual Boston Children's Hospital walkathon. We started this tradition five years ago in attempt to give back to this wonderful hospital that was so instrumental in saving my Hannah's life. Once again, the crew put on their walking shoes and completed the 7-mile feat with I do believe our best "time" yet! Might I add that we had 4 children with us ranging from ages 7 months to 5 and all of these girls were complete troopers! Baby Reanna went the whole 7 miles without even stopping for a bottle and only one quick diaper change and she was good as gold. Layla cakes was fantastic and never once got out of the stroller in the 2 hours it took us to cross the finish line. Miss Brenna gave us a lesson in endurance as she kept getting out of the stroller to run her way through the walk. Lastly, Hannah got a kick out of it all and loved the pit stops with snacks the most! We crossed the finish line and all the kids got their medals and were beaming with pride.

The crew changes every year but there are a few walkers that have been with me from the beginning. Julie for one, has done the walk each year with me. Also, Auntie Paula and Andrea have also been with me from day one. Peter and Brenna joined us a few years back as well as Andrea's sister Lori and her husband. This year we had a few new additions, Auntie Jan, Erin and Mikey. It was a great crew and I felt so blessed to have this group share this experience with us. It means the world to me that everyone truly enjoys this day and feels great about giving back to Childrens. The feeling of accomplishment and goodness truly makes the day a huge success.

I would be remiss if I didnt thank all of our supporters as well. Year after year supporters donate to this walk in Hannah's honor. They never seem to hesitate even amidst the difficult financial times! This year, we were blessed to get a huge donation from Anthony and Kristi Romano who chose to donate $500 to this event in lieu of the wedding favors. I was totally floored when I got this phone call on Thursday evening and I am forever grateful for the gift. You have no idea how much this gift will make a difference in a child's life. Thank you, to all of our supporters for being there for us year after year.

As the years purge on, Hannah becomes more and more aware of what she went through as an infant and I have to say that this year I think she really "got it" in terms of all of these people coming together to support this cause in honor of her. She is my little survivor and as I have said many times before, I am blessed. For all that she went through, she is so darn intelligent and spunky! How did I get so lucky? Every year during this event I pass groups of people wearing T-Shirts with pictures of children on them that say, "In Memory Of". Yet, here I am, with my blessing by my side. It is truly a humbling experience. Trust me when I say, I know, I know how blessed I am!

On a final note I just have to add another funny Hannah moment. She decided yesterday that she would tell her class and Preschool teachers that it was her birthday. Apparently she felt as though she was getting jipped in having a summer birthday so the whole class participated in singing Happy Birthday to her and the teachers frantically put together a crown for her to wear. For those of you who may not know, Hannah's birthday is not until July 12th. Yup, and there she was, putting on a show, so that she could get her moment in the spotlight! Only my Hannah Banana!

5 years ago...

Oye.. I know I am being sentimental but there is just nothing I can do about it.. it's in my nature! I just cant believe that in a little over a month my preemie baby will turn 5! Where oh where did 5 years go? Billy and I were so nervous to have a baby and so many things had to be done.. and actually never got done due to her early arrival! And yet, here we stand, almost 5 years later with our lives dramatically changed and all for the better. What nonsense it was to be so scared to have a baby. Normal I know, but now looking back.. complete nonsense! If only we knew then the joy that this little girl was going to bring into our lives. It took us a while to get there and my poor baby endured enough pain to make my stomach turn when I think of it.. but we got passed all that and now here she is.. a little over a month away, from turning five. I have been begging her to turn three instead of five. Why can't we go backwards? Nope she says.. "I'm turning five and then I'm gonna be six and then seven." Oh dear Lord are there drugs for this sorta thing... because I am not dealing well!

After work yesterday we had to run to the Disney Store to pick up a few birthday gifts for the 2 parties we have this weekend for Han's girlfriends. We found these adorable princess nightgowns that had a message about friendship on them. I couldn't resist as they were perfect for the occasion and of course I couldn't deny Hannah one either. For $15 I thought it was a pretty great gift, especially since she had behaved the entire day at the office. It is so difficult not to indulge these little monkeys sometimes even when funds are low.. I have a very hard time saying no, especially after good behavior! Last night I gave the girls their baths and washed Hannah's hair. I took the tags off of the nightgown for her and let her put it on while I went downstairs to feed Layla. Minutes later she came bounding down the stairs and both Billy and I were just taken aback for a minute. We looked at each other and then I said, "OMG she is sooo beautiful!" and he replied, "I KNOW!" It was crazy. The colors of the nightgown against her glowing skin and bouncing curls just literally put us in awe. She's a girl! Not a baby, not a little girl.. but A GIRL! How did this happen? When did this happen???

Her "funny" for the day was when I was reading to her last night and it actually goes along with this whole post. After I got through book #5, she handed me a Cabbage Patch Kid book that my sister and I had shared when we were kids. (I had taken a few books down from the attic as Hannah has a reading list for the summer and I knew I had some of them up there.) Anyhow we open the book and out pop these cards addressed to Julie and I. I opened them up and it took me a minute but then I remembered what they were. Back in the day, the Cabbage Patch kids would receive birthday cards from Xavier Roberts (their creator). So here I am holding these 1st Birthday cards for the twins that Julie and I had owned and here is Hannah with a confused look on her face. It's that look when she scrunches up her nose and turns her head sideways. She then says, "Um Mom, this makes no sense, Cabbage Patch Kids don't grow up. How can they turn one?" I swear this child kills me on a daily basis. You see, me.. I would have been to caught up in my dream world of the Cabbage Patch Kid maybe coming to life to even question the fact of them getting any older. Not Hannah! Ah I love her to pieces! Why can't she be like the Cabbage Patch Kids and not grow up on me???????????????????? I must add here that the other night during nighttime reading as well, Hannah begged me to read her the Rainbow Brite book I also found in the attic. I opened it up and there was an inscription which read, "To Julie, on this very special day. Christmas 1985, all my love, Memere." I got pretty choked up as it had been five years since I had seen Memere's writing and it totally caught me off guard but it was special and comforting as well. Looks like we'll be giving that one back to Jules so that she can read it to Reanna. Thank you Memere, for reminding us how much you love us and for sending us angel kisses from heaven!

Layla on the other hand at 20 months is showing interest in the potty. I think she has gotten so use to seeing Mommy go "pee pee" 50 million times from all the water I have been drinking that she now rips off her diaper, yells "pee pee" and begs me to put her on the toilet. She has yet to actually go, but it is very funny all the same. I just feel like she is soooo tiny to be doing this already, yet at the same time I am trying to embrace it. Hannah was a tough one to train. Maybe Miss Layla cakes will be a cinch! Anyhow, it would probably be a good idea to go get her a potty to sit on in the near future. Do they even make underwear in size 18 months?

Alright.. my song for the day is Kenny Chesney's "There goes my life." I dont think I have posted it before.. sorry if I have! It just needs to be posted today!

All he could think about was I'm too young for this.

Got my whole life ahead. Hell I'm just a kid myself.

How'm I gonna raise one.

All he could see were his dreams goin' up in smoke.

So much for ditchin' this town and hangin' out on the coast.

Oh well, those plans are long gone.

And he said,There goes my life.

There goes my future, my everything.

Might as well kiss it all good-bye.

There goes my life.......

A couple years of up all night and a few thousand diapers later.

That mistake he thought he made covers up the refrigerator.

Oh yeah..........he loves that little girl.

Momma's waiting to tuck her in,

As she fumbles up those stairs.

She smiles back at him dragging that teddy bear.

Sleep tight, blue eyes and bouncin' curls.

He smiles.....There goes my life.

There goes my future, my everything.

I love you, daddy good-night.

There goes my life.

She had that Honda loaded down.

With Abercrombie clothes and 15 pairs of shoes and his American Express.

He checked the oil and slammed the hood, said you're good to go.

She hugged them both and headed off to the West Coast.

And he cried,

There goes my life.

There goes my future, my everything.

I love you.Baby good-bye.

There goes my life.

There goes my life.

Baby good-bye.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MIJShOqh8Q

Flying By

This week is already flying by!!! Monday we had Jay's annual Uno's night to raise money for the Jay Lawrence Foundation and for the scholarship that is handed out in his name each year at the high school. This night is always so fun for me because it is all of my favorite people under one roof! It's almost surreal in a sense that the same loyal crew comes and everyone is always smiling and even those people that you haven't ever formally been introduced to, smile and say hello. It is also remarkable how much my family's life has changed in these 8 1/2 years. I am still in awe that Jay received his angel wings EIGHT AND A HALF years ago! Wow.. The first few years this dinner was a way for most of us to come together and drink away the pain of the loss. I am sure those first few years our bar tab was more than our meal tab. Now however, it's all of us "kids" chasing after OUR little ones all over the restaurant! It's comforting and almost peaceful because although there will always be that missing piece of us, we have endured the loss and have continued on. Our families have grown and this tradition will continue on and on and on and someday it will be OUR little ones running up the liquor tab! (UGH!) But for now, we can instill this tradition in our growing families and continue on each year. Jay will always be remembered and treasured as long as we can help it!

The rest of the week is busy with appointments and meetings but I am hoping to get my butt to the gym instead of continuing the work out sessions in my 2 X 4 bedroom! There is only so much you can do and after a while it just doesnt work anymore. Tonight there is a 2 hour lull in my night and i am hoping to head to the Precor machine! We shall see what I can accomplish. There are only so many hours in a day and I am certainly not a wonder woman but it would be nice to try and get some more weight off before Block Island! Darn genetics!

The girls are great! Enjoying the weather and the sun. I believe Miss Layla is teething again.. as the drool and cranky pants have told me so! Otherwise though, they have continued to crack us up. Hannah and her stories just kill me. She has a little girlfriend named, Angelica. She sees her from time to time and will play. The other night in the car she says, "Ma, I just dont get it.... She's too little to be an ant." It took me a minute to realize what she was saying and then I said, "Oh NO Han.. it's not Ant Gelica.. its ANNNN Gelica!" HAHAHAHAHA The kid just totally cracks me up!

I now must start preparing for The Banana's 5th Birthday party.. and I am so not okay with this turning 5 thing! Ahhh such is life and this is the way it goes, but I am surely not happy about my little premature baby turning FIVE! Where does this time go? Why cant I just freeze us here, in this place in time? sigh.....

This is the song that I use to sing to Hannah when she was in my belly... 6 very short years ago..

Biggest Part of Me by Ambrosia

There's a new sun arisin' (In your eyes)

I can see a new horizon (Realize)

That will keep me realizin'

You're the biggest part of me (Stay the night)

Need your lovin' here beside me (Shine the light)

Need you close enough to guide me(For all my life)

I've been hopin' you would find me

You're the biggest part of me

Well Make a wish, baby

and I will make it come true

Make a list, baby

Of the things I'll do for you

Ain't no risk, now, In lettin' my love rain down on you,

So we could wash away the past,

So that we may start anew

(Rainbow) Risin' over my shoulder;

(Love flows) Gettin' better as we're older

(All I know) All I want to do is hold her

She's the life that breathes in me

(Forever) Got a feelin' that forever

(Together) We are gonna stay together

(For better) For me, there's nothin' better

You're biggest part of me

Well Make a wish, baby

Well, and I will make it come true

Make a list, baby

Of the things I'll do for you

Ain't no risk, now,

In lettin' my love rain down on you,

So we could wash away the past,

So that we may start anew

More than an easy feelin', She brings joy to me

How can I tell you What it means to me?

Flow like a lazy river For an eternity

I've finally found someone

Who believes in me, And I'll never leave

Make life grand

Well Make a wish, baby

Well, and I will make it come true

Make a list, baby

Of the things I'll do for you

Ain't no risk, now,

In lettin' my love rain down on you,

So we could wash away the past,

So that we may start anew(Beside me)

Need your lovin' here beside me

(To guide me) Keep it close enough to guide me

(Inside of me) From the fears that are inside of me

You're the biggest part of me(Forever)

Got a feelin' that forever (Together)

We are gonna stay together (Forever)

From now until forever

You're the biggest part of me

You're the life that breathes in me

You're the biggest part of me

You changed my life

You made it right

And I'll be a servant to you

For the rest of my life

You're the biggest part of me....

Does this kid just keep getting cuter and cuter or what?

AH! I cant believe that I have hardly found a chance to sit and write! June is going to be another crazy month but hopefully we can find some time in July to sit back, relax and take in some sunshine. We are sooo very looking forward to our Block Island vacation the end of this month!

The girls are doing well. We have had a few challenges this week with them but nothing too crazy! For the most part they are enjoying the sunshine, FINALLY and getting bigger every second! (WA!).

Hannah did go meet her Kindergarten teacher, new school, and classroom last week. As much as I would love to keep her at St. Philip's, I know that this school will be good for her as well. I'm not going to lie and say that this is not going to kill me and St.P's would have been a much easier transition for all of us.. but in the reality of things, we are not made of money and the Catholic schools are just so darn expensive. On a good note, she will be back with Miss Mackenzie and I know both girls are thrilled about that. I am also excited to be able to walk her to school this year as it is just a stone's throw away! I just cant believe how far we have come with Hannah and how quickly everything has flown by. She is such a smart little girl who is very aware of things and can tend to be emotional about the sad things in life. I see so much of Billy and Jill in her, but at the same time, I think she certainly got my emotional gene. Which in essence isnt such a bad thing because I think, it makes you appreciate life more. She also got my love for music gene too! LOL

Layla on the other hand.. I cant really tell who she is yet. In the beginning she was more of a very relaxed, calm baby girl. Now she is definitely on the go go go all the time. She is very wirey and is into EVERYTHING! She is so good at climbing things that I think she could probably climb Mt. Washington at this point! As far as her personality though, she is very needy and wants to be held. She wants that skin to skin contact and loves to be caressed. Her deep loud voice coming out of her little teeny body with a big ol head often makes people laugh. She's growing up right before my eyes, but because she is on the small side, I feel like I am getting a little bit more time of keeping that baby in her.

One thing I have always said about my parenting style and please note, I am very sensitive to this issue because I would never judge what others do. I firmly believe that you have to do what you feel is best for your children and what works for your family. This being said, I do like to let my kids be kids for as long as they can. I often wonder if this society tries to make our children grow up much faster than they really need to. Yes, Layla still drinks out of a bottle. It is honestly the only way we know if she gets any calories these days and it is what helps to put her to sleep. She can drink out of a sippy and has been drinking out of a straw since she was 6 months old.. and she will do it during the day as well. So what if she likes her bottles. I can guarantee she wont be on them when she is 5! Hannah was the same way and she turned out okay with it! I feel the same with the girls sleeping in the bed. They are only this little for such a short time, if they want cuddles at night then why cant they have them? Why is it looked upon as so wrong?

Okay, enough of my ranting and raving! I need to get my butt in the shower because I have a a blanket bingo picnic date with Miss Hannah today!

I have been so busy I havent had a second to update! But I will leave you with my favorite song of the week...

It's an oldie but goody!!!

Cowboy Take Me Away - Dixie Chicks

I said I wanna touch the earth
I wanna break it in my hands
I wanna grow something wild and unruly

I wanna sleep on the hard ground
In the comfort of your arms
On a pillow of bluebonnets
In a blanket made of stars

Oh it sounds good to me I said

Cowboy take me away
Fly this girl as high as you can
Into the wild blue
Set me free oh I pray
Closer to heaven above and
Closer to you closer to you

I wanna walk and not run
I wanna skip and not fall
I wanna look at the horizon
And not see a building standing tall

I wanna be the only one
For miles and miles
Except for maybe you
And your simple smile

Oh it sounds good to me
Yes it sounds so good to me

Cowboy take me away
Fly this girl as high as you can
Into the wild blue
Set me free oh I pray
Closer to heaven above and
Closer to you closer to you

I said I wanna touch the earth
I wanna break it in my hands
I wanna grow something wild and unruly
Oh it sounds so good to me

Cowboy take me away
Fly this girl as high as you can
Into the wild blue
Set me free oh I pray
Closer to heaven above and
Closer to you closer to you
Closer to you
Cowboy take me away.
Closer to you

New York State of Mind

Well this past weekend the girls and I braved a trip alone to Long Island to visit with Auntie Jill and Uncle Dave. Billy was supposed to come, but like anytime we make plans, he was called into work! He needs to take what he can get because jobs have been so scarce these days. So off we left on Saturday morning and we trekked on down to the New London Ferry. The girls were fantastic during the car ride and they even had a great time on the ferry despite Layla not feeling her best. I have to say that Hannah was on her best behavior the entire weekend and I was so very grateful!

Auntie Jill and Uncle Dave met us in Greenport which is a town located just after you get off the ferry. I have to say that the towns located just off the ferry are my favorite on the island. It is all green green rolling farmlands with farmhouses and farmstands. There are vineyards for miles and miles and it is all located just off the ocean. Truly a gorgeous area! Greenport was adorable as well! We walked all around the shops, had some lunch and then headed over to the carousel which actually sat up on a hill just off the ocean. The girls had a blast! Though I will say it was the fastest carousel I had ever been on! Uncle Dave took Hannah on a walk down near the docks while Jill, Layla and I headed into some of the shops. It was a fantastic day even if the weather wasn't at its best.

At night Missy and Madison came on over and we all went to Cheeburger Cheeburger, which is an adorable diner type hot spot..and ohhhh how yummy. Surely gained 5 lbs at this pit stop! HA! The cheeseburgers were so yummy and the ice cream shake I had afterwards was even better! When we got back to the house the girls played Rock Band. Uncle Dave is truly one of a kind to let the kids play with this! He knows how much they love to play it and he is always very excited to set it up for them. Most people who don't have children yet would have their reservations about letting the kids play.. but not Dave. He enjoys watching them as much as we all do. Unfortunately this night Miss Layla decided she was going to get sick all over Uncle Dave's favorite slothing spot on the couch and I surely hope that it is faring well these days!

Sunday we slept in a bit and then Jill and Hannah went to get some NY bagels. Nothing like a NY bagel I tell ya! We then headed on over to feed the ducks. The girls had a blast and I got some real nice pictures of everyone. Once we ran out of bread we headed on over to Big Dave and Miss Linda's house where the word "hospitality's" true meaning shines. I swear they are just the nicest people on the planet and I love that Miss Linda shares my love for country music. She actually made me sit and watch the "Here Comes Goodbye" video by the Rascal Flatts and 4 minutes later Mr. Dave was handing me Kleenex to wipe up my sobbing face! Miss Linda and I will always have that moment! LOL Mr. Dave cooked us a fantastic meal. It first started with Guacamole. Can I just say that I have never liked the stuff.. ever.. but what he made was so darn yummy I made him give me the recipe! Afterwards we had chicken and salmon on the grill with grilled vegetables and pasta salad. The man can surely cook a fantastic meal! I always love spending time at their house because the house is just knock down dead gorgeous. It's all decorated in a wine vineyard theme and their house literally sits on a canal where their boat is docked. The landscaping is just gorgeous and Miss Linda's gardening is just so beautiful. The girls and I are always treated like VIPs when we visit!

Our trip back home went just as smoothly as our trip down and now that I know that the girls can tolerate the car ride we will definitely have to go down on our own more often! Although, I will leave Auntie Jill and Uncle Dave some rest in between because the girls surely had them going all weekend! Mind you, anytime I see Jill, she has an entire new wardrobe purchased for the girls! The most adorable clothes. I call her their sugar daddy!

Sunday evening Layla got sick again! She certainly wasn't feeling well at times throughout the weekend and she stayed home yesterday with Daddy to try and get some rest. She did have a good night so fingers crossed that it is just a virus we are dealing with and nothing more. The weird part about it is that she was only vomiting at night. Not during the day. This is day 5 of whatever it is and although she is still not herself she does seem to be a bit better today. Yet, she is not eating solids and only drinking her formula. Thank God for that! I really need to find a way to boost her immune system because every other week the poor kid is down and out with something!






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Pictures

Here are a few pictures from the other night. Also a few from our play date with Brenna! Dont have much time to post today as the girls are being incredibly unruly and I have spent most of the morning breaking up their bickering! AHHHH what has gotten into these two? I'm losing my voice from reprimanding them so much today!

Layla decided to put herself on the spin cycle!

Our play date with Brenna..... I will say that I love spending time with Brenna as Tammi & Pete parent very much the same as Billy and I. Also, Brenna and Hannah are two peas in a pod and I never have to worry about Hannah playing too rough because Brenna can surely hold her own! It was a lovely evening and I completely enjoyed spending time with Tammi, Mommy juice in hand of course!

I'm Back!

YAY! Finally I am feeling my self again! Oye, that was a few days of yuckiness but fellas.. I'm Back.

What a great morning it is to be Boston fan! With the Celtics trailing the whole game to squeezing out a win in the end and the Bruins tying the series 3-3 forcing a game 7 AT HOME! Life is surely good!

When I got home yesterday it was so wonderful to see both my girls. As much as it is nice to have a little break now and then, I surely do miss them when I am away from them for more than a few hours. Miss Hannah gave me the play by play of her day and Layla cakes gave me the cuddles I so much needed!

Billy got quite a bit accomplished in the yard and was able to spread all the mulch and it looks so pretty now! Uncle Paul is hopefully painting the side of the house today (the side we just couldnt reach on a ladder) and man the house is really shaping up. Next.. on to building that deck! Soon enough we'll have it looking the way we want it! Although.. I suppose I should find some time to clean the inside one of these days! HA!

I took a bunch of pictures of the girls last night after their bath. This was before Layla decided to catapult off of Hannah's bed and do a complete rotation before landing splat on her face. The sad thing was that I was RIGHT THERE beside her and couldnt do a darn thing to stop it all from happening! Thankfully she didnt seem to be hurt and she didnt cry for very long. Unfortunately, I did forget my camera at home though and I will have to post the pics tomorrow!

We are looking forward to a trip to Long Island this weekend to visit Auntie Jill and Uncle Dave. I am hoping that the weather forecast turns around and we catch a nice weekend!!!