Timmy is...potty trained!

Dare I even say it?!  I'm afraid I'll jinx myself!  Timmy actually decided to potty train himself a few days ago and has been doing great!  I'd just been putting him on the toilet when I caught him pooping and then one day about a month or so ago, I put him in underwear all day and he peed through every pair.  I gave up and didn't push it because it was too much with trying to nurse Gabrielle every 2 hours.  Then one morning, I found him out of bed, diaper off, sitting on the toilet and we went with it!  He's had minimal accidents and we've even worn underpants out in public to two stores!  He does still continue to wear diapers at night, but generally makes it through the night with a pretty dry diaper!

Funny Sayings

Here's the latest round up of cute sayings from the kids:

Olivia at breakfast to the other kids: "Now everyone...I have a surprise for you all.  I am  your big sister now!  (acts as though...can you believe it!).  I am going to be your big sister and I can help you!"

~ "Mommy, some day I'm going to have a boyfriend!"


Timmy: I had put my head back and was resting my eyes when I heard him say, "Hock a doodle doo...wake up la-z-y bones!"

~ He has a sound machine that has a waterfall setting.  He calls it either "fadderwall" or "Bumpa's boat" since it sounds like the water that Bumpa's boat is on!


Naomi:  For several months we've been praying for our vacation to go "smooth and well".  The other night, when vocalizing our nightly Rosary intentions, Naomi prayed that "Gramma M would be smooth and well!"

I'm sure there's more as usual, but I can't remember!

Impulse buy!

My husband can vouch that I am not an impulse buyer.  However, when I saw these ADORABLE headbands at the consignment store yesterday, I knew I had to get it!  There were 3 in a pack for $1.  Wouldn't you agree that this was a dollar well spent?! 

End of the School Year!

 Olivia on her First Grade Orientation day.  Is it possible?!  Can my little girl be old enough to be off to first grade next year?!  Can I just say, I feel SO blessed to be able to stay home with my children.  Had she been in day care all this time, I would have missed this precious time before she heads off to school for the next 12 years of her life!

 Naomi's Recognition Ceremony for the completion of her Parent Child Home Preschool Program.  We all enjoyed having Ms. Adelida come to our house for 30 min. every Tuesday and Thursday to do preschool activities with everyone.

And, what would a blog post be without a picture of the little monkey :-) (who bobbled her little head back and forth and watched everything at Naomi's recognition ceremony!  She's rather nosy!)

Wordless Wednesday

You Know You're a Nursing Mom When...

...your 2 year old son (who hasn't been nursed in a year):

~wants to crawl in your lap and "feed Tim Tim"

~climbs up in the chair and puts your Boppy (nursing pillow) on his lap and wants you to give him the baby so he can "feed Gabielle"

~when told he can't feed Gabrielle, he grabs a doll instead and "feeds baby" and sings songs from a book to her

Odds and Ends

Planting Dahlia's with Daddy!

Since it's been so long since I've actually posted, I thought I would just post a few more recent pictures along with a few of the cute things that have happened around here.

 Olivia lost her first top tooth today!  It's been hanging by a thread for days!  She was SO excited!  This makes her 5th tooth that she's lost!  And she's only 5!  She is finishing up Kindergarten and has 1st grade orientation in a few weeks!

 Naomi turned 4 last month!  She's recognizing more and more letters and knows all her colors.  She "graduates" from her little home preschool program in two weeks!

 Timmy is totally boy and continues to be very active!  He had his first set of stitches a few weeks ago...smack dab on his forehead above his left eye!  Whenever you tell him to smile, he squints his eyes!

 Gabrielle is 2 1/2 months already!  How did that happen?!  She was 10lb 3 oz at her 2 month check up- a gain of 3 lb 6 oz. She is so smiley now and coos a lot as well.  The kids love to sit and make her smile!  She is settling down and not quite so fussy now.  We discovered that she loves being swaddled.  Thanks to The Happiest Baby on the Block we have discovered how to calm her down when she works herself up.  We all love her to death and she gets millions of kisses a day!

Happy Birthday Naomi!

Happy Birthday Naomi!

April 2, 2012

4 years old!

(I am clearly very behind on this blog!  For good reason I can assure you!  It has assumed the bottom of the priority list...below kids, making meals, cleaning, folding laundry, and sleep!)

Easter 2012!

He Is Risen!  Alleluia!  

Happy Easter from our family to yours!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introducing....

Gabrielle Marie

born February 19, 2012

9:49am

6 lb   13oz   20in. 

False Alarm

So, yesterday was quite aggravating!  I awoke at 5:30 am with a couple strong contractions and thought, "finally, this is it! what perfect timing too!"  I was 2 days overdue, this had to be it.  Pete was up getting ready for work, so I told him he probably should switch gears and get last minute things packed for the hospital and kids.  He called his mom to come down to watch the kids, and the contractions slowed down.  Usually, when I go into labor, the contractions start and just keep getting stronger and closer and there's a baby in 2-4 hours.  Well, that wasn't so this time!  My mother-in-law got here and I was just having wimpy, irregular contractions.  She decided to take the kids to her house and we were going to go walk to get things rolling.  After she left, I was so tired, I laid down and dozed in and out for a bit. We ended up at the mall by mid day and walked the circuit a few times. We grabbed lunch at Panera (which was so nice!) and walked some more at a track outside until it started raining and I got too tired to continue.  Though we were within walking distance of the hospital, we headed home.  I had still been having random contractions, but they just were not becoming regular.  We decided to relax and watch a movie at home...still no significant changes.  At this point, we talked to my mother-in-law and decided that the kids would stay at her house for the night in hopes that this baby would decide to come in the night.  Well, if the kids were going to be gone anyway, we decided we might as well enjoy our free time and go on a date!  We headed to a local restaurant and enjoyed a nice dinner, then called it an early night just in case!

I slept so well last night!  Knowing you don't have to keep one ear open for crying children really can put one in a sound sleep.  It felt SO good to get a decent night sleep!  I awoke at 4:30am and told God that now would be the perfect time to send this baby into the world.  Guess He didn't agree, because here I sit, my children home and tucked in bed, even more pregnant than yesterday.  Ah well.  Sure keeps life exciting!

It was SO nice to have a day off though.  We got to go on a much needed date, relax, sleep well, and I feel much more refreshed!  Thank you ever so much to my wonderful mother-in-law.  When I picked the kids up at her house today, I arrived at the door to a very upset 5 year old.  She cried quite some time saying, "I don't want to leave Grandma's house...I don't want to go home...I don't like my bunk bed anymore...I don't like our house anymore...Mommy, sometimes little girls just don't like to have to leave their Grandma's house...sometimes little girls just don't like to go home to their houses." 

As if she wasn't upset enough and crying enough, her "bear" got dropped in the muddy driveway as we were getting into the car at Grandma's.  That led to a whole new waterfall of tears.  "That was my favorite toy...that was the bear Uncle Chris gave me when I was born...I want my bear....etc. etc."  I think our tears were largely due to be overtired!  Rest assured, though, bear has been washed and dried and is sleeping soundly in Olivia's arms!

I hope the next time I blog, it will be with news of a BABY!!!! 

40 weeks...

And yet another pregnancy goes past my due date.  Why does it feel like when your due date has come and gone, you've missed the boat and your chance of having this baby is gone?!  I was 2-3 days early with the girls and 6 days late with Timmy.  I'm going to have to guess that this baby is a boy.

Here's hoping this baby arrives soon!  Any and all prayers for a smooth labor and delivery would be most appreciated!

St. Valentine's Day 2012

St. Valentine's Day breakfast...mini donuts with pink sprinkles! (Courtesy of Wegman's Grocery Store)

Making White Chocolate Dipped Oreos

St. Valentine's Day tea with Grandma

Heart Cookies (Compliments of Wegmans)

Making Valentine's for Daddy!

Heart Butterfly Valentines for Daddy!

Colorings of St. Valentine and our Our Lady of Lourdes grotto from her feast day

2 Dozen Beautiful Roses from my Valentine- one red for me and one white for our new little rosebud-treat bags from Grandma and little treat buckets for the kids from us.

We had a fun day, but I won't lie...I was exhausted by the end of the day!  Dinner came straight out of a bag from the freezer, cooked by Pete on the skillet while I melted into the bed, and then was served on paper plates.  We had pink angel food cake topped with whip cream and strawberries, then the kids were ushered into bed and we collapsed as soon as the Rosary was over!  All in all, it was a nice family Valentine's day and there will be more years for a romantic couples Valentine's day!

Funnies...

Last night when putting Naomi to bed, I decided to give her some all natural cough medicine/immune support.  When I brought it in a little medicine cup, she was hold her My Little Pony and said very matter-of-factually,  "Pony needs some medicine too...her is coughing."  I said, "No pony doesn't need any."  She said, "No, pony's not sick.  Her doesn't need medicine."  She drank half the medicine and then said, "Mommy, pony needs medicine.  Her has a cough...*weak cough, cough*"  I said, "OK, but just a small sip"  So, pony proceeded to sip her medicine.

This morning, Olivia was complaining at the breakfast table of being cold and tired.  Seeing that she was up early anyway I said "Why don't you go back to bed and curl up under your covers?"  She said very seriously, "No, it's just that my pony kept me up last night.  She kept saying that she didn't want to go to sleep and I couldn't sleep!"  Those My Little Ponies are trouble makers ;-)

Yesterday afternoon when I went to check on Timmy during naptime, I noticed that his humidifier was on.  I had not turned it on, which means he must have!  This morning, he woke up super early and came in our room. As I brought him back to bed, he said "Book!  Book!"  I let him pick one out and climbed in bed.  As I was tucking him in, he grabbed his book and said "Book leave!" and handed it to me!  I went back to bed and a few minutes later I heard his door open, then our door click shut and his door click shut again.  He is so particular!

Role Call...

In case anyone is wondering, I'm still here and pregnant as can be!  One more day until my due date.  Timmy was 6 days late, so I'm trying to prepare myself for another late baby, though I'm hoping to go soon!  I am officially DONE!  It's time to meet this little munchkin and find out whether it's a boy or girl, what it looks like, if it has hair or not, what it's personality is like, etc!  I had told the girls that the baby was due on St. Valentine's Day.  So, naturally they think the baby is coming tomorrow!

Anyway, a few other funny stories from around the house:

::When putting Naomi to bed at night, we now have to kiss all the dollies that go to bed with her...including the little plastic ballerina that is about 2 in. tall.

::When watching a family movie the other day, Timmy noticed that Olivia's water bottle was on the table without a coaster under it.  He proceeded to pull out a coaster and place the drink on it.  Then he checked all the other cups to make sure there were coasters under them.  The coaster under his cup was upside down, so naturally he had to fix it.  When the cups were all set, he was satisfied and turned around to finish watching the movie.

Out of the Mouths of Babes...

A few funnies to start your weekend with....

:: Last night Naomi wanted to know "what side is my throat on Mommy?"  I wasn't sure how to even begin to answer that one!

::When putting Timmy down to bed, I handed him is cup of water as usual.  He took it, then handed it back to me and held his hand up and said "Leave"...apparently his cup had to leave the room!

:: Tonight after putting Olivia down to sleep, she yelled out to me "Mommy....I wanted to ask you that....(pause as she thought of something to say....) I'm sleeping now and I'm going to be quiet!"

:: Naomi was laying on the couch today and Olivia sat on top of her.  When I reprimanded Olivia, she said "I didn't mean to do that!"  Ummmm....exactly how do you not mean to go place yourself on top of someone else?!

:: Last night when I put Naomi to bed, I tucked her in and gave her blanket to her as usual.  She said "Mommy, I don't want my blankie...that's for babies.  But I love my blankie and I want to sleep with it."

:: Naomi said to me this morning, "I miss Olivia's godmother" (who happens to be her Aunt Jess!)

:: After eating dinner last week, Pete said to me, "That's a keepa'"...a few minutes later, Timmy started repeatedly saying, "keepa', keepa', keepa.'"

I'm sure there were many more, but my tired brain refuses to come up with any...oh, and remember how I said I was going to try to rest today...well, that didn't happen all that much.  I was in the living room when I heard a glass smash to the ground and Timmy start wailing!  I ran out there to find the glass mug that we keep all our pens and pencils in smashed to the ground, Timmy standing in it in bare feet crying his eyes out.  Somehow he knocked it off the counter, managed not to hurt himself thankfully, but scared himself pretty good.  Of course, it broke into a million shards of glass that spread out across the kitchen all the way into the hall.  That meant that I had to bend my big belly over and pick up all the pens scattered everywhere, sweep the kitchen and hallway and drag the vacuum out.  Life around here is never dull that's for sure!

On a brighter note, a friend dropped off dinner for us tonight.  What a treat!!!

Afternoon on a farm!

We spent last Saturday afternoon at "U. Joe's" farm.  We all really enjoyed the visit, but the kids esp. had a great time!  They had 5 baby lambs and many chickens.  The kids got to collect the eggs and bring them home.  Then we enjoyed some time around the brush fire with U. Joe, A. Sarah, cousins Liam and Dennis, U. Mike, U. Chris and cousins Pat and Jake.

Thanks for a great afternoon U. Joe and A. Sarah!