The Mercado Milestones

Thanksgiving

2011-11-25T22:28:00.001-05:00

While going through pictures for Thanksgiving, I came across this shot from Halloween. Felix was showing me his lame "olympian" costume, and there is Emma in the background sneaking in her "scary face" pose!

We took the kids to the zoo a week ago, and it was perfect. The weather was great, it was not crowded at all, Levi hitched a ride on Felix and Emma was eager to run from exhibit to exhibit. Typically, I hate zoos. Just being honest. But- this trip was so fun! We followed our own timeline, it was relaxing, and it is hard not to enjoy the experience when the kids are getting so excited and asking questions about all the cool things they are seeing.

We thought this crazy bird sported the same hairstyle as little Levi......

WATER POLO.
What a season!!!!! The end of the season was crazy intense. I do not like competition. My favorite games to watch are the ones where Brown is crushing their opponent. I'm talking, 6+ goal lead, no chance of turning it around. I can just sit back and enjoy the show. But the games where they are trading goals, I hate. I can hear my heartbeat. And forget about games that go into overtime! So, when we realized the team had a real shot at making it to the NCAA's, things were getting exciting. I stayed home with the kids during the tournament. They won their first game and had two to go. The night of the 2nd game, I was waiting for Felix's phone call and after an hour I finally logged onto twitter to see if I could find live updates. They were up by 1 goal in the 3rd quarter. I couldn't believe how nervous I was, waiting for the final score!!!! Unfortunately, they lost the game in the end which meant they were done for the season. But the good news was that we got Felix back all to ourselves :)
I brought the kids out to support the team for their final game on the 3rd day. Unfortunately, I went to MIT instead of Harvard (where they were playing) and missed all but the last 5 minutes. But, the smile we got from Felix when he looked up in the stands and saw little Emma waving "Hi Daddy!!! Daddy! I picked a flower for you!!".........was priceless!

Watching the Navy/Princeton game with the Schwartz family.

Our little monster. Guess what! On Thanksgiving day, he said "turkey"!!!

We are officially done nursing. It has been about a week, and he is doing great. If he sees me in my bed, which is where he used to nurse in the morning, he cries and begs for it, but other than that- he is a whole new man!!

THANKFUL!

When asked in school what she is most thankful for, she said "my daddy". And when prompted at home to expand on that, she confirmed she was in fact, just thankful for her daddy. And to drive home the point a bit more, when I took her on a special "mommy/Emma" day out for some shopping and dinner, I asked her what she wants to do on her next "mommy/Emma" day. Her response? Bring Levi & Daddy so we can have an "everybody" day!

We were really enjoying our Thanksgiving festivities. I was excited about all the decorating projects we had planned to do, and the special Thanksgiving themed food I was going to make. And the fact that Felix was relaxed and home with us made everything even more special. The kids were sitting on the couch with Felix, and Emma told me to come sit so we could be a family. LOVE HER!

Meanwhile, as the kids and Felix were having a dance party in the living room, I was using a cheap plastic vase from the dollar store to cut out circles in my rice krispy treats in order to make little turkey cookies. The treats got stuck, and as I tried to wiggle them out, the vase shattered in my hand, and sliced my finger. I got a quick look at it and freaked out. My finger was gushing blood with a gash that was so wide you could see deep inside. I panicked, yelled "oh my G-d" about 5 times until Felix came running over, I threw it under freezing cold water in the sink, but it wouldnt stop bleeding. Felix called the neighbors to come over incase we had to go to the doctor, and I called mom demanding to talk to dad! Clearly, I don't do well in these types of situations. And my mother told me exactly what to do, but I could barely even focus to listen. We wrapped it in a cloth, and finally gauze and tape. It kept bleeding for 2 hours.

***Gross Pictures Below****

This is 2 hours after the incident. The bandage fell off and it was still bleeding!

1st gross bandage.

Meanwhile, this stupid cut was seriously painful! I had to take advil! After 24 hours, my skin was still not closed, so I simply taped it together so it can try to heal. I know its a bit much to write about my "giant paper cut" as Felix calls it, but it was pretty gross. First of all, I can't believe how stupid I was to crush a vase in my hand, but also, I could not believe what a huge gash I was staring at on my finger!

Levi wrapped his fist around my finger and gave it a nice squeeze. It reminded me of those movies where they are in the torture room and rubbing salt in wounds. Levi now points to my finger and says "ouch, ouch" and sometimes "yuck".

NOW, on to our Thanksgiving dinner!
Gobble, Gobble.........

We had a lot of fun decorating our fruit turkey, our bread basket turkey, and pilgrim hat utensil holders! I really liked the googly eyes we put on. In fact, I did a lot of this project myself and was a little embarrassed when I realized my children were sound asleep in bed, Felix was watching TV on the couch, and I was hard at working gluing feathers on a shoe box! Emma decorated all the paper feathers and loved the glitter glue pens. Levi's favorite part was ripping the red balloon off the turkey's face. We even dusted off the fine china for our feast!

Our good friends came to celebrate with us, and it was very nice to have great company to enjoy Thanksgiving. The girls did a great job playing together, for the most part! Emma LOVES her friend Brooklyn's daddy. He was reading the little princesses a pre-dinner story in their princess tent.

After our guests left, the kids were a little wound up and wanted to play a bit more before bedtime. They were playing "horsey" with Felix. Emma had a few rides by herself, but once Levi climbed on, Felix just slithered across the floor. When Emma asked him to get up and trot around, Felix said he couldn't because of Levi.......

So she threw him off!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I just so happened to snap the shot! Caught on camera kid!!!

Friday morning, instead of risking our lives shopping for some great deal in an overcrowded store, we opted to have fun at the Providence Children's Museum with our friends and give Felix some time to ~~clean out the basement~~ relax.

Look at my little stud! He was great. My big boy- played on his own, interested in the toys instead of just throwing random items across the room, climbed and crawled around, and pretty much did good listening! It was all fun & games.... until a certain toddler peed in their pants and mommy got a little annoyed : {

Lexi & Levi racing to the top as Emma cheers them on!

After changing Emma's pants, and washing Levi's hands he dipped in the "still filled with a stranger's urine toilet", we decided to call it quits. It was a nice feeling to know that when I got home, Felix would be there. We put the kids down for naptime and I went out to run a few errands. Then, the neighbors came over to help us polish off the leftovers from Thanksgiving.

After Emma performed her show for our guests, she graciously offered to read them a book while Brayden had an after dinner drink.

And Levi chose to read a novel of his own :)

No words......

2011-11-13T21:56:00.001-05:00

Lately, there just aren't words to explain what our days are like. I am flat out exhausted with these two little monsters running around wild all day! Usually, every square inch of the first floor of the house is usually trashed by the end of the day. Also, my camera is in the shop once again, so these blurry pictures are some fun ones I caught on my phone.

Every day Levi does something that just blows me away. And not in a good way!!!! I cannot understand how this little kid has the energy, or even the ability, to get his tiny little hands into something every single second that I am not physcially restraining him. Some of his favorites? The toilet bowl brush, the plunger, the broom, the vacuum, the box of diapers, Emma's hairbows, DVD's, eating crayons, wacking the tv with his toy broom, wacking his sister with his toy broom, remote controls, phones, and my i-touch. To name a few.

He insists on drinking from a big adult cup, still screams when he doesn't get what he wants, and now, thanks to his big sis, has the vocabulary to tell us "NO"- and he uses it all the time. Daddy leaving for work? Levi chases him to the door, screaming and crying"no, no, no, no, no, no, no"! Mommy picks him up to change his diaper? "no, no, no, no". This little one is a handful!

Yet, somehow, I still just can't get enough of him!

He is really funny, and I'm convinced he is the cutest little boy around. He has light hair, big dark eyes, and a great smile that he flashes when he knows he is about to do something naughty! His favorite thing right now is sneaking around the corner to play wtih the vacuum. I've repeatedly told him not to do that and moved him back to the living room. After the third time he attempted to steal the vacuum (in about a 1-minute timespan), I came around the corner to remove him again, he jumped from being startled, gave me a huge grin, and shook his head "no no no no no" as if he was mocking me! After wacking the TV with the broom, and staring at me with his smile waiting for my reaction, I decided to try something different. I simply said "Levi, no hitting the TV", he did it again, and I said "go sit in time-out". AND HE DID! He walked right over and sat down. I couldn't believe it. Emma was shocked as well!

Speaking of time-out, I use the 1-2-3 system with Emma and because of that, my little Levi sort of knows how to count to 3 already! I'll start counting when Emma needs it, and sometimes after I say "Emma, that's 1".... Levi looks up with a smile and says "twoooooooooooo". If one of them is frustrating me, the other is usually making me laugh.Yesterday as we were rushing to leave the house, I put Levi's shoes & socks on, set him on the couch while I brushed Emma's hair only to look over and find Levi taking off his shoes & socks. Frustrated, I told him to stop, and my little Emma said to me "Leave him. He is not doing good listening". Clearly, Emma takes my threats of leaving her at home if she doesnt put her shoes & socks on pretty seriously!

Emma has really been into playing Little Red Riding Hood lately. She asks to put random garments around her like the cape. This is Felix's shirt she found on the couch. The funny thing is, she hardly even knows the story of Little Red.

Snow, Snow, Go Away, Come Again Another Day....or never.....

2011-11-02T23:37:00.000-05:00

We got snow! In October!

Emma woke up that morning, ran down the stairs, threw open our bedroom door, and with the biggest brown eyes you have ever seen said "MOMMY! I have something to tell you! There is snow outside, over ALL the grass! The trees are so thirsty.....(???)!

Me: "yeaaaaayyyyy". ugh.

I kept the kids busy eating breakfast inside while I went outside to shovel the deck and make a path to our snow covered car. I knew there was a good chance I would walk back inside to find blueberry yogurt thrown all over my kitchen, so I shoveled as quickly as possible. Luckily, the weather was amazing outside and the snow was soft & beautiful, so I bundled up the kids and out we went to attempt our very first snowman. Halfway through, after putting Levi's mittens on for the twentieth time, I decided we would stick with the snowy bird looking thing we made and go inside.

Levi's first reaction was to eat the snow. And his facial expression told me that he was pleasantly surprised with what he was tasting, as he continued to grab handfull after handfull.

PLAYTIME!!!

The kids LOVE playing hairdresser, and Emma has all the tools necessary to do so. The double-sided comb is definitely my least favorite. I think Levi was trying to punish me in the 2nd picture- "oh yeah, mommy? you still think you are going to deny me the milkies?!?!?!!"

The kids have been playing so well together. Emma's imagination is through the roof these days- we are meeting lots of imaginary friends, she is creating games for all of us to play, putting on shows and circus performances for us, and my favorite- make believe snacks. These make believe snacks are so funny, because she hands them to Levi, and he holds open his hand anxiously waiting for the surprise she is about to hand him.....and then......nothing! Poor kid doesn't know how to play make-believe-pretend-food yet, and is always so confused!

They love playing together, with a few rules! Both do not like their tents being entered without a proper invitation, or towers being knocked down before it is time, or baby dolls being kidnapped! And I can't help but smile when I see a sneak attack about to be made. Usually, Levi waits until the coast is clear- grabs Emma's sleeping baby doll out of the bassinet, clutches it tightly to his chest, and just as Emma notices the missing baby and starts screaming- Levi is hightailing it towards me for safety, panic-stricken face, and a death grip on that baby doll. Is it any wonder my man of little words is now saying "MINE"?!!!

Nursing Barney

After naptime, the kids were playing upstairs while I put away laundry and toys up there. As I was putting things away in the other room, I got nervous with how quiet it was- and I walked around the corner to find them BOTH sitting on the floor, each reading their own book. I watched them for a bit and it just made me smile. By the time I grabbed my camera, Levi had already stood up.....but you get the idea!

More dress up shoes for the little guy! He brought them over to me, sat down, and demanded I put them on! He is such a funny, happy little boy, finding everything so entertaining and completely in love with his big sister.

And SHE is completely in love with him! Emma's friend has 4 month old twin brother/sister, and after playing with them the other day, Emma has been playing "twins" at our house. She holds them, puts them to bed, etc., but it is proving to be a bit difficult to handle because she eventually hands one off to me and one to Felix, along with detailed instructions on what we are to do with them while she goes to the store. Both my kids were SO cute when playing with the (real) twins! Emma came over and acted like a little mommy, and Levi couldnt stop trying to kiss them and tickle them -I was shocked to see little L so interested in the babies (baba, as he calls them).

A picture from when Levi was sick with Roseola. One of the few moments he wasn't nursing.

In order to help Levi wean from nursing, we had Felix put him to bed at night for a bit after he got home from work. So when Felix came home, he would bring Levi upstairs to bed while I read books to Emma downstairs. We only did this for about a week- and the poor kid hated it!!!!! Everytime Felix walks in the door at night now, Levi starts crying and comes running to my arms!!!!

Levi is growing up so fast. I'm noticing a ton of changes in him this week. A big one is his vocabulary! He has now added: wet, milk, yes, no, mine, booboo, walk, fish, eat, Dora, baba, block, yuck, ewww, book. It is so wonderful to hear his little words!!

Back in the swing of things!

2011-10-24T23:30:00.000-05:00

Good to be back! I've had a lot on my mind lately, and the blog has been put on the back burner. In the past month we have been so busy with our new schedule with preschool, storytime, sports class, music class, and my attempt to cook and clean a bit more around here! I've been enjoying doing some temporary work at my old job for a few hours on Monday afternoons while Felix is home with the kids, and we have also survived Levi's miserable week of roseola as well as helping him wean from nursing.

But we still found time to have some fun.

A few weeks ago we went to see a one ring circus put on in a neighboring town. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but was pretty surprised! They let the kids play in the ring before the show started. After about 5 attempts to grab a hula hoop in the mad rush of kids, and a little help from mommy, Emma finally scored one of her own......and she was not about to let it go!

....after swinging it around on her arm (which she totally rocks at, by the way)- it flew off and she nearly knocked this little girl to the floor as she ran after her hoop. It sort of reminded me of Jackie at our wedding during the bouquet toss :)

Obviously, the cotton candy was a major highlight of the evening. We had front frow seats in the stands, which worked out perfectly to keep Levi in the stroller in front of us. However, Emma decided to get up and walk over to the concession stand to chat it up with the ladies. She walked right over and asked them for cotton candy, as if they were just handing it out for fun.

Levi was so tired, he was such a trooper! I felt terrible when I looked down in front of me a minute into the loud show to see him screaming in terror!!! Poor kid was scared out of his mind :(

It was an interesting show, to say the least. There were three of these lovely ladies, all dressed the same, dancing wtih their dogs. Super impressive.

After the 2nd half of the show started, Emma and her friend Samantha lost all interest and put on their own dancing show in front of the stands. We left shortly after.

In other news, we celebrated Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and at the end of Yom Kippur I noticed Levi was feeling very warm and was coming down with a very high fever. I thought he was probably just exhausted and teething, gave him some tylenol and put him to bed. A few more days of high fever and I was getting a little nervous as memories came back of the time Emma was his age and turned into the exorcist, aka, came down with roseola. And sure enough, the next day, Levi broke out into a full body rash. Roseola had made an appearance in our home again. Unfortunately, Levi does not have a "comfort item" other than me. And he was still nursing several times a day, so he actually ended up nursing on me for hours. YES. Hours. In fact, the first night, he latched onto me for 3 hours after waking up at midnight and would not let me off without screaming for at least an hour. It was miserable, and I of course got sick from over-nursing with blisters and nausea. We were all miserable.

But, after a week he was better and I decided it was time to wean him. The first day was horrible, he threw himself on the floor, grabbing at my legs, just begging to nurse. Felix & I both thought to ourselves that it was like watching an addict in withdrawal, and it was so hard to watch knowing I could so easily make him feel better. But I'm glad we held strong, because I am so proud to say that he is now only nursing first thing in the morning. And, while I'm all for the health benefits of nursing my children, it was time. And we have noticed a HUGE difference in this little guy. I can't explain how nice it is to have him sit next to me on the couch to snuggle and just smile and be happy, instead of whining and trying to pull up my shirt anytime he sees me. He seems happier now, so it was definitely the right decision.

The following weekend we went to a local 'community day' at the preschool around the corner from our house. It was great to get out and see some friends and play. The kids got to pet some goats, play in the playground, get face painted, and go inside a fire truck. Levi loved the truck :)

"Cheeeeeese". I have him trained well! As soon as he sees the camera, he poses and says "cheese"!

Oh, feel the love! I know it looks like I dressed my kids in boy/girl tracksuits, but I didn't- just coincidence that their pants matched their jackets that day!

Sports Class!!!!! I still can't tell if she likes it or not. She runs around and has fun, but the teacher is always calling her name to get her attention and get her focused back to the task at hand! They start off in this gymnastics set-up in the picture below, which she loves and seems to follow directions well. It is after they leave this section and move to the sports-drills section that she seems to lose it, rolling around on the floor, chasing after a ball, sitting on the bench, etc.

Unlike the sports class, she surprisingly refuses to go to her ballet class at the "real" studio! I've tried bringing her twice, and both times she comes out shortly after and tells me she wants to go home. I really can't blame her. I watched the class and it does seem extremely boring. She tells me she doesn't like it because it is too hard and she isn't allowed to run. Apparently, she likes the little town run ballet class that she did over the summer, so we'll see. I think she has a lot going on as it is!!!

Other than that, we have been very excited about our Halloween costumes this year. The Little Mermaid! Emma is Ariel (an interesting look.....), and Levi is Sebastian! I tried to put makeup on little Ariel to help soften the look a bit, but I don't think it did much! I think it's the hair- out of control. And the costume is about 3 sizes too small, but she loves being Ariel. Luckily, I found another Ariel costume for her at a thrift store that is a bit more flattering, and she will be wearing that one for the rest of our Halloween appearances this year :)

My little crab! He is so funny, as soon as I put on his costume he grabbed the claws and clapped them together "clap clap clap".

Getting ready for our first outing to a Halloween party at the YMCA.

The next morning we got dressed up in costume again, very excited to head out to meet our friends at another party at the local playground. Felix was away in California, and the kids & I walked out of the house only to realize the keys were now locked inside. Awesome. No car keys, no house keys, nothing. I was in the middle of plotting how I was going to climb up on our roof and try to break into one of the upstairs windows when my friend called and came by to help. I was eventually able to open a small window and stick Emma inside to open the door. Of course, I made sure I was able to get in the window myself incase I needed to go in there and rescue her- but I was so happy to see her little smiling face proud of herself for getting inside and opening the door, saving the day! We eventually made it to the playground for some more Halloween fun- but our morning certainly set the tone for the rest of the day. I wish I could say I was in a good mood and positive, but I most definitely was not! There were bees flying all over the place which completely stressed me out, then Levi got a bloody nose in the bouncy house, and Emma threw a tantrum in the playground.

So, we have had a lot going on. The weaning from nursing was really taking a toll on me and I'm glad we are finally past it. I'm glad Felix is done with the long travel weekends for the season, and I'm glad we are over our illnesses and can make an appearance at the gym again. We have much to look forward to this week, and a big to-do list I want to tackle!

The monsters....i mean....munchkins!

2011-09-24T21:19:00.001-05:00

The boy loves everything is sister does. Even the high heels.

Look at the way he looks at her!

He is everywhere, all the time. And he is fast! His favorite activity is throwing things. Anything he picks up- throws it across the room. That will come in handy later when he is in the pool, but for now- I would prefer he learn to play a bit more gently! He has learned how to climb on just about everything as well, and if he doesn't know how to climb on it- he finds a way. And forget about getting down! The kid has no fear! Today, he actually did a flip right over the side arm of the couch, got up and cried a bit, then climbed right back on and fell off the side of the cushion!

trying to throw one of his little people through the window

And on the homefront....MORE home improvement projects! Yeay! We finally put in beautiful, amazing, soft, thick, fluffy carpet in the living room and it was one of our best decisions! It has completely transformed the house into a home and we feel was our best investemnt (besides the kitchen, of course). Amazing. We couldn't be happier! We also put carpet in our bedroom, which gives a lovely warm and cozy feeling and I love stumbling out of bed onto a sea of softness! Plus, I'm pretty sure the living room carpet has helped in preventing multiple concussions for our little adventurous Levi ; )

and I even used some leftover shelving to throw together a cute little home office in our back hallway nook....

Emma's first trip to the dentist! She was extremely excited. After watching Barney going to the dentist for the past few months, she knew exactly what to expect and loved playing dentist on us any chance she could get. She loved the toys in the waiting room, the "special" chair that laid down, the tools, and the light. The hygenist didn't turn on the light, and Emma questioned her on it!! She also got to enjoy Nemo during her cleaning.

The whole thing took less than 10 minutes, and yes, I was gently encouraged to lose the binky. Emma's front teeth are also chipped, which I knew, but they told me to keep an eye on it. Levi has chipped teeth too. Perhaps the children should stop slamming their face on the floor.

Woohoo for dentist prizes! Along with her big girl toothbrush and toothpaste, she picked out a magic wand and a Justin Beiber sticker. So exciting!!! She did great, wasn't scared at all, and thank goodness- received a great report for clean and healthy teeth (despite the spacing issue, of course)!

And to finish off the day of beauty, she came home for some much deserved hair & make-up time with the boys!

Once a month, I try to have a "girls night" with my friend Kristy who I never get to see because she works way too hard coaching at Brown. We used to see each other everyday when we were roomates, worked at MIT together and then HMR. But, she eventually went on to coach at Brown and I stopped working and stayed home to play with Emma & Levi! So now she & Felix see each other daily, which is just not fair!! So, about once a month after I put Levi to bed & Felix comes home from work- Kristy & I go out on the town (actually- any restaurant we can find that will stay open past 9pm!) and catch up over dinner while Felix puts Emma to bed.

I came home around 11pm to find my husband sick in bed and sleeping, and when I checked the baby monitors- Emma's bed was EMPTY!!! I noticed the hall light on, so I quickly chose which words I would use to make her get and stay in her bed, crept up the stairs to her room.....and found this:

My sweet little girl, passed out cold on the floor, snuggled up with her Emma bunny, a book, and her binky. She didn't even wake when I picked her up and put her back in bed!

Since preschool started this year, we have a very nice, fulfilling, busy schedule. This is turning out to be my favorite time yet! I am not sure if it is the kids ages, or that there are two of them, or what- but I am loving this time we have together! Emma has school from 9-1 on Tues and Thursdays, which she loves. Levi & I run errands and spend quality time together on Tuesdays while she is in school, and on Thursdays we go to music class- where he has a blast! Wednesdays the three of us go to storytime at the library and then play in the kids area picking out all sorts of books and movies. And Fridays, Emma takes a sports class and Levi plays in the kiddie play area. I tried to get some pictures of her sports class, but the lighting was bad and I had Levi screaming his head off trying to escape out of my arms- so the pix are a bit blurry!

Originally, I thought this sports class was a great idea- Emma would be in the class for an hour while Levi played in the open court. Plus, the kids can play in the open court with all the ride on toys & bouncy houses and slides anytime we want during the week. Win-Win, right? Well, I underestimated how CRAZY and FEARLESS my 1 year old boy is! I was literally sweating from chasing him around saving his life the entire hour. Every time I turned my head he was either standing at the top of a slide about to fall, climbing into ride on toys with half his body still dragging on the floor, escaping into storage closets or other no-kid zones, trying to join Emma's class, and the worst one.....he wiggled himself into the corner behind the bouncy house and actually had his finger on the power switch when I swooped him up just in time. EXHAUSTING!

But, Emma has fun in the class (as long as she doesn't see the open play area first!)

We also made a nice trip out to Salem one Sunday to visit my friend Alison who brought us to this awesome park that was totally kid friendly! It was a very historic area with walk-up window restaurants, little shops and some carnival rides. Oh, and lots of ice cream stores- our favorite! It was the perfect opportunity to sit & chat to catch up with my friend over some lunch while Emma ran around the park. We then let the kids loose to enjoy some rides before heading home.

We have been busy busy busy, but it has been so fun. These two are hilarious together, and I've noticed that with our busy "pre-nap" activities, after nap-time we actually enjoy hanging out in the house together just relaxing and playing whatever imaginary game Emma sets up for us. And when I go into my (newly gated) kitchen to cook, the kids play/yell/play/yell/play together quite well!

Emma's first day of preschool

2011-09-13T22:15:00.002-05:00

Well, the day has come! Emma's first day of preschool. My heart was in my throat as I taped the sign up on the door and walked over to get my camera. I was actually taking the "first day of preschool" picture, holding back tears with all my might!

Strawberry Shortcake lunchbox

Ready for preschool

Hugging Levi goodbye!

"Heyyyyy! I want my picture taken too!" ...actually, he was probably asking for milkies!

Felix stayed home with Levi while I took Emma to school. The school asked us to leave siblings at home on the first day incase we needed to stay with our nervous preschooler. It was a long 4 mile drive for me, silently crying through the wooded, curvy road to her school.
It was pouring rain in the morning, so we dressed in our rain gear and ran to the car. When we got in the car Emma started to cry when she realized her backpack & lunchbox were wet. As we drove off, I tried explaining to her they are able to get wet and still keep everything inside dry, just like our house. I guess I kept giving her examples, because she finally said "ok mommy. that's enough talking."

walking to the car, backpack and lunchbox in hand....

In front of her school (i took this pic at the end of school, when the rain had stopped).

She was so excited. Before we left the house, she said "I can't WAIT to go to school!!". And she knew the drill......come in, hang up your coat & bag on the hook with your nametag, wash your hands, lunchbox in cubby, and play!

She walked in the door and did a great job! She was extremely excited to be there, giggling and pointing when she saw her picture next to her nametag/hook for her bag and in her cubby. She loved washing her hands in the just-her-size sink with the froggy soap dispenser. And she climbed right into a seat to start playing with a puzzle that she barely even took the time to kiss me goodbye! Of course, I forgot to sign her in...but hey, I guess we all have to get used to the new routine!

It was extremely crowded with parents everywhere helping to get their children settled, it was loud, and there was lots of crying/screaming going on. But my little Emma was all smiles, ready to play. I made sure to get the teacher's attention so they knew she was there, forced Emma to give me a hug and kiss, and walked out.

The drive home felt strange, alone. But I was so relieved that the day had finally come, and that she did so well! I swallowed the rest of my tears, and was proud of my little girl.

This is what the drive looks like the whole way . A tree lined street, with rays of sunshine peeking through (on a sunny day). It is a very narrow and curvy road, but it is so peaceful!

Her school! Isn't it so cute?!!

She did great at school. She was there from 9-1, they had circle time where they shared what they did over the summer and read books, they did arts & crafts, had snack and playtime, played outside/took a walk around the wet playground looking for squirrels, more circle time and books, lunch, and a little indoor exercise since it was still wet outside. When I walked in to pick her up she was grinning ear to ear and gave me a huge hug. She is happy there and is doing great so far.
And although she has only been there 2 days, I am very happy with the school as well. I think we made a great decision. The teachers seem amazing, extremely open and friendly, the school is very parent-involved, parents are very friendly to each other, and the teachers communication with us is awesome.

And.....it's only been two days, but I am already starting to really enjoy the 4 hours of quality time I get to spend with my little man while she is in school. Levi & I had lots of fun belly laughs together today and my quiet little guy said "cook" today! A strange one for him to choose to add to his extremely limited vocabulary (mama, ball, and random animal sounds)..... but I'll take it! We played shape sorters, blocks, catch (the kid can throw!), read books, and then he passed out for a late morning nap to compensate for his 5am wake-up this morning. And I got SO MUCH DONE! I felt like a very accomplished woman. Especially when Felix came home at 8pm tonight and said "why does the house look so clean?"

Big day tomorrow......

2011-09-07T22:39:00.002-05:00

"I'm Going To Preschool!!!!!!!"

She is a little excited :) Thank goodness, because if she was anything like me as a kid, tomorrow would be an absolute disaster! I am confident she will be fine saying goodbye tomorrow. I'm nervous that she may panick a bit if she sees all the other kids crying, but I know everything will be fine.......

......for her, at least. Me- a different story!!! Warm tears flood my eyes anytime I think about her going to school. And it's not that I'm sad we will be apart 4 hours a day, 2 days a week. That part I can handle. In fact, I even found myself hiding in the kitchen today just to check my email quickly without interruption!

It's the fact that my little chicken is at the age already where she is going to preschool. My little buddy now has a weekly routine to follow, somewhere to be, something to do. And while we still have the rest of the week to frolick around town as we please, tomorrow represents the beginning of a whole lot more that is to come. And it makes me sad and excited, all at the same time.
I hope I don't cry tomorrow. It would be nice to start off a school year without tears for once in my life!! :)

Newport!

2011-08-31T23:17:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago we took a family day trip to Newport. We love that we live close enough to go and visit for the day, and always leave there thinking we should take advantage of it more than we do. This trip we walked around a bit, brought the kids on an hour long harbor tour, and of course- ate at Red Parrot.

I love seeing this house when we visit. I am curious as to what it looks like inside! It was built on this tiny island/rock, the angle of the picture makes it hard to see, but the island ends pretty much where the corner of it is in the picture. The house was destroyed by a hurricane years ago and the family left- but it has since been bought & renovated by an architect. I always imagine what a pain it would have been to get home from the grocery store and realize you forgot something, get in the boat and go all the way back. And I thought I had it rough without a garage, trying to get both kids out of the car, up the deck stairs and into the house when it is raining/snowing out......but then again, I certainly don't have the views that this house does, so it might just be worth it!

Really, Jill? Pose with the menu?

I think my little chicken looks adorable in hats!

Speaking of adorable.....look what I made! I found this memory box at Marshalls and immediately thought it would make a cute jewelry box I could hang on the wall in my bathroom. So I just got a few hooks that looked like they would hold necklaces & earrings, drilled them into the box, and wahlah! My shabby chic little jewelry box!

Emma's first dance recital

2011-08-25T20:42:00.004-05:00

After 6 weeks of ballet, without mommy, she did great in her little recital! We put her in a class offered through the town, which was perfect. We are starting off slow, without all the bells & whistles :) You may notice, there were only 3 kids in the class, and my little Emma is wearing sneakers!! The teacher said they had ballet shoes for the kids, but apparently she didn't put any on Emma, and the other girls had their own.
She loves to dance. My favorite part of the video is her face at the end. I'm excited to see if she continues to enjoy dancing- but to be fair, we are also taking a sports class this fall :) Enjoy!!

Sharing the love.....little Emma takes after her mommy ; )

Picking out a sticker with Ms.Buffy, her teacher.

Playtime in the playground right outside the dance class.

My 14 month old....

2011-08-16T21:05:00.012-05:00

My little 14 month old has become the most wonderful, happy, enjoyable little thing ever! And it only took 14 months!!!!! It has just happened recently....as in...about 2 days ago- so I don't want to jinx it, but I must say, I am thrilled with this little love of mine!

What is it that has made him so lovingly irresistable? He talks. Oh yes he does.....and it is a little slice of heaven!

For the last...oh......5 months or so, he has been screaming anytime he needs ANYTHING. A high pitched, ear piercing, patience-testing scream. And this momma has VERY LITTLE PATIENCE! So, I have been working very hard to teach him to sign for help, and to use his words. Only problem was- he really didn't have any words! And he isn't willing to say much, so I had to choose wisely. I chose "mama". And he loved it. And he basically sounds like a broken record, but I would rather listen to his sweet little voice call my name all day than the ear piercing screech. In fact, for the first time in 14 months, I woke at 7am to his sweet little voice over the monitor saying "mama, mama, mama" instead of dramatic miserable crying. LOVE my happy little boy!!!

And he is a sweetheart. I love his mushy little body in the morning, clammy skin, and sweet little smell as he holds me tight around my neck when I get him from the crib. He seems to understand everything we say- and it seemed to happen so quickly, all of a sudden- he just gets it! And get this......I think he is on his way to finding comfort from his binky!!! I know, a little late in the game, but he needs it. And I need him to have something to comfort him other than my chest (which, by the way, he now asks for by name- points and says 'ball'.) Ha!

Is he a sweetheart or what??!!!! Kisses are adorable- sometimes it is a gentle lean in with mouth closed, other times he comes right at you with his mouth wide open. We have so much fun together- he knows when he is being funny and loves to play around with Emma. I especially love his belly laugh...even his eyes smile when he laughs.

Library music class!

2011-08-16T20:46:00.006-05:00

I brought the kids to a free music class at the library the other day, and we all had a blast! It was supposed to be geared towards Levi's age- but I think Emma had more fun. She was up and dancing, sharing the props, looking out for little Levi......it was a great time. I just sat in the back and watched my two little kiddows sing and dance, and it just made me smile. Perfect little family :)
Here is Emma in her monkey mask singing "no more monkeys jumping on the bed"....one of her favorites.

Nothing too exciting happens in the video.....but I wanted to share. I love Levi's bouncy dance, and the fact that he already knows the hand motions for itsy bitsy spider!

Fun day at Monkey Joes

2011-08-12T21:05:00.003-05:00

These pictures are actually from May, but I had to share! We went to MJ's in May for a birthday party- and my friend recently sent me some of the great family pictures she captured. I love Felix & Levi's face going down the slide!!

New Ride!

2011-08-05T22:44:00.004-05:00

Emma's new 4-wheeler....livin' it up true country style!

Levi actually rides it to. He needs help getting on, but he can hold on and press the button and go for a ride all by himself, giggling the whole time until he slams into a wall or piece of furniture. And what is most surprising- he actually swings his leg up and over the seat to get off the correct way!
Emma was trying to do tricks- standing on the seat and pushing the button to make it go.

For right now we keep the bike indoors, it is a special treat they get to play with when we are having a particularly long day. Plus, we don't have helmets- even though it only goes 2mph......you can never be too careful!

And here....is Levi's new ride! I realized we are often out for a quick errand or visit that doesn't require Emma being in the double stroller, so I was just carrying him on my hip in the sling- but my little guy is no lightweight! I finally caved and bought an umbrella stroller to push him around in for those quick trips.......he looks so big in it!

Apparently, the yellow crayon tasted much better than the green....

The other day I was digging in our "toys/misc.items" basket we keep in the minivan and came across my winter gloves. My immediate reaction was "ugh......I'm going to need these soon..."! So, needless to say, we have been taking full advantage of the weather! In fact, I actually feel guilty if I plan an indoor activity for the kids instead of the playground/pool! So today, we spent the end of our afternoon playing on the deck while Felix mowed the lawn.

Levi- loves throwing sand EVERYWHERE! Emma filled a bucket of sand and put it in the trunk of their toy car. Each time I tried to return it to the sand table, Levi would grab it and bring it back to the car, dig in, and throw it all over the place. Determined little one.

Emma has been working on her bike riding skills/strength, and she finally got it today! She was having a hard time pushing the pedals so the bike would move. And...I missed the best photo opportunity today...... so I'll just have to write about it! As she attempted to ride the bike this afternoon, she kept struggling to push the pedals but the bike just wouldn't move- and sure enough, Levi waddled up behind her, knelt down and gave her back tire a nudge. She moved an inch. He nudged again, and again, and again until she was on her way. He then returned to his car to throw his sand.
And here she is.....pedaling all by herself on her way back! Look at the determination in her face in the 1st picture! In the 2nd she realizes she is doing it....and finally makes it to her destination....so proud! I loved it!!

Storyland!

2011-08-04T20:44:00.002-05:00

There is nothing I love more than family vacations! Well....top contenders are ice cream & cookouts, but family vacations definitely take the cake! ahhhahahahahaha.

I convinced the fam to take the obligatory "Humpty Dumpty picture" that has been plastered all over facebook lately. It was our last stop before leaving Storyland- and it shows! The kids nearly fell asleep posing!
We drove to NH on Tuesday afternoon to enjoy a few hours at Storyland and get the lay of the land. Then- ate dinner at the only restaurant we could find on the way to the hotel, which happened to be totally awesome...they had a movie room & a toy room available while we waited for a table. The food wasn't that great, but we were very thankful for the kid-friendly entertainment! In fact, while we were waiting Felix made friends with a family that was also there to visit SL and we kept running into them all over the park the next day....we even ended up on a ride with them, and saw them on our way out of the park to the car!

This section of the park was fun- it brought lots of nursery rhymes to life! They had all the parts of One, Two buckle my shoe....REAL 3 little pigs and their houses, London Bridge, and even a ball pit sized perfectly for Levi and a bigger one for Emma.

Check out her face on these spinning tea cups- sooooo happy with Daddy!

Our hotel was great! It was like the perfect little kid-friendly bed & breakfast, tucked away in the woods with beautiful scenery. They cooked us fresh breakfast in the morning, which we tried to enjoy- even though Emma was an absolute horror show during breakfast! So we scarfed down our food and brought the kids on a walk to check out the grounds.

One room with a king bed, 2 portable cribs, a tub in the corner of the room, a bathroom with a shower, and a 13" flat screen mounted on the wall. Oh yea, one moth and 3 spiders- but Felix got rid of those for us! We finally ALL settled into the big king bed by 10pm, and after much tossing & turning by the little L-man, I made him sleep in the crib. He cried for about 30 seconds before falling asleep, which completely shocked us! So to show him up- Emma ASKED to go in her crib. Heaven! Although, Emma ended up in our bed at some point in the night, but I didn't even notice!!! We all slept peacefully until about 6am when the little guy woke up. I brought him in the bed and nursed him back to sleep....I woke up about an hour later and Emma was lying on his belly like a pillow....and he was fast asleep!!!

Back to Storyland the next day.....Emma was in LOVE with this flying ball exhibit. We literally had to take her out kicking & screaming the first day....and tell her it was closed the 2nd day we went back so we could see the rest of the park first! They had all these vacuums and hoses and the kids could put balls in that would shoot out somewhere else, or vacuum them up. Tons of germ-filled fun!!

"Milking" the cow. Shortly after this picture, Emma pulled the whole utter off and exposed the true source of "milk" as the hose head sprayed water everywhere.

Fun driving tractors.! There were a few of these types of rides we were able to go on that were so fun for her. Poor little L.....he didn't get to do much on his own like his big sis did, but he was a trooper and had lots of fun on all the rides and entertainment.

We even got to see a couple shows. One was a circus, and since then- Emma has been reenacting the performances. The other day she threw a blanket over me and then ripped it off to show my amazing costume transformations! And she makes us all sit on the couch, turns off the living room lights and yells (her face turns red) "Ladies & Gentlemen, it's the Emma show......" followed by some crazy dance moves/full body convulsions.

It was a fast trip, and a lot of driving for such a quick, action filled trip! I vote next time we stay for a few days and do more fun stuff that NH has to offer.....gotta love those family vacations!!!

Emma has a few new moves, & Levi is walking!

2011-07-29T21:01:00.003-05:00

Felix found this music video for her on TV....alvin & the chipmunks, and she asks us to play it over & over & over for her. And recently, she has a few new moves for us!! Plus, you get to see Levi cheering her on and showing off his walking skills!

Picture Perfect

2011-07-28T20:44:00.008-05:00

We went blueberry picking with friends on Wednesday. I was a little hesitant to go considering the fact that Emma doesn't like to eat blueberries anymore and only picks the green ones, and I was definitely pushing the limits with Levi's nap quickly approaching. Not to mention, the kids didn't have a chance to eat lunch before we left.
But- the weather was perfect, we were picking at a new farm, and had great company. Look at these pictures my friend captured for us.

WELL. That is the magic of pictures! You can tell any kind of story you want :) When in fact- here is what happened:
We arrived, I strapped Levi to my hip with the sling, Emma began picking berries, and about 1 minute later- asked to go potty.
We made our way out of the bushes, went to the farm store to go to the bathroom- and they said they only had a porta potty. So, I took Emma to our car and let her use the potty seat we keep in the trunk.
We walk back into the bushes to find our friends, and pick a few more berries. About 1 minute later- she has to go again. This time....#2.
We go back to the shop, I open the porta potty door for her- and she says "ech, this is yucky, I'm not going in here.". And honestly, I can't blame her! But- with a heavy Levi strapped to my hip, I held the door open, stopped breathing through my mouth, and tried to convince her to go anyways. She refused- and began to name all the nasty things she was seeing in the potty.
SO, we walked all the way back to the car, grabbed the potty seat, walked all the way back to the porta potty- I set the seat down on the ground for her to go, then...yes....dumped it all in the porta potty and wiped our car potty seat clean. Then brought the seat back to the car, trekked into the bushes once again, picked berries for about 5 minutes before Levi started to lose it, went back to the shop- paid the $1.15 for our pickins' and high tailed it home. It was a fun day.

But hey- we have some great pictures to remember it all!

My little Levi Love! Lately- I have been feeling like the "tune in tokyo" scene from the movie Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.....

Levi loves to nurse. And he is cranky without it. VERY cranky!

As you can see, he is climbing up on my lap, dramatically bending over backwards, whining, and signing for milkies......

He has mastered the sign for nursing (aka,"milkies")- he opens and closes his fists when he wants to nurse. He gets it first thing in the morning, again before naptime, and again at night before bed- although, we are slowly weaning out the naptime nursing. However, anytime I walk in a room after being away for a bit, he comes crawling over, whining and signing. Same thing if I put him on my lap facing me, or if I pick him up and snuggle him. The kid always has it on his mind!!! This afternoon, we were playing on the floor in Emma's room and at one point I was facing away from him playing with Emma- and he kept picking up my shirt and touching my back, with a very confused look on his face. I'm pretty sure he was trying to sneak a suck!

He is such a love, he plays so well and has so much fun. We have recently discovered the full blown belly laugh when we tickle him, and it is the best thing ever! He likes playing with cars and balls and blocks.....and any other toys he can find. But he is always getting himself into trouble- yesterday Felix walked in the playroom to find him eating crayons. Big. Fat. Crayons....

Caught!...about to take a bite of the chalk- and he knew he was caught!

The new sand table- best summer toy ever! (btw- Levi can fit through the slats on the deck...nerve wracking!!!)

More crayon eating time....I mean.....coloring time......(you probably can't see the bits of crayon on his lips in this picture, but it is there!).

Look at that smile! He is delicious!!!!

2011-07-27T21:40:00.015-05:00

Family fun at home. Lately, I have been thinking a lot about the day-to-day, and I want to make sure I never take this time for granted. Spending all day at home with the kids can get a bit stressful. If Emma isn't talking my ear off and questioning every single thing I do, or crying because I gave her the wrong cup, or wrestling Levi into a half-nelson for using the trampoline while she is on it, or dumping out every single toy she owns all over the house- then Levi is simply screaming for no reason, getting into the cabinets, eating crayons, pulling at my pants while I am trying to cook, or- if I am lucky- I get a double whammy with a clingy Levi wanting to nurse while at the same time Emma refuses to go on the potty and wets her pants for the 3rd time that day!!!

But- for the most part, the past 3 years have been like one big party. When else in my life will I get the chance to play around all day, go swimming, go to the park, the mall, museums, amusement parks- anything- and get to enjoy it all through the eyes of kids?! We get to enjoy so many things, and each other. Each day, I try and take advantage of the many teaching opportunities I have with them- but they should know that I learn so much from them as well.

Every day we get to decide what we want to do. We fill our days with fun activities- Emma & Levi have playdates with their friends while I get to chat with the mommas, we go out to lunch together or picnic quite often, nap in the middle of the day, imaginations running wild. This has also made me realize just how much chores are put on the back burner- especially if we need to find time for after dinner tea-parties in our princess tents!

In fact, we have decided to hire house cleaners once a month- and this made me feel truly spoiled! I met with them in the morning when they came to the house- then I took the kids to play in the gym daycare while I worked out. After the gym, we met friends to go swimming and have lunch poolside- and I got to return home to a sparkling clean house just in time to put the kids down for a nap. Seriously- is this the life, or what!!!! I am one lucky momma!

we had our friends over for an evening BBQ and the kids had a blast running around outside. And Little Levi enjoyed his very first ice cream sandwich!

I will always wish we could be living in FL closer to family, but in the meantime while our lives seem to have settled here in New England- I must admit- summer time is turning out to be pretty darn fun!

Florida fun, part 2.

2011-07-22T20:01:00.037-05:00

Hello summer vacation! Spent a little time at the splash pad....

Best Buds- enjoying a nice little tea party. Little Eli followed Emma's every move while we were there- it was so fun to watch them play together.

Visiting Grandma & cousins in Orlando

Museum time!

Emma & I did our "morning poolside workout" as often as we could while Levi napped. Emma is demonstrating our walking lunges around the pool. She was such a dedicated workout partner!

The big girl bed. I'm glad it happened spur of the moment while we were in FL, because when we came back home and took apart her crib......I definitely felt a little hole in my heart :(

We had a few kinks to iron out with the whole big girl bed thing- stay in bed means "STAY IN BED" and do not play with the diaper cream, or markers, or dirty laundry, or ANYTHING else you happen to find in the room!

loving a little night-time coloring lessons with Grandaddy

More playtime with cousins!

And the final celebrations of our trip.....Mom's birthday, Felix's birthday, and of course- the 4th of July!

mom's beautiful bracelet from Mamare.

Our Florida Vacation, In Pictures! (part 1)

2011-07-16T20:54:00.023-05:00

We had so much fun in FL this June, I have so many things I want to update on the blog that I am starting to get behind- so I am recapping our FL summer with a post of pictures- which are my favorite part of blog post anyways!! (the spacing is off & I don't know how to fix it.....)

A month of celebrating. Oh, how we LOVE the month of June!
And to kick it off, Felix & I celebrated 4 years of wonderful marriage bliss on June 3! We were actually still in MA for our anniversary, but we postponed our celebration until we arrived in FL and were able to go out for a dinner alone while the kids slept :)
These pictures were from another night we went out for our newfound tradition of "siblings dinner" with my sisters & Roger. (his favorite romantic pose I make him do)

In June, the celebrations are as follows: Our anniversary, Ava's bday, Emma's bday, Levi's bday, Steph's bday, my bday, and shortly followed by Felix & Moms bday in early July. Needless to say, we did a lot of celebrating! The pictures are not in order.....

My birthday. The big 3-1. I decided to match my 3 year old for the big day- it was "romper day". Hello fashionista! My bday was on a Tuesday, so Steph & I took the kids to meet Mom for lunch at City Place. So fun! And much to our surprise, we were so full from our lunch that we ended up just having appetizers and salad for dinner that night......and a teeny tiny birthday cake that unfortunately, was not big enough for everyone to sample! Sorry Dad!!!

I thought it was pretty cool that I was able to use both candles from my kids' birthday cakes this year for my cake! I don't think that will ever happen again- so cool!!!

On days we were not celebrating birthdays, we still made great attempts to have fun. Most of the time, me and my two little chickens were more than happy to hang out in the pool in the backyard- other times, we ventured out with the cousins.

Kids-Bowl-Free is going on this summer, so we all went out to give it a try.

Let's just say-it was a LONG two games! The kids had fun and even got a little competitive. Not my little Emma though- her balls went down slow & steady. In fact, one time it went so slow- it actually stopped, and rolled back to us!! Levi was a trooper- hanging out in the stroller cheering everyone on :)

Costco! We even went one week that Mamare & Saba were out of town.....but they were not missed.....hahaha (look closely at our table- we had "fill-in's" join us!)

Ballet Camp. Mon, Wed, Thurs, 9am-12pm. So fun for everyone!!! Steph & I dropped off the girls at ballet camp bright & early- they had fun doing arts & crafts, playing games, learning ballet, and of course- snack time, and Steph & I enjoyed some quality time with the babies together or just some alone time if Levi was napping. And when we picked up the girls we had lunch together or playdates- it was fun and I wish we could do it more often! And the teacher said Emma did a great job and listening and following directions- which made me proud since she was the youngest in the class and this was her first time in this type of structured environment without me!

Build-A-Bear. Steph & I gave all 3 of the big kids this as a birthday gift- so we brought them to make their bear together. This was Emma's first time and she absolutely loved it! I did not expect her reaction........

She loves this bunny! She named her "Emma Bunny" and sleeps with her every night. We have even seen her on the monitor sleeping with it, and she rolls over to cuddle it and hold it under her arm. Worth every penny!!!

The day after we arrived we went to Ava's birthday celebration at a great little splash pad park. It was the perfect water level for my non-swimmers to run around and have fun. She had a care-bear cake. There was an ant crawling on one that caused quite a stir and landed down my shirt. Grandaddy can tell you all about it!

We celebrated Emma & Levi's birthdays 3 times- once at the beach all together, once on each of their actual birthdays, and once for a little party with their friends. I think they felt special!! Even Levi knew he was supposed to blow out the candles by the end of our trip.....

Of all the celebrations, I must say- Steph had the best birthday celebration ever. It fell on a Sunday, so the girls (me, mom, Steph & Jack) left all the kids at home with Dad & Roger- and took off for a day of shopping! We shopped, sat outside to chat over some Starbucks, and then shopped some more. We had lots of fun trying on some winners in the dressing rooms, I learned that nobody in my family likes my style, but I'm ok with that.... and then we went out with everyone for hibachi, where the kids had a great time- followed by Coldstone for dessert.

So, that about wraps it up for the celebrating- which is how we spent most of our time down there!! More to come.......

2011-07-09T21:07:00.011-05:00

My little man turned one. An entire year old. Amazing.

It has been a long year- and at the same time- flown by. I just can't believe he is already a year old. I wonder if I baby him more because he is the "baby", or if I have forgotten how little a one year old really is. But my goodness, do we love this little one!

So, at a year old- he is just as sweet as can be. And everyday he seems to grow so quickly! We love the way he communicates and interacts with us, and especially with Emma. He is a quiet little one when it comes to words. In fact, his first real word with meaning behind it was Emma, followed by Dada and ball. Then came "quack". And it seems he is stuck. Every animal is "quack" and everything else is "daaaaa" as he points his tiny little finger towards whatever it is he wants.

He waves "bye-bye", sways & dances to any music, knocks on Emma's bedroom door when it is time to get her from bed, snuggles & cuddles his dolls/teddy bears and sings his "noo noo" song, zooms his cars around, actually cleans up toys putting blocks back in their containers, puts on his pretend hat when he hears the word, points to his belly when asked....and pretty much seems to understand everything we say to him! He is so fun and laid back (minus the screeching)- truly enjoyable to be around (again.....could do without the screech!).

He will sign "more", "eat", "drink", and "all done" for us when he is really desperate.

Otherwise, he still has his signature screech (as mentioned above). It is out of control. And in public, people turn their head in shock to see what is happening to the poor little guy- and I'm sure they are relieved to see that he is, in fact, not getting brutally murdered- but simply just bored/frustrated/happy/excited/who the heck knows!!

He is a gutsy little guy climbing everywhere. And a curious one- so very interested in what is in our cabinets and fridge and TV and DVD player and electrical outlets and toilets....to name a few. And he isn't afraid to test ANYTHING with his mouth- dust balls, toys, srews, chair rails- you name it!

He is amazing, and he is happy, and we love him more than words could ever explain! He is friendly, funny, smart, and even a little flirt! He tests his mommy......and just giggles with excitement when I come over to stop whatever bad behavior he is attempting to get away with. Emma watched in horror as I put Levi in "time-out" for the first time the other day! (Emma)"Babies can go in time-out????". Oh yes Emma girl, oh yes.

But this kid, I tell ya- we can't believe how snuggly and cuddly and loving he is. Hugs and kisses ALL day. Walked over to Felix and intentionally threw his arms around his neck to hug him! And we would never guess the baby who refused to sleep more than 4 hours at a time for the first 8 months of his life, actually likes to go to sleep now- anticipates the naptime/bedtime routine, and even flashes us a little smile and giggle sometimes as we lay him in the crib.

And yes. He started walking- still in the early stages....walking until he falls down and then resorting to crawling. I think he is doing it this way because he knows it makes his mommy sad that he is growing up too fast! And I am so glad he is such a mama's boy. He LOVES his mama....and he LOVES nursing- even though he isn't actually drinking that much. I'm trying to cut back on some of the nursing, which makes for some pretty tough mornings for him- he gets quite moody when he can't get what he wants!!

My sweet little boy, I love you more and more each day- and you change so much from day to day.....I always remind myself to slow down and enjoy the moment.....they go by way too quickly.

Happy Birthday Levi love.......can't imagine life without you, little guy!

Tickles

2011-06-22T22:11:00.001-05:00

I can hear her giggling when I see this picture!

We've been having a lot of fun in Florida. I can't wait to write all about it....... :)

Levi Love, 11 months!

2011-06-01T20:47:00.002-05:00

A bundle of joy. Funny, silly, sweet, loving little bundle of joy! He is my delicious little baby, he smells so sweet, his skin is so soft, and I find I can never give him enough kisses!

11 months old, I'll never get used to how quickly time flies. I'm pretty sure I will be one of those moms balling my eyes out when my kids graduate preschool. Although- I'm not 100% sure, because I was pretty sure I would be crying on Emma's first day of preschool, but I find myself looking forward to sending her off in September to learn and play with new friends, without mommy, for a few hours during the week :)

Our little Levi. He is just so funny! He always gives a cute little flirty smile that makes me feel he knows exactly what I am thinking. He loves to play with pretty much anything- cars, balls, blocks, baby dolls, toy lipstick, hairbrushes....you name it! And as expected, everything goes in his mouth.
He says mama, dada, emmmmmmmma- really stressing the "mmmm"...... and that's about it so far! He waves hello, signs "all done", squeals and screams the most high pitched tone you have ever heard, and pretty much just grabs at my neck and smacks my chest when he wants to nurse. I have no idea what happened to his signs for "milk" and "more", but they are pretty nonexistent!

Why is he so funny? I don't know....he just is! He will be playing with toys minding his own business, and all of a sudden will just play-what we call-'possum! He just lies down on his belly with a huge grin on his face and waits for us to notice him. Similar to his sister, he rocks out to any and all music that he hears. He loves to bounce on his bottom or sway side to side to the beat. And when I start singing "row row row your boat", he does the motions....same with "trot trot to Boston".
Bedtime is fantastic now! In fact, so are his 9am morning nap and his 2pm afternoon nap! I simply say "Levi, let's go take a snooz" as I carry him up the stairs- and he immediately starts swaying side to side in my arms, humming our bedtime song "i noo noo......". LOVE HIM!
Levi was sitting on the floor the other day as Felix left for work, and instead of crawling to the door and crying (as usual), he simply started blowing kisses once the door was shut. Too cute.

Felix is determined to get this kid walking soon, and honestly- I am seeing some major improvements....but no walking yet. Personally, I am in no rush to have him walk- although it would make playing at the playground a bit easier! Right now he is happy to crawl everywhere, but certainly more than capable of walking while holding onto just one lone little finger of ours. I think his walking days are right around the corner. sniff sniff.

Emma wanted to strike a pose. She also wanted to play wtih my eyeliner before our photo shoot. I think she needs a little practice before she heads to the beauty pageant!!

Marvelous May!

2011-05-30T21:12:00.004-05:00

My favorite month of the year is coming to an end. And it flew by.

I am looking forward to June, since we do get to celebrate all of our birthdays (plus Felix's the first week of July) in addition to our 4 year wedding anniversary. And we get to spend a month in FL with family, enjoying the pool & the beach- and a first this summer..... ballet camp with cousins!But on the other hand, we will be apart from Felix for 3 weeks in June.

So I also look forward to July where we get to enjoy a few more family getaways back home before water polo season officially starts again. And on the agenda this month? Storyland, lazy days on the lake, and a daytrip or two to Newport. I'm excited.

Still chugging away at the potty training thing. We seem to be regressing a bit- not sure why, but clearly, she gets the concept as I walked in on her playing "mommy" to her baby. (even though I usually put the seat down for her!).

We had a blast this month. My favorite part? Bedtime routine. We brought the kids upstairs, changed into PJ's, washed up, and then we all cozied up on the couch in Levi's room to read books and sing songs. It is a routine even Levi anticipated, and it was one of my favorite parts of the day. We love having Daddy home for bedtime.

Our day at the New England Aquarium. I'd love to say it was awesome and we had a great time, but to be honest- it was pretty boring. I was ready to go after 20 minutes, but since we drove almost an hour to get there and park, I was determined to get at least 2 hours out of it. The kids seemed to have fun, so that was good :). I just don't think I'm a museum kind of girl.

wow. MORE fish. look at 'em go!

Now THIS was more like it! The carnival!!! We took the kids to the carnival last night- it was a very small carnival, with about 5 or 6 rides for Emma's age- and she loved them all. Especially when her daddy would squeeze in the rides with her :)

The spinning dragon ride. I thought it would never end.

A bouncy house at the carnival! We cheated and let the "too little for any rides" Levi jump on the outside. Look how high Emma is in there!!

Did he just grow up right before my eyes? Where did my baby go??!!!!! (his other shoe is in the stroller).

On the merry go around bench. Another ride we cheated on for little L.

Waiting in line for the next ride- a train roller coaster. Emma was not about to let the people cut in front of her in line......look at her face!

She LOVED this ride. In her very own truck with a steering wheel. I think she really thought she was steering- throwing that wheel around just like I do- and her eyes, glistening with pure joy. She kept waving out the window when she passed us. And she kept leaning in to giggle with the little boy who was sitting next to her in her car. She looked like such a big girl in there to me- having fun, playing with her new friend.

The boys. Keeping cool.

And would you look at this! Little miss Emma finally agreed to ride the horse on the carousel, secured tightly in her father's grip. And she loved every mintue of it.

I DID IT!!!!!!

2011-05-29T22:28:00.005-05:00

BEFORE / AFTER

Across from our bed in our bedroom, we have been staring at this hole in the wall that housed our TV along with other odds & ends. I wanted to re-do the closet to look like a built in bookshelf. Originally we were going to ask our carpenter for help, but I was feeling gutsy and just decided to go for it and do it on my own. It certainly couldn't turn out any worse than it already was!

This was the aftermath of the original linen closet that I (two years ago) took a hammer to and turned into an open "entertainment center", which left us with the huge hole in the wall and ceiling, an unfinished divider in the middle, a destroyed top wall board, and mismatched shelves that didn't quite fit.

So, day 1- I patched in some new drywall in the back and on the ceiling, taped & mudded, and spackled tons of holes and random gashes everywhere. After a 2nd coat of mud, I sanded everything. That was the worst and messiest part. I hate sanding. Emma loved all the "snow" that was falling all over us :)

taping & mudding....

I replaced the top frame board with new wood, ripped off the outside trim and replaced it with some decorative trim......

and one of my favorite parts- I included a hole for wires just to the right of the top shelf! I actually made up this little piece by using a desk grommet & some pipes, and it actually works!!

finally, I added some nice trim to the outside of the middle divider and topped it with a decorative square.

and....wahlah! Our new entertainment center!

we are getting carpet for the bedroom, so the paint-stained floors are not a problem!

I am so proud of this project! We totally did it on our own, from start to finish- and I couldn't be more proud! Felix cut all the lumber and helped me wtih the demo. This took a lot of problem solving, planning, measuring, leveling, drilling, sanding, caulking, and painting.....and I only hammered one thumb in the process! Not bad!!

More Birthday Fun

2011-05-23T21:42:00.003-05:00

We enjoyed another birthday celebration this weekend for one of Emma's friends- Declan. This party was at Monkey Joe's which has a ton of bouncy houses, fun bouncy house slides and some arcade games.

Felix went down the bouncy house slides with Emma. She was too scared to go by herself- and even Mommy wasn't good enough, only Daddy would do!

After plenty of playtime, the guests gathered in Declan's special party room for pizza & cake, followed by a surprise visit from Monkey Joe himself. Although...Felix is convinced Monkey Joe is a girl based on the amount of time "she" spent cooing over Levi :)

And much to our surprise, Emma was super excited to strike a pose with the purple monkey. Emma even ran over to MJ once she had left the party room and gave her a high five!

As usual, I think the best part of the day was the cake....and ice cream :)

The picture is actually from Dhruv's birthday party last week- Little Leev making friends!

Random fun pictures, just because we are loving life!

2011-05-19T14:14:00.006-05:00

This weekend we celebrated Emma's friend Dhruv's birthday at Kidz Wurld. We love going there with friends to play, and it is even better when there is a birthday to celebrate.
-emma & her friend natalie giggling over some pizza-

After the party, we came home for a nap and then rushed out of the house for some twilight swimming (indoors at the JCC). Emma liked the locker room even more than the pool. Peekaboo!

Our little ham. Everything is a joke to her, and she knows she is funny.

This morning she told me to dance around, and keep my breath in my throat. That one threw me for a loop....but I'm thinking she has perhaps been experiencing what it feels like to be out of breath? She sure has been bouncing off the walls lately, so it is to be expected!

My plan to pick up a box of "not so yummy" cookies from Target so I wouldn't eat the whole thing in a week (or day), totally backfired. These babies are even better than the real thing! Buyer beware!

Felix reading a Shabbat book to Emma while I was making dinner. This was so sweet- and my favorite part was listening to poor Felix trying to figure out all the Yiddish words!

a picture from when we were in FL, BBQ-ing it up, all with our own handmade plates.

And one more "first" for little E. Riding a bike! She was excited to try, but not so excited to finish. She was on the bike for about 20 minutes.... and we only made it around the corner from the house before she ditched the bike and ran home to see her cousins.

On average, she would get about two pedal strokes in before getting distracted by a spot of water on the sidewalk, or a lizard in the grass, or another little girl (actually pedaling!) her bike across the street. But- on the bright side, it makes it pretty difficult to fall off the bike when going so slow! Yeay for Emma!!

We drove by a yard-sale the other day and I picked up a plastic tricycle for her. She picked out a sit & spin "for Levi".....so she said. When we got home, she was very excited about the bike- for about a minute. Then she told me she had to show Levi how to use his toy. So far, Levi hasn't had a turn on "his toy" :)

Ice Skating

2011-05-13T11:23:00.000-05:00

After watching Disney on Ice at home in MA, Emma came to me the next morning as she was trying to spin around on one leg and asked why she couldn't move like the princesses did.
I tried to explain ice skating to her, and then decided it would be a fantastic idea to bring her ice skating when we were in FL.

So luckily- Aunt Jackie is a pretty decent skater and was willing to bring Emma on the ice. I happily stayed on the sides with Levi, cheering on the dynamic duo.

Emma lasted about 20 minutes before asking to go home. She was exhausted. And my abs were killing me from laughing hysetrically the ENTIRE time I was watching her. I was embarrassed that I couldn't stop laughing while watching my poor little 2 year old try to skate on the ice.

She had fun, and did surprisingly well! I'm hoping she enjoys it and wants to do it more, because I'm guessing it would be a great winter activity for her when she is older. I'm secretly hoping she doesn't take up skiing since it is dangerous, requires travel, and can get quite pricey with all the equipment!!! Let's all not forget the time I broke my collar bone skiing down my very first hill....

This video is her 3rd time around- the first 2 videos I took were too hard to see because I couldn't stop laughing enough to keep the camera still!

Fun in the Sun

2011-05-13T11:12:00.000-05:00

We had a blast playing outside in FL. It was definitely some much needed fun in the sun!

I came out one night after putting Levi to bed, to find my dad standing in the backyard with Emma- who was soaked running through the sprinklers. Look at that face- this is why it is awesome having kids! When was the last time you just decided to run through the sprinklers after dinner with your clothes on? Or even ALLOWED your kids to do it?

It is awesome having kids because they remind me what life is really about.
- Steph, sorry if this is too cheesy for ya!
-Dad, I'm sure you will be reminding me I said this every time Levi is screaming his head off through the baby monitor 5 minutes after I put him down for his nap :)
And even so- knowing it is cheesy, and the kids drive me crazy quite a bit...I still mean every word of it!

Pool time!!! Look at my little chicken! The first day we were down, she wouldn't get off the steps of the pool, and wouldn't let me touch her. By the last day, she wouldn't let me touch her....because she wanted to swim "by herself" in her little tube. She was having a blast, always the last one out of the pool- and she is pretty good at kicking her feet to swim now. I think swim lessons are in the very near future!

In a hurry to pack, I realized I did not have a bathing suit for Levi- so I grabbed Emma's old cloth swim diaper figuring we would use it in a pinch until I had a chance to get him a suit when we were in FL. Well......we ended up needing the suit right away. Poor guy! As his Bubbe put it...he makes one ugly girl!!

I don't think Levi is thrilled to be wearing his sister's bathing suit either.....

and to make matters worse, the sun hat we bought him while we were down there is apparently a "girls" hat- poor kid can't catch a break!

Love

2011-05-13T11:11:00.000-05:00

Aunt Jackie got Emma some ice cream at the mall. I think she liked it :)

Little Levi LOVES his Saba! This was really a great time- Levi just wrapped his arms right around Saba's neck, it was the best.

and then it was Aunt Stephanie's turn. Absolute adorableness! Felix & I love the way he gives hugs.

Morning rest time on Aunt Jackie's pillow

Visiting Andrea! Levi's new friend, little Wes. The boys played so nicely together....the girls were a little prissy at times...

the boys

The 3 big kids focusing on an intense game on the ipad

65 Years

2011-05-13T10:45:00.000-05:00

65 wonderful years of marriage....

3 children, 7 grandchildren......actually '11' grandchildren now that Roger, John, Felix & Stephanie have joined us .....shortly followed by......

6 great-grandchildren!!

While in FL we celebrated my grandparents 65th wedding anniversary with all the family that came in town for Passover. Steph organized a great family dinner out for everyone, with a private room, great pre-ordered food and dessert. Pre-ordered meals certainly helped to cut down on the chaos that could accompany a meal out with 15 adults and 6 kids! It was really nice to be with everyone, and we were just reminded once again what an awesome family we have- all thanks to the family values Mamare & Grandaddy have instilled in all of us.

look at Emma, the big girl for once!

At dinner, Levi was flat out miserable :) Wanting to nurse the entire time or be held walking around outside. It got to the point that I was worried I was going to have to leave and put him to bed. Fortunately, I did not have to worry about Emma- she was pretty much "babysat" by the cake! If ever there was a time she was out of her seat- it was to stare at the "wedding" cake Steph made for Mamare & Grandaddy!

When the waitress came over to clear dinner plates, Emma asked her for cake! I'm pretty sure she got one of the first pieces :)

....and was found licking the serving plate clean as we were all saying our goodbyes!!

Mother's Weekend!

2011-05-08T20:22:00.006-05:00

Not just a day...I got a whole weekend! I love the month of May! Water polo season is over, we get more time with Felix, the sun is starting to shine, it is a great time of year.

We started off Saturday doing a lot of housework. Felix played with Emma outside in the backyard while he mowed the lawn, cleaned up and fixed some odds & ends. Meanwhile, inside, Levi was napping and I packed up about 12 boxes of baby/kids clothes along with the baby items- swing, bouncy seat, exersaucer......and Felix brought them down to the basement (until next time!). Surprisingly, I only shed 1 tear while packing the clothes away- when I caught a glimpse of the dress Emma wore to meet Levi when he was born. Time is going way too quickly!

We enjoyed a nice family lunch together. Our little ham wanted to pose "sleeping" with her Daddy for the camera.

When did little Levi turn into such a tough guy?

We finished off the afternoon playing toys, building blocks, baking some (disgusting) cookies, putting together a floor puzzle mat of the world, and a first for mr.L- walking with his push toy!

We were all awake bright and early this morning, so we went to Babes Diner. I have driven past this place numerous times and it always looked a little sketchy from the outside to me. But, Felix ended up going there one day while waiting for our car to be repaired next door and said they had a menu page full of eggs benedict choices (my favorite)- so off we went for Mother's Day!

And what a pleasant surprise it was!!!! It was big, clean, and PACKED with people! The decor reminded me of the breakfast diner we went to while on vacation in Vero Beach. And the food was good, which is always a plus :)

Emma was completely entertained sitting next to the wall mirror.

We missed Felix while we were away the past few weeks- and I have been more than happy to let the kids get as much quality time together with him as they can!!!!! To be honest, I think I have probably changed less then 5 diapers this past week. Looks like it has been a long week for Felix though :)

After Levi's morning nap, we took advantage of the beautiful weather and went out to play in the park and enjoy a carousel ride.

Emma prefers to ride on the bench instead of the horse, especially on this carousel which is exceptionally fast. Levi was super excited for our turn and couldn't wait to get on.....

Emma....not so much. Before we even started moving, I stood up to get a picture and she freaked out and started crying out of fear I was leaving her alone on this scary ride!

Family photo :) .....Felix & I were both nauseaus by the end of the ride- it is even worse than the teacups at Disney!

Lookie, Lookie....

2011-05-07T20:25:00.003-05:00

Look what a difference a day with Daddy makes! The little guy had absolutely no interest in walking......would sit down every time we tried to stand him up and get him to walk. And all of a sudden, he can't get enough of pushing his toy around!

Personally, I think Felix's victory dance for teaching Levi to "push-walk" is the highlight of this little movie!

A New Carseat......and then some!

2011-05-05T20:32:00.002-05:00

Levi is hanging off the end of his infant carseat, so we need to move him into Emma's and get Emma a new big girl booster seat. Wipe away the tears....I too, can't believe how quickly the time has passed!

So we all went to BabiesRus to test out some of the seats, found one we liked for Emma, and I decided to go home and research the best price before buying it there for $180. Well......check out what Target had to offer with my super couponing skills!!!

Using all my coupouns, plus a $50 gift card....I actually ended up paying $30 LESS than the original cost of the carseat and got all these other goodies too. Plus walked away with another $5 gift card!!

4 body washes, 2 deodorants, 5 conditioners, 2 bags of grilled chicken, 4 lean cuisines, 2 lean pockets, 2 boxes of crackers, 3 crystal lights, 9 rolls of paper towels, 2 toothbrushes, a bottle of bug spray, a package of toilet paper, and disposable wipes. Oh yeah.....and the carseat, all for $150 (or $200 if you count the $50 gift card I used)! I was pretty excited about this shopping trip :)

10 Months

2011-04-29T22:55:00.002-05:00

Levi Max, 10 Months.
(the sign in the picture should say 4/19/11) whoops!

Where has the time gone? It is hard to even remember what he was like as a little infant, I am getting sad he is growing so fast! On the other hand, he has only been sleeping through the night for the past 2 months- which includes making him cry it out in the crib if he wakes up before 6am!
He is definitely a mamas boy, and I love it. Very clingy, snuggly, and loves to nurse. He won't take a binky, he prefers mommy. And I think I have been "babying" him even more so because he seems so young compared to his big sis! Sometimes he just hangs out and lets out a consistent whine, for no reason. And sometimes he lets out an ear piercing squeal, turning heads when we are out in public. But for the most part, he is a happy little guy who gives a flirty little smile to everyone he sees.

Super huge.....

I realized there is such a difference between Levi at this age and Emma at this age. Most of it has to do with the fact that there are two of them and I am so much busier now. So then, I feel guilty. I need to spend more time talking and playing with him, encouraging him to do more on his own, etc. instead of simply holding him on my hip while we run around town doing big kid things!
Yet Levi gets so much more than Emma did simply by having an older sister. They play together and giggle together and interact with each other...they even fight with each other! Actually, fighting consists of Emma ripping a toy out of Levi's hands while he holds on for dear life, until she finally wins and he comes crawling to me crying with the saddest little face you can imagine :(

Super happy!

We love you little guy! Still squeaking like a little piggy, just like your first night in the hospital :) Your personality is really coming out, and you are the sweetest little guy around. Your hugs are the best, the absolute best, and you are pretty generous with them! So smiley and flirty, waving hello to everyone. We love you!!!

Grandma visits!

2011-04-29T22:44:00.003-05:00

Visiting with Grandma at the mall. Levi was smitten, and Emma was very excited to talk Grandma's ear off.......

Unbelievable. The first day after Passover, we are eating at Chick-Fil-A, and all Emma wants is the leftover Passover pancakes I brought for Levi. Yuck!

Passover 2011

2011-04-24T22:19:00.007-05:00

The whole crew. In matching shirts! Passover this year was extra special having (almost) everyone with us. Glad we could make it happen. And thanks for the shirts Grandaddy- it was a fantastic idea!! Steph, Brian, & Felix- you were all definitely missed and it most certainly wasn't the same without you. But Grandaddy had shirts made for you too, so you were with us in spirit!

The Mercado family photo- Felix's shirt included :)

After a heated search (although, I don't think Emma even knew what she was looking for), Gavin found the afikomen and traded it in for some chocolate lollipops and gummies. Emma is super excited as Saba is handing over chocolate lollipops for her, and a baggie of fresh fruit for Levi....hah.

devouring their treats......

The Seder table. Quite a crowd, and so glad to be a part of it :) Also glad cousin Lisa was there to lead Hadgadya this year. Thanks Lis!!

Playing peek-a-boo at the table

The Ox and the Holy One Blessed Be She....

Emma loved meeting her new cousin Juliet. This was one of about 20 hugs during their visit!

We had a few late nights.....

After dinner playtime. The kids came in here on their own and made up games and played with toys for a short while before babies started getting trampled and pictures came falling off the wall. Reminded me of fun cousin time in Mamare & Grandaddy's basement back in NY- minus the scary secret witch's box hidden in the creepy laundry room.

The studs of the evening.

That's what big sisters are for!

2011-04-10T21:22:00.004-05:00

Levi tried to make a run for it out the doggie door today. Emma took off and put herself in front of the door to block him.

Levi's face says it all.......

Daddy Love! What a perfect afternoon :)

-holding hands. I love it!

A little trim.......

2011-04-03T21:28:00.012-05:00

We took down 2 dead trees in the backyard this afternoon. My friend's brother who runs a landscaping business took them down, in addition to cleaning all the debris that fell from the trees this winter, picking up all the brush, and cleaning up pine needles. It is amazing. The difference is HUGE! The yard looks great, and this is just the beginning! It really opened things up, and I am learning how to do some landscaping to tame this beast!!

Before:

when the tree fell down, I thought to myself "man, how is he going to get rid of all that without shoving it into a tree-chopper??", and as I watched, once again I realized it was not nearly as hard as I thought it would be! (granted, I wasn't out there doing the work.....but I saw HOW he was doing it!). And it is small and silly, but still- I learned, slowly but surely- hacking away at it just a bit at a time, and before I knew it- it was gone!

After:

And he even trimmed a bit of the big tree that blocks the view of the front door. There were a few discussions about possibilities for a real entryway/walkway, but we are putting that off for another year or so. Priorities baby, priorities....

This was a big project, and Felix & I are so blown away by the outcome. We did not expect it to look nearly this good!
By the way.....it is supposed to snow tomorrow. Seriously?!!! Crazy!

The Homecoming

2011-04-03T20:42:00.003-05:00

Emma knew Daddy was coming home on "Sunday". She didn't know that this morning was Sunday, and I didn't tell her when I saw him pull up in the driveway. But I knew she would be excited, since every time the door opened these past few days, she would always yell out "Daddy??"

Just might cry tears of relief tomorrow!

2011-04-02T22:55:00.006-05:00

10 days.
I know, compared to others who have had to be apart from their husbands, it may not seem long. But for me, it was a long long time. And tomorrow morning, he will return home, and I feel like I may really cry when he walks through the door. The same feeling that kids must feel after braving a whole day at preschool away from mom, tear free, then burst into tears when seeing mom again at pick-up time!

Luckily everything went smoothly. No major catastrophes! Emma & I even joined forces a few times- killing 1 stink bug in her room, 1 in the bathroom, and a spider in the guest room. I was on my own to bravely take care of the mr.stinky I found in my bedroom before going to bed late one night.
The kids were healthy (Levi now has a hacking cough and runny nose), playing well together, sleeping perfectly, and pretty much tantrum-free!

I had everything scheduled for each day, and I really worked hard to make sure I stayed on top of keeping the house/dishes/clothes clean. I even did 4 loads of laundry, ran the dishwasher twice, and took out tons of trash & recycling- household chores Felix usually handles, and I definitely have a greater appreciation for him. I may even let him off the hook next time he puts a toy away in the wrong basket :) I certainly do my fair share of household chores, but usually, once I put the kids to bed at night- Felix takes over with anything that is left to do while I cook us dinner. Spoiled I am, that is for sure! It's not like I'm never alone with the kids, but I was just really dreading this 10 day stretch without him. Aside from all the household chores, he makes for pretty good company too- and I missed him and his all encompassing hugs, very much :).

Oh, my little Emma girl.
Levi was enjoying his morning nap, I was rushing to get dressed before he woke, and offered to put on Curious George for her. But- she insisted on watching the food network instead. I quietly spied on her to see if she really liked the show. Her mouth literally opened as if she was subconsciously eating the food, and when they showed a nice shot of the soup, her eyebrows shot up to say "wow!". She truly enjoyed watching them cook!

She kept me on my toes this past week. Still can't keep her fingers out of her nose- and after her nap, woke up crying as blood literally poured from her nostrils- into her mouth and all over her shirt. I think this last episode scared her, and she is finally taking my advice to simply rub her nose now. We'll see how long this lasts!
We read a ton of books, especially before bed. I am really enjoying our nighttime routine- her imagination is just out of control, and the things that she says is amazing. I need to write them down.

On our way out this morning to the much anticipated 'flower show' at the museum, we discovered we had a flat tire. Major bummer, since it took Emma close to an hour, and about 5 threats of not coming with us to the show, to finally put her shoes & socks on. Good news is we only made it to the end of our street before realizing it, so we were able to get back to our driveway safely and call AAA to put on the spare.

I hear my sister took the kids swimming outside today in sunny FL. Must be nice :)

Patiently waiting for the tire to be fixed. This kid thinks everything is a joke! Never stops smiling!
And....much to my surprise, he signed "milk" this morning!! It is absolutely overwhelming- the proud feelings I get when he does these small little things. Makes me so happy!! On the other hand- he also picked up the house phone, my cell phone, and the remote control and held it to his ear :) The kid doesn't miss a beat!

Levi Love

2011-03-29T21:28:00.004-05:00

9 Months

2011-03-26T21:55:00.006-05:00

Yes he is. Nine months already. Yet, I feel like he just joined the party! He is so so so so fun. A complete 180 from when he was a miserable newborn :) He really is smiling most of the time, giggles out loud, and my favorite- he plays with us. He really does.
He is only 9 months old, but he knows when he is funny and he does it on purpose.

Major milestones right now? Pulling to stand, and even a little cruising. 1 super giant tooth has come through on the top, and the one next to it is starting to poke through along with one on the bottom. But, he has about 4 more on the top and another on the bottom that are just begging to pop through those gums, so the poor guy must be in a bit of pain. I'm nervous to see how his teeth actually turn out- but am hopeful he has Felix's teeth to go with the good looks he got from his Daddy too!

He goes to bed around 7pm , but lately has been waking up around 5am to nurse, sleeps for another hour next to me, and then wants to play. This morning was the first time I made him cry (ok....scream) in his crib at 5am until 5:30 when he finally fell back asleep for another 45 minutes. I then went up to his room, nursed him on his couch and let him play safely on the floor while I caught a few more minutes of semi-sleep. I opened my eyes to find him standing (holding on to the couch) in front of me babbling "blah" in my face, which I think is his way of saying "boo" and laughing.

He is learning what I am teaching him!!!! Such a silly little thing, but I could not have been more proud. I taught him how to give a high-five, and he actually does it! When he started doing it consistently, I was so excited! I also taught him to do "so big" when asked "how big is levi?", and by accident, taught him how to click his tongue. He will look at me and do it from across the room and just smile. Oh you just gotta love this little munchkin! Plus, the fact that he can happily play in the playroom all by himself while Emma finishes off naptime is beyond exciting for me. And I don't consider it neglect, we all need a little quiet time in the afternoon! (I'm still watching him, just working in the kitchen while doing so......don't get worried!!)

He seems to be playing with more purpose now. He actually plays with the toy cars pushing them down the ramps instead of only trying to eat them. Loves music, rocks his whole body side to side, bounces up and down, and loves shaking the maraca or clapper toy. Oh and he claps his hands, all the time with a big grin. He smacks his lips and opens his mouth a bit just staring at us if he wants some of our food. If anyone claps hands, he is quick to follow. And finally, he is definitely a mama's boy! Starting to get a little panicky when I leave the room or leave him at the gym daycare- but not too bad. He definitely didn't like it when I held another newborn the other day! And today, while Emma was napping, he & I were playing in the playroom and he climbed up on me and completely wrapped his arms around my neck, burying his head in my shoulder. This was different than usual- he wasn't tired and just trying to snuggle or nurse, it was a full out tight squeeze and he was smiling, as if he really knew what he was doing. My. Heart. Melted.

I mean seriously! Look at him. He is such a love- and he is so much fun. Perhaps because he is just an innocent little 9 month old, but he seems to think everything is just so funny.
(I did not tell Emma to kiss him in this pic, but clearly she was doing it for the camera!)

9 months old, 22lbs, and strong!

And this little one. Looks old to me with her hair down in these pictures, I forget how young she really still is though. I find myself expecting a lot more from her now, and she is such a trooper!

Her imagination is out of control! She is always doing/talking/playing with something pretend and it always catches me off guard, every time! Even today at the library, I was getting frustrated with her because she was taking forever to just walk towards me to go out the door. And then, I realize she is pretending to put imaginary items in her imaginary purse before we can leave. And of course, gives me my imaginary items to take as well.

Posing for the camera, once again.

She is quite friendly. Today at the store we were picking out all different types of storage containers to organize her playroom. A woman walked by to browse the aisle, and Emma felt the need to let the lady know we were getting boxes for her playroom.
This is her singing face. Incase you can't tell.....it was a sweet, soft song. When I went to get her from the crib this morning she asked if I wanted to hear her new song. She totally made one up- I wish I could remember what the words were, but she was so proud!

And finally, the fake whine face. I can't stand this one, and she knows it.

Tonight before bed we were reading a book about a boy who went fishing. He finally caught some fish and brought them home to his mother. When I read the page that said "and his mother cooked the fish and they all ate it for dinner".... Emma looked at me with a funny grin and said "that's silly!" as in.... who would ever cook a fish?? I didn't have the heart to really explain it to her, especially since she is a die-hard Nemo fan right now. Plus, I can pretty much guarantee that I won't be cooking fish in our house anyways :) But now that I think about it, she probably doesn't realize where her chicken nuggets (hopefully!) come from either.....