Little One You Make Me Smile Because...

seeing you sitting up right now just makes me smile, i will peak in on you in the family room.  your chubby hand reaching into the basket looking for the next toy to explore or chew on.  your little eyes will look up at me and the smile that spreads across your face is priceless...

your chubbiness is such a source of happiness for me, the leg rolls, the arm rolls, the rolls in general are everywhere, and they are perfect

you in a knit hat

you giggling at big brother, i mean it just doesn't get any better than that.  there is something about him that makes you just laugh, he can look at you and start to giggle.  but you both have little games you play with each other that you two only understand.

the finding bradley game we play makes me smile...you wake up, you nurse, and then we start looking for bradley, where can he be?  do we see him?  do we hear him?  then we find him in different places, the family room, the kitchen, but every time we see him he yells, "here I am" and you just light up...happiness

and it is the simple things...letting daddy give you a bottle before bed, so mommy can go to see "legally blonde"  some much needed mommy time

thinking you are waking up in the morning, and then i watch you find that little thumb and fall right back to sleep

little girl you are growing up, seven months is here, and i just can't believe it


 love you little one

Big One, You Make Me Smile Because...

wow in just one month you will be turning four...there are so many things to celebrate...right now you make me smile because

you are all about coloring.  you will sit and color with daddy and i.  you tell us what color to use on our pictures.  you are getting better and better.

you are writing.  it is beyond amazing.  you write your name.  then you just sat down and wrote ellie's name.  i am so so proud of you.  you know your address.

you are such a sponge right now.  you walk around the house saying "i am tom periello and i approved this message."  you think this is hilarious, and so do i.

you are such a great friend.  during play dates, at school, you are so kind to other children.  you are articulate, and other kids love being around you.  you do love to tattle tale, but that makes me smile a little bit too;)

you can ride your bike.  i know you were nervous about it, and fell a few times.  but i am so proud of you that you kept trying.  

you are so excited about halloween, and because of that, so am i.

you love ellie.  beyond love her.  you adore her.  you talk to her the whole way home from school.  you sit on the floor and play with her.  you hand her toys.  you help her sit up after she falls.  you are wonderful with her, and i hope it never changes.

you are starting to try lots of new foods.  i never thought we would get here, but you are an excellent eater now.  red peppers are your favorite, really?  amazing little boy!!

you are starting to get into crafts.  finally. and i LOVE it!

you love taking a bath with ellie every night.  you climbed right into her little tub with her.  it was so funny.  you looked so so big.  stop growing up!  it makes me sad, and happy at the same time.  

love you big one!

Forever Friends

This mama just makes me smile.  Look at her!  Just lovin' away on my kids...

Janna you are such a special friend!  You are always a phone call away and there to listen, laugh at me, and cry with me about life's craziness.  I love you!!

We were lucky enough to get two special visitors last weekend for Ellie's baptism.  Janna was visiting for a college football game, and Aunt Annmarie drove all the way from Pennsylvania to visit us!  It was so much fun to have the house full of family and friends.  Janna brought this little adorable bundle with her....

can you believe how cute TJ is?  The red hair it too much!!  Side note...look at Chris in the background, lol!  Most of these pictures were taken on Friday afternoon while we were hanging around the back yard.  Janna and I are both picture lovers, and were going a little crazy with the picture taking. 

Bradley finally has a great handle on riding his bike!  We got a new flip video camera, and I am going to upload some pictures of him on his bike soon.

I love TJ...this could be an ad for Radio Flyer!

What an awesome weekend!  It has been so long since we have had friends in town, with a new baby and moving there just hasn't been time.  I am loving our new house, and just having the freedom to have guests again.  Can't wait to tell you all about the pumpkin party today!

Baby Steps

Last week was definitely rough. Thank you for all of the sweet comments and emails. It still seems very surreal, and just so tragically sudden. Liz will be missed by so many people. Most most of all by her brand new baby girl and little boy. The funeral was very difficult. Watching Daniel walk in while holding his Daddy's hand. Words cannot bring to life the sadness of that picture. I think it will be etched in my memory forever. The community is coming together to help Mike. I have started some collections from my church, and I even got my local grocery store to donate some formula and diapers. There is a fund getting set up in Liz's name by the preschool. I know these things seem so small, but it makes me feel better to do something to help.

Please keep her family in your prayers. The weeks and months to come are going to be difficult.

The only thing that can make your heart smile after such a long week is to meet this amazing bundle of cuteness!!! Haven Genevieve was born on Wednesday morning, at 3:04 am, 7 lbs. 15 oz., and a full head of hair!

I am totally in love with this little thing!!!  She looks just like Larken as a baby, with Amalie's head of hair.  I am so disappointed with my pictures...Haven was sleeping so I tried to take them manually, and they didn't turn out the greatest.  And the pictures of Ellie's baptism were REALLY dark.  I fiddled around with them,  but this was the best I could get...

Listening to the opening prayer, doesn't Ellie look so happy?!!

pouring the baptismal water

blessing sweet Ellie, I don't think I could have been happier!!

Sweet Debbie holding her

Introductions to the church and family

Unfortunately those were the only pictures I got!  The day was so so busy with family, lunch afterwords, and Ellie was wiped out.  Aunt Kim and Uncle Adam stayed almost the whole day, until Ellie woke up from a 2 1/2 hour nap.  So I did snap some pictures of them together!  I am hoping to get some photos done of Ellie in her little dress.  It was so sweet! 

Lots of Love in this pictures of Aunt Kim and Uncle Adam, and those sweet babies.  It makes you feel so good inside to see your children loved on by family members!

I still have so much other stuff to share, but for now I have a "Pumpkin Party" to start planning!!

Hug Them Tightly

This post definitely didn't start this way.  I started writing it on Friday afternoon.  Let's celebrate six months.  That was going to be the theme of this post, but after a phone call this afternoon my perspective has changed.  A blink and your life changes direction.  You look at the world differently.  You hug your children more tightly.  You thank God for all of your blessings and family.

This weekend was beautiful.  It was filled to the brim with family, smiles, and happiness.  There were friends and visitors.  The house was full of children, babies, and laughter.  There were late night talks, cold beers, and giggling about parenthood.  There was a family night dinner at Ottos with out of town friends.  Babies making messes at the table, topped off with homemade ice cream.  Oh life is grand.  

Then Sunday was filled with joy.  The day was beautiful.  The fall air was crisp and clean.  Family was dressed up and ready for celebrating.  Little Ellie was welcomed by God.  Chris and I were welcomed into our new church.  We said prayers for this little blessing that has been such a long road.  I am thankful.  I am full.  I am happy.  We ate lunch, visited, and I watched Ellie get passed from one loving member of the family to the other.  I saw Bradley get his cup filled up by Aunts and Uncles that just can't get enough of him.  It truly was a blessed day.

Then my friend calls tonight.  She says that one of the moms in Bradley's preschool has died.  She was having dinner with her family and became short of breath.  She passed way in the bathroom, leaving a one week old baby and her three year old son.  She was gone.  Gone.  It just doesn't seem possible.  She had a pulmonary embolism, and passed away.  I can't quite make sense of any of it yet.  I just know that I cried while I nursed Ellie to bed tonight.  I lovingly laid her down and rubbed her back until her breathing fell into slumber.  Then I tiptoed into my beautiful little boy's room and kissed him.  I told him I loved him.  I hugged him so tight and kissed his sweet neck.  Then I came downstairs and told chris...if something ever happened to me please tell my kids that I loved them more that life itself. 
 

I love them with all of my heart and soul.  Every ounce of my being.  They make me a better person.  They made me a Mom, which is the greatest thing I have ever done in my life.  Raising them.  Nursing them.  Caring for them.  Loving them.  Bradley and Ellie you have stolen my heart, and I will never be the same. 

And Liz, Daniel and Emma Jane will grow up knowing that they were loved so much.  I will forever be changed from knowing you.  This is so tragic right now.  Maybe someday I will look back and better understand why this has happened.   

For tonight I will go sleep praying for you.  Your sweet, little 10 day old baby.  Your husband and three year old son.  May they feel your love tonight and in the nights to come.

"Fall" in Love...

I am truly in love with fall...knit hats, knit booties, and smiling babies!! I can't get enough of it!  We have been able to go for long walks, have glorious trips to the playground, and just enjoy life now that it isn't 150 degrees outside!  I am loving this stage with my little girl too.  She is just so happy, about pretty much everything.  Her brother mostly, then Chris and I come in a close second, probably in a tie with Hershey--the dog. 

To continue with my love of all things fall, we took a trip to the best pumpkin patch around this weekend.  It would be complete without knit pumpkin hats of course!

I am also in love with adorable Daddies that will carry around the baby so that I can practice taking pictures in aperture priority.  Gotta love this man...

The pumpkin patch had an enormous sandbox that we couldn't get Bradley out of!

And also an indoor merry go round!  Who could ask for more?!!

I love this picture of Chris and Bradley, he is watching the workings of the merry go round!  So curious!

Ellie even go to ride too!  Aunt Lindsay watched out for her

Again, so adorable!!

I love this photo of Bradley at the pumpkin patch.  I couldn't get him to look at the camera, but I love the light and the background!

My little pumpkin posing for a picture!  She was watching Bradley run around in the distance, and I couldn't get her to look at me either.  She totally adores her brother!

I love these pumpkins that I put in the kitchen as a centerpiece of the island.  They make me smile...