thank full

Last year right at this time I was put on modified bed rest due to my contractions and pre-term labor at 25 weeks. We cancelled our annual feast with 20-something people and my in-laws, sis & bro in-law lovingly brought over a beautiful meal for us.
It was a quiet day - not the usual craziness.
We were scared. No, make that terrified, that I would go into full labor and have 25 week old babies or an unthinkable worse situation.
I can't help but look back and think - what was the universe trying to tell us? Not only did we have to wait over two years to get pregnant but to top it off early labor, bed rest, fear of losing it all. I'll stop there and save my lamenting about this topic for another post.

This post is about being thankful. Thankful because without our struggle I am just not sure we would have this much gratitude to have these two little ones in our lives. No, thankful doesn't even cover it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

yo tooth fairy

Thankfully, my mom saved this funny letter, scanned it and sent it to me a few days ago.
First of all I am begging the fairy herself to "write back". When would she find the time with all that tooth collecting? What would she say?
Second, I can almost hear my New York accent in full force - "hey fairy lady, spaya me a cupulla dollas will ya?
And wait a second -now that I think about it how did my mom get this from the Tooth Fairy? Very suspicious.

standing O

They learned a new trick this week.
Sharing? No.
Mopping the floors? Nooo.
Sitting quietly with a book while I nap. Nope.
Standing! Yayyyyyyyyy. (The biggest word in my vocabulary these days)
Hudson can actually pull himself up on the table. And Layla is not too far behind him. Amazing babies.

a new bow, a new hairstyle, a new day

Mr. Puma

A few days ago I found out one of my teachers from high school passed away. He found out he had stomach cancer in April and passed away September 13th of this year.

Before having kids, I should have suspected there would be this constant reminder of my own vitality. Although none of the parenting books, friends/family advice or intuition prepared me to this alarming detail. It's too overwhelming to process for very long. It's always the same thought: "but they need ME".

I am in the process of writing his wife a note to express how sorry I am. I want her to know he was such an amazing teacher and he will be missed. I want her to know when I heard this heartbreaking news - thinking about my teacher having six months to say goodbye to his family and praying his young kids will be okay without him - I hugged my kids a little tighter, played with them a little longer.

Because we only have this moment.

then this one.

then this one.

This post is dedicated to Mr. Puma - he was my teacher and he was my friend.

freewheelin

Nothing gets me much more excited than a new fleet of ride-on vehicles we just inherited from all of the cousins. Come spring, I see myself lining these cars out in the driveway much like a classic episode of MTV cribs. Cue the music and me shining up my cars. Ohh yeah - check it neighbors.

For entertainment and cuteness, we tested out two babies smushed inside together - of course Hudson took the wheel. A little too tight and the door would not close.

Then, they happily get to drive their own.

And in a perfectly timed moment while Daddy snaps away...

I swear we were laughing with him, not at him. Oh, and in case you might be concerned, he wasn't hurt at all - I grabbed him before he let go of his steering wheel death grip.

if they could talk

"You have a little something on your face."




"Oh, how embarressing, where?"




"Right there."

"Here? Did I get it?"

"No, up a little, a little left, no - a bit lower. Yup, good enough"

the monkeys

What can I say about Halloween?
It was chaos mixed with fun mixed with sugar-laden monsters (AND darth vader, rainbow care bear, mini mouse, luke skywalker, elmo, a fairy princess, elvira, a turtle, the monkeys, and of course buzz lightyear) We were running, literally running from house to house to keep up with the crew.
Even when Darth (he lets me call him that) crashed and burned down some stairs, he cried while sprinting to the next house. There is just no time for tears when free snickers are being passed out! I hear there is enough candy to last for maybe a few months days a day.
To infinity and beyond for sure.

here we come