Don't forget...

Danifred did a post a while (is it awhile or a while?) back where she listed things she doesn't want to forget about her kids right now. And I'm a cheater cheater pumpkin eater, so I'm going to copy her paper and do one of my own, however, mine will just be about LIFE right now.

• Jackson does this thing where he holds onto a table or the couch etc. and sort of bounces and giggles so hard he can't catch his breath. It's hilarious and sooo stinking cute, but Josh always has to go and make it dirty and he says that it looks "just wrong"...men! lol
• I was just talking to a friend about how I think that Josh and I are the definition of opposites attracting. We are always teaching each other things and opening each others eyes to new things. And I think we really do bring out the best in each other. After being with him for almost 8 years, I honestly don't know how couples who are really similar can be happy (or get anything done) that way.
• Marias teacher tells me that "I wish every child had maria's sense of humor" at least once a week. I love it. I think she is just a genuinely happy kid so she will laugh and giggle and carry on about literally ANYTHING.
• I think Sophia has a future as an exercise instructor. She's always gathering us up and giving orders for different "moves" she wants us to do. "circle you head", "lift up you arms", "shake you booty", "flap you wings" (this one is her favorite and she just looooves it if her "wings" touch the person beside hers.) And it's always totally random like if we're all in the kitchen after dinner she'll just start doing it.
• On the subject of jobs, I'm almost positive that Jack will be a garbage man. I CANNOT keep the kid out of the trash. It's ridiculous. And it's not just the trash, it's the recycling, the girls toys, the DVD drawer, the picture boxes. Anything he can get his sticky little hands on, is fair game. I love him, I really do, but by the end of the day, that boy is working my last nerve! (my hope here is that in 10 years when I read this, I'll be thinking "Oh, I'm sooo glad he grew out of THAT!"...but I'm not holding my breath)
• When Jack walks it's HILARIOUS. He takes the smallest steps ever. It takes him 500 steps to get 5 feet. I love it. The difference between the way they all walk in the beginning is really interesting to me. Sophia used to not move the top half of her body and it was soo funny. And maria started running the day after she started walking. I kid you not, I actually have video to prove it. LOL
• The girls ask to play with play-doh and to color every.single.day. And it's always before 8:30am. I started telling them that the rule is, not to ask until after I get done with my breakfast so that my eyes can be fully awake. So now they come into our room at 7:am asking if my eyes are awake yet. lol
• Last night while the girls were going to the bathroom before bed, Josh layed down in Marias bed. I layed down next to him and I said "awww. are ya happy honey, both of us squeezing into a twin bed, just like when we were first dating" lol. Then the girls both climbed into bed with us and Josh says "No. This is SOO much better". My heart melted.

I wish I could remember everything about them forever. The way they say every word and the things they just have to have a certain way. In 15 years, I will be wishing I could go back and remember all the little things, hopefully posts like this will help remind me of the simple things about our life that make it SOOO amazing and such an incredible blessing.

Enough pics to sink a ship...or just 9

We had a GREAT Easter (hopefully you all did too!). After the kids opened their Easter baskets, I made breakfast (of course). Then my sister came over (the rest of my family was in WV visiting my Grandparents) to give them the baskets my mom made for them. She ended up hanging out, playing with the kids etc. Then Josh's whole family (minus one cousin and of course the brother whose wife doesn't allow him to see his own family) came over and we all ate lunch/dinner and talked and played cards. It was lots of fun and the kids had a great day (which is what really matters). Later that evening we were hanging out on the deck and Josh's dad and his girlfriend came over to give them their baskets and we all hung out for a little while. The weather here has been AWESOME the last couple weeks, (80's in northeast Ohio in April is almost unheard of!) so it was perfect weather for Easter (usually we have snow lol). Here's some of the pics from the day.

We colored eggs (of course!)

(Sophia made weird faces in every.single.picture. It's just soooo her. lol)

Here's their baskets.

This pic cracks me up. She looks like she's still asleep!

And this one cracks me up even more. If you can believe it, this is the best out of 3!

And of COURSE Jack without pants. The boy can take pants off faster than an adult lol.

Maria with her basket from "Gam"

And Sophia with hers

And all three in their Easter outfits (again, best out of 3) :D

Birthday recap

Instead of my way back Wednesday post this week, I will instead dazzle you with pictures from Maria's Birthday week.

(yes when you almost die on the day of your actual birth you get an entire week...)

(and your mommy gets to be lazy and buy all the food from the Giant Eagle deli...)

(hey if anyone deserves it, IT'S US!)

Anyway, on Sunday we had her party and of course she had TONS of fun and got lots of really nice gifts. However, her favorite items from the party were THE CAKE (of course!). Gotta love the Backyardigans...

This picture is so Pia, it's not even funny. I love it (even though it's disgusting and every time I look at it my OCD kicks in). It's just her personality in a nutshell. She doesn't care what anyone thinks, she just wants to have fun.

...and the CARD! it was a musical one (also Backyardigans). She played with that more than any of her toys I think. It broke yesterday and I had to perform "open-card" surgery to try to fix it.

(yes, I am in fact, corny enough to find that funny)

(Don't worry, it survived and is now resting to let his "stitches" heal)

She also got all kinds of other fun stuff like a Leapster2 with a Dora game,

And clothes, and shoes, and chalk, and bubbles, and Chixos, and crafts...She loved it all. But alas, I was so engrossed in the actual day, I didn't take very many pictures to prove it. But the nicest thing of all, was that she got to see her family (one of whom, hasn't seen her in almost a year).

Then last night her only set of grandparents that didn't make it to the party, came over to visit.

She got BARBIES! and better yet, it was...BARBIES WITH BABIES!! Oh my goodness, it's so stinkin cute you would not believe it. I only wish I was a little girl again (of course that's how I feel with ALL of the cool new Barbie stuff they have now). There is actually a lever on the back of the nurse that will move the arm so she can rock the baby! AAhhhh soo cute.

But I digress....

Also, both of the girls got cute necklaces with a dog and a cat on them and books that match. This is a horrible picture but it's all I could really get at the time without annoying them too much so, it'll have to do.

5 years of miracles

This post is for the fetus who wasn't supposed to survive, who then became the baby who would have a severely decreased quality of life, who then became the toddler who was developmentally 2 years behind, who is now the preschooler that amazes me every single day. From 1 lb 2 oz and less than 12 inches long to 26 lbs and over 3 ft tall, we've shed tears of fear, joy, worry, pride and pure amazement at what our strong, smart, stubborn, sensitive little miracle can do over these past 5 years. It's been an emotional roller-coaster that we've often wished we could jump off of. But in the end, all of these things we've gone through have only made us love and appreciate her more and more every day.

10 days old (Josh doing "kangaroo care" so they took her cpap off because she was breathing so well on her own)

1 yr old (when we were building our house)

2 yrs old

3 yrs old (helping Josh build the deck)

4 years

Today...5 years old! (of COURSE wearing all pink and princess and glitter)

MHR

My husband rocks for many, many reasons. But the one I keep replaying in my head for the last 24 hours, occurred exactly 5 years ago today. Exactly five years ago today I went into the hospital with the worst pain I'd ever experienced in my life. I was told later that day that our baby girl had a 60% chance of survival and I had about a 70% chance. We were young and dumb and naive and we were not prepared for any of it. He'd only been my husband for 3 weeks and there we were, in the midst of hell. But he was there. Every minute, he was there. He was there from the beginning when they (as usual) couldn't get a line in me for over a half an hour and had to resort to a central line. He was the one yelling at the doctor for hurting me. He was there through it all. Sneaking me water and holding my hand. He did things for me that I can't even imagine doing for another person. Those days before and after she was born, were the scariest of our lives. But we got through it together. And he was there through her 3 months in the NICU keeping me from losing it every single day. There were days where he held me for hours and let me cry. And there were days that he knew I just needed to be left alone. He was the only one to recognize that I needed a break to save my sanity, towards the end. My husband is not an outwardly emotional person, but in those months, he wore his heart on his sleeve and I loved him sooo much more for it. I never knew I could love him as much as the day he held her for the first time and cried so incredibly hard on the drive home. I talked to my mom about it the next day and she said the best sentence I've ever heard. She said, "you will never love your husband more as a man, than when you see him as a father". It's unbelievably true. And for a man that just HAD to have a boy, he's been wrapped around that little girls finger since day one. I love it, and I love him. I wouldn't have made it through the last five years (exactly) with anyone other than him.

way back wednesday (and small update)

Here's another edition of way back Wednesday. These are some photos of my grandpa (my moms dad) and his family.

This is my grandpa with one of his many cars. Josh said he thought it looked like a Studebaker, but couldn't be sure because he couldn't see the front. Either way, I just think he looks so handsome (and check out the shoes! :D).

I LOOOVE this photo. It's my grandpa and his sister Peggie. The look on my grandpas face just cracks me up! And look how pretty my aunt peggie looks. ah. LOVE it.


These are my grandpas parents. The quality of the actual picture is much better than this one because this was scanned and printed for me on paper on my grandpas scanner, that isn't that great.

This is my grandpas, grandpa. If you knew my grandpa you would know that they look soooooo similar, it's crazy.

In other news, I survived my first day of the 30 day shred. Yes, survived is the best word to describe it. I was calling her names I didn't even know I knew. In the middle it started to get a little easier for me (because there was a some kick boxing which is what I used to do all.the.time.) and I thought it was near the end...then she said ok we have one more circuit left. If I had had the strength I would have punched a whole in my TV at the idea of me and my ahem...girls...doing another minute of jumping jacks. I'm surprised I don't have a black eye. Seriously. I'm pretty sure that there is a law that says anyone over a DD can't do jumping jacks. If not, there SHOULD be one. lol. I have no idea how I'm going to do it all again today when I can barely walk, but I'm going to at least try. But one thing's for sure, I have to find myself the tightest sports bra known to man. Wish me luck...on all acounts.

how much of a bitch IS jillian michaels, anyway?

So, I got Jillian Michael's 30 day shred the other day. I'm starting it tomorrow and will report back on the subsequent "shredding" that Ms. Michael's is going to be doing to my risidual baby belly (etcetera). I'm hoping to get a few pounds off before our family pics with her in about 6 wks.

I'm not one of those freaks that's all obsessed about exercising or how I look. Whatever. Do I want to look like I did in high school. Well, YAH. Don't you? But in the last 5 years my body has been put through hell and I'm not gonna go all Nazi spin bitch on it and flip out if I can't lose the weight that I want to. I just have more important things to worry about. And the fact that time is not exactly on my side here, is not helping.

I've been desperately trying to figure out when I will have the time and I'm thinking that if I do the thing (1 hr) and take a lightening speed shower, I might be able to get it done while the kids "nap" (which lately is not a nap, it's a giggle-fest in the girls room that spills over into Jacks room after about an hour. But we'll see how it goes. That is really my only choice b/c I'm NOT doing it after Josh gets home and I'm NOT waking up any earlier than I already do. So we'll see how it goes. It would definitely be nice to lose a little before the pics and a little more before VACATION (!!!). But we all know how well I do with any diet restrictions (esp on my sweets!). NOT WELL. lol. I could go the rest of my life without another chip or fast food or pop (ewwww! :-P). But try to take away my ice cream and be prepared to lose a hand. lol. So we'll see how this all goes.