I'm dreaming of a white Christmas ...

Second snow fall of the Winter and this one is the real deal. So far, I'd guess we have between 6-8 in and it seems to be picking up. I just shoveled the walkway and it's already covered again. Yeah!

We made a snowman, had a snowball fight, enjoyed some swing time (since some of us don't enjoy being knee high in the snow apparently) and made a snow angel or two.

Off to enjoy some tomato soup and a grilled cheese! Stay warm.

Boy OR Girl? Girl OR Boy?

Well, we had our big sonogram this morning and Baby K3 was willing to make the big reveal, as he/she's legs were not crossed. George and I decided to have the sonographer write the gender on a piece of paper and seal it in an envelope for us to open on Christmas morning. And so, ta-da! I've wrapped the envelope in a box and we're counting down the days ...

Happy Birthday Gray!

On Thursday, Gray turned THREE years old! Time flies ... for real. Our little prince or pirate, depending on the day, continues to impress & amaze me. We are so proud of him and love him sooo much. At his 3 yr check-up, we were excited to get a great report from our pediatrician. Gray's growing fantastically and is such a healthy and happy young (but BIG) boy!





At school, there was a snack time birthday celebration for sweet Gray - and what fun he had with his classmates! Later, at home, we had Gray's favorite dinner - spaghetti and polished it off with a slice of pirate cake!



As if his birthday could get any better, we celebrated on Saturday at a local volunteer fire station and what a fantastic time we had! Special thanks to Lt. Dean and the crew at Providence Volunteer Fire Station.

Three it's a magic number, Yes it is (Jack Johnson thinks so)

We're having another baby! Exciting, scary, surreal -- most importantly, a blessing. "Baby" as we call him/her is expected to join our family at the end of April 2010. The minivan will have an even greater purpose now, as the 3rd row will have a full time resident. And our 4-bedroom home is soon to be without a guest room (wow -- that was fast!)

It's been a tough 6 weeks, as I've been struggling with some terrible not only in the mornings "morning sickness." That said, I'm hopeful that we might be turning the corner soon, as I'm getting some energy back and feeling a bit more like myself.

Both Gray and Piper are so excited with this news!

Thank God For Kids ...

So often, I get all mixed up in my parenting and overlook that they (our kids) are here to teach me too. They teach me to slow down. They reinforce the value of patience. They really make me stop and smell the roses, count the ants, take deep breaths, eat slower and run faster. Unconditional love ... wow, what a concept. So, thank you dear Grayson and Piper. Thanks for all you do to keep me fresh and growing!

If Only I Could Bottle It Up and Sell It …

Recently, I’ve been extremely aware of the overabundant joy my children provide me with regularly. For starters, the spontaneous and countless giggles jump start my heart. The way my son Gray manipulates words thereby creating his very own vernacular only his parents can understand makes me smile. Doodoohopter! Doodoocycle! Adding the “doodoo” prefix to any word wins every time … Just Doodooo it! His excitement and enthusiasm for life inspire me. Gray is a dream. He’s such a sweet, mild tempered boy. He’s creative and athletic, smart and funny. He’s got spunk but he’s pretty cautious overall. And Piper … she’s taken to laughing at Gray as we count to ten on the steps. She thinks it’s hilarious that he counts I suppose and I think she’s hilarious. I think she’s wise beyond her year(s) … it’s a cackle-ish laugh and it’s quite cute and more importantly, it’s contagious. When she’s as zen-like as Piper gets, she hums … and occasionally, I’ll hum with her, cheek to cheek. And I’ll change the melody up at times and she’ll follow my pattern and then, we’ll pause and giggle together. I feel her eye lashes twitch on my cheek and subsequently, her grin grows. Times like this make me so happy. Unsolicited and natural play between Gray and Piper melts my heart. When it’s nice and sweet and gentle (AND NOT FORCED), life couldn’t get any better. And because it’s rare for Gray (2 yrs) and Piper (1 yr) to have many of these moments, they are treasures and rarely forgotten. Observing your babies loving on one another, sharing toys/books with each other, entertaining one another or comforting each other is pretty amazing. If only I could bottle it up and sell it …

Happy Birthday Piper

Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday dear Piper --

Happy Birthday to you!

xoxo

Mommy, Daddy & Gray

Promotion x2

Two and a half years ago, I got a promotion. I became a Mom to one handsome, delicious little prince. And one year ago today, I visited by OBGYN for my 40 wk check-up and planned my induction. I think I’m almost as excited today, as I was a year ago. My nerves are much more settled now, but I can still taste the enthusiasm. With my first pregnancy (Grayson), we found out the baby’s gender at 18 weeks. How magical! I will never forget that appointment or that I donned a pink shirt to my sonogram appointment because I was inclined to think “pink.” BOY, was I wrong! Ha. Things were much different during my second pregnancy (Piper) in every way. Most of all, we decided to let this baby’s gender be a delivery surprise. I suspected “Junebug” was a girl because of the morning sickness that didn’t subside completely until 16 wks or so. However, my suspicions were countered by friends, family and fearless strangers predicting that I would soon be outnumbered in my house (meaning the only female). Few friends (and my mom) encouraged my suspicions though and they know who there are … Kisses!

So, a year ago today. I left GBMC and headed back to my office in Timonium. I stopped at a fast food drive-through to get a fountain Diet Coke with a straw. Straws tend to be my signature accessory during pregnancy. Upon returning to work, I casually told my co-workers that I would be induced tomorrow morning and with that, they hugged and enthusiastically sent me packing and wished me well (thanks CMS!!) That afternoon, I remember running (waddling) around the house, packing my hospital bag and packing Gray’s overnight bag too for his stay at my parents’ house. Funny thing, when I was pregnant with Gray, I think I had my hospital bag packed and ready to go by 30 weeks. Everything changes with the 2nd. After dinner, my Mom came by the house to pick-up Gray for his 2-day stay at Chez Cesare. That was probably when it hit me that we were actually having another baby … and that’s when my heart grew even bigger than I expected possible. On a night that I assumed would be sleepless, I was super excited and zonked out pretty quickly. It felt like minutes later I was rudely awoken to an alarm clock or perhaps a loving nudge from George. Wow. I’m sitting here typing with the biggest grin on my face. So, a year later …  she certainly hasn’t tripled her birth weight by her 1st birthday, but let me be the first to boast of her accomplishments. My girl loves to eat – everything. She’s gorgeous. My girl loves trouble. She’s spunky. And she’s smart.

And amidst a recession, during these glum economic times, me thinks I got another promotion. Our delivery surprise, born 06/04/08 has rocked our world, from the moment we learned of her (Oct 1, 2007) to this very minute. 

Thank you my dear Piper! It’s been our honor to serve you during your first year of life.

Big Mama, Big Baby. I’m told that children love to see picture of themselves in the belly. I post this “image” with that in mind.

Half Baked: Junebug looking good circa 20 wks or so

Mommy and Daddy at the start of a somewhat long, laboring day.

Our very own Little Miss Sunshine

Piper Lou Tickles The Ivories

Trumpets!!

Kids say the craziest things sometimes. Our Gray is no different. Recently, with all of his might, he's been blurting out "trumpets," here and there. We don't have a single trumpet in the house or even a book featuring a trumpet, but perhaps we should buy one. What makes him happy, makes me happy and so, trumpets it is.

We went to Dutch Wonderland this week with friends of ours. What a cool place that I'm sure we'll visit again and again and again. In addition to some pictures from our latest adventure, I've included some other May shots!

Pretty Piper

Handsome Gray

Gray kindly posing with his sister @ my request :)

Wild Woman lunching at Dutch Wonderland

Gray catches a ride on a Bulldozer

Gray plays dress up with one of Pop-Pop's Lacrosse Helmets

Piper Lou and Daddy-O

Check me out! Gray is a now proud member of the County Library

My Sous-Chefs

Snack Time @ the ZOO

Sometimes The Smallest Flower Smells The Sweetest.

We kicked off May with a 1-2 punch in the Virgin Islands. It was a perfect vacation for us. We came away relaxed and refreshed. What more can you ask for?

Gray swam with Wings all by himself. This made us so very proud of our brave little guy. He fell in love with the Iguanas that crowded the sidewalks and trees on St. Thomas. We returned home with a stuffed animal “Dinosaur,” as he calls it. This thing has not left his side yet.

Piper is standing for lengths of time and is cruising a bit. She’s moving fast and keeps us on our toes. She is so unlike her cautious older brother in such ways. Always very curious and gravitates towards danger, that’s our girl! We’re gearing up for her 1st Birthday in the coming weeks and look forward to partying with our friends and family. It’s hard to believe she’s been with us for almost a year now. We are so blessed.

And now for the pictures. So many …

piper chewing on her toes

 

g & p

daddy & gray and the water slide

snack time poolside

naptime poolside

mommy and piperlou 

the boys are watching the boats

just before “lights out” on the kids’ balcony

piper naps anywhere – that is one thing they have in common

iguanas

piper

hang time in the baby pool

daddy and his little girl

mommy and her baby boy

heavenly

magen’s bay beach babes

daddy and piperlou

the kennedys take st john

plk @ trunk bay

gray represents the Os

sandy baby

gray and daddy

water wings

 

lunch at CoCo Joes

Natty Boh