30 days of thanks...days 9-22

catching up here...
day 9 | 11.9.11:  my parents.

obviously without them i would not be here.  they've taught me to be myself and not be afraid to ask for help when needed.  there are times when i get frustrated with them, but it's those same times then that i can't imagine myself not having them here.  i have several friends who have lost a parent (or God forbid, both) and i never take for granted that they are both here and a huge part of my life.

day 10 | 11.10.11:  my in-laws.

i consider myself very lucky when it comes to in-laws...with john coming from divorced parents, i was fortunate enough to marry into two sets of in-laws.  i have grown very close to my mother-in-law (john's mom) over the time that john and i have been together, and i enjoy watching her with john and our boys.  i love that she has started traditions with my kids (mainly tony for right now) of baking easter bread and i look forward to the day when she'll teach me how to make her homeade sauce!

day 11 | 11.11.11:  facebook.

i know i wrote a full post a few years back on facebook, but i just have to say that i am very thankful for this platform to be able to connect and reconnect with friends new and old.  i love being able to follow along with friends and their families without feeling like a stalker.

day 12 | 11.12.11:  aunt cathy.

she was and always will be my favorite aunt.  for reasons like this:  we planned on visiting this saturday the 12th for them to spend some time and celebrate tony's birthday.  she called me on friday morning on my drive to work to say that she called over the hershey spa (knowing we had unused gift cards for there) and booked us a couple's massage for the morning of our visit.  she invited us to come up friday after work and spend the evening and head to the spa in the morning while she, my uncle and cousins took care of the boys.  they had a great time and john and i had an amazing massage and time with each other.

day 13 | 11.13.11:  gdiapers.

never in a million years would i have thought i would be cloth diapering the bug (or any child for that matter), but when i read about these wonderful dipes, how could i not?  they have saved us a boat load of money and i can't wait to get my gmum pack so i can start spreading the word even more about gdiapers!

day 14 | 11.14.11:  cell phone.

my third hand.  when it doesn't work, i feel like a part of me isn't working.  i pay way too much a month for it, but it has truly saved my butt to have it on more than one occassion.  while i yearn for march and my upgrade to the iphone 4s, i will continue to love on my blackberry for now, so as not to make it mad until i'm upgrade eligible.

day 15 | 11.15.11:  flute teachers.

i want to take this time to thank my 5th grade band director mrs. schmidt, my jr. high band director, mr. seidel, my high school band director mr. bailey and my private flute teacher mrs. fronheiser for guiding and encouraging my flute playing over the years.  i would also like to thank my flute student marie for allowing me to share my talent with her so her talent may continue to grow.

day 16 | 11.16.11:  scented candles.

because really, who can't light a scented candle and have a bad day turn into something a little better.

day 17 | 11.17.11:  starbucks venti non-fat caramel macchiato.

enough said.

day 18 | 11.18.11:  rebecca horning.

an amazing pastry artist who created an equally amazing baby shower cake for my sister-in-law (pictures to come soon)

day 19 | 11.19.11:  sue d.

she started as a new friend who then introduced me to my now husband and by doing so became my sister-in-law.  on this day we celebrated her baby shower for my soon-to-arrive nephew sebastian.  i thank her for "waking me up" and making me realize that i deserved better than what i had and i am so, so glad she did!

day 20 | 11.20.11:  fellowship.

after a beautiful church service this morning, we got to spend the afternoon with members of our church at the thanksgiving dinner.  members of the congregation played instruments, sang songs, and played games all while enjoying a nice meal together.  i love my church family and am so glad we are taking the time to spend more time with them other than just "showing up on a sunday morning".

day 21 | 11.21.11:  teachers.

we enjoyed our first parent-teacher conference this evening.  it was an out-of-body experience listening to someone speak so highly of our son.  my heart jumped and skipped a beat hearing someone else say to us how anthony's smile brightens their day and his positive outlook changes the classroom.  it's something we say about him and think about his, as does our family, but to hear a (kind of) stranger say this just melts my heart and makes me so proud.  i am so thankful for teachers as they are truly one of the most important people in a child's life.

day 22 | 11.22.11:  my sister.

today, on her birthday, i am thankful for my sister.  there are days where i could scream at her and pull her hair (like in the old days) and there were days before when we were younger where i was jealous of my only child, non-sibling friends, but i am thankful that i have her in my life and i honestly couldn't imagine what life would have been like without her a part of it.

30 days of thanks...day 8

day 8 | 11.8.11:  my house.

i'm not gonna lie, it's a struggle to keep up with the house, both inside and out, not to mention paying all the bills associated with it.  but all the headaches of homeownership aside, i am very thankful that i have a warm house to snuggle into at night.  a roof to put over my children's heads, and a place for us to gather and enjoy each other's company.  i am thankful for my house.

time management for the holidays...

the holidays are upon us.  time for my anxiety of keeping everyone's schedules on track and pleasing all sides of family to kick into overdrive!

in keeping with me trying to find balance, i came across this today on the life as mom blog and thought i'd give it a shot.  it was written by a mom of six, so the odds of me being able to align this to myself as a mama of just 2 littles are pretty good, don't ya think?

click on the picture below to go to this week's free download, a copy of managing your time: fitting the festivities into the every day. 

from the life as mom blog:  [this download] includes quick time saving tips, a master to do list form and a holiday daily docket, as well as calendars to take you all the way to New Year's Eve.

image from the life as mom blog

30 days of thanks...day 7

day 7 | 11.7.11:  my bff.

it was only 5 years ago that i was able to rekindle my friendship with my best friend.  we had been stuck together like glue since the sixth grade.  we grew up together, however we let some stupid stuff get in the way and grew apart.  apart for almost as long as we've been back in each others lives now.  while i am so sad at the tragedy that led us back into each other's lives, i am also so thankful for the person, now an angel, who i feel brought us back together.  i am so thankful that we are now able to share our lives with each other again, the ups and downs of our lives, and that our kids will grow up together like we did.  i am so thankful for you shannon.

30 days of thanks...days 5 & 6

day 5 | 11.5.11:  my job.

i have a pretty sweet job.  i work for a product design company in the juvenile industry...baby products!  it's been a blast getting to see products designed from the ground up and then walk down the aisle in babies 'r us and see them on the shelves!  as the hr manager, i don't have a hand in the design, but i do enjoy when the engineers as for my input as an "experienced" mama.  it makes me feel like i contribute something!  i have never ever taken for granted my job and the perks that go with it, but especially in this ecomony and with numerous friends and family members unemployed at this time, i am even more thankful for it.

day 6 | 11.6.11:  my church.

i have been attending the same church literally since i was born.  i was baptised, had first communion, was confirmed and married and both my children were baptised at this same church.  also the same church that my mom was confirmed and parents were married in.  tony attends sunday school there now as well and our plan is he will too go through all the stages of his church life at this same church.  church has become more important to me the older i've become and this church, with our pastors and the congregation there truly feels like an extention of our family.  i've made wonderful friendships with people i've met through church...friendships that continue still to this day (hi rebecca!).  i am so thankful that we have a place that is so welcoming.

30 days of thanks...day 4

day 4 | 11.4.11:  my bug.

my bug.  our second son vinnie.  our miracle.

after much heartache and struggle, he's here and has truly made our family complete.  his smiles and chubby cheeks make me want to just eat him, literally.  must.restrain.myself.  and his laugh, oh his laugh...it's infectious.  as much as i don't want to give up the baby stages he seems to have breezed through, i absolutely love the phase we are in now.  he's plays well with his brother.  enjoys independent play.  loves to eat.  loves his bath.  but best of all, still loves to snuggle.  i love you bug and i'm so thankful that you were brought into our lives.

 

30 days of thanks...day 3

day 3 | 11.3.11:  my first born.

my life truly began the day i gave birth to our first son, anthony.  what better day to be thankful for him than on this third day of november, what was to have been his due date.  he had other plans though and 6 days later finally made his entrance into this world.  in less than a week, my first baby will be 6 years old.  he has taught me so much.  first and foremost, patience - remember i said he was 6 days late.  he's taught me to appreciate the small things, to laugh even when you probably shouldn't, and most importantly...how easy it is to be happy.  i love you peanut.

30 days of thanks...day 2

day 2 | 11.2.11:  my husband.

today i am thankful for my husband.  he has brought so much into my life and has really played a huge part in who i am today.  i was a much different person before meeting him. someone that i was finding i didn't like very much.  he makes me laugh, makes me cry and most of all, makes me happy.  i can't even begin to thank him for the two greatest gifts he has ever given me.

2 red hens studio giveaway...

hey there!  i know i have a lot of mommy friends that may (or may not anymore) read this blog...

baby half off is hosting a giveaway with 2 red hens studio for an awesome gift valued at $188 and they are picking 3, yes 3, winners!  the set includes a diaper bag (and accessories), handbag and bib and burp cloth set.

just click on the image below to be taken to baby half off's blog and follow the instructions to enter...but hurry, the giveaway ends tonight!

30 days of thanks...day 1

there are so many blessings in my life to be thankful for...i'm challenging myself to take note of these each day for the next 30 days in november.  i've seen this on a few blogs and thought i'd jump in on the challenge.  not to mention it will be a reminder to me of this blog and my promise to not be so neglectful of it.  i hope to sprinkle some meatier posts in in addition to my 30 days of thanks too.


day 1 | 11.1.11:  my life. 

there are so many people who are suffering from so many different illnesses with varying prognosis' for recovery.  i thank God every day that i have this life to live and i intend on living it to its' fullest.

{wordless wednesday}

balance

hi there.  i know it's been a while.  i doubt there is anyone left around my little blog part of this world, but i figured i'd give it another go.

the boys are a-ma-zing and are growing way too fast!  i have so much to update on, but for now, i need to vent.

to say things have been busy the last (almost) 9 months would be putting it lightly.  i'm barely keeping my head above water and i'm so disappointed in myself.  this blog, is just the tiniest piece of my life i'm disappointed in.

going from one child to two has been sunshine and roses, a piece of cake, the.hardest.thing.i've.ever.done.  don't get me wrong, i am all too aware of the gift i've been given, and although it's been difficult to say the least, i will never once feel bad for myself.  i do have the easiest child and baby (in my world anyway), but every morning i wake up and every night i go to bed feeling like the biggest failure in the world.

balance.  it's all about balance people.  and i'm still trying to find it after 9 months.

just when i thought i had some semblance of balance, maternity leave was over and i added work into the mix of the already crazy daily schedule.  then, just when we were rocking and rolling in our summer schedule, school rolled around again and we added a second daycare drop/pickup in the day and a bus schedule.  throw in soccer practice and games, choir practice (for daddy and tony) and my head spins.

there is so much to do and not enough hours in the day to do it.  well, i think there actually are, but then that leaves little to no time to sleep, and unfortunately i am one of those people (unlike my mother) who actually requires sleep to function.  so at the end of the night, after the kids have been fed (sometime john and myself as well - woot!), homework's been done, books have been read and the boys are tucked in, i collapse.  our dvr is going to implode before we actually watch any of the shows we record.  it's all john and i can do to actually hold a half hour conversation with each other about our days before we pass out.  i know this is the time when i should be doing laundry, picking up bulldozing the chaos around my house, but i can't.  the exhaustion just wins out.  i've become selective with the jobs i've taken on for my side business because of the lack of time, and i'm not able to enjoy this like i have in the past.

i'm falling off my chair.  i need to find some balance.

separately i know i can be the perfect mom, wife, employee, daughter, sister, and friend, but together, right now, i feel like i'm failing at them all.  i've tried writing down our schedule (on various forms of calendars/tablets/electronic devices) and i just become overwhelmed when i look at it all, so then i give up.

again, i doubt anyone's around to even read this, but if you are, and you have any advice you can offer me (even the stay at home mom's might have something that would work for working parents too)...my ears are open and i'm ready to be a sponge and soak in your fabulous ideas on finding balance.  i understand that what works for some families may not be right for ours, but at this point i'm willing to give anything a shot to find out if it might work for us!


the key to keeping your balance is knowing when you've lost it. | anonymous

1 month old

one month stats:

10.8 lbs.

22 inches

[weight difference from birth: 3.1 lbs. and length difference from birth: 2 inches]

he:

* is eating about 4 ounces every 3 hours or so

* is sleeping about 3, sometimes 4 hour stretches over night

* is holding his head up quite well despite hating any time on his belly

* loves his nuna leaf

* loves his car seat (good thing since we're always on the go)

*loves his big brother (and recognizes his voice in a room full of people)

here's the story...of a tiny baby

{you have to sing the title to the brady bunch theme song - yeah, i'm a dork}

so it's only taken me, yeah, forever to finally get back to this blog thing. i know. i suck. sorry.

so here's the birth story. kinda long, so i apologize in advance.

to catch you up...

due date was 1.28.2011
39 week appt scheduled for 1.21.2011 @ 7.45 am
induction scheduled for 1.26.2011 @ 5 pm (would have done it as early as 39 weeks or 1.21.2011, however they don't start inductions on friday's and i had plans earlier in the week, so we were set for wednesday the 26th

1.19.2011 - about the time i finished dinner i just wasn't feeling "right". v was moving around, but not as much as normal. i spent all but about 4 hours over night actually sleeping...and it wasn't consecutive. i spent the rest of the time awake and with the doppler firmly planted on my stomach listening to an inconsistent thump-thump (sometimes fast, sometimes slow) willing him to move. just about the time i would get nervous and ready to call the dr., he would give me a good kick and calm my nerves enough to catch a few winks of sleep. this continued all night.

1.20.2011 - wake up and he's moving around a little better as i go about my morning and get myself and tony ready to head off to school and work. i arrive at work and drink a ice-cold apple juice to try to keep the little bugger moving. by lunchtime i finished what had to get done that day and called the dr. (there was no way i was going through another night like the night before and no way i'd make it til my 7:45 am appt the next day without a nervous breakdown).

@ 12:20 pm - i call the dr who says they will move my next day's appt to 1 pm. i leave the office

@ 1 pm - i arrive at the dr (john arrived about 1/2 hour after) and they hook me up to the monitor for an nst. vinnie's heart rate is high one minute and low the next...this continues as i have contractions...and start to feel them.

@ 2 pm - i'm taken in for an ultrasound to check amniotic fluid. it's in the normal range but in the lowest range of normal.

@ 2:30 pm - meet with liz (my pa) who says they want to send me to ob triage for more monitoring (they would have kept me in the office, but it was close to the end of their day) as they weren't crazy about his heart rate not regulating and the low fluid.

@ 3 pm - arrive at ob triage (john went back to work). meet my nurse (who happened to be my delivery nurse with tony) and am hooked up for continued nst and bag of lactated ringer's which should help to increase the amniotic fluid.

@ 4:30 pm - ultrasound tech arrives and checks fluid levels after a bag of fluid...even lower than they had been at the dr. office. nst confirms heart rate is still not regulating. jeralyn (my nurse) leaves and calls the dr. and returns saying i'm here to stay and we're off to labor and delivery.

@ 5:00 pm - walk to l&d and get settled in my room. i had already called john and my mom to let them know that they were inducing me that night and our plans were set in motion.

@ 6:30 pm - resident arrives and places misoprostin on my cervix to start to "ripen" and the induction has started. they will return in 4 hours to check my progress. in the meantime, the contractions i was already having have begun to pick up...i'm excited as things are going much better than my induction with anthony.

@ 6:45 pm - my mom, dad and tony arrive at the hospital with a happy meal. tony is excited to see where his little brother will be born, and to see that mom is ok and he shouldn't be scared about anything. he enjoys his happy meal snuggled in bed with me (as i am really starting to feel the contractions, but they aren't horrible yet).

@ 6:25 - 9:00 pm - we hang out in the room, watching bravo (the real housewives of beverly hills if you must know...and yes tony watches it too...bad mom, i know).

@ 9:00 pm - john arrives at the hospital after having left work (when i arrived at l&d) and going home to take care of packing the rest of my bag, along with his and tony's bags and taking care of the dogs.

@ 9:15 pm - tony and my dad leaves for my parent's house and john walks out to get tony's bag.

@ 9:30 pm (3 hours into induction) - john returns...mom and i try to talk him into leaving to get himself something to eat as "it's going to be a while" and he hadn't eaten dinner. he refuses as he says he's afraid something will happen while he's gone...i'm thinking he might be a little psychic.

@ 10:30 pm (4 hours into induction - 1st check) - resident arrives and checks my cervix. still only 1 cm dialated despite the "good" contractions i was having. however vinnie's heart rate shows signs he's not tolerating the contractions. his hr is decelling after each contraction instead of during...which is not good. resident leaves to call dr. and fill him in (he'd just left he hospital to go home for the night). resident said that they would probably hold off until morning with any more miso or with pitocin.

@ 10:45 - resident returned after only having been gone no more than 5 minutes to say dr. dougherty was on his way back in and we were going to go ahead with a c-section. the decels in vinnie's hr during the contractions and the combination of that and the low amniotic fluid is an indicator of a problem with the placenta and i could be headed for an abruption (which if you've been following me is what happened to my sister when she lost oliver 3 weeks before her due date almost 2 years ago). i immediately freaked and thought the worse. my mom was in shock as was john that this could actually be happening to us...be happening again.

@ 10:50 - they begin to prep me for the c-section as i am sobbing, terrified beyond comprehension, not for the surgery but for the fact that vinnie was in trouble.

@ 11:00 pm - dr. d arrives and calms me down, assuring me that vinnie is fine and they are doing the section right away to avoid there being an issue if they wait it out. we head off to the or. mom and john are suited up in scrubs and will be brought in shortly after the surgery begins.

@ 11:12 pm - vinnie makes his arrival screaming and peeing on his way out and aside from that there were many, many gasps of "look at all that hair".

@ 11:12 and 1/2 pm - i breathe a huge sigh of relief.

sorry i haven't posted...i was busy having a baby!

so it's obviously been a while since i last posted.

things were cruising along status quo...got a little crazy around 38w6d, and i had a baby.

everyone is fine and that's all that matters. i will definitely post his birth story soon. i've really stunk at this blogging thing (both on this blog and our regular family blog) for a while now, but i do hope to get back into the swing of things.

so for now i'll leave you with...vincent robert d'angelo

1.20.11
11:12 pm
7 lbs. 10.6 oz.
20 inches of perfection

we are head over heels for this little guy which is amazing because we couldn't imagine loving anything or anyone more than we already love his big brother...who by the way is equally as smitten with him.

to sum this post up, i'd like to quote what dr. pelligrini (our fertility doctor) wrote in the note we received from him in the mail last week...

"dear folks, congratulations on the birth of your son. your persistance has paid off in a great way. enjoy your expanded family. dr. vap"

persistance...something i never thought i'd had...but sure glad i did!

new post

coming soon...

i owe you guys a huge update on our thanksgiving, christmas, vinnie (still cooking) and so much more.

i plan to work on this over the next few days while relaxing at home over a long new year's weekend!

in the meantime i'll leave you with the christmas card we sent this year...our last with the 3 of us!

november 9 - the big 0-5!

5 years ago today, we received the most precious of miracles...the gift of our son, anthony john.

he came (literally) flying into the world at 11:32 a.m. after 28 hours of labor (only 30 minutes of pushing - thank you) and our lives have been forever changed.

as we get ready to embark on this journey again with the arrival of anthony's little brother vincent, we will never forget our first miracle and how he's made us the parents we are today.

here are a few pictures from his birthday morning at home before school/work. more pictures (and i'm sure video) to come after his birthday party this weekend.

he's pretty alert for 6:30 in the morning...wish he's be this awake every morning and not just on his birthday!

showing off his iron man 2 arc light

yeah toy story 3! mama is happy to rewatch this again too!

awesome! the iron man 2 3-in-1 repulsor!

iron man tony!

happy 3rd...

trimester that is!!

yes, today i am officially in the 3rd (and final) trimester of vinnie's pregnancy! 84 days to go until our little bug's due date! we are so excited to meet him and continue to be thankful for each day he's already been with us and pray that the next 84 (+/-) days continue to go smoothly!!

wrapped in love

as you may remember, i put out word that my sister was collecting baby blankets for the sweet pea project through the month of October to honor international pregnancy & infant loss awareness month. she received a tremendous outpouring of blankets in response to the requests as is evident by this photo. while it's sad to know that these blankets are needed and will be used for such a purpose, it's wonderful to know the thought and love that went in to the purchase and donation of them for the sweet babies that will be wrapped in them and the families that will forever cherish them. thank you to all who donated! it means alot to both corinne and myself!

post-it note tuesday

want to join in the fun? click here to find out how.