christmas...part 1...

We started Christmas on the 20th with the Caruso family. The kids had so much fun playing together and it was nice to catch up with everyone. We all kept laughing about how last year there were 3 tiny babies at Christmas and this year there were 3 kids running around and getting into stuff faster than anyone could stop them (OK maybe that was just Bryce that was getting into stuff!). The food was great and the company was even better.

Oh...I guess I should back up just a tiny bit and tell you that the Carroll family is growing once again. Ha! Scared you didn't I? No, there are no babies on the way but I am so happy to tell you that Brian and Mary got engaged on December 18th!! She has been a part of the family longer than I have, but it is exciting to make it official! The kids adore her and so do we. I'm so glad that I'll be able to call her my sister-in-law! :)

Wow, this is sort of a random post...anyway, after Caruso Christmas we had the Carroll Family Christmas on Tuesday (before we headed to Iowa for more Christmas). It was fun hanging out with everyone and it was very low-key...just the way I like things :) We spent a few hours hanging out, eating, opening presents and then we climbed in the car and headed to Iowa to try to beat out the nasty winter weather that was heading that way.

Stay tuned for Christmas part 2 coming shortly...until then some pictures of the Caruso and Carroll Christmases!

somthing to make you smile...

our little rockstar and her biggest fan...

anyone still out there?

Oh my...it has been a while hasn't it? I don't even know where to begin at this point. When I last left you we had just celebrated Bryce's 1st birthday. So, I will update you on the kiddos and then try to update the other stuff in the next few posts.

Shortly after his birthday the little man started to really walk...well run...everywhere. Once he figured out that walking/running was really faster than crawling he started running and never looked back. He went for his year check-up and weighed in at 21lbs and is still on the small side, but growing right along his own little growth curve. His iron was a bit low when they checked it at his appointment but we're giving him supplements and he seems to be doing OK. They will recheck it at his 15 month appointment. He ended up with an ear infection and potential pink eye to end out the year and last week he ended up back at the doctors because he was running a fever while on antibiotics. When we got to the office his temp was 103.9!! He was put on a stronger antibiotic because the doctor was worried about a sinus infectino, but we got no real reason he had such a high temp on antibiotics. He seems to be doing much better now and we have just a few days left of the antibiotic, but he takes his medicine like a champ so I can't complain. Hopefully he'll stay healthy for a while now!



Miss Brianna is doing quite well she is still loving school and says stuff all the time that just crack us up. She is really anxious to learn to read and even picked out a chapter book to buy with some Christmas money she had. She has a very active imagination and is so creative and loves to dance and sing. Don't kid yourself she is still just as sassy as always but she is also a big help most of the time. Other than that....nothing much new to report on the kiddo front. They are growing too fast, but I'm glad I'm here to watch them! :)

links of love news...

links of love is now on etsy.
Check out the shop and let me know what you think.
As always, contact me if you want a custom piece...I would be happy to accomodate you! :)

i'd say it was a success...

**pictures are going up on shutterfly right now**

365...

Dear Bubba,
That is how many days it has been since you burst into our lives. You surprised me then little man and you have continued to surprise me every day for the last 365 days. December 3, 2008 was the beginning of a wonderful, joyful chapter in our lives. You just started walking and you looked so proud of yourself, but I think it is too slow for you. You are a speed demon crawler and you can get into anything before I can even blink. You test my patience every day (you'd think that after your sister I'd be cool as a cucumber...but no), but that smile makes me forget it all. I love the way you are finding your voice and never for 1 second let us forget you are in the room or if we are in a different room you let us know where you are. You don't like to eat anything different than we are and you get mad if we try to give you something we are not eating. You are pretty much done with bottles, you will grab any sippy cup you can get your little hands on. Can I tell you a secret? I love that you save your big sloppy kisses only for your mama (although we do have to work on the not biting part...my cheeks are not chew toys). The smile that breaks out on your face when you see me for the first time every day melts my heart. I even love that at 11pm (almost) every single night you wake up and just want to cuddle for a little bit, you'll lay your head on my chest and smile and then you start crawling all over the place, and when I put you back in your bed you don't make a sound, it is like you just wanted to see mama and dada one last time before you really go to sleep for the night, to make sure we are still there. You are stubborn just like your big sister, and you love her with everything you have. I still cannot wrap my head around how these last 365 days have passed...it has been a whirlwind. We started out a tad rocky, but I think we're hitting our stride now. In those last few minutes before you were born I was scared, you were having some problems all of the sudden there were 5 extra people in the room, your daddy didn't even get to cut the cord, but in the midst of it all I heard the doctor say it was a boy and I looked at your daddy and he had the biggest smile I've ever seen and tears in his eyes. I heard you cry and the doctor said you were just fine, perfect in fact, and I saw for myself how perfect you truly were. Your smile and your laugh are infectious, it is impossible to stay unhappy when you are in the room smiling and laughing. You are still mama's little cuddle bug and I love that. How lucky I have been to be able to share each of these last 365 days with you...to see your first smile, crawling, first steps, to notice when your first teeth (finally) came through. A year ago I was blessed with a perfect baby boy, and today I'm feeling especially blessed that you are in our lives. How fast time goes and things change. I love you birthday boy!
Love always and forever,
mama

a year ago today...

(note: this is more for my memory than anything else, it may not interest you, if it doesn't that is OK just go buy some of my jewelry instead. Haha!!)

I started off my morning with a trip to the OB (OK...please read the title...a year ago as in 12/2/08...I am not pregnant...I'm reminiscing!). My 36 week checkup to be exact. Bob went with, I don't remember exactly why. The doctor was running late...I mean REALLY late. I think we waited in the exam room for over an hour. Bob was getting antsy...I had to physically restrain him from going into the hallway and asking if they had forgotten about us. Finally the doctor came in, listened to the heartbeat and rushed out. We seriously saw him for about 5 minutes. We both went off to work, not knowing how in less than 24 hours our lives would be drastically changed. I remember getting to work and walking through the warehouse of the building and slipping on some water...I fell to the floor...I landed as gracefully as a 36 week pregnant lady can (which is to say not very) but thankfully was not hurt. I walked into the office and apologized profusely for being so late. I sat down and got to work. For some reason my boss was out that afternoon so I was in the office by myself. I was caught up on work so I decided to kind of "clean out" my computer of anything personal. I knew I'd be leaving my job once the baby came and I was taking advantage of the quiet time to get some stuff done. About 3:30 a client called and needed something scanned and emailed to her. I pulled out the files got everything I needed ready and went in the other office to begin scanning. As I stood there (about 4pm) I knew something wasn't quite right. It was sort of funny because I remember thinking...either my water has just broke/has a leak or I have lost all control of my bladder. I sat at my desk for the next hour (this was nothing like when my water broke with Brianna...there was no question then about what had happened) my heart racing...wondering if this was it. Of course, I said nothing to anyone and at 5pm I rushed out of the office to my car. I was 1/2 way home when I decided to call Bob and talk things through. I think my exact words were "Um...something funny happened and I think my water may have broke...but I'm not sure. What should I do?" This was probably not the best thing to do to a man who was driving. I felt so silly, like I should know if my water broke. I had the biggest fear of going into the hospital saying my water broke and them saying "um sorry no...you just wet your pants!" We called the hospital and they said to come on in, then we called Bob's parents to come watch Brianna. I got home and packed a bag (of course I wasn't packed...I had 4 weeks left). As I packed my mom called and asked what I was doing. I told her I was packing a bag and she said "going to be prepared this time huh?" and I replied "no...I think my water broke". She stammered out something and then said...I'll let you go pack. Call me later. After I was packed I sat around waiting for Bob and his parents. We headed to the hospital around 6pm. The nurses checked me all out and confirmed that my water had broken. They started antibiotics (as the strep B test that I had taken that morning hadn't come back) and said they would find out if the doctor on call wanted to start pitocin or just see how things went. At some point pitocin was started and I started having contractions, drugs were given, I tried to rest...didn't work. I texted from my hospital bed and read emails from a friend recapping our class reunion that I had missed the weekend before, watched the same episode of Family Guy about 3 times, and a very ill-timed episode of Law & Order SVU when a pregnant woman is murdered. (why do I remember all of this stuff?). In case anyone was wondering...Bob slept! :)
All of that happened a year ago today. It seems like a lifetime ago and yesterday all at the same time. December 2, 2008...my last day of work...my last day of being pregnant...the last day we were a family of 3...the last day of not knowing how much more love would be in our house.
December 2, 2008....the end of another chaper in our lives.

gobble gobble...

Happy Thanksgiving...a couple days late.

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday with your families!

happy birthday little angel...

I just wanted to write a short post in honor of my little cousin Ian on his 5th birthday (well a couple days late).
On November 10, 2004 he was born, 15 weeks premature. From the moment he was born he was surrounded by love. He has two amazing parents that love him so very much as well as grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins...the list goes on and on. He fought the best that he could...but because of his prematurity, his tiny body just could not take it. On November 11, 2004 Ian got his angel wings. It has been 5 years, but Ian...you are just as much loved today as you were the day you took your first breath. I know you are up there in heaven with Papa Joe and I'm sure he has found you some M&M's (or Skittles) to help celebrate your birthday.

Dale, Suzanne, & McKenna~ you are always in my thoughts and prayers. Your strength amazes and inspires me. I love you all!

Happy Birthday Ian with much love from us all!

and the winner is...

First of all...thank you for all of your suggestions. I got several emails with suggestions along with the ones posted in the comments. It is my great pleasure to introduce you to...



links of love



I am getting ready to take some new pictures and upload them. I know there isn't much there yet, but take a look around...I would love to hear your comments/criticisms, etc.



Thank you to Sarah and Linda for this suggestion. Watch your mailbox in the next week or so for your prize! :)



Thank you again to everyone for your help...this has been extremely stressful (not sure why) but now that it is out there...I feel relieved and excited. Thanks again!!

calling all creative minds...

I need your help. Bob's work is having a craft show/fair thingy in December and he is going to sell my jewelry there. I want to have business cards made up to put along with the necklaces/bracelets, in case anyone wants more personalized pieces. Anyway, here is my problem...I for the life of me cannot come up with a name for my jewelry. So, here is where you come in. Leave me a comment with your suggestion(s) and email address and if I like yours and use it...I will send you a necklace (or bracelet if you prefer). I've come up with nothing good so far and my brain is completely blocked on this...so your help would be much appreciated.
Ready...set....brainstorm!!

weekend recap...

Another weekend has come and gone. It started a bit frantic with getting Brianna to school on Friday (after having miss the rest of the week due to being sick) and Bob taking Bryce back to the doctor (and we were worried about having money left in our flex account at the end of the year...ha!) where he had a breathing treatment at the office and then was sent home with prescriptions for more. I stayed home and ran about packing everything up and cleaning up so we could leave as soon as Brianna was done with school. We got her picked up and then went to pick up Bryce's prescriptions. (Which they messed up...that is a whole other post). Finally an hour after we left home we were on our way to Iowa. We helped my parents move into their new house (yay!) and then took the kids trick-or-treating. Saturday was exhausting, but it was amazing to see all the people that came to help mom and dad moved. They are loved! (I already knew that :), but it was great to see so many people help out. Sunday we helped move around some furniture and unpacked a few boxes and then we headed out to meet up with some friends to have another go at trick-or-treating. Everyone had a ton of fun. We finally got back home last night about 10:30ish. I'm still tired. Anyway, it was a great weekend and I'm uploading pictures as you read, but I'll leave you with this one of my little monkey and my cheerleader. Hope you all had a happy and safe Halloween. OK...off to hide some of this candy in the freezer! :) Have a great week everyone!

happy halloween...

Hope you all have a happy and safe Halloween! I'll post some pictures of our little munchkins early next week (promise). :)
Everyone here is on the mend, finally. We are heading to Iowa tomorrow to help my parents move and we'll be trick-or-treating there with my nephews.
Have a great weekend everyone!

*uploading pictures to shutterfly now from September and October...I'm just a little behind*

my babies are sick...

ALL of them. Last Tuesday/Wednesday Bob started to not feel well. By Thursday he had a positive Influenza A test. He stayed home from wok on Thursday and worked from home on Friday. I worked at keeping the kids as far away from him as possible (not an easy task), and banished myself to the couch so that Bob could rest and I could hopefully avoid getting sick. By Friday both kids were coughing, and by Saturday morning, Bryce sounded bad. Off to the doctor, where his temp was 101.7 and he was coughing. The doctor, after hearing that we had a positive case of the flu in our house didn't bother testing him and just prescribed tamiflu. So I then worked on keeping Brianna away from Bryce (an even harder task). Saturday night she woke up coughing really badly. Yesterday morning we were back at the doctor's office. Brianna didn't have a fever, but the coughing, mixed with the exposure in our house and her past respiratory issues landed her a prescription for tamiflu as well. Her fever appeared last night topping out at 103.2 along with throwing up. She was up most of the night last night so today we are home laying on the couch watching movies and confining Bryce to his pack-n-play so that he is forced to rest a little. I promise at some point to catch you all up on what has been going on around here, but for now...I've got about all that I can handle. Did I mention that I haven't slept in my own bed since last Tuesday night and that I've been getting about 2 hours of sleep a night, in 10 minute bursts? I am tired...but I am not yet sick...who has time? Wishing you all healthy households.

Oh...one piece of news not flu related...Bryce cut his first two teeth on Friday. Poor kid had a rough week!

current inventory...

OK...so here are the necklaces I currently have. Let me know if you see anything that interests you. (and I promise to stop pushing this on you now :)

**lengths (from top of clasp to last ring are as follows):
top left--19in top middle--17in top right--19in
middle left--19 in middle middle--17in middle right--18in
bottom left--19in bottom middle--20in bottom right--20in

feeding my creative side...

Lately I've become obsessed with jewelry. Finding the right necklace or bracelet can always make me feel so much more put together with whatever I'm wearing and can add just that certain thing that makes ME feel pretty. I have a few staples that I wear pretty consistently that add a pop of color or just complete whatever look I'm going for. I tell you all of this because in my attempt to find a new hobby and fill the need for a creative outlet, I started making necklaces and bracelets...and to generate a little income to feed my new hobby :) I decided to offer up some of my creations for sale.

As of now, I have 3 necklaces with these colors. They are not the same, but do have the same color beads. All the beads are glass with silver links and lobster clasps. Email me at abcarroll@sbcglobal.net if you are interested. Price for the necklaces is $25 and $15 for bracelets (prices include shipping).

If you are interested but these are not really "your" colors, please email me and let me know what colors you would like and I would be happy to make one to suit your wants and needs. I can also make children's sizes. These would make excellent Christmas gifts! :)

(I will post more pictures as they become available)

loss for words...

So, I have this problem where when I am stressed about something or have something that really occupies my mind almost every second of every day I only talk to my mom or my sister and I kind of shut everything and everyone else out. With both pregnancies (NO I am not pregnant) I would go weeks without having a phone conversation with anyone and would have little to nothing to say to my mom and sister before we told them. It was the only thing occupying my mind...I didn't have anything else to talk about. The same goes with writing here. I can't (or won't) write about some things and I want this to be an honest blog and our life is not all sunshine and roses so I can't pretend that it is so when I am having trouble putting together the pieces I tend to neglect this little space. I'm being very cryptic, aren't I? I'm just struggling (nothing major...just life) and I read this post of Jodie's or this one of Abbie's and I think...YES that is totally how I feel...except the problem is...I don't even know what my passion is. I don't have that one thing that feeds my soul and makes me...me. I have spent my whole life being someone's something, a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mom...I laugh because I even get introduced as so-and-so's friend or Bob's wife, even to people I've encountered before...it is like I don't exist without being attached to someone else. And while I love all the roles I play in my life...I think I just want to know that there is something that is uniquely me. The one thing I always knew I wanted in my life was kids, anyone who has talked to me for more than 5 minutes since the time I was probably 16 is quite aware of that. And my kids and my husband are everything to me, I am thankful for every day that I have with them and I know how incredibly lucky I am, but there will come a time where the kids don't need me as much (I already see it happening) and then what will I be left with? I know I will always be their mom, but eventually I won't be dealing with day-to-day aspects of their lives (at least I hope I won't :)
Maybe it is this impending birthday and turning 30, maybe it is just because things aren't going as smoothly right now as I would like, but something in me is wanting that something that I am passionate about something that feeds my soul and makes me better at all the roles I have in my life and love. The question is....how do I find it?

(I promise to all 3 of you that read here :), nothing serious is going on, Bob and I are fine, the kids are fine...just the regular struggles of life and kids, etc. Things will get better, they are getting better...it just weighs heavily on me right now)

good thoughts and prayers...

Please send all the thoughts and prayers you can to Miss Claire today. She is having surgery today. Please pray (or whatever it is you do) that this surgery will be one giant leap in her recovery and elimination of this monster that has occupied way too much of her (almost) 2 years (she turns 2 next Saturday the 26th). She is one strong girl (as are her mama, daddy, and handsome baby brother)...stay strong little one and keep fighting, you have more people than you could ever know pulling for you! Lots of love and hugs to you Weipert family!

nine months...

It has been nine months little man since you've entered our lives, and boy have you taken it by storm! You are so full of curiosity, you have to touch everything. Although you do tend to break things as well. You move so fast and never want to sleep, it is like you are trying to experience a lifetime of things every single day. You have changed our family little man, for the better. We love you and slow down would you? All too soon I'll be sending you off to the first day of preschool.

**picture taken by the wonderfully talented Holly at Lily Bella Photography**

the long catch-up post...

OK...so I guess it is time for a catch-up post. And looking back, I guess we have to go back to the 4th of July. (not sure if I can remember back that far, but I'll try!).

The 4th of July weekend we headed to WI to the Goodness household. We spent the weekend hanging out with friends, playing bags, playing cards, eating too much, laughing until we cried, staying up waaay too late and drinking (just a little). At one point there were 18 people sleeping under their roof and it was so much fun. We always love hanging out with them and it was a great time as always! The kiddos spent the weekend with Grandma Nancy and Papa Bob. They spent their weekend going tot the library, cuddling, napping and getting lots of love. It was a great weekend for all! :)

The next weekend we headed to IA for a canoeing trip with some friends from high school. We basically had a barge going down the river (8 canoes tied together). The day was fantastic, my face hurt from smiling and laughing, it was so nice to be surrounded by such great friends...we definitely don't get to see each other enough!

We then spent a weekend at home with no real plans (shocking I know!). The kids and I met up with Bob's cousin, Amy, and two of her boys at Kiddieland on a Monday. Brianna had an absolute blast. She loved all the rides (I was afraid that she would be scared of the rides...but she LOVED them!).

The last weekend in July brought a visit from my sister and her family. We spent the weekend going to the pool, hanging out playing wii, and taking the two big kids to Build-a-Bear. They each picked out bears for themselves (well, Brianna picked a bunny) and for their little brothers. Then, on Sunday, Brianna had a playdate with 2 of her little friends for her birthday. We had a treasure hunt for the girls and they made princess wands and had cake and just ran around and played with each other. After the girls left we headed to the pool again.

The first weekend in August brought our 4th annual canoe-a-palooza with some of our Knox friends. It has been faar too long since we've been together, but as usual, we fell right back in with each other and it is like we have never been apart. Great friends, a lot of laughter, and good memories...who could ask for more? Sunday (Brianna's 4th birthday) before we headed back home we stopped off at our family reunion where everyone sang to Brianna.

And that, brings us to this past weekend which brought the Dyersville Area Relay for Life on Friday night. It was cut short because of the weather (rain, lightning, high winds). We left a little after 2am. Saturday brought a day of making Brianna's birthday cake, cleaning, and visits from our cousin, Matt, and his son Chase (who was born 3 days after Bryce) and Pat and Sandie. Sunday was Brianna's birthday party (yes, we have been celebrating her birthday for like 3 weeks) Bob, Nancy, Brian & Mary made the trip to IA to help us celebrate. Angie, Nick and the boys were also in attendance as well as both of my Grandmas and, of course, my parents. It was a great time.

In the midst of all of this craziness, Bryce has started to crawl and pull up on everything. He is into way more stuff tha Brianna ever was and I spend most of my day pulling him away from things and telling him "no".

Whew...there is the "short version of our last month. I'll try not to let things get this behind again! Hope you all are enjoying what is left of your summer, I know we are trying to! I'll leave you with a couple of pictures of the kiddos. I'll try to get more posted soon!

Love to you all!

four...

Four years ago today, right this minute, you anxiously entered the world. A little early, but eagerly and full of life. You, little girl, have been a surprise to us from the moment you entered this world almost a full 4 weeks before your due date until this very moment. Every day with you over these last four years has been an adventure, and I can honestly say I have loved every minute of it (at least in hindsight). You are the most amazingly beautiful, talented, kind girl I know, I love so many things about you. You love with such a passion, I see it every day in the way you love your brother. I adore that you would do anything to make your brother smile and laugh and that you hug him and look at him and ask if he had a nice nap every single time he wakes up. I hope you never lose this passion and your willingness to love so openly. I know that no matter how I want to try to protect you from heartache, you will experience it, but I hope you know that no matter what, giving your whole heart to someone is worth the risk. I love that you dance and sing every chance you get and laugh wholeheartedly always. I want you to always find the time to sing, dance, and laugh because it is those moments that make life so special. I so hope that you and your brother grow to have the kind of friends your daddy and I have. Those that will laugh and cry with you and will do silly things with you even when all of you feel too old to do them. I know that you will cherish friendships like these because I have seen already how much you care about your friends. I, like most all parents, have hopes and dreams for you baby, but know that the most important thing to me is for you to be happy. Your hopes and dreams are my hopes and dreams and as your dreams change as you grow older I will always be right there with you being your biggest fan, your #1 cheerleader. You my darling at this moment four years ago gave me the greatest gift I have ever received....you made me a mommy. No matter how I may doubt my place in this world, I will never, ever, doubt that I was meant to be your mommy.
My little chicken....I love you... way, way, way, way, way more than you will ever know.
Happy 4th Birthday Baby.
ps. Thank you for saying that you can still be my baby if I want you to, because to me...no matter how old you get whether you are 4 or 40 you will always be my baby and if you ever need to curl up on my lap...I will be right here waiting for you.

we neeed your help...

I've been writing and re-writing this post in my head for weeks and I just couldn't find the words so I kept putting it off. But something happened yesterday and I knew that I needed to get this post up.
As you all know, the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life is something that is near and dear to my heart. I lost my grandpa to lung cancer in 2005, several members of my family have dealt with cancer in their own lives in one way or another.
Last night, I found out that my friend from high school's little girl has relapsed for the second time. I will let you go to their site to read in their own words what they are going through and I urge you to go read it, because I think you will then understand why I've made my goal so high this year and why I am going to try with all of my might to reach that goal.
In addition to that, last night while at Bob's softball game Brianna was playing with her little friend who is currently undergoing chemo to battle the leukemia she was diagnosed with early this year. She is only 1/2 way done with treatment...she just turned 3.
We all want to know what we can do to help, and I'm asking you to give money to fund research, these kids and hundreds, thousands like them need your help. I know it is tough out there and money is tight...believe me I know, but if in any way my money can help save these kids and prevent other kids from having to go through this, I will give as much as I can. All it takes is one look at my kids to know that I'm doing the right thing. Please, if you can, I am begging you to go here and donate. I will put a link up in my sidebar that will take you to my donation page. Thank you for all that you can do.
And if I could ask one more thing of you blogland...please pray, for these 2 little girls, their families and all of those kids and families who are battling this.

more pictures...

All of our family photos taken by Lily Bella Photography are now up on Shutterfly. Click the latest photos link on the left to check them out.

few random thoughts from the past week...

Whew...I feel like there hasn't even been a moment to catch my breath this last week.
The services for Grandma Caruso were beautiful and such a wonderful tribute to her life. I was asked to read what I wrote here about Grandma at the wake. I was very honored that I was asked, but those of you who know me well know that I'm a slightly emotional person. I didn't even get 1 word out before breaking down. But I did it for Grandma, she was another grandma to me and she welcomed me into her family and I am forever grateful for that. At the end of the day we went back to the place she had called home for so long, soaked in the beautiful sunlight while the kids swam and played in the lake. Smiles and laughter everywhere, I think it is just how grandma would have wanted it. On our way home we stopped back by the cemetary because Bob was telling me about the picture of Grandma & Grandpa Caruso that is in the center of their headstone. While we were there, Brianna was asking questions and I don't remember the entire conversation but at one point she asked "so Great-Grandma is next to Great-Grandpa?" and Bob told her "yes". The she looked at him and asked "so they can play together in heaven?" Bob and I looked at each other and smiled and nodded. I thought to myself "yes baby, I doubt they have stopped dancing since she arrived."

head on over...

Go on over to Lily Bella Photography and check out a few of the pictures Holly took of our family last weekend. Leave her some comment love...she deserves it! Thanks again Holly, we can't wait to see the rest! (no pressure though!) :)

sadness...

Photo was taken as she attended the Senior Prom just 7 days before she passed.

Thanks DeeDee for sharing this beautiful picture of a most beautiful lady.

Heaven gained an amazing angel this week. Grandma Caruso passed away at the young age of 96. She is one of the sweetest and kind women that I know and will be dearly missed by our entire family. I will always remember her smile and laughter and the little spark she had in her eyes when someone (usually one of her kids) told her she shouldn't do something. I always saw this flash in her eyes that said "I'm a grown woman I'll do what I want!" There are so many things that I will remember about her and things that will remind me of her, tennis balls on a walker, Fannie May candy (she did love her candy), the story she loved to tell about how Bob and Brian got their golfing abilities not only from their dad but from her husband, and mostly how she always called Brianna and Bryce "precious" (I'm sure she called all of her great-grandchildren that, but I remember her saying it about our kids). I think everytime I hear that word I will hear it in her voice as she looked down at Brianna and hugged and kissed her.
You will be missed Grandma, but we know you are happy where you are and finally reunited with the love of your life. Thank you for being one of the most precious parts of our lives.

6 month and weekend update...

Before we headed to Iowa for the weekend, Bryce had his 6 month checkup on Friday. He is weighing in at 16lbs 4.5oz and is 26 inches long. He is doing well eating solids and we'll be moving on to stage 2 food as soon as the stage 1 we already have is gone. The boy loves his solid food, he pretty much doesn't even care about his bottle anymore. He is rolling over all the time and is pretty much sitting up unassisted at this point. He still falls over, so even as I type this he is sitting on the floor surrounded by pillows. He is babbling constantly and we are starting to see his little personality come out more and more each day. I still cannot believe he is 6 months old already, it has gone by so fast.

My favorite part of being home with the kids is watching them interact with each other. Brianna loves Bryce so much and he just lights up when she is around. She sings to him and reads to him all the time. I know as they get older they will fight and not like each other, but I sincerely hope that they will always remain friends. My sister and I fought (a lot) when we were kids, we were less than 1 year apart and we definitely got on each other's nerves, but now I can't imagine my life without her. We email each other throughout the day and we look forward to spending time together, although too many days together and we still know how to push each other's buttons. Guess some things never change! :)

As I said we spent the weekend in Iowa and attended the wedding of my cousin, Craig. It was a great time, the wedding and reception were absolutely beautiful and it was great to spend time with the family. Braden & Brianna were so excited to dance together and it was pretty darn cute to watch them. Congrats again to Craig & Rachel we wish you a lifetime of happiness!

I have one more post to get up and then I probably won't post for another week or so, I'm off this weekend to Angie & Nick's to help paint and when I get back from there we'll be heading to Iowa to drop the kids off and then take off for Galesburg for the Knosher Outing and then back to Iowa for Father's day. It is going to be a busy couple of weeks! I've uploaded new pictures to the shutterfly site so check them out. Mostly from Memorial Day and Brianna playing at the parks and a couple from the wedding, before my camera battery died. Here are a couple that I love :)

Happy Monday everyone!

houston we have a problem...

Meet our friend the swaddling blanket. Well, it used to be our friend. When Bryce first came home from the hospital he didn't sleep well. Not counting the fact that he had to be fed every 3 hours because of his weight and his jaundice, the only way he would sleep is if he was laying on someone (me specifically) or in his swing, occasionally he would sleep in his bouncy seat, but he never wanted to just lay down and sleep. When he was 8 weeks old we bought 2 of these, one of them is this exact one in fact. The first time we wrapped him in this and put him down he slept through the night...at 8 weeks. I was sure that it was a fluke, but we continued to put him in it and he continued to sleep through the night. Everything was going along just fine until a few nights ago. See this blanket has become too small for him. The "weight limit" is 14-15lbs, which by now Bryce is probably over, and his legs are starting to get scrunched in the bottom. And the biggest thing is that he can get himself out of it in about 5 seconds now. They have larger ones, but I am hesitant to buy them, because realistically we can't keep him in one forever. Last night he woke up 5+ times. Not the kind of wake up but he just needs his pacifier and he's back to sleep....oh no, he is wide awake at 3am! What the heck is going on here? Bob ended up feeding him a bottle at 3 because I couldn't function anymore. The kid hasn't had a bottle in the middle of the night for 4 months! I do realize we are extremely lucky to have as many sleep filled nights as we have, but that doesn't really take away from the fact that I am really tired this morning.
Goodbye swaddling blanket, we have loved you, but now if you could just leave quietly and not wake the baby no one will get hurt! (told you I was tired :)

outside...

So, we've been spending a lot of time outside these days, either in the yard, at the park or just taking walks around the neighborhood. (Hence, the lack of posts lately) The kids love being outside and it fills our day so much more productively than sitting in the house watching TV. I'm uploading a bunch of pictures to the shutterfly account, but here are a few of my favorites from the last few days.

Hope you are all enjoying the beautiful weather we are having as much as we are!

graduation and birthday parties...

Last Saturday we headed downtown to attend Mary's law school graduation from Loyola. It was a beautiful mass and a wonderful ceremony. The kids did really well during the whole thing, mostly because they were so excited to see Brian and Mary I think! :) (side note...Lovie Smith was also at the graduation, apparently his son's girlfriend was graduating. He sat a couple of rows behind us!) Congrats Mary, we are so very, very proud of you!

Sunday we had two birthday parties to attend. The first was Brianna's little friend from daycare. Brianna was sooo excited to see her friends and as icing on the cake the party was at the Painted Penguin so she got to paint as well. Pretty sure that was one of the best days ever for her. After that party we headed off to our friend Josh's surprise 30th birthday party. It was a good time and it is always fun to see Bob's golfing buddies. By the end of the day we were all exhausted and all piled into our bed to watch a movie. I think everyone was sleeping by 8:30 (except me of course). All-in-all it was a fun filled weekend.

See, even when we're home on the weekends we're not really ever home! :)

mother's day...

We had a pretty low key Mother's Day. We spent the weekend in Wisconsin at Ben & Amanda's house. The boys golfed and the girls shopped and got pedicures and we played some Guitar Hero World Tour. It was fun to spend the weekend with them it has been a while since we've seen them. On Mother's Day we went to Bob and Nancy's and had breakfast with the family. Bob and Brian had to take off for Indiana for a qualifier Brian had the next day, so we stuck around to chat with Nancy for a while and Brianna ran around outside. We headed home and spent the afternoon napping, playing and just relaxing. It was a great Mother's Day all-in-all. My kiddos and hubby are the best...what more could a girl ask for!

6 years in the books...

Yes I am quite aware that this post is significantly late, however...better late than never! So on Sunday May 3 Bob and I celebrated our 6th anniversary. It is shocking to me that it has been six years. So much has happened in that time, loss of grandparents, births of children, weddings of friends and family, the buying of our first home and more laughter and memories than I have the time or space to share. I don't know that on our wedding day, these two kids (and yes, we are kids...holy cow we look young!) could possibly realize what their life would be this six short years later.

(I do realize this is a hideous picture, but it was actually taken on 5/3/09 so I wanted to use it :)Bob and I had a great anniversary we slept late (for us) and went to brunch and then played 9 holes of golf, it was nice to walk around the course talk and just be us for a little while. Life is crazy and hectic, but there is no one I'd rather be in this crazy, hectic life with. I love you, Bob! Here is to 100 more years of (mostly) wedded bliss :).

my favorite things...

As I've said before I'm not an optimistic person. I would call myself a realist, I prepare for the bad, so I'm not disappointed when something doesn't go the way I want and am pleasantly surprised when things do. In an effort to appreciate all the small things in my life, here is a list of the things I love about the ages my kids are.

Brianna age 3 (almost 4)
The crazy outfits she puts together.
The way she complains the whole time I brush/braid/whatever her hair, but then looks in the mirror admiring her hair after I'm done.
The way she says "don't be upset Bryce, big sister is here"
The way she runs to the door screaming "daddy!" when she hears the garage door open.
The way she wakes up in the morning and smiles at me and asks "did you have a good sleep, mommy?"
The other million little things that make her my sweet, funny, aggrivating little girl.

Bryce age (almost) 6 months
The way he smiles when I get him out of his crib in the morning.
The way he stretches after I undo his swaddling blanket and the look on his face that says "I'm free"
When he is really tired I can pick him up and hold him close to me and he immediately falls asleep.
The way he laughs when I change his dirty diapers.
The way he smiles and gets everyone to fall in love with him within moments of meeting him.
The other million little things that make him my adorable, flirty little man.

monday musing...

So, question for you. Today the kids and I walked to Wal-Mart (it is a few blocks from our house...long enough that it sort of tires Brianna out, but short enough that she can walk the whole thing) anyway, there is a redbox there where we rent movies almost every Monday (they have free movie Monday's with a code that is texted to your phone or you can go here and get the code). After we got our movies we walked around Wal-Mart for a bit looked at toys and got Brianna a new thermos because her lid was broken. As we were standing in the checkout line she started whining and wanted to be held. I picked her up for a moment to talk to her and then set her back down. She started whining again and the guy (or maybe he was a boy...he looked very young) in front of us eyed me and then Brianna and then me again and then he looked at her and said "are you OK?" I was a bit taken aback by his question to her. she wasn't screaming bloody murder, I didn't hit her or anything of the sort, I picked her up and talked to her and then put her back down. She is (almost) 4 and she sometimes doesn't behave perfectly. He kept looking at me the entire time until he was checked out and gone. Now, maybe I'm overly sensitive, but I don't believe there was anything going on that warranted him asking HER if she was OK. I know that people's actions can be misinterpreted, but the whole thing is very odd to me. I'm pretty sensitive about the judgement (as I perceive it) other people pass on me as a parent. After the guy asked Brianna that I said "she is fine". What would you have done? Do you think that is super strange or that I'm overreacting? (I realize that is hard to answer since you weren't there...but I swear to you it happened just like that) :)

I will be back soon with an update of our weekend, because I'm sure you are all wondering how we spent our 6th anniversary! :)

29...

Yes, I know I already turned 29, but today this guy joins the club. I could not ask for a better person in my life. He is a wonderful dad and a fantastic husband.
Happy Birthday, Bob!!
We Love you!

b book...

Brianna reading to Bryce. :)

friends and fun and crafts...oh my...

I think the titles of my posts get more lame every time. Anyway, I have a bunch of stuff to share since I last posted, so lets get to it.

Last weekend we headed to WI to visit with some friends. Abbie and Chris graciously invited us to their house along with the Isaacsons. We headed to their house late Friday morning and arrived to beautiful weather. The kids ran around outside and played and the adults caught up on what was going on in each of our lives. The boys got to play some golf on Saturday, while the girls did some crafts and ran around outside some more, the weather was PERFECT, and when they got back from golfing we took the kids to the park. Saturday night after the kids were in bed (and all were sleeping except Brianna...big surprise on that one) we started playing Guitar Hero World Tour. My wonderful husband got this for me for my birthday, and it is seriously hours of entertainment, especially when there is alcohol involved. There was tons of laughter and I don't think I will ever forget the singing, dancing around, banging on the drums, and some choice quotes that were said that night, which will not be posted here because well...this is a family blog. Abbie and Chris were such wonderful hosts and it was so good to finally meet little Samantha. Brianna had so much fun playing with Andrew and Holly's two little girls Ella and Lily and Bryce ate up all the attention that was given to him. I know I enjoyed chatting and catching up with Abbie, Holly, Andrew and Chris and Bob most definitely had fun playing golf with Andrew and Chris. I was having so much fun I didn't even take out my camera the whole weekend. Abbie has some over on her blog and Holly said she'd be posting some soon (no pressure...I know you're busy :). We are so very blessed to have such wonderful friends. Thank you again Abbie and Chris for letting us invade your house.

This week has been pretty low-key...but today we did a craft that Holly told me about. Brianna had so much fun making these (anything that lets her use glue and stickers will make her happy). I made Bryce's (obviously) because even though he's not big enough to do this stuff himself, I love having both of their crafts hanging on the wall or whereever they may end up (Brianna is pushing for daddy to take them to work...so we'll see). I absolutely love crafts that incorporate hand and/or foot prints. They are my favorites because beyond the decorating and the little touches Brianna puts on her projects, there is something so personal about them being made from their hand/footprints. It is a part of them, the part that reminds me to cherish these moments because they won't be this small for very long.

Enough with the rambling...here is a picture of the butterflies.

Have a great weekend everyone...hopefully I'll be back before long.

going purple...

All the small things is going purple. This is the first chance I've had to make the change. We are going purple to honor Ian and Maddie and all the premies who have lost their battle, and in honor of McKenna and all the ones who fought and are still fighting to stay healthy. The March of Dimes is a wonderful organization, one that I whole-heartedly support and am happy to send my money to each year. The March of Dimes deserves your support because they help these babies have a fighting chance at a healthy life, and I think we all agree that every baby deserves that. So, go here or here and give what you can...do what you can to give these babies the best start in life.

easter...

I hope you all had a great Easter. We had a very good, but busy weekend. We were in Iowa from Friday night until Monday morning. We had a great time with family, although there was a definite lack of sleep on the part of the kids and myself :) I think that I don't want to spend my time with my family sleeping because it seems like we don't get to see everyone much so I tend to not sleep much at all while at my parents. But we had a great time and it went too fast as always. We had Jackson's birthday party Saturday and Sunday consisted of candy, Easter egg hunts, naps and spending time with family. A perfect day in my opinion. Yesterday we left mom and dad's about 10 (and only forgot a few things) and headed to Galesburg to stop by the business office. We stopped and had lunch with Steve and Alli (and then Alli & Gavin accompanied us to Galesburg as well). We got home about 7:30 last night and are trying to recover today. We take off again Friday for WI to visit some friends so in the 2 remaining days this week I need to get laundry done and the house cleaned up. We'll see how that goes. :) We are looking forward to seeing some friends we haven't seen in far too long, so we are all excited about the coming weekend. Hope you all had a very Happy Easter filled with family and friends.

I'm uploading a bunch of pictures from the weekend to shutterfly, so feel free to take a look.

I'll leave you with a couple here. Have a great week everyone!

crazy day...

I'm tired already. :) I've been up since 5am. I do not get up at 5am EVER. I woke up and all the little things I needed to do today started running through my head...the things I needed to remember to pack, the kid's Easter basket stuff, pictures, camera (you get the picture). So of course I could not go back to sleep. So I actually got up and decided to be productive. I think everything is ready to go except that I still have to pack clothes for the kids and myself (which you would think would be the biggest concern...but...no). The house is picked up and the dishes are done. We've got about 6 more hours before we have to be out the door, and in that time I have to pack clothes, shower, get dressed, get the kids dressed, feed everyone, pack the car and get out the door so we get to Bryce's 4 month checkup ontime so we can then leave for Iowa. Whew...and did I mention that I've been up since 5 and am running on no caffine? Since I gave up pop for lent and don't drink coffee I'm kind of SOL today. :) I realize today that I am insane, what woman in her right mind gives up pop/caffine with 2 small kids at home? Anyway, Mr. Bryce just woke up (yes, he has been sleeping since last night...this is why I don't get up at 5am EVER) and is probably starving...so I'm off to get moving on this day...again. I leave you with a couple new pics of the kids. Happy Easter everyone!

there are no adequate words...

I've mentioned before how I tend to blog hop starting out reading this one, and then ending up somewhere many clicks away from where I started. Well about a year or so ago, I blog hopped my way over to The Spohrs are Multiplying. I read whatever post happened to be up that day, which was (I'm sure) funny and had some adorable pictures of Maddie. So, I added it to my Google reader. I went back through their archives and found out more about Maddie and was drawn in by her story. Maddie was a preemie, born 11 weeks early. As any of you who have been here before know, my cousins, Dale and Suzanne, have had 2 preemie babies both born 25 weeks gestation. I was hooked, and have been reading their blog ever since.

When I opened my Google reader yesterday, I saw a post that little Maddie had passed away on April 7, and I cried. I cried for a little girl I have never met and for her parents, family, and friends. There have been hundreds of posts written about Maddie in the last 2 days and as of now over $18,000 has been donated to the March of Dimes in her name. She has touched so many in her too short 17 months on this earth.

My thoughts and prayers are with her family. Thank you for sharing your beautiful angel with all of us.

following her lead...

In honor of Jodie's air it out post I've decided to give it a shot myself...


1. Our kids have no bedtime routine, it is not unusual for Brianna to be awake at 10pm (or later) this is our fault, but I do not have the patience to try to instill a bedtime routine.

2. I try to give the kids a bath every other day, but that doesn't always happen (read...almost never) Heck we are stuck inside all day, every day...how dirty can they be?

3. The thought of packing up 2 kids in carseats to drive down the block to the store (when it is too cold to walk) makes me want to cry, so we don't go anywhere.

4. I often threaten that we will not go somewhere because of bad behavior, but don't often follow through because it is usually more punishment for everyone else than it is for her.

5. I have showered 1 time since last Friday, it was also the only time I've left the house since then.

6. I can't remember the last time I dusted. Our living room furniture is supposed to be a dark wood, instead it looks gray.


7. I have stood in the shower until the hot water runs out because it is the only place I occasionally have some privacy.


8. Our 3 year old has a TV in her room, and it is on every night when she goes to bed.


9. I didn't feel guilty having Brianna in daycare. I realize now how many less dirty diapers I had to change while she was there. (plus she loved it)


10. I've taken a shower and put on the same (dirty) clothes I've worn and slept in for days on end...more than I care to admit.


There are a million more, but I'm not brave enough to share all of them :)


I'm embarrassed about these things because of the way I think people will react to them not because I'm truly embarrassed about them (well maybe the shower thing :)).
I just watched the Oprah show from yesterday and it is funny how I related to the mom's on there who said a million things I've been thinking, so I wonder why I still feel so ashamed of all the things I feel and why I wrote and edited this post about 15 times before I even felt slightly comfortable posting this.

twenty-nine...

In just a few hours I will technically turn 29 (7:12am). I will hopefully be in a blissful sleep at that time. In all honesty, most days I can't remember what age I am (it is a good thing I was born in 1980 so I can usually figure it out pretty quickly...as long as I remember what year it is :)) Some days I feel 80, and other I feel like I'm just a kid playing house. I look and my life and wonder where the time has gone. How is is possible that I have an almost 4 year old, and that my little man turned 4 months old today? My life has turned into a cliche...the days go slowly but the years go by so fast.
As I sit here thinking about the turns my life has taken in these last years, I find that while there are some aspects of my life that I thought would be different (job/career), there are other things...the important things...that are exactly(or better) than I always imagined they would be. I have a wonderful, loving husband, 2 great kids, and incredible family and friends. So, my gift to myself this year is to live in the now, to be grateful for what I have in this moment, and to not dwell on the things I don't "have". I tend to get so wrapped up "what-if's" and "if only's" and always wishing there was more...more time, more money, more space, that I don't realize that in reality I have all I ever need.
So, I am embracing 29 and all it's possibilities. Here is to the peace in knowing that I'm exactly where I want (and am supposed) to be.

whirlwind weekend...

Wait...what day is it again? Wow, we put a few miles on the car this weekend, but we ended up getting to every place we needed/wanted to be. Friday we packed up and headed to Iowa, we stopped by my aunt and uncle's house on the way through Cascade, so we got to see a few family members. We finally rolled into mom and dad's house around 11/11:30, and of course the kids were wide awake. I think everyone finally settled down around midnight or so. The alarm went off at 5am, which is just inhumane if you ask me. Bob and I got ready and put some stuff together for mom to take the kids and headed off to Galesburg for Coach Heimann's memorial service. It was a wonderful tribute to his life and the way he lived, coached, and taught. We were very glad we went. After the memorial service we grabbed some lunch and headed to Cedar Rapids to attend the wedding of one of my high school classmates. We had a fantastic time at the wedding and we finally went to bed about 20 hours after our day had started. Of course while the wedding was happening, there also happened to be a blizzard going on outside. We stayed with some friends in Cedar Rapids and drove back to mom and dad's around 6 Sunday morning in about 10 inches of snow. We spent some time with mom and dad and then headed for home around 8 Sunday night, getting us home around 11/11:30, with...you guessed it, two kids that didn't want to sleep. Finally everyone got to bed and then we had to be up this morning to go to a funeral. Nancy's cousin passed away and we didn't make it back in time to go to the wake last night (obviously) so we went to the funeral today. We left home around 10am and got home about 5pm. So, to sum it up...lots of time in the car, not much sleep, lots of time with family and friends...it is amazing how quickly your emotions can change when you have a sad event, a joyous one, and another sad one. But in attending both the memorial service and the funeral, I think it makes me appreciate the people around me even more and for that I am grateful. Much love to you all.

jackson is one...

This little guy turns one today. It is hard to believe that he is one already. I can't wait to see him in a couple of weeks. Happy Birthday Jackson! We love you!

chick craft link...

I found it back!! To anyone interested...here is the link to the chicks we made the other day.
Duck Paper Plate Craft