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Thursday, October 18, 2007

My Little Pumpkin






'Tis that time of the year again, with the crispness in the air, the beauty in the leaves, and we make spectacles out of our children. Yes, we take these precious, innocent little babes and stuff them into ridiculous outfits and pose them for ridiculous pictures. And they're so adorable!




We took some adorable pics with the cousins Sara and Rachael - of course, Mama is not-so-smart... I stuffed Bella into this Pumpkin Suit, oh so cute. Note that in the next picture the outfit looks different - I put it on backwards! duh. She wasn't too thrilled about being stuffed into it the first time, as it's a warm evening and this is a warm suit. So just in case I didn't press my luck enough the first time, we took it off and tried again. The right way this time!





They were so funny! Of course Bella and Rachael didn't care all that much, but Sara was sweet. She was especially interested in the hats the babies wore, so she got herself a set of bat-dielyboppers. I was NOT supposed to be in the picture; we just needed someone other than the 2 year-old to hold the babies!







After we stripped them of their adorable outfits we let them stretch on the floor for a little while. They are really cute, if I may say so myself :) When I look at 3-week-old Rachael I realize just how much Bella has grown!




After a few minutes they had had enough - I'm not sure who started it, but they are very compassionate girls, and when one starts crying... well, you see. Now when they erupt, what do their loving, caring, concerned mothers do? Laugh and take pictures, of course! They suddenly burst into tears and Angela and I crack up and grab our cameras; the timing was just too funny! Don't jump to call child services, after our quick photo-op we scooped them up, at which point they calmed immediately!

Monday, October 15, 2007

A Relative Weekend








This past weekend Patrick's Aunt and Uncle came to visit from SoCal, which was so nice! We had a lot of fun. Sunday we hit Mass at the Basilica which was beautiful of course, and then breakfast, which turned out to be a TERRIBLE experience - no more Ellis' for us! There was no one else there, and we're thinking that just over an hour is fine for some eggs, right? Wrong! 10 minutes to take our order. After 45 minutes we asked them about it and she said it was coming right up. A few minutes later we told her we had to leave and to please box it up for us - then it took her 8 minutes to box it up and swipe our card. augh! Unfortunately, this left Maggie and Jerry late for the tour. So Pat drove like a crazy man through DC and then dropped them off on a street corner. Ha! No, we met up with their scheduled tour, whose driver was kind enough to wait for us! how great is that! If anyone needs a recommendation on a good tour, go for "DC Party Tours" - they had a great time, all worked out well, as they got to spend 3 hours touring the major monuments with a guide who knew what she was talking about, and we spent 3 hours with the Brembergs! Much better for all parties involved. Just ask Isabella, who would not have gotten quite the full appreciation for the monuments yet. Maybe next year. Or maybe in 5 years. Or maybe...
Poor Isabella is still congested and gnawing on everything that comes within 5 inches of her mouth, but MUCH happier! She was so happy and smiley for this weekend. Today we spent some time with Aunt Angela, Sara, and Rachael. Bella loved watching Sara, and was happily babbling and cooing at her! It was So sweet! and of course Sara loves her 2 babies :)





This picture is just precious! Bella was sleeping on my bed and I grabbed the camera for a pic since she was just so peaceful! Well, when I zoomed in to get her face I caught her (what I like to believe) in mid-dream - she smiled while fast asleep. What a perfect image of God :)






Friday, October 12, 2007

queen of denial







My poor little Isabella is congested, having trouble sleeping, and playing with her tongue along her gums. Now, this could be either of 2 things, neither of which makes me all that happy. 1) She could have a cold. However, since I am breastfeeding exclusively, she is supposed to be getting antibodies from me that help protect her, and I am incapable of using the (using a better term, here) bulb syringe, so she needs to be able to blow her nose before she gets sick. So I remain disbelieving that she has a cold. (cough cough) 2) she could be teething. SHE IN ONLY 3 MONTHS OLD! SHe is not allowed to get teeth until she can having something to chew with them, or I can rub whiskey on them to make her feel better. SO I remain disbelieving that she is teething. Unfortunately, this only serves to leave me in a state of disbelief while my daughter is still not feeling good. ugh! In the meantime, we're both sleep deprived and wishing she would eat more. Any suggestions out there?









Thursday, October 11, 2007

in loving memory

I meant to post this yesterday, October 10th, but time got away from me.
Grandmothers are the greatest. Especially if you're blessed to have one who takes her job seriously - seriously silly, full of surprises and rule-breaking. "The reason grandparents and grandchildren get along so well is that they have a common enemy." I don't know about the enemy part, but grandmothers are the ones who let you get away with special treats that parents simply can't.
October 10th is a day of special memories for me. It was my grandmother's birthday, for whom I am named. Every year I take a few minutes to thank GOd for such a special lady in my life, and all the great things I remember about her. I'll share just a few quick but important ones.
~ She loved the simple details in nature, and took the time to point them out to me all the time. She would walk around the yard with me, pointing out the littlest flower or song of a bird, and talk about St. Francis. She was the adult who still took time to notice a beautiful sky or listen to the birds sing. Because of her, I still remember to notice the little details in the beautful world around me, something maybe all of us could use a little more of.
~ She loved our Blessed Mother. When I was little she would tell me how Mary loved Jesus more than anyone else, since she is His mother, and how we can learn from her to love our Lord better. It's funny how a simplistic childhood explanation and nighttime rosary everytime I stayed there really stuck with me - I have no doubt that my devotion to Mary stems from her influence.
~ She was so in love with receiving Jesus in the Eucharist. I remember, shortly after my First Holy Communion, I was at Mass with her, and she leans over and with an excited gleam in her eye says "we both get to receive Jesus!" Ok so at the time I thought she was a little crazy. I believed as much as any 7 year-old who was well catechized, but let's not push it lady. As my love for my Catholic faith has grown I think of that often! She really, truly appreciated the Sacrament like all Catholics should! The highlight of her day was Mass. I sure could learn a few things from that !

I have LOTs of special memories of this slightly daffy old lady, who could take a joke, even if it was at her expense. And I have no doubt I have a powerful prayer warrior storming heaven for me! She knows I could still use her influence :)

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Job Description- position wanted?

POSITION
Mother, Mom, Mama, Mommy, Ma

JOB DESCRIPTION:
Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities. Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices. Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION:
Virtually none. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE:
None required unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION:
Get this! You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS:
While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs for life if you play your cards right.



this was an email forward I received a while ago. My daughter may only be a few months old but I am beginning to really, truly undestand and appreciate this! Especially after the past few days!