Jesse Tree

subtitled: How I am NOT a craft person.

Once upon a time, my dear husband saw an advertisement for a felt Jesse Tree. "We need such a great learning tradition in our house," he thought. Not only that, but we must share the wealth with some amazing God-children of ours. Surely their parents, too, will appreciate the unique, kid-friendly Advent tradition.

And so we quickly shipped the off to those poor, unsuspecting friends.

And then we opened ours. And we realized that this was not going to be a simple project. In fact, this was WAY more involved than this Mama, or that Daddy, tends to be artistically inclined towards.

The kit consisted of plain sheets of colored felt, and papers with diagrams and outlines. We then had to cut intricate shapes out of felt and glue different colors and shapes together to create the 29 various characters that tell the stories of the Messianic Prophesy.

I now feel I owe an apology to the mothers to whom we sent the kit. It's, uh, FUN! It was a great bonding moment!

No, really, it turned out great. My stars are lopsided. Adam and Eve have an arm defect. The parting of the Red Sea looks like blue moose antlers. And it was kinda fun after all. Just a fun, old-fashioned family event involving VERY sharp scissors and a large glass of wine.

My favorite part, of course, is now that it's done. It hangs right at the girls' eye level, and they are free to rearrange (Jesus keeps ending up in Mary's arms, how-cute-is-that!), touch (Anastasia, where did you put David's crown again?), and play with. Every day Bella brings me various pieces as asks me to tell the story of each one. She is learning a LOT of bible stories this way, and it's fun to be able to reference VeggieTales or recall the stories from their children's Bible. We even have a David song that we sing a lot.

In fact, despite the tedious work of the initial assembly, I have to say I really like it, and look forward to continuing the tradition each year.

It's All Perspective

At the beginning of Advent we excitedly began reintroducing traditions of the season. The girls loved the colored candles - what little girl can resist pink and purple candles in the middle of the table?

They loved wearing purple to Mass each week and "matching Father." This past Sunday Bella wore a purple dress and pink tights, and announced that she was "dressed like an Advent wreath!"

Our Jesse tree has been a big hit, hanging right at their eye-level and so accessible to little fingers. (uh, for better or worse they can touch it all the time.)

Not everything has been okay, though. There was, in fact, a terrible disappointment for them. Baby Jesus was missing. Bella, near tears : " But Mary will miss Him if He's not there!" "I will be so sAD if I can not see Him!" (she's a little dramatic.) Anastasia kept asking "Where Jesus?" "Happy Birday Jesus now?" They just did not understand the empty manger.

They fixed the problem.

Wordless Wednesday

"How's Your Advent Going?" edition

A Birthday For Anastasia

Pure JOY

BallOONS!

Presents!

CAKE!

Giggles

Sibling Lovin'














Pure Exhaustion

Who is TWO?!?!

Happy Birthday to my sweet, precious, delicate, feminine Anastasia-Saurus.




At 26 lbs you are still a little shrimp, but you pack a lot of power despite your size. No one will ever brush by you! Also despite your size you really enjoy food, you are happy eating almost anything.






You are a Little Miss Independent for sure. You potty-trained yourself 6 months ago when Joey was born! You insist on eating with a utensil and without a bib. "Bib NO bib. BABY bib." You could be a poster child for spray-n-wash but you insist on doing everything yourself. Of course, once you make a mess, even a small one, you insist on removing all of your clothing. You like to clean up afterward!

I love the way you play with your baby doll. You hold, rock, feed, and scold your baby like a good little Mama. Then like a busy little Mama you tuck her under your arm and go about your other activities. You can be seen wearing or holding a baby almost all the time.

You have a new interest in books for something other than their projectile potential, and this makes Mama very proud. Nothing is sweeter than the sound of you "reading" or singing the books. Speaking of singing, last week you sang all the Mass parts. Loudly.

Anastasia, you are truly a precious gift to me. You delight me with your abundant silliness, amuse me with your independence, and make me laugh so often. You never fail to surprise us with what you know that you aren't saying (like the ABCs you said today or the shapes you suddenly identified unprompted) and what you are saying ("other people go home? other people sing Haaaaappy Birday to MMEEEEE!")

Happy Birthday, big girl 2-year-old.

'Tis the Season

Now that we have slowly awakened ourselves from the turkey-coma, it is time for the joy-filled, highly-anticipated, excitement-building activity of...

CHRISTMAS CARDS!

Last year we opted for photo cards, and it was so nice we're doing it again this year! Now I understand that nothing takes the place of a nice hand-written note; like many people, I have a great nostalgia for the beauty of old-fashioned correspondence. Here in the world of Little Ones, however, there is beauty and love in the convenience of a internet-ordered picture card!

At SHUTTERFLY.COM you will find over 800 choices. Lucky for me, though, you can search through them by descriptors, making the selection at least a little easier. Easier, that is, if you can decide between fanciful and childish or classy and pretty. I will always go for one that says "Merry Christmas" myself.











Throwing a party sometime this winter? I know nothing about sending out invitations, but I hear that some people do. Of course, I would probably pick these because the snowmen are drinking.



One of my favorite gift ideas is thanks to my friend Maria, who makes custom calendars for extended family! There are a lot of selections, and while I've never price-shopped these things, Shutterfly does have several styles marked down 50%!


For now I know I'll be ordering our Christmas cards soon. First challenge? Getting 3 kids to pose for a decent picture! Do you think anyone would notice if I just picked the models' pictures?

Happy Thanksgiving!

JOEY JOEY JOEY JOEY

Today is 6 weeks to the day since Joey's open-heart surgery! That means he is officially now done with the recovery period and is HEALED from it!

We have learned a lot of lessons on true gratitude, all-encompassing thankfulness in these past 5 months. Today is truly a

!!!!!!!HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!
Our 3 most beautiful, perfect blessings

Now thank we all our God
With heart and hand and voices
Who wondrous things has done
in Whom this world rejoices
Who from our mothers' arms
Hath blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of Love
And still is ours today.

Thankfulness List

~ For girls who love to sing silly songs and dance in the kitchen

~ kids' artwork on a dirty backdoor

~ my husband's new job

~ my husband's new commute

~ my husband's new smile

~ family that are also friends

~ the Eucharist : the perfect, most intimate gift God offers us.

~ friends that have become family

~ conversation that brings joy to my heart

~ baby Joey home

~ being able to tell Bella that Joey is not going back to the hospital anytime soon

~ having only 1 child in diapers

~ Mama Mary teaching me how to love Jesus more each day

~ a short walk to people I love

~ VeggieTales and snuggle time

~ girly giggles between sisters

~ peace and quiet during naptime

~ other women who inspire me

~ people who challenge me

~ the doctors, nurses, therapists, and staff at Children's hospital

~ red wine

~ hot coffee

~ not always in that order

~ and...

A Word of Thanks

Certainly this week awakens even the most dormant soul to a profound gratefulness, and I am no exception. Each day I try to be openly thankful for the abundant blessings that surround me, but often I forget the "open" part. Too often people forget to say out loud the gratitude of their hearts, and I too often fall into that category. So this week, some words of Thanksgiving.

I am so grateful for my husband. He is a strong and holy man who is working on attaining heaven and is set on bringing us with him. I could never ask for more in my spouse!

Two specific points for today:
~Patrick is always trying to help make my life easier. Sometimes it's folding laundry during football, because he knows I mean to get to it during the week. Really, I do. But then the weekend rolls around (or midweek evening games) he rounds up whatever kid is interested and they head down to watch and fold. Sometimes he buys a present that he is certain will make my life easier. Sometimes it's just a suggestion or hint for an idea that will help in my daily routine. No matter what it is or even if it ends up helping, the point is that he is acutely aware of how hard I work around the house with our 3 little ones, and he wants to lessen the stress as much as possible.
~When Joey was in and out of the hospital, and as we faced one life-threatening event after another, Patrick was my rock. He truly acted as Christ to me - strong, gentle, loving, supportive, constant. Every breath we took we took together. When my heart would shake there was my loving husband. Holding hands saying the Rosary on our way down there the night after Joey's first surgery. (We got a call things weren't going well.) Singing to Joey while he was sedated. Singing to him while he was awake. Holding me watching Joey's body fight for life. The biggest testimony to my husband's faith is perhaps the day that Joey went into cardiac arrest. While we were shaking in the shock of being told they were performing CPR, Patrick reminded me that Joey was fin - he is Baptized and Confirmed. He is fine, it was us we were worried about. A man of faith, filled with love.

I could never of imagined what we would be asked to go through already, but I am eternally thankful for my husband Patrick. Each day is a reminder of what a gift he is to me.

Quick Takes

Here I go, trying to be cool enough to hook up with the Linky List with Jen @ Conversion Diary.

1,

I went through the majority of today thinking it was Thursday. I'm not sure if it's related to the fact I just realized yesterday that Thanksgiving is next week (!) or the fact that my husband will be gone all day tomorrow so the usual advantages to a relaxing Friday night are null and void, or if it is simply a testimony to my overall state of incompetence right now. Perhaps it's most likely a symptom of my life being one long run-on day, much like that last sentence.

2,

The girls have gotten completely spoiled this week by... their father! The have decided that popcorn pajama time with a movie should be a nightly event. Last night we got home late after our monthly grocery store date night and they were shocked and appalled to discover that meant a normal bedtime routine. How terrible.

3,

It started as a typo, but I like the commas instead of periods after the numbers. It makes me feel so Italian. Or maybe everyone is laughing at me.

4,

Confession: I have an almost sadistic love of tickling babies. I just love the way their whole bodies just crumple up and they gasp for breath. My poor Joey has spent the past 10 minutes a victim for my amusement, but gauging from his smile I suspect he doesn't mind too much.

5,

It took until just this week, but I am finally embracing the arrival of autumn. Each year I live in a state of denial for a while, and thus often almost miss some of the beauty! I do love the cooling weather, the rosy cheeks that display after a good play outside, and the colorful palate of leaves. However, it wasn't until yesterday when I stepped outside and went "[Yikes], it's COLD and crisp! And our neighbor has started up his wood stove!" that I finally conceded the fact it is, in fact, fall.

6,


A parenting first for us last night - we had to call poison control! On our way home from the grocery Anastasia ate an entire small tube of toothpaste. We were reassured that the small tubes do not have enough flouride to be a threat.

7,

I have a proposition for the next Food Network reality series. To Heck with all those "next big star" and "who's really the best cook in the world" shows. What they really need is a Real Life Kitchen in a Real Life House With Toddlers show. I could teach people a thing or two about squeaking out the occasional nutritious meal with hands in the mixing bowl and feet dancing on top of mine and the baby laughing in the background. On the other hand, those top chefs couldn't handle that kind of heat, so stay outta my kitchen. :)

Quotable Quotes

When Joey was born, so so long ago before we knew just how special his little heart was, Bella took the liberty of explaining things to Anastasia. The morning that Patrick and I were in the hospital, over breakfast with Gram:
"Anastasia. Mama and Daddy have a new Baby. You are not the baby anymore, so we can't be carrying you everywhere. You will have to walk."

Anastasia, new words, new pronunciations: "Gram" is very clearly, very loudly, very emphatically said "DAM!"

I guess there's no greater insult:
Bella: "Anastasia, I will not pray for you because you are being mean. I will not pray for bad guys."
a few minutes later: "Holy Mary and Jesus, bless Anastasia, Joey, and me. Even when she's mean."


to Gra'm -
Bella: "Gram, we are very lucky to have you here!"

Bella: "Mama, you are the cutetest Mama in the whole world!"

An Incredible 5 Months

It just isn't possible. FIVE MONTHS??? I am certain I've known him my whole life.

Most certain, t00, is that I have aged much much more. Perhaps a year or two. Or ten. My Boy, my precious, perfect, darling little boy is 5 months old!!!

Each child is a miraculous gift from God, no doubt. Every child brings mystery and excitement to life. Some children seem to just come overflowing with lessons. A whole new meaning to "My cup runneth over."

I have not written a lot of my reflections about Joey because writing makes one face what they may not be able to face at that moment. Each challenge we encountered was handled with prayer and trust, but not a lot of thinking. Thinking just isn't possible when your baby is on life-support. Thinking is not possible when you're waiting to hear the outcome of the CPR they're performing. Thinking is not possible when you scoop your healthy-looking baby out of bed for open-heart surgery. No, we tried to avoid too much thinking.

But now we REJOICE! Our house feels like Easter every time we look at our Joey! When he smiles, truly, the whole world smiles. (10 points if you're singing that song in your head now, like I am!) Each milestone is cheered as if no other baby has ever done it before him. There was a long time of not knowing what neurological setbacks he would face. Joey has decided to pleasantly surprise us this time :) Each milestone reached is a major celebration in our world!

Joey is a happy baby. He smiles SO much! I'm pretty sure it started because he was flirting with the nurses. He is a charmer, for sure! He loves to giggle in a light, quiet little way. Yesterday Big Sister Bella was being silly, and Joey BURST into a huge belly-laugh! TOO funny!
Eating is a favorite past-time for this not-so-little Little Guy! At 15 lbs he is my biggest baby yet! (And to think, he's the "sick" one?) Eating began as a major challenge, too, with the vocal chord paresis and thickened feeds and his refusal to resume breastfeeding. *sigh* But, Praise God for the availability of formula, because he continues to impress everyone with his healthy size!

It has been very exciting to see him reaching all around him for toys. He has a favorite wrestle buddy (thankfully not Anastasia) - he loves his stuffed Geico Gecko. SO funny to watch him roll and reach for it, then bring it to his mouth and babble at it! And speaking of babble, my goodness that boy is a talker! He loves to babble and coo at everything around him, and his volume is shocking at times! He has a lot to say, and wants to make sure his sisters quiet down every once in a while and listen.
He loves to make raspberries and play smacking sounds with his lips.
Dearest Joseph Thomas, you have been more than we could have ever expected, and a beautiful and perfect Gift.

Success for Joey!

Joey's open-heart surgery was a SUCCESS!  Praise God, the surgeon was able to close his very large hole and remove the band that had been helping to equalize pressures.

For more details and a drawn diagram of his heart defects, visit

http://joeytramma.blogspot.com


Praise God!
Thank you for your prayers!

Kate and Patrick

Applesauce

subtitled: In which I pretend to be Pioneer Woman



Necessary supplies:


A wonderfully helpful husband

A couple of extra willing participants. We must keep life interesting, don' we?

Tip of the day: Bring the kids into the kitchen, set up a step-stool, and deal with the mess later. They absolutely love participating, and they haven't stopped eating the applesauce since then, either.

One willing NON-participant. Perhaps the most important part of this equation, although it did not last nearly long enough. Of course.


A perfectly sliced apple - a thing of beauty. We used a "food press" - like a little guillotine for produce, LOVE it!


I love the mix of apples. The variety adds a delicious depth of flavor, mixing sweet with tart. mmmmmmmm.

No less beautiful in the pot. Cooked down until soft, but hopefully rescued before too mushy.




One awesome stand mixer with grinder and fruit strainer attachments. The machine that has changed my kitchen-dwelling experience. Feed the apples - cores, skins, seeds, and all - into the top and watch the magic happen.


Look at that gorgeous color!

No really, it's incredible.


What a whole bushel looks like sauced. That's a full 12 quart stockpot.

I don't have any pictures of the processing step, in which the filled jars are bathed in boiling water (outside on a propane burner) and then cooled to create the seal. The "popping" sound is pretty cool, though.

Hey now, keep your paws off that beautiful finished product! 9 jars of yummy goodness, actually.


See, Pioneer Woman Ree, you don't have to feel threatened at all. Not that you did, of course - if I were really you it would have been better photography, a delicious recipe, certainly butter, and been funny. I will never hold a candle, but a girl can dream can't I?

Wordless Wednesday

"I found my thumb!" edition:

Quick Takes

No fanfare here this week - just some simple quick thoughts running around in my brain. I have to put them down before they fall out again.

~~~

My little Joey is doing really well and growing fast. His next surgery, the big open-heart one to close his enormous hole, will be October 14th. Prayers are more than appreciated - they are how I breathe. Thank you.

~

I am in love with my new camera. No really, it's my fourth kid - I bring it everywhere, I'm highly protective, and I sing it to sleep at night. Just kidding. A huge thanks to my in-laws for an awesome digital Nikon D3000. With as much of a picture-taking fanatic as I am, it is wonderful to have high quality pictures of my high quality kids. I wasn't sure if it would be too much camera for me to handle, but not only can I take good pictures, it helps them be great pictures. Now if Nikon would like to take that as an endorsement and offer me free stuff then I'll hold a giveaway. Don't hold your breath, though; it was just my opinion.

~

3 kids, ages 3 and under. Only 1 of them is in diapers! Please don't think that I'm bragging - after working hard at it with Bella she is now dry even overnight. The week that Joey was born Anastasia took off her diaper and went pee in the potty. (Or, "peeeeeeee pooooeeeyyy" as she tends to loudly pronounce.) The next day she wouldn't let me put a diaper on her. In 3 months I could count on fingers (and I have the usual number) the number of accidents she has had. Now I have 2 girls in big-girl panties, which really just means I have 2 girls announcing they need a "potty pause" in the middle of Mass. See, don't be that jealous.

~

I actually put both girls in the same room to nap today since they had already fallen asleep in the car. They share a room overnight, but usually I don't tempt fate with the naps. I figured that I would get some laundry put away instead. So I promptly came down to get on the computer, and now, 25 minutes later, they are both awake and playing. That's the end of that; we'll leave the extra crib up in the guest room after all.

~

This summer has been really hard on the girls. When Joey was admitted to the hospital it was completely unexpected. They then faced 4 weeks of us going back and forth, them staying at home with Gram and unable to visit because he was so sick in ICU. Then he came home and we worked at establishing normal life again. Then he was back in the hospital for another week unexpectedly. Anyone have experience with this? I think they're coping well, but I still wonder if anyone has good resources. Especially since we will go through this again in just a few weeks.

~

Figures that there's a infant formula recall. Joey is the first on formula (after 3 months of breastmilk with complicated feeding.) Just in case I didn't hate the whole formula thing anyways, now I'm checking to see if my little cardiac kid has been eating with bugs. Awesome. (P.S. I'm not actually worried. Just annoyed at the irony.)

~

Welcome Fall! How I used to despise you, deny your very existence! Now I welcome you with open arms and great excitement. Of course, today is 93* and we're going swimming.

~~~

Don't forget there are wonderful posts to read over at Jen's!

Being Three

... Is Helpful

... Is Loving and Gentle

... Is Abundant Silliness

Check out those purple fingernails! She's been waiting a while for those :)

... Is Getting Brave and trying new things
... Is a word of discovery with a strong dose of independence.

Joey Update

Please pray for Joey, again! We came in this morning for his second cardiac cath to dilate his aortic valve, and things did not go quite as planned.

Patrick posted on the Joey Blog, so please take a moment to check it out.

Will try to update more as possible, but again we'll be in the hospital for a few days. Hopefully just for more monitoring.

St. Joseph, Pray for him!!!

Wordless Wednesday

Actually, this could be a downright speechless Wednesday...



10 Adults, 17 kids ages 6 and under, 4 families. Our own little Catholic Fertility Support Group. Oh, and the best friends anyone could ever hope for.

His Precious Heart

Settling into one of my favorite positions, I snuggled him onto my chest. I felt each little breath with his head nuzzled under my chin. I closed my eyes in complete contentment.

Never before had I been literally moved to tears by the simplicity yet magnificence of a beating heart.

A Roller-Coaster

I'm not going to pretend otherwise - the emotions are on overdrive! We welcomed a beautiful, perfect, healthy Baby into our family just over 3 weeks ago. We brought him home, subjecting him to the chaos and love that makes up normalcy in our home. His home. I was surprised by the amount he slept! I was happy that he only seemed to want to nurse once overnight. He was gaining weight and watching his sisters. I snuggled him on the swing and went grocery shopping with just him. Normal life looked promising.

I watched him start to struggle to breathe. "Wow," I thought, "I know babies breathe fast but look at him. Look at his toes, so purple. My girls had little blue toes but his look so dark. Was that nasal flaring?" My usual easy-going demeanor was being replaced by a paranoia every time I looked at him. I was so thankful his follow-up was close and we could hurry and clear up my unfounded concerns. The doctor went with his gut reaction, saying that if we waited until Monday he wouldn't sleep all weekend. God Bless him. My concerns were not unfounded. My suspicions were correct - we had a beautiful, perfect little boy, but he was not healthy.

Although the calendar says he's been in the hospital for 2 weeks I'm sure it's been 4 months. From scared to hopeful to relieved to scared to concerned to hopeful - lather, rinse, repeat. And that's multiple times a day, most days. He has had 2 surgeries, 12 medications, 2 life-supporting machines, heart monitoring, central venous access, drainage tube, oxygen level monitoring, countless echocardiograms, 1 CT scan, 1 MRI, blood draws. His little body has been through more than most people will experience in 50 years of life.

Sometimes I look at him in pure awe - that God's precious gift to us would teach us so much so quickly. That it is thanks to the wonders of modern medicine that he is alive and the prognosis is so good. That someone who was so sick and so tiny could be such a fighter. That God loves us so much to allow us this challenge. Sometimes I picture his face and my arms ache to hold him. I know much more capable Arms are cradling him when I can't. My only consolation is the reassurance that the ONE in charge Loves Joey even more than I do. It doesn't help the emotional roller-coaster, but it's true.


For on-going updates about Joseph's condition, please check out http://joeytramma.blogspot.com the blog we started just for updates in his condition.

Baby Joey Update

First, thank you all SO much for your prayers and support!!! To say it brings peace and hope in such a time would be an understatement. It is how I breathe. I did not truly grasp the power of prayer until I found myself unable to remember any words but still knew I was surrounded by spiritual help.

I wanted to update and clarify what is going on with Joseph, as a LOT has happened!!! Joey underwent surgery yesterday (was it really just yesterday???) Tues to correct his aortic artery. The surgery went very well and Joey tolerated it all quite nicely. We were there as he started to come out of anesthesia and he opened his eyes nice and big at the sound of Daddy's voice!

Last night, several hours post-op, his tiny little body was so tired of fighting. His blood pressure and oxygen levels dropped. Although they were able to stabalize him with medications, his lactic acid and creatinine levels were climbing, indicating that his heart was still not strong enough to provide adequate circulation. They monitored closely all night and this morning made the decision to place him on a heart/lung bypass machine (EcHMO, for my medical friends.) Although he is not breathing on his own and is totally sedated and medically paralyzed, his own little heart is still beating, doing its best. This machine "simply" provides support by circulating and oxygenating some of his blood also. THe good news is that his kidneys are already waking up, a sign that the machine is doing its job.

Tomorrow (Thurs) he will undergo a procedure to correct his aortic valve, which is much smaller than it should be. This is what they suspect caused the problem last night. He will remain on the ECHMO throughout it, and until he stabalizes afterward. Their goal is to wean him from the machine gradually over the weekend. There is about a 60% success rate for kids coming off the bypass.

We have a VERY long road ahead of us, taking one day at a time. Sometimes one minute at a time. I am SO grateful for the prayers and practical support, an outpouring of LOVE and generosity. Joseph was baptized and confirmed Saturday by a brand-newly Ordained Fr. Mick Kelly, who has been back to visit us and offer his blessings and Holy Communion. This is a constant source of strength for us! Please continue to lift Joey up in prayer!

JOSEPH UPDATE:

Baby Joseph did very well with the Sx, but took a turn for the worse last night and is now on a heart/lung ASSIST machine that supports his body's function. He is not breathing on his own, but his little heart is tickin' away doing its best. The bypass machine helps support his circulation, but has not needed to completely take over. This will allow his body to receive the circulation they need without taxing his ticker too badly. Tomorrow sometime he will undergo a procedure to correct his aortic valve, which is what they suspect caused the complication from being too small. Although stable right now, he is still deep in the woods and we definitely need the continued prayers! St. Joseph, PRAY FOR HIM!!!

I will continue to attempt to update as much as possible, although I don't expect this to be often. My dear friend Alexis has been posting to her blog, and there is a group going on facebook. We are humbled and amazed at the outpouring of love and support!

Storming Heaven!

Well, that precious little boy Joseph barely had time to acclimate to the overload of his sisters' hugs and kisses before his, and our, world turned upside-down.

He began to have trouble breathing by the end of his first week, and an x-ray revealed an enlarged heart, and an echocardiogram confirmed 3 major heart defects. Joseph is now down at Children's Hospital in Washington, DC, and will have surgery tomorrow - Tuesday June 15th, at 7:30am.

This surgery will be to correct the first and most serious of the defects, which is a long stretch of the aorta that is too skinny. This means that there is not enough blood flow to the rest of his tiny little body, AND that his little heart is working overtime and wearing itself out. By removing that constricted portion his heart will begin to relax and beat the way it should. He will have at least one more surgery and several more procedures in the future when he is older, bigger, and stronger.

I realize this is a very cut-and-dry, simplified explanation. It is 11 pm and my Baby is having surgery tomorrow morning. PLEASE PLEASE PRAY!!! I hope to write more about what's going on in the upcoming days/weeks, as there has been so much going on. In the meantime, just keep Joey in your thoughts and prayers.

Saint Joseph, pray for us!!!
Saint Thomas, pray for us!!!

Introducing the Tramma Boy!

Joseph Thomas, born June 4th

Weighed in at 7lbs, 3.5 ozs and 20 inches long


Already a hit with the Ladies


What is a Little Man to do with all this Love and Affection?

He arrived safely after a natural 8 hour labor, with Mama (obviously), Daddy, and the nurse midwife all excited to greet him! We think he's pretty cute, and given the fact he's been sleeping like a newborn should he's welcome to stay. :)

Quotable Quotes

Bella: "Gram will be here in 2 weeks, and she is going to bring our newborn Baby with her." (ah, if only it were that easy! Can I sign up for that kind of L&D?)


"I'll be three in a minute." (whew, yeah they grow fast but really...)


"I woke up too early this morning, but then I had a nice rest. I laid upon my bed and singed songs about it until I woke up and feel well-rested now."

" Goofy Face "