Breeder's Cup

This is the end of an era. I am off to the hospital now for my procedure. I am feeling good about it, content that I am making the right decision. I am definitely lucky that I don't feel ambivalent about not wanting to bear any more children. My family is complete and we have been blessed with two healthy and happy children.

As Cory took the kids off to Miss Maria's today, I stood in the doorway and watched as they left. My heart swelled with pride knowing that this body grew those babies, gave birth to those babies, and fed those babies. This body has served me well and for that I am grateful.

Thank you Beatrice and Theo for giving me the chance to be your mama. I treasure forever that moment the nurses put each of you on my chest and I breathed in every last bit of you, knowing that you were mine.

To My Lovely Beatrice

My lovely Beatrice, things around here have been quite hectic. You've been a trooper, patiently waiting for Mommy and Daddy to play with you in between getting things ready for your new brother or sister. Mostly you've been allowed to watch more cartoons than usual and you're not complaining about it. I hope to continue these posts to you (or about you) once your brother or sister is here. I am going to try my best to keep these tributes to you going, so when you see Mama on the computer (or 'puter as you call it,) feel free to grab a rattle and entertain your brother or sister while I try and string 2 coherent sentences together.

You've grown so much in the past couple of months. You are talking up a storm and providing many laughable moments. Last month, your Daddy and I were in the kitchen, tying a piece of pork and banana leaves with twine. You dragged your stool over to see what all the kitchen counter excitement was about. You kept saying that you couldn't see, you needed a 'telescope.' Then you reached for the long tube of twine and held it up to your eye, just like a telescope, proclaiming triumphantly, "All better, I see now." You are a smart little one.

The other night when I was sitting next to you, you reached over, threw your arm around my shoulder and exclaimed "You my best send ('friend'... you're still having trouble with the 'f's.) You melt my heart on a daily basis.

Earlier this week, while chatting in the car, I asked you, "Did you nap today for Miss Bah?" (She had already told me that you fussed for an hour before she went in to get you.) You stated matter-of- factly "Miss Bah take me out of my bed." So it was clearly her fault... interesting 2 year old logic.

Yesterday when I picked you up from Miss Maria's, you could barely wait until I made it up the stairs to show me your hands. Miss Maria (or 'Mia' as you call her) had painted your nails. For some reason you keep saying she 'pierced' your nails. You keep looking at your little pink fingernails and rubbing them. You are such a little girl.

I am so excited to see what a great big sister you will grow into. You have been so nice to Mama lately, rubbing my belly, talking to the baby, and putting your old toys and books in the baby's crib. Please remember that you will always be my first baby girl, the one who showed me how to truly love unconditionally and how to truly be a mama. I love you, precious girl.

3 Become 6

My two oldest and bestest friends have been in my life for nearly 25 years. We've been through everything together. There is something so comforting about having friends that know everything about you. It saves so much explanation time.

We currently find ourselves in the unique circumstance of all being pregnant at the same time. If we all have girls (Bri knows she's having a girl, Alli will find out the gender via ultrasound next month, and I'll await the doctor's announcement in 3 weeks on Lillian's birthday!), we could be growing this group to 5 little girls! Regardless of how the sexes play out, I cannot wait to watch this brood of kids grow up together.

3BFFs, 2 babies outside, 3 babies inside

The Monthly Give- June 2010

June's monthly give is coming a bit early. It is actually the brainchild of my lovely sister, Isabel. She and my mother hosted a wonderful surprise get together for me to celebrate the upcoming arrival of Baby #2. I was totally caught off guard. I've been told I'm really easy to surprise (or clueless as my kind husband commented.)

It was the sweetest afternoon, spent relaxing with family. They made all my favorite foods and my sister made the cutest little favors (baby powder scented organic soy candles in baby food jars.)

The best part of the day was that my sister asked everyone, in lieu of gifts, to bring a donation for Room to Grow. Here's some info from their website:

Room to Grow's program provides parents raising babies in poverty with one-on-one parenting support and essential baby items throughout their children's critical first three years of life. Parents expecting a baby are referred to Room to Grow by selected prenatal programs assisting low-income families. Upon their referral, parents visit Room to Grow's warm and inviting space once every three months from just before the birth of the baby until their child turns three. During their one-on-one appointments with our staff social workers, typically lasting two hours, parents receive developmental information, customized support, and all of the needed baby items to ensure a healthy and secure start for their child.

It was so special to me that people donated items in this baby's name to such a great organization. Everyone was so generous! (And some out of towners even made monetary donations.) I am so lucky to be surrounded by such charitable loved ones.

It warms my heart to think that this baby is coming into the world engulfed in a spirit of giving.

Cheers!

Beatrice, you have this funny habit of saying "Cheers" everytime we have two of something. So if we're both reading a book, you'll say Cheers and we'll tap books. Or drinks. Or muppins (muffins.) The other day I was kneeling down to help you with something and you pulled up your shirt, marched over to me, and thrust your belly into mine, proclaiming "Cheers." Our belly to belly toast made me smile all day long. You are precious.

Mooooo

Did you guys watch The Office last Thursday? It's the one where Pam delivers her baby. Cory and I watched it over the weekend. I loved how they acurately depicted the challenges of breastfeeding. There was no sugar coating the drama that can ensue when a baby won't latch. It totally took me back 2 years to our hospital room, hunched over a red-faced shrieking, starving alien of a baby while a chatty lactation consultant instructed Cory on how to help 'express' the milk for the baby. Wow, here's to hoping the next nursing experience goes better than the first. And here's to hoping my husband doesn't won't have to 'milk' me.

Babies: A Documentary

I just got a cavity watching this trailer.

Under the Sea

Julian celebrated his first birthday this past weekend, Under the Sea style. It was a full blown oceanic explosion. You know the Perez sisters love a theme and endless hours of crafts and preparation. And our poor husbands and mother know better than to fight it ("Sure, you want real coral. No problem. A live octopus, I'm on it.") My sister (and Dave) did a great job. Here are some of the details.

At the Beach shark fin cupcakes, beach umbrella and sand cupcakes, and fishie cupcakes.

And because my sister is a sicko, one of the cupcakes was Jaws-themed.

Julian seemed to enjoy the cupcake's inside as much as the outside. Do you love his fist method of eating? I've never seen anything like it. He squeezes the life out of his food with his fat little fingers, then eats whatever comes through. It doesn't get much cuter.

Has all this sweetness given you a cavity? Not yet. Maybe you need a trip to the Sand (Candy) Bar?
There were also lots of photo ops. I caught one of the Buteni clan. Isabel bought this photo cutout but it only had the MerMan and MerMaid on it so our ever-talented artist friend, Jessica Dunegan, painted in the MerBaby. No one really liked my SeaMaids and SeaMen joke.

Beatrice didn't quite know what to make of the whole getting your face shoved in a hole thing. (I am resisting the urge to type "That's what she said." Oops, looks like I just did.)

Speaking of photo ops, there was a celebrity sighting... Ariel, a la Little Mermaid. Sorry for distance shot but I was trying to play it cool, all non-Paparazzi.

And of course, its not an ocean themed party without swimming. I spy a couple of porpoises in the water. Dave had those shipped in special.

And you gotta love a hostess that even dresses the part. Note the shells in the hair, shell necklace and earrings. She wrongfully ignored my conch shell bra suggestion.

So I'd say the party went swimmingly (I couldn't resist.)

More pics of all the fun here and here.

Happy Birthday, My Beautiful Boy

Julian, you turned 1 year old today. As I type this I am thinking about when your papa called me around 8 in the morning to tell me that your mama had come through her surgery and you were with us in this world. When he told me that you were a boy and that your name was Julian, I cried, so happy and so relieved that you all came through the long couple of days in one piece.

Since the day you were born, you've been a gentle soul. I love you more than I could ever have imagined loving a child that didn't come from my very own belly. I love your soft chubby thighs, your thick blond hair, your ocean blue eyes, your dimply little fists, your tiny little toes. I love your calm demeanor, your ability to sleep anywhere, your constant smile. I love your enthusiasm and joy every time you see your cousin Beatrice and Uncle Cory. They may be your 2 favorite people next to your parents (and me of course).

I can't wait to celebrate at least 100 more birthdays with you.

Memorial Day Weekend Wrap Up

I, like the rest of us working stiffs, love a 3 day weekend. In my case, I made it a 4 day weekend. There were many highlights and a few lowlights.

Here are the many highlights:

• Holding little Annabelle, Molly and Bobby's latest miracle. There's nothing better than the smell and warmth of a newly sprouted baby.
• Making sushi with Cory, while having a couple beers. Catching up with my husband.
• Watching Beatrice re-discover a whole collection of toys. As most parents do, we swap out her toys every couple of months. It's funny to see what she gravitates towards. This time it's an old fashioned doll (you know, the kinds we had when we were kids with those creepy, eyelashed bobbly eyes.) She hasn't put this doll down. She kisses her, washes her with a washcloth, feeds her (in her eyeballs... not sure why she doesn't aim for the mouth), and sniffs her when you ask if the baby has a poop.
• Planting the vegetable garden.
• Avoiding 2 torrential rain storms in Boston, then J.P. Mother nature, you will not beat us.
• Enjoying my first ice cream cone with my daughter. I am not one to share my ice cream with anyone. She's now the exception. And of course, I forgot my camera. I'm sure there will be many more ice cream treats this summer.
• Laughing as Beatrice went buckwild while my mom soaked her with the garden hose.
• Smiling as the children played together. Can you tell which one doesn't much like being the 'horsie'?

Here are the few lowlights:

• Getting stuck in traffic for 2 hours on Rt. 95. There was a major accident that required haz-mat suits and a shutdown of all but one lane. Just to add salt to the wound, my AC and radio were broken. I did have my dinky Walkman in my gym bag in the car. It got one one station--- the one station that prided itself on 9 traffic updates per hour. I was reminded of my dire situation 18 times. At least my car was kind enough to wait to purge its muffler until I pulled onto my street. My car is currently at the mechanic getting all of its insides fixed.
• Coming home the day after planting the garden to find out from the neighbors that the rain storm in the city was actually a hail storm here. Not thinking that's too good for a newly planted garden?!? Fine, Mother Nature, you win.
• Wincing every time Beatrice ran into garden hose water stream. My mother hadn't quite mastered her new nozzle. She was only utilizing the power wash blast mode... not really giving the mist option a try.
• Allergies. Not mine, Cory's. Poor guy is allergic to air. This is how he mows the lawn. Just in case the neighbors weren't already talking...

How did you spend your long weekend?

Kissing Cousins

Isabel and Dave graciously took the babe overnight last night. We had a grown up night out and slept until 9 a.m. I feel young again.

Its so cute to see the 2 babies together. They go crazy when they see each other. They spent all day together on Thursday, then were re-united last night. You'd think they hadn't been together in months the way their little fat faces lit up. I hope this unbridled, innocent enthusiasm never goes away. Well maybe the enthusiasm can be bridled a bit as they get older....we're not looking for this to blossom into a George Michael Bluth/Maeby Funke kind of love.