There's only one October

Our family just loves this time of year with the leaves changing and the temperatures dropping from the hot summer heat to the cool crisp fall air. The cooler weather means that it's time for our annual trip to the pumpkin patch which can only mean Halloween is right around the corner, followed closely by Thanksgiving, Brooklyn's birthday and Christmas. The last three months of the year are just the best.

Here's a few shots of our annual pumpkin patch trip.

And, our pumpkins with their pumpkins... Brooklyn and Daddy all dressed in their Halloween best...

(Tierney went as a baby and Mommy went as well a Mommy of two!)

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Next up for our family: Tierney's baptism on Sunday.

Maybe, Sometime...

Maybe, sometime soon I'll have this baby. For a person who was not gifted with an incredible amount of patience, the wait is killing me. I know I have a week and two days left until my due date, but I am so ready to go into labor at any moment. My body is telling me something could potentially be happening, but that doesn't mean it will happen right away. I remember being like two centimeters dilated with Brooklyn for a long time and she wasn't born until after her due date. This time around, I have gotten myself so ready that I am already acting like I am passed my actual due date. I am just that ready to welcome my new bundle of girlie joy into my world. Will she come tomorrow? Saturday? Or two weeks from now? I have no clue. It will all be according to God's plan and while that should keep my mind and heart at peace, it's not. I'm trying to be patient, but it's not working so well. I just really want to hold my little baby girl and introduce her to her big sister and begin the next stage of my life as a mommy of two precious little girls. I'm just so ready...please, oh, please, let labor begin soon!

The Waiting Game

We've officially entered the stage of pregnancy that I call "The Waiting Game." This is the period when my baby could be born, and she would be okay healthwise, but at the same time, I want her to stay put until she's just a bit more baked. (I know, the comparing the womb to an oven seems odd at times, but I guess it makes sense.) So, we wait. We don't know when she'll decide it's time to join our family. It could be tomorrow, it could be on my actual due date, or it could be after it. I was two days late with Brooklyn and I remember those last four weeks just droning on forever and ever. I never thought that the days would pass, let alone weeks. But, they finally did and what did we have to show for all our waiting? Our precious Brooklyn.

To be honest, I am not the most patient person in the world. It's something that definitely doesn't come naturally to me, but it's something I work on every day. Having patience as a mother is pretty important especially when you're trying to set a good example for your kids and help them gain this trait. I will admit that I am not always perfect in this department, actually often times I fail. So, when it comes to having to be patient for the arrival of my baby girl, it's a definite struggle, especially when I keep having contractions on and off all day long and some of them are way more painful than others.

We have her room complete. The walls are painted. The new bumper pads and curtains that my mom made are in their places. The new carpet is installed. All of the baby clothes size newborn to three months are washed, and put in their spot either in the closet or in the dresser. The carseat, swing and bouncer cover are washed and all items are ready to be used. The letters are strung across her wall, announcing that yes, it is her own room. (We're not releasing her name until her birth). Our family room has been rearranged to make room for baby items, such as a baby swing, a Graco bed, etc. The outfit Brooklyn purchased for her is washed and tucked neatly away in our new diaper bag. The only major thing left to do is moving Brooklyn's car seat over and installing the car seat base in the back of the Mommy-Mobile. That and packing hospital bags, but really I don't like to do that too soon because I'm afraid I will have to wait even longer. We even have solid arrangements made for where Brooklyn will go when Mommy and Daddy are at the hospital having her sister. We have preregistered at the hospital and have taken a hospital tour to know what to expect on the big day. And, my weekly doctor's visits begin next week.

But, there's still one thing that is missing from all this baby preparedness and that's our baby. Brooklyn asks me from time to time when her baby sister is coming. I tell her I don't know. One time she responded to her my not knowing with "maybe November." Hmm, baby girl, I don't think so. That would drive this pregnant mama a little insane, and besides my doctor wouldn't let me be that overdue. But, when she said it, it did bring a smile to my face.

We cannot wait to meet our little girl. The one that we found out in January we were going to have. The one that we struggled (I mean really struggled) to come up with a name for. The one who will reside in the purple room in the southwest corner of our home. The one who will make our first-born princess a big sister. The one who will depend on us for everything that she needs. The one that will grow our hearts even more. The one that will change the dynamic of our family. I am reminded of the saying that the best things come to those that wait? So, I guess, let the waiting game begin...

For My Baby Girl

Tiny movements like tiny kicks
Tiny baby, a mother’s bliss
Can’t wait to give the tiny you
Huge hugs and lots of kisses too

What tiny dreams you might have now
I would understand someday, somehow
I dreamed last night, your tiny face
An angel indeed, made from God’s sweet embrace

How else would mommy know
How much her tiny little angel has grown
How else would mommy guess
If her little angel has some requests

I know that somehow you could now hear
Oh, what a thrill you will bring us here!!
Now hush my baby, it’s time to rest
Inside my womb, your own calm nest

My Girls

I don't say it enough, but I really have the World's BEST Daughter! I really do. The kind of girl that melts your heart by wanting to hold you when you're feeling down or tired and tells you "just put your head on my heart Mommy, I'll make it better." The kind of girl that wants to be just like you so much that she'll imitate your every move. The kind of girl that makes you laugh because there's no other response you can give when she throws you for a loop by saying "taking away my toys Mommy isn't going to work." The kind of girl that can be all girly with Mommy but then turn around and two seconds later be wrestling or using tools with Daddy. The kind of girl that can be super shy around everyone but with Mommy and Daddy she lets loose to dance, sing or share one of her funny faces.

How did I ever get to be this lucky to have such an amazing person to care for and raise? How did I get chosen to be her mother? I don't have the answers, but I tell you what, I'm in awe and full of gratitude every day for the chance to spend time with her. She has truly made me a complete person and has shown me how to live life to the fullest and how to have fun every single day, every single moment. And, I thought I was supposed to be the one doing all the teaching!

As the birth of our second girl is right around the corner, I often ponder what she'll be like. Will she be like her sister? What will she be interested in? And, the thought that has crossed my mind several times, will I ever be able to love her as much as I love her big sister, and will we share the same kind of bond? I don't know who she'll look like or what her interests will be, but I know that like her big sister, she will be mine and I have already fallen in love with her. I can't wait to meet and greet her into our family. And, heaven knows, she's going to have one amazing big sister. Oh, I can't imagine how my heart will grow when she is born, but I know it will. I will get to be a mommy to two little precious girls! I just feel so blessed.

Our Getaway

That's right, this looks delightful, I know. And, this is where we are headed for a little getaway just the three of us. Our plans for this weekend and all of next week have changed several times as a wedding was postponed, we thought we'd go somewhere new, but then we realized I would be too pregnant to drive 12+ hours across the country to visit that vacation site. So, we settled on a mountain town that I used to go to quite a bit as a child, but neither Kevin nor Brooklyn have been to. And, when I say settled, I mean we decided, reached a decision after much pondering and brainstorming, not that this place isn't fabulous, because it is! And, what's really better than fresh mountain air?!

Starting tomorrow, Kevin and I have a glorious week and half off (I actually have 13 days off because of my work schedule) just to spend with our precious little daughter. We wanted this time so badly because with the baby coming at the end of the summer as this will be our last chance to have a vacation, a nice family getaway, just the three of us. We love our time with our Brooklyn. It's something we will always treasure, as I am most definite we will with our little man too.

Let me just say, I cannot wait!

We're having FUN!

Lately, our life has been a whirlwind of fun activities with the promise of more fun to come!

We got to go to the Rockies home opener on April 4th, and even though our team didn't walk away with a win, we had just the best time. Kevin and I have never been to opening day, and the buzz on and off the field was amazing. The weather was perfect. Our seats were perfect. Brooklyn even had a great time - her highlight: getting to see and hug (over and over again) Dinger in the third inning.

April 5th was our 5th wedding anniversary. We spent the morning (almost three hours) at an amazing swimming pool. Not only did the pool have a kiddie section, but also a kiddie butterfly slide, a waterworks area where water dumps all over you, water fountains, a lazy river, two fun two-story water slides, a family/kid hot tub and an adult hot tub. The best part was all the different sections of the pool connect so you didn't have to get out to go to another part. Brooklyn complete with her water wings, swam all on her own even in the lazy river. She became very comfortable at the pool and would head up the butterfly slide stairs by herself and then slide down and go again and again. She loved the larger slides too. Of course, Kevin and I went with her, but even we had fun on them.

After leaving the pool, we headed home for naps and showers, and then began the second part of our day - fondue time. Kevin and I love fondue and have been wanting to introduce it to Brooklyn for a long time now. We figured our anniversary would be perfect and we could take our time with it. We didn't go to a fondue restaurant, we stayed home and made our own fondue. We started with a cheddar cheese fondue dipping bread chunks and apples. Our next course, was the meat and veggie fondue. We choose to cook chicken, steak, mushrooms, squash and zucchini in the hot oil and had six different dipping sauces to accompany them. Our last course, was s'mores chocolate fondue dipping strawberries, bananas, marshmallows and angel food cake. We had to take breaks in between each course, but we all enjoyed all of them so much. Brooklyn got a real kick out of dipping into the cheese and chocolate and she loved all the sauces we had for the meat and veggie one. We watched one of her favorite movies "Enchanted" while we dipped and ate. After rolling or rather putting her into bed, Kevin and I enjoyed some alcohol-free white zinfandel while we finished watching the Rockies game on TV. It was just one of those perfect days from start to finish.

Sunday, Kevin and his friend went to the Rockies game. They had a good time, even though the team didn't win again. Brooklyn and I met Kendall (our niece) and my mother-in-law at the zoo. We spent nearly three hours walking around looking at the animals. The cutest part was when the girls held hands when they were being pushed side by side in their strollers and when they were walking hand in hand to see the next exhibit. Kendall wanted to give Brooklyn hugs and kisses all the time, but Brooklyn didn't really want a part in that. If you know Brooklyn, you know she's usually the first to put her arms around another kid, try and pick them up, caress their cheek with her hand, give them unsolicited kisses. The difference on Sunday, Kendall is a year older and Brooklyn likes to be the older kid smothering the younger kid and doesn't like it when the tables are turned. But, the times that they did hold hands or give each other a hug, it was very sweet. And, they loved watching the duckies in the pond together.

Monday brought the Pop Goes The Wiggles concert. Brooklyn and my grandma are avid watchers of The Wiggles and when news that they were coming to town broke, my grandma was all over it. She bought tickets for us to go with them to the concert. They put on a very good show, and even threw in some humor for the adults from time to time. They don't take themselves very seriously and I think that's what makes the show so good and entertaining. Brooklyn had a great time jumping and dancing to all her favorite songs. Brooklyn loved it when Jeff came out on stage and Wags the Dog too.

It was sad to say goodbye to this fun, event-filled weekend because we were looking forward to it for months. But, we do have quite a few things to look forward to in the months ahead.
• My parents are renewing the wedding vows on their 30th anniversary later this month and my sister and I are planning everything but the ceremony. We're having fun getting things together. I can't say much about it though because I don't want to spoil the surprise for them as they read my blog.
• We're going to Estes Park over Memorial Day for a wedding.
• We're going to Glenwood Springs in June for our last getaway vacation just the three of us.
• And, of course, preparing for our new bundle of joy to arrive later this year!

Baseball Fever

Kevin and I have such bad Baseball Fever. We cannot wait for opening day of our favorite team, the Colorado Rockies. Maybe part of our anticipation and excitement is because of what the Rox did last year as they made their run to the World Series. Maybe it's in part because we love the whole atmosphere of baseball games - the hot dogs, the scorecards, the cheers, the songs, the 7th inning stretch, the peanuts, the crowd, the wave. Maybe it's because we are both big fans of baseball as a sport, and because we both understand what's going on all the time (Kevin's an avid sports fan and I played competitive girls fast-pitch softball for 4+ years). We've even turned our little girl into a baseball fan. Whenever we drive by Coors Field, she sees something baseball related or we mention the Rockies, she'll raise her arms and scream "Go Rockies!"

We only have exactly one more week left until opening day festivities and to see our men in purple in action as we cheer from our seats, a row above the out-of-town scoreboard. This day marks the beginning of a busy weekend for us as we have the opening day game next Friday, our anniversary on Saturday, the second game on Sunday and a Wiggles concert on Monday. But, hey, we couldn't be more excited!!

As a sidenote: It probably doesn't help our anticipation any that we started playing a baseball video game last night. It was a re-match from the World Series .. the Sox against the Rox and the Sox won again. I was "controlling" the Rockies, and let's just say, I left a lot of bases loaded, but I did have one amazing home run thanks to Matt Holliday.

GO ROX!!!!!

World Series, Game 1 TONIGHT!
!!!!!! GO ROCKIES !!!!!!

I found this in the Boston Herald this morning, and thought I would share. Enjoy Michael Marallo's city matchup, but we'll see who gets the last laugh!!
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Let’s face it, there’s not much history between Boston and Denver, the capital of Colorado, where the Rockies play their home games, and the World Series will decide who’s got the better ball team. But in a head-to-head matchup between the cities, Boston’s already got Denver beat:

Category: Nickname

Boston: The Hub, Beantown

Denver: Mile High City

Verdict: Denver - Can’t beat that kind of elevation.

Category: Tallest Skyscraper

Boston: John Hancock Tower, 790 feet

Denver: Republic Plaza, 714 feet.

Verdict: Boston - It’s close, but admit it: you don’t know what the Republic Plaza looks like.

Category: Major League Baseball History

Denver: 15 years

Boston: 108 years

Verdict: Boston - The Rockies might be making history, but the Red Sox define it.

Category: Home Ballparks

Denver: Coors Field

Boston: Fenway Park

Verdict: Boston - Our bleacher culture beats out the Rock Pile.

Category: Best Local Beer

Boston: Sam Adams

Denver: Coors

Verdict: Boston - Is Rocky Mountain water the only thing they put in those Coors bottles?

Category: Fancy Suspension Bridge

Boston: Leonard P. Zakim Bridge

Denver: Millennium Foot Bridge

Verdict: Boston - Our bridge spans water, their’s a rail yard.

Category: Regional Theme Song

Boston: “Dirty Water,” the Standells

Denver: “Rocky Mountain High,” John Denver

Verdict: Boston - Our victory song is everywhere.

Category: Best Gross-Out Food

Boston: Secret 24-hour kitchens in Chinatown

Denver: Fried bull testicles, aka Rocky Mountain oysters

Verdict: Denver - It takes courage to go to Chinatown at 4 a.m., but it takes testicles to eat testicles - at any hour.

Category: As Seen on TV

Boston: “The Practice,” “Lucky Louie,” “Cheers”

Denver: “The Bill Engvall Show,” “Real World 18”

Verdict: Boston - The “Real World” went to Denver?Was Puck involved?

Category: Cool Movie Title

Boston: “The Departed”

Denver: “Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead”

Verdict: Denver - Our proximity to Lowell leaves us partial to Jack Kerouac references.

Category: Hometown Celebrities

Boston: The Afflecks, Lenny Clarke, Eliza Dushku

Denver: Tim Allen, David Fincher, Karl Rove

Verdict: Boston - We’re currently Hollywood’s darling.

Category: Famous Baby Daddy

Boston: Tom Brady

Denver: Travis Henry

Verdict: Denver - The Broncos’ Henry allegedly has nine kids with nine women. Let’s see Brady throw six TDs with that many mouths to feed.

Category: Best Bands

Boston: Dropkick Murphys, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Dresden Dolls, Mission of Burma, Bang Camaro

Denver: The Fray, Jill Sobule, DeVotchKa, Apples in Stereo, Dressy Bessy

Verdict: Boston - C’mon, the Fray? That’s the best ya got?

"Brooklyn Day"

Thank goodness Friday is finally here!! Every since Wednesday, this week's speed hit the brakes very hard. Maybe it's because Wednesday means returning to work after 4 glorious days off with my princess, or maybe it's that I would rather be outside enjoying the fall weather with my princess. Okay, so I'll admit, the week has gone so slowly by because I want to be with my princess. And, to make matters even harder, she came to work with me this morning for a few hours while Daddy conducted an interview for work. When he came to pick her up, I was very sad to see her go. She was such a good girl while she was here, and she made my morning that much brighter. As she sat on my desk watching her DVD player with Dora seeking out "rainy mountain," I caught myself just gazing at her and smiling. My heart felt very full!

Brooklyn turned 22 months old today, a mere 2 months away from turning 2. I love this stage in her life because she's talking so much, is becoming so creative and imaginative, is so much fun to hang out with, is still very cuddly and sweet and simply is such a beautiful little girl inside and out. Don't get me wrong, I loved her baby stages. The times where she would just fall sound asleep on my chest, or the days when she was learning to pick up her head, or crawl, or learning to walk, but too see where she is at now, I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Our days normally start out with her joining Kevin and I in bed for at least another hour of cuddling and sleep. When she wakes up, she'll rub either Kevin's back or my back or arms. When you open your eyes, you know that she will be watching and waiting with a smile and a "good morning." If your name is Mommy, you'll get a couple kisses and if your name is Daddy, you get a hug. It makes getting up so worth it. And, once she's up, she's up and so very, very busy. She'll include you in all her activities, and let you know if she just needs time to spend looking at books quietly in her room though.

Kevin and I just absolutely love spending as much time with her as we can. In fact, sometimes, I have to go to her room in the middle of the night just to give her a hug, kiss, or to listen to her soft breathing as she sleeps. There's nothing better in this whole world than being a parent, and I can testify to the fact that it leaves your heart very, very full and your world complete. My life wouldn't be the same without my little busy bee running all around my house, stopping for a second to smile or give me a "big hug." Brooklyn is the light of my world, and Kevin's too, which is why we have declared this Saturday "Brooklyn Day." We're going to spend ALL day playing with her, putting aside any household chores that we have to do, and just giving her 100% attention from lights on in the morning to lights out at night. It's her day to do what she wants, and it's an extra bonus that tomorrow's forecast is going to be so beautiful because that means we can play outside, something she just loves! And, the best part, Kevin and I are so excited about it...it's even marked on our calendar!!!

Have a wonderful weekend!! =)

Moakalakaleauke....

ALOHA!

Tomorrow (and for 8 days),
my family and I will be doing some of this... building some of these...
learning to do this...
watching some of this...enjoying views like this...

and even this...
and pretty much doing a lot of this...as long as we don't come back looking like this, we'll be okay...so have a good week and remember to...

I'm TOO excited to sleep!!

This video is PERFECT and describes what I am going through. I seriously feel like a kid on Christmas Eve having to go to bed so Santa Claus will come.

Kevin and I tucked Brooklyn into bed shortly after 8 a.m. last night. Then, the real festivities began! Packing! I will admit that I love, love, love to pack; to find new ways to stuff everything in; to prove that I only need two suitcases and not more; to get everything organized before it finds its place beneath the elastic arms that hold everything put. This is all very exciting to me! Maybe it's because I know that my impending vacation is very close by as I don't pack weeks in advance, just days. So, there we were with two suitcases, two pairs of tennis shoes, a Dora the Explorer boogie board, a travel booster seat and piles of clothes. My first plan on attack, get Kevin's tennis shoes packed, because they are so big (size 11). I put my size 6 tennis shoes in as well, and we were off...shirts, shorts, skirts... One suitcase down, one to go. Boogie board, Brooklyn's apparel, a few leftover Mommy & Daddy clothes, and then the travel booster seat. And, then, it hit, uh oh, out of room for our getting ready stuff (shampoo, soap, toothpaste, etc.)

I proclaimed to Kevin that I will just repack because I really didn't want to have to check a smaller third bag. Yuck! So I popped open the first suitcase that already had it's lock on it, and began reorganizing, rethinking wardrobe choices, pulling things out and leaving them behind. Kevin sat there watching the Rockies game, with much doubt that my repacking would make any difference. I got more in the first one, and when I got along to the second one following the same restructure plan, I ended up with plenty of room for our getting ready stuff. Ha Ha! I won the suitcase challenge! I wanted to take only two suitcases, and that will now work. Yeah!!

After working on the carry-ons for a bit, we watched a little TV (we had DVR'd Kid Nation..that will have to be another post!) and then headed to bed. At 12:30, I sat up wide awake. I couldn't get back to sleep. Kevin was snoring very lightly, Brooklyn was deep in a sleep and Shiloh was passed out on Brooklyn's floor. I read a magazine for a little bit, but then decided to go to the office and download all the pictures off the camera to clear our memory card. I decided to email myself a few pictures that I had on the camera, so I went online and took care of that. Still not feeling tired, I headed downstairs to watch some TV. I got the notion to go ahead and set our DVR to tape our shows while we're away. I got that done, and watched a little TV, until 2:30 a.m. when I finally decided I should just go to bed and keep my eyes shut. After all, I do have to work today. So I laid there for about thirty minutes and the last time I remember looking at the clock, it said: 3:00 AM. When the alarm clock when off this morning, I was ready to get up and get going. I'm not even feeling tired today. Too much adrenaline and excitement I guess!!

I am just TOO excited to sleep!! I know, I'm such a big kid!

Zip zip zipping along...

In the midst of me stressing over illnesses in my household, wondering when my family members would get better, wanting to make them feel better right now, and not really wanting to work on a Tuesday, I talked to my mom about our Maui trip.

We have all tossed ideas around about doing a fun, adventurous activity for some time now. I mentioned that we should try a zip line tour, after kayaking with the sea turtles was turned down because of the fear of swimming with animals and my husband's dislike for kayaking.

After much consideration and discussion, I just booked our reservation on the zip line tour. For those of you not familiar with a zip line, here's the Wikipedia (wink, wink Kev) definition...
"Zip-line consists of a pulley suspended on a cable mounted on an incline. They are designed to enable a user propelled by gravity to traverse from the top to the bottom of the inclined cable, usually made of stainless steel, by holding on or attaching to the freely moving pulley. Zip-lines come in many forms, most often used as a means of entertainment. They may be short and low, intended for child's play and found on some playgrounds. Longer and higher rides are often used as a means of accessing unusual areas (a rainforest canopy for instance) or found at outdoor adventure camps where they are usually one element on a larger challenge or ropes course." NOTE: for those of you with kids, think the show Go! Diego Go!
Our tour is definitely not something you would find on a playground! We'll be soaring over gulches and through the trees along the slopes of one of the world's largest volcanoes. The tour blends a short hiking experience with five zip line crossings, an “Indiana Jones” style swinging bridge, and an introduction to Hawaii’s unique and fragile landscape. The tour website promises a one-of-a-kind adventure giving us memories that we'll "talk about for years to come."

I just got the email confirmation and in the notes section, it says "customer should not have an extreme fear of heights." Well, I am pretty afraid of heights in that I won't go more than 2-3 rungs on the ladder at any given time, but this is going to be an adventure, so I'm all in!

17 days and counting...

We're heading to Hawaii, the island of Maui, for 9 glorious days in paradise! It's going to be a family vacation as 7 of us are going: Kevin, Brooklyn, my Mom, Dad, Grandma, Sister and I. All of us are very excited, and can't wait for the day to be here. It will be so nice to sink our toes in the sand. Here are some pictures of where we are staying...are you drooling, Mom??

This is the resort we'll be staying at.
The pool is the largest in Kihei.

Our condo is 60 steps from the beach...
and you can take a 5-mile walk once you get on the beach.

Oceanside tennis courts!
I have already challenged my Dad to a match.

Isn't the grass really green!?!

Oceanside BBQ grills...how fun!!