What a wonderful world!! WOW! So much has happened... so many milestones, life events and realizations. Here are the boys and "little lady". My babies are all getting sooo big!! Armando just turned 7 on April 19th (will post b-day pics at a later time), Emilia is officially 6 weeks old today and Giovanni is well....Giovanni.. my "funny man" (just check out his "cheesy" smile here! :):) )

Spring has officially sprung and cabin fever has become a distant memory to the two active lil boys in our house. They are soo busy playing baseball, soccer, chasing butterflies and searching under rocks for all the creepy crawlies that their brain has went straight to "summer play mode"! They are not letting any grass grow under their feet, that is for sure! And watching them play and giggle made me realize that life is beautiful and oh...sooo short....

I remember my childhood, at their age, doing the same things... our favorite night activity was taking baseball bats and chasing the lightning bugs and whacking them then collecting them in jars that we called "nightlights". I know.... violent, cruel to animals and frankly just plain sick behaviour, but back then, we didn't realize what we were doing. We were having fun w/o causing a ruckus. My god-brothers (who were my neighbors) used to smear the "glowing stuff" on their face and chase me while threatening to make me all aglow. I can still hear myself screaming!!! I remember the smell of the bay in the evening. Our daily swimming rituals, the innertube games..king of the mountain, tag, bet you can't flip me!!

My fondest memories and the best of all.... the mud fights... our moms used to get sooo mad... but I remember the fun, the squishiness of it. I remember my mom always saying... "Kristina Marie... I will NEVER get those clothes clean!"..... I find myself saying that to my two adventure seeking boys. I truly have become my mother and I can honestly say... that is the best part of me. If someone tells me..."Your just like your mother!"... I feel honored.

And then... life goes on.. summer turns into fall, fall into winter, winter into spring, and spring into summer...next thing you know.. your a year older. Soon, chasing bugs and having mud fights got left behind in my childhood. Ring around the rosie got replaced with Heart, the Grateful Dead, Melanie, Janis Joplin, Joan Baez and Jefferson Airplane. And now.. at 33 I am wondering where the time went.

Tearfully I look back on those times.. but happy tears...and I am determined to allow my children to grow old slowly..to have those mud fights, to create slip and slides out of the grass and dirt in the back yard and create a huge 100 ft grass baren spot, to chase bugs. Just on Easter..Armando comes in with his butterfly net and says..."Look mom, a dead mouse".. I left my heart on the floor and gently guided him back outside and threw the whole mess into the garbage. Then we went inside for a hand cleanin never to be forgotten!! But how funny.... I will never forget that moment (and neither will our guests!) and that will always be cherished in my heart. For that will always be remembered by him just as my "lightning bug ventures" will be remembered by me.

My beautiful babes, please live life to the fullest... take life by the horns and never be afraid.... always stop to smell the flowers, take off your shoes and feel the earth beneath your feet, never forget that each day is a blessing and always stop... look up and give thanks.

You've got the cutest little baby face!!! Here is our lil angel.. bright eyed and bushy tailed. Emilia has truly added some extra sun rays in our house.

She is starting to fill out and loose that newborn look (her cheeks are getting sooo chunky). Her newborn dipes are getting a lil tight around her waist. WOW! It is all happening too soon! I waited forever for her to come and now she is growing too fast! SLOW DOWN PLEASE!!!

UH OH.. talk about getting chunky... she's calling me over now b/c she is hungry!!

Have a Happy and Blessed Easter!

Beautiful Minds

Yesterday I ran into the Chairperson of the CPSE dept of Special Education. Joann and I have history because she chairpersoned both of my son's cases and I am a voluteer parent advocate. We greeted and exchanged pleasantries, and immediately she asked how the boys were doing. She was genuinely interested. Knowing how difficult the past was, she was curious as to how they were handling mainstream school (they go to a private catholic school out of fear of getting lost and Pushed through the school system) and if they were able to aclimate successfully. Of course, they are doing well and granted we do hit some speed bumps, but it is not undealable.

It then occured to me, people not only view my boys as busy little boys but that they are viewed as children with special needs needing special services and extra attention regarding diet and discipline.

I don't view my children as having PDD's, 1 with ADHD with ODD, and 1 with Aspergers Autism. I see them as having beautiful minds. Yes, a little more attention is needed and I do deal with a great deal more challenges but keeping God on speed dial is definately a must, but I see my beautiful boys as gifted and I know our family is blessed. (things could be worse!)

Then another thought occured to me... Einstein.. wasn't he challenged even possibly autistic?? Most of your prodigies, genious's are "special need" individuals. So every negative has a postive.

So from now on...I don't consider my children as children with disabilites or special needed individuals, I see them as gifted and one of a kind.

Here are the big proud brothers with their new baby sister! Armando and Giovanni are absolutely overjoyed!! They come home from school and immediately wash their hands to say hello to her.

I know that they will always be protective of her and watching over her. I am truly blessed with such loving children.


WOW! Time is flying! Here Emilia is 13 days old! She is more alert and cuter than a button! My heart is overflowing with love for my children. And jeez, the love for a daughter is a bit different than a son.
I now understand what my mother used to tell me... she loved all of her children the same amount, but differently. It wasn't until I became a mother that I truly understand that.

I have learned over the years exactly what a mother's pride is all about. I have learned sacrifice w/o contempt, love without boundaries and to open my eyes to the wonders of life all around. Life was just too hectic.. life was passing me by... I stopped "smelling the roses" and I forgot the most important things in life.... I thought I once knew about life. Until I had my first son... I began to see life in his eyes. I put aside all of my closed mindsets and began to see life again. I saw, once again, the simplist things of life.... how a plant grows, why the sun goes down and watching worms and ants under a rock with utter fascination. My world once again has meaning. I was relearning life. And I thank my children for helping me find my inner child and opening up my once closed mind to the wonders of life all around. Each day is a learning experience and I look forward to my next lesson!

I am looking forward to the life lessons Emilia will teach me. But I am willing to let her grow slowly, so I can enjoy it. I will not wish her to walk, to talk or to eat solids before she is ready. I will embrace her age, her milestones as they come and pray that each day will be filled with love, laughter, good health and happiness.

My daily motto: Life is something not to be taken for granted. Life is a blessing, I awake daily thanking God for the chance to have one more day to learn from my children and for my children to learn from me. I also thank God for allowing me to love and to feel love. I am truly blessed for all he has given me and I will not take it for granted.

It has been weeks since my last post, and much has happened since then!!

On March 17th @ 8:36 a.m. we welcomed our St. Patrick's Day Surprise... EMILIA MARIE weighing in at 7lbs even and 19 1/4 inches long.

We are all still tickled pink!

I can not begin to explain the sheer elation when the doctor said..."It's a girl!".. I could not stop crying!! After about 5 minutes, my darling hubby said.. "Okay.. You can stop crying now!"... I really could not stop. It was totally worth the wait of not knowing the gender. I checked her diaper for almost two weeks just to make sure she was a she!!

After her delivery and while the doctors were closing up my c-section wound, I had this overwhelming sense of completion. I have never felt so at ease, so complete and just so.... serene. I prayed silently over and over.. and thanked God for granting me this healthy beautiful baby girl. Granted, I was extremely happy with the birth of my boys, but this pregnancy and birth was just different. It wasn't taking the place of the miscarriage from 2 years prior.

This baby, I believe, is the spirit of my grandmother. She is afterall, named after my grandmother and mother. The family legacy continues and I pray that I can be as great a mentor as my mother and grandmother was.

This is Emilia at 5 days old. She is wrapped in one of the beautiful quilts the hospital has given her. I loved the green.. so significant of St. Patrick's Day.

She has gained much weight since this last pic and I will post more.

Right now, my prayers are with my friend Jen, whose water broke tonight. I pray that she has a speedy delivery and that Rachel is healthy. Sending you much white light my friend.

Namaste' to you!