Dominic's school Christmas party

Decorating a Christmas tree cone. Why couldn't I have thought of that?

Jonas at one week

Sweet baby Jonas is a week old as of yesterday! I had a quiet household yesterday morning and took advantage of a willing subject to photograph. I have high hopes of assembling the boys for a Christmas photo this weekend to send out - via email - in lieu of a Christmas card. Jussssst couldn't get around to the real deal this year!

Jonas is a peach. Course, all newborns are, I think? But really, sometimes all I have to do is kiss him on the forehead and he'll stop crying. I am enjoying babyhood so much more this time around as an experienced Mom. I was too freaked out all the time with the other ones about getting everything perfect for them and setting good sleeping/eating habits and blah blah blah. This time, I'm just enjoying the miracle of motherhood. I just "get it" this time - it all goes way too fast and I don't want regrets. Our amazing family members have been helping us so much and making this bonding and recovery time possible for me.

Fingers are crossed that he remains a sweet baby :) Thank you Jesus for our sweet little peach!

Welcome home, Jonas Raphael!

We're home! Jonas Raphael was born Thursday December 9th at 12:34 pm, and weighed 8 lbs 4 oz and was 20 inches long. He is healthy, and adorable! We are trying to process the "new normal" on our first day back home. It was kind of jarring to move from how slowly and peacefully things flow at the hospital back into the rush of jumping and energetic boys, but I've heard we'll adjust in time :) Jonas seems not to be phased by the all the noise and excitement, thank goodness!








I can not believe that we are parents to three boys - THREE boys! This might be a personal best for us, as far as achievements go. I know it's just the beginning, but we feel pretty amazed. The big brothers are very proud. Dominic is particularly interested in soothing and holding Jonas, and finding special baby toys for him from years past. Milo is of course only two, and he is curious, but he also seems to be discovering a mischevious streak. I will have to keep an eye on him for sure.

Baby Jonas seems like a normal newborn...he breastfeeds in short clusters, but often, and he likes those big newborn naps. But he's not too jazzed about the in between alert periods. He kind of fusses on and off. I'm having a hard time remembering if that's normal or not, this early on. I didn't want to give him the pacifier so soon, but I'm not able to walk him around the room and try other things for soothing him yet...I had a fourth degree tear so my recovery will be a little slower than normal. Tonight's the first night home, so we'll see how he sleeps. I can't decide if we're supposed to try to let him be alert in the daytime so he sleeps better at night or not...in my memory, there's not much you can do to control what a newborn wants to do. At any rate, please wish us luck!

I'm so thankful for a smooth delivery, albeit with a bit of a nasty end - but truly, the labor was great. I'm thankful nursing seems to be going well and my recovery is on its way (if I can just ignore the messes and chaos for another week, that is!) I am thankful for healthy children and a wonderful husband who is being a SUPER DAD! I am thankful to Senele who took great care of the kids while we were in the hospital and gave us peace of mind. I'll be very thankful to my family who will come and go next week to help a little, and for friends who will be delivering meals! It's a wonderful season to be having a baby, we are cherishing the Advent joy and peace and our first chance to really meditate and marvel over the birth of our Savior during a family birth of our own.

Joy and Peace from our house to yours! Please keep our family transition and good health in your prayers, thank you!

Oh Christmas tree

I missed a post! I will need to figure out how to pre-date this post some other day!

Family photo shoot 2010

A big huge thank you to Jenny Borgman!

Happy Thanksgiving 2010

We had a full house at Mom and Dad's this year...all four siblings, 2 son-in laws, all 5 grandchildren, Great Grandma and a visiting photographer too! :) Steve got the prize for coming from the farthest this year, since his recent move from Houston to NYC. It was hard to say goodbye to him when it was time for him to go! And the time we spent with our Floridian family was as always, so precious.

We had a wonderful time together partaking in our usual holiday traditions, family tennis, playing Balderdash, cooking healthful meals, an Advent family prayer night, music sessions.....and a new annual tradition......the stomach bug! Ugh! Let's hope that one doesn't repeat next year!

Here are just a few photos taken on Thanksgiving day. You may notice that I've been rather dodgy about appearing in front of the camera these days. I don't like people seeing me grumpy (which I've been quite a bit this final month of pregnancy). :)

More of our photo shoot will soon follow. I am so very thankful for our incredible families, extended and immediate. We missed those of you who we did not see this year. I'm off to sleep now, one week left to grow this baby before he's out! :)









The Great Zuchini performs a magic show before his first live audience.













Lesley and Julie dig in.











Papa accompanies Owen.











Owen opens his First Holy Communion gift from me, his godmother.











Sarah accompanies Bronius.





Dominic and Mary, the prolific artists of the family. It's a rarity to get a posed smile out of my five year old these days!





I also had to include a few pictures of Dominic's thanksgiving performance at school this year. I had to miss it since I was recovering from the infamous stomach bug which I brought to my whole family. We got it on video though! :)

Sibling Tour at St. Joseph's hospital

Our big brothers did a great job!

World fest 2010

Final Hot Shots class of the Fall

Oh how we'll miss it! Looking forward to the spring session!











The A-team










Coach Rachel really rocks!








Most kids take water breaks, mine takes a reading break.

Brotherly moments and family updates

We're in the final stretch over here...4 more weeks till somebody new joins our clan! We feel pretty ready, whatever that means....but with the Thanksgiving holiday taking a week out of our preparations, we technically only have 3 weeks to tie up our pending house projects. When you move at a snail's pace, this isn't a lot of time. ;) Eh. I have my burp cloths and diapers and car seat. The rest should be cake, right? :)


I feel pretty good...not without my aches and pains of course, but all I prayed for was to be able to keep up with my boys and house, and so far, so good. :) Work is going well for Bronius and it looks like he will be able to take much of December "off" (even though Bronius is never really "off"). I am SO BLESSED to have such a helpful, sweet, dutiful husband, and with a flexible schedule to boot. Thank you, Jesus! I've been fortunate enough to write for About Town the last few months and I really hope this continues into the New Year. I want to keep sharpening my skills and contributing to the family income (even if it's minimal at this point!) Milo is enjoying Hot Shots, music class and his playgroup - and when Milo isn't his sunny, lovable, cuddly self, Mommy and Daddy are trying (or more accurately, being TRIED) to have patience with the sudden storminess of the twos. Wow. It's a purification process for sure. Dominic is enjoying school (although I suspect it is plum tuckering him OUT. My energetic boy comes home very mellow and for all who know Dominic, mellow isn't really one of his modes). Conformity is still an issue as I suspect it will always be, but we're keeping an eye on things. We want to make sure he's happy and well-adjusted, that's all. I'm proud of our son and we always want him to think for himself. Outside of school, he's showing interest in T-ball, and we're hoping violin lessons will appeal to him as well :)

So these days it's all about stopping and smelling the roses. We spend a lot of family time together, usually outdoors since it has been so beautiful. And we make an appoint of not being any busier than we have to be. Just praying now for a safe delivery, good health for my family and for God's graces to help us through the family adjustment, especially for the 2 big brothers. Definitely all I want for Christmas :)

Trick or Treaters