Friday, March 28, 2008

Kiss me Kate

little kate~katie bug~kitty~love bug~cupcake~kate






Kate was born in the year of the Monkey. How true this is! She is a monkey at heart.

  • She is always singing or humming, and dancing or twirling. Her life soundtrack has a pretty upbeat tune, which may be why she never walks but skips, dances or twirls to where she is going.

  • Her favorite movies are 12 dancing princesses and Mariposa

  • Her big moo-cow brown eyes help her to not be in trouble for too long.

  • She has a wicked Boston accent

  • she is super impatient
  • Kate has a BIG heart. She always shares whatever she has. Even when she was getting an x-ray for her broken arm, she asked for a sticker for Annie.
  • and Kate loves Jesus! (as I was reading this to Kate, this was the only this she wanted to add!)


Sunday, March 23, 2008

Happy Spring!

i have always claimed that fall is my favorite season but this year spring is trying hard to become the new favorite. Almost every day I walk outside to inspect the flowers- see what has blooms, and what survived the winter. I get so excited to see the new hints of flowers coming up in the garden. With Easter being early this year- it has been a fun jump start on the spring. The kids are outside playing and I close my eyes and drink up the sunshine!! Here are some of my favorite Easter moments that I have been enjoying


Here is the wreath I made last spring in a desperate Martha Stewart moment. (Yes! they are real eggs)

Kate at our annual Easter Egg Hunt! There weren't too many cousins this year so the kids came home with a huge stash! Afterwards we dyed eggs which I love for the egg salad sandwiches I get to enjoy for the next week! yum!!
Meg loved the swing! I think I just found my summer activity!
Doesn't this mat just make you smile?

My exhausted little bunny after a full day. All of the girls have slept like this as babies on their knees with their cute little bums in the air.

Monday, March 17, 2008

Meg's 1st Birthday

Meg's Birth! ( A Memory)

As Meggie Moo turns one today I have been reflecting lots on this past year! And because I never took the time to write down her story I thought I would do that today!

My pregnancy with Meg was uncomplicated up until 27 weeks when I started having preterm contractions. (They weren't putting me into labor, but they made me miserable until the very end). Just to be safe my doctor put me on bedrest until I was far enough along in my pregnancy to have a healthy baby. Within the week, my blood pressure was really high- and then I needed to be down for that as well.

Bedrest isn't quite like the vacation in Hawaii we would all like to be enjoying- rather it is laying in bed while your house is destroyed and your other kids can't comprehend why you just can't play with them. Being a labor and delivery nurse probably made things worse, because I knew the worst that could happen. But I had so many friends, family and neighbors who really came through for me- doing my shopping, watching my kids and bringing me meals. I wouldn't have survived without them.

One friday night I called L&D to see how work was going. They told me it was slow and Dr. D was the OB in house. Sweet- my doctor and my friends what a perfect combo to have a baby. So I asked if my MD would induce me. He knew how miserable I was, contracting every 5 minutes for months and swollen from the BPs. So he told me to come up to the hospital and if the baby's lungs were mature he would start my induction. Boy is it nice to know the right people! I called Nicole to come over and stay with the other kids and I was out the door. I was four weeks early but for the past couple of weeks I was gaining weight but my belly was not getting any bigger. (actually for the past two weeks it was getting smaller.) During the amniocentesis (where they take fluid out from around the baby to determine if the lungs are mature) they could hardly find a big enough pocket to draw from. So as much as it appears I arranged the whole thing- it happened for very good reasons because she didn't have much fluid around her anymore- which means my placenta wasn't doing a good enough job and she would grow better on the outside!

Labor was uneventful and went smoothly until my mom almost missed the delivery. When Annie was born my mom was out of town and had called the morning of her flight home because she had dreamt I had Annie early (she wasn't due for another month)- I told her she had nothing to worry about. And then 12 hours later my sisters met my parents at the airport to tell them their first grand baby had been born. (Annie was born by emergent c/s when my fluid was found to be super low and she was breech.) My Mom also missed Kate's birth. She had just flown into Boston and called from the airport. We told her I was 2 cm and to drop off their luggage at the hotel on the way to the hospital. Minutes later I was 8 cm- and had little Kate right before they arrived! So when my mom went for a walk while I was in labor with Meg- because I was only 5 cm- she didn't even make it to the cafeteria before she was overhead paged to come back. One of the med students even ran to find her!

And then Meg was born right at change of shift! It was a super easy delivery but weighing in at only 5 lbs 2 oz- it should be right! It is amazing that you can love someone so much- and so instantly! She was super little and most people were scared to hold her but we loved every ounce of her.

Meg is named after my cousin Megan Story who was one of my best friends growing up. Megan was killed in a car accident in April of 1999 just before I got married, and I have always wanted to name a daughter after her. Megan and I used to call each other salt and pepper- because Megan had dark dark hair and eyes and beautiful olive skin, and I was blond. So our little Meg is more salt with blond hair, blue eyes and a fair complexion- but just as sweet as Megan was. Because of personality Meg is the perfect one of my kids to be named after Megan, both so sweet and smile so easily!

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Happy Birthday Grandpa Tom!

Grandpa Tom turned 64 today and we have enjoyed a wonderful weekend celebrating! Here's grandpa and some of the grand kids out to lunch!


Fun facts about Grandpa
  • His favorite foods are macaroni and cheese; and hot dogs
  • His version of camping is having to stay anywhere outside his house
  • He likes chocolate cake with chocolate frosting (in a bowl with milk)
  • He may be from the city- but he loves big trucks, country music and his dog
  • He can sing along to High School Musical
  • You can catch him at Cafe Rio on Fridays for Fideos
  • He doesn't use a debit card.
  • He always does the dishes- you'll have to ask grandma why!
  • If he isn't yelling at the TV during a sporting event- he's fallen asleep in his chair
  • He really believes that Disney World is the happiest place on earth- especially when he's there with his grand kids! thanks grandpa - we love you!!

Saturday, March 8, 2008

Farewell Favre!

My love of Brett Favre began just after Dan and I were married.
It quickly became apparent that every Monday night we were going to watch football (and eat Pizza) so I might as well pick a team.


I took a very "girl" approach to the matter and rather than pick a good team, or one I was familiar with, I choose the best looking player I could. A HOT QB- someone who looked good in his uniform- that way if the game got boring I would still have something to watch!!

And thus Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers became my team! (And as a bonus- because Favre plays with such intensity and passion, he really has been one of the most fun quarterbacks to watch)

Just a funny moment at our house: This year I even got my own pink (breast cancer awareness) Favre jersey! It is awesome. The first time Annie saw me wear it - her jaw dropped! She was so jealous- all she could say was "No Fair!- I want one." My kids love dress ups and it has quickly become a coveted dress-up item.
And now I have a dilemma because Dan is dreaming about the new TV he's getting when the basement is finished this spring. We will finally get a big screen and Direct TV and just think of all the football we can watch!!

SO- I need a new team (or a new hottie quarterback) Any Ideas??
A few have already been vetoed:
Tony Romo: too trendy
Tom Brady: everybody else's favorite
Payton Manning: he is the enemy. (Dan is a patriots fan and this is equal to me picking Derek Jeter)

P.S. If this is in the running for the lamest post ever- Go ahead and laugh at me Dan already did!!

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

An Ode to Friendship

One of the great things that has happened to me through blogging is that I have been able to reconnect with great friends from Boston, laugh with old college roommates, see my dear sister through her husbands eyes, and carry on and foster friendships that are both near and far away. Funny moments that wouldn't before warrent a phone call, are now there for me to read and enjoy. I can watch your kids grow- see whats for dinner- listen to fun songs and feel like I am doing a fantastic job about keeping in touch. (it is all about perception right). I can't remember the last time i talked with some of you- but I now get almost daily glimpses into your lives which reminds me I why I love you! And for those of you non-bloggers you get to watch my crazy life unfold and hopefully feel not so far away.

I love this story about an unlikely pair of friends, a hippopotamus, nicknamed “Owen”, and the male tortoise "Mzee" it adopted as its mother. They swim, eat and sleep together. The hippo follows the tortoise exactly the way it follows its mother. It makes me think of many of you and the unusual circumstances that brought us together as friends.
So I am most grateful tonight for all of you who have touched my life in so many ways- and thank you for inviting us into your lives we are thrilled that the friendships live on!
Love, A


Tatiana's Sweet Pork Enchiladas

This recipe was passed along to me from my sister's neighbor. It is fast becoming a family favorite- so I thought I would share it for those whose weekly menu could use a little shake up. (ashlee- you will love these!!)

3 lb pork roast
28 oz can green enchilada sauce (I used las pamas)
brown sugar
can of black beans
cilantro
1 lb of cheese- Monterey jack, pepper jack or mozzarella

serve with:
cut up lettuce
Pico and rice

Cook the Pork Roast in the crock pot for 5-6 hours on low. I cook it with 1 c. water and salt and pepper

shred the roast and mix with 3/4 c. of the liquid in the crock pot, 3/4 c. enchilada sauce and 1/2 c. brown sugar- then add black beans (that have been drained and rinsed) and about 1/3 a bunch of cilantro cut small (use a pizza cutter- it works great)

Mix meat, beans and cilantro in a big bowl

add 1/3 c. brown sugar to remaining enchilada sauce and then pour about 1/2 c. of sweetened mixture on the bottom of 9x13

Place meat mixture in tortilla, sprinkle some shredded cheese on top and roll up in pan. (I made about 15 enchiladas from the 3 lb roast in two 9x13 pans)

Cover rolled tortillas with more sauce and then I turned them a couple of times in the pan to make sure the entire tortilla had sauce on it- sprinkle with more cheese

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes!!!
then serve with shredded lettuce, Pico, and rice- look out cafe rio! these are good!
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