Thursday, April 10, 2008
Baby Sofia is HERE!
Sofia Francesca arrived at 2pm Thursday, April 3rd, a mere 24 hours after daddy's return from Afghanistan - hooray Sofia! Hooray for our new family of FOUR!...
Friday, March 28, 2008
"Patiently" Waiting for Daddy
Baby is due in 10 days, daddy is due in FIVE - who will appear first? It's anybody's guess at this point, but I think we can call the look on my face "READY!"...
The reinforcements have arrived in the form of grandma Penny, can't thank her enough for braving the long trip over to Italy and the harsh hormonal temperments of her daughter : ) This week I've lapsed into extreme fatigue and discomfort and am doing everything humanly possible to take it easy and make this baby wait for daddy, we will see just how obedient a little fetus can be...
More news to come SOON!
(will also post news at our online baby scrapbook, see link below)
The reinforcements have arrived in the form of grandma Penny, can't thank her enough for braving the long trip over to Italy and the harsh hormonal temperments of her daughter : ) This week I've lapsed into extreme fatigue and discomfort and am doing everything humanly possible to take it easy and make this baby wait for daddy, we will see just how obedient a little fetus can be...
More news to come SOON!
(will also post news at our online baby scrapbook, see link below)
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Sunday, December 30, 2007
For Christmas...
...Santa gave me the most adorable little pink frosty queen : )
Merry Christmas to All!
* Special thanks to grandma for the beautiful dress, and my Aunt Christy for the fabulous accessories!!!
Merry Christmas to All!
* Special thanks to grandma for the beautiful dress, and my Aunt Christy for the fabulous accessories!!!
When Daddy's Away...
...the girls break out all the fun barrettes!!!
Just look how much fun you can have with only a few inches of hair : )
Just look how much fun you can have with only a few inches of hair : )
Friday, December 14, 2007
Pretty Christmas Elf
Just some cute shots of Ella posin' by the Christmas tree & momma and Ella at a holiday party...
Friday, December 07, 2007
It would have been so easy...
I don't know why, but I find this hysterical:
The Onion: Single Parent
And no, I never even THINK about leaving my incredibly adorable child, I just liked the line, "It would have been so easy... I could just kick myself!"
Life with momma & the princess is going just fine for all those out there thinking about us. Thank you for all the kind wishes and 'hang in there'-s, now if you could just figure out a way to make her stop SCREAMING because it seems to be her new favorite past-time since daddy has left : ) That and becoming a rather demanding primadonna, example: "Put my drink on the TABLE!", "Get me a TISSUE!", "Fix my SLIPPER!" Everything has become a demand, and the addition of a sweet 'Please' only seems to come after being reminded. Where, or where did she get this from? Is that what I walk around sounding like? She had to hear it somewhere - yikes!
Love her so much, wouldn't trade her for the world. Well, maybe trade her in for an EXACT replica that just screams, whines, fusses & cries a little bit less : )
The Onion: Single Parent
And no, I never even THINK about leaving my incredibly adorable child, I just liked the line, "It would have been so easy... I could just kick myself!"
Life with momma & the princess is going just fine for all those out there thinking about us. Thank you for all the kind wishes and 'hang in there'-s, now if you could just figure out a way to make her stop SCREAMING because it seems to be her new favorite past-time since daddy has left : ) That and becoming a rather demanding primadonna, example: "Put my drink on the TABLE!", "Get me a TISSUE!", "Fix my SLIPPER!" Everything has become a demand, and the addition of a sweet 'Please' only seems to come after being reminded. Where, or where did she get this from? Is that what I walk around sounding like? She had to hear it somewhere - yikes!
Love her so much, wouldn't trade her for the world. Well, maybe trade her in for an EXACT replica that just screams, whines, fusses & cries a little bit less : )
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Happy Turkey Day
We won't get a chance to talk to daddy today, so here's a quick Thanksgiving message just for him!...
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
1, 2, 3 Strikes You're Out!
A very special rendition of 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame', as sung by our beautiful princess...
Saturday, September 08, 2007
Puddle Jumpin'
Ella absolutely LOVES splashing in puddles - here she is splashing and 'having fun' after a rain storm last week...
Friday, August 31, 2007
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Hello Daddy!
Daddy is away doing some training so we are posting some video messages to him, here's one for this week...
Monday, July 23, 2007
Terribly Awesome
A totally fun picture of Ella...
...and an awesome excerpt from an article I read today on Fisher-Price.com - this list of 'typical' toddler behavior is hysterical if you are the parent of a toddler because it is like reading a journal of my little one's daily activities. I do, like the article says, feel SO much better after reading this, realizing that my child is not a total brat for doing some of this stuff, or a total OC-in training, which was my bigger concern with the constant arranging and lining up of toys, crayons, etc. Read on...
"Problem Child? Probably not." by Dr. Kenneth N. Condrell, Ph.D., Child Psychologist
...The fact of the matter is that perfectly normal 2- and 3-year-olds display a lot of seemingly strange behavior. To an inexperienced parent, this behavior often becomes cause for concern.
“Do you think she’s becoming a brat?” I’m often asked. “Maybe my son is developing an obsessive-compulsive disorder,” another parent wonders. If a child has temper tantrums, her parents worry that he’ll become violent down the road. Parents of a bossy little girl may fear that she’s getting out of control.
To help ease new parents’ concerns, I have compiled a list of typical behavior for 2- and 3-year-olds. As you read this I hope it reassures you that you’re not lacking as a parent—and that you’re not raising a future delinquent!
Children this age throw their parents for a loop when they:
– Melt down when you deny an unreasonable request, like eating ice cream before dinner, taking home a puppy from the pet store or putting spaghetti in their milk.
– Suddenly disappear in a store for an impromptu game of hide-and-seek, sending you on a frantic search.
– Insist on wearing a particular outfit that’s not appropriate for the weather or so mismatched that it looks ridiculous.
– Have to have everything just so. This child repeatedly and meticulously lines up toys, making parents concerned that he or she has an obsessive-compulsive disorder.
(TOTALLY ELLA!)
– Experience unpredictable mood swings. One minute he’s happy and cooperative; the next he’s belligerent and uncooperative.
– Start using bad words despite the fact that neither parent swears.
(um, yikes! hope we don't get to this one)
– Break rules they followed the day before.
– Start defying you with a smile. For example, you ask your child to stay close at the mall and she runs away while you frantically chase her.
(um, sadly, also Ella, seriously cute smile while being seriously disobedient is one of her new favorite things)
– Don’t anticipate the danger of walking into the street, climbing up on the cupboard or leaning back on a chair.
– Hit a playmate for no apparent reason.
– Become fearful and hysterical at the sight of a tiny bug, for example, or the prospect of getting in the bathtub.
– Ignore you and seem to go deaf when you give an order.
(ah, yes, the 'deaf' treatment, I often find myself saying, "hello, do you not speak english today?!", I guess to her it's a rhetorical question)
– Start crying hysterically over nothing and can’t be consoled—even after having a very pleasant, uneventful day.
(um, yeah, it happens, and we call it 'being 2', if I could get away with it I know I'd start crying hysterically for no reason some days, but sadly I have lost this priviledge)
– Become a very finicky eater, rejecting all but a select few foods at mealtime.
(yes - french fries, french fries, french fries!)
(and no, I do not let my child eat fast food all the time, but actually at the restaurants here in Italy they are always serving french fries, who knew it was their favorite side dish?)
Does anything sound familiar on this list? It probably does, as many young children behave like this. Of course, when it’s your child, you tend to feel like a failure, as if you’ve done something wrong as a parent. Or, you worry that something’s wrong with your child.
In all likelihood, neither scenario is true. At this age children exhibit a lot of unreasonable behavior, and it’s almost never a reflection on their parents’ parenting skills or some aberration in the child. If you’re a new parent, remember that your child is going through a phase that will soon pass. In the meantime, try not to become frustrated—and keep a cool head!
[End of article]
And I particularly like that last part about "it's almost never a reflection on their parents' parenting skills" - Hooray! I'm not a terrible mother!!!
...and an awesome excerpt from an article I read today on Fisher-Price.com - this list of 'typical' toddler behavior is hysterical if you are the parent of a toddler because it is like reading a journal of my little one's daily activities. I do, like the article says, feel SO much better after reading this, realizing that my child is not a total brat for doing some of this stuff, or a total OC-in training, which was my bigger concern with the constant arranging and lining up of toys, crayons, etc. Read on...
"Problem Child? Probably not." by Dr. Kenneth N. Condrell, Ph.D., Child Psychologist
...The fact of the matter is that perfectly normal 2- and 3-year-olds display a lot of seemingly strange behavior. To an inexperienced parent, this behavior often becomes cause for concern.
“Do you think she’s becoming a brat?” I’m often asked. “Maybe my son is developing an obsessive-compulsive disorder,” another parent wonders. If a child has temper tantrums, her parents worry that he’ll become violent down the road. Parents of a bossy little girl may fear that she’s getting out of control.
To help ease new parents’ concerns, I have compiled a list of typical behavior for 2- and 3-year-olds. As you read this I hope it reassures you that you’re not lacking as a parent—and that you’re not raising a future delinquent!
Children this age throw their parents for a loop when they:
– Melt down when you deny an unreasonable request, like eating ice cream before dinner, taking home a puppy from the pet store or putting spaghetti in their milk.
– Suddenly disappear in a store for an impromptu game of hide-and-seek, sending you on a frantic search.
– Insist on wearing a particular outfit that’s not appropriate for the weather or so mismatched that it looks ridiculous.
– Have to have everything just so. This child repeatedly and meticulously lines up toys, making parents concerned that he or she has an obsessive-compulsive disorder.
(TOTALLY ELLA!)
– Experience unpredictable mood swings. One minute he’s happy and cooperative; the next he’s belligerent and uncooperative.
– Start using bad words despite the fact that neither parent swears.
(um, yikes! hope we don't get to this one)
– Break rules they followed the day before.
– Start defying you with a smile. For example, you ask your child to stay close at the mall and she runs away while you frantically chase her.
(um, sadly, also Ella, seriously cute smile while being seriously disobedient is one of her new favorite things)
– Don’t anticipate the danger of walking into the street, climbing up on the cupboard or leaning back on a chair.
– Hit a playmate for no apparent reason.
– Become fearful and hysterical at the sight of a tiny bug, for example, or the prospect of getting in the bathtub.
– Ignore you and seem to go deaf when you give an order.
(ah, yes, the 'deaf' treatment, I often find myself saying, "hello, do you not speak english today?!", I guess to her it's a rhetorical question)
– Start crying hysterically over nothing and can’t be consoled—even after having a very pleasant, uneventful day.
(um, yeah, it happens, and we call it 'being 2', if I could get away with it I know I'd start crying hysterically for no reason some days, but sadly I have lost this priviledge)
– Become a very finicky eater, rejecting all but a select few foods at mealtime.
(yes - french fries, french fries, french fries!)
(and no, I do not let my child eat fast food all the time, but actually at the restaurants here in Italy they are always serving french fries, who knew it was their favorite side dish?)
Does anything sound familiar on this list? It probably does, as many young children behave like this. Of course, when it’s your child, you tend to feel like a failure, as if you’ve done something wrong as a parent. Or, you worry that something’s wrong with your child.
In all likelihood, neither scenario is true. At this age children exhibit a lot of unreasonable behavior, and it’s almost never a reflection on their parents’ parenting skills or some aberration in the child. If you’re a new parent, remember that your child is going through a phase that will soon pass. In the meantime, try not to become frustrated—and keep a cool head!
[End of article]
And I particularly like that last part about "it's almost never a reflection on their parents' parenting skills" - Hooray! I'm not a terrible mother!!!
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Idea!
Favorite quote of the week...
Driving in the car, returning home from errands... Quietly listening to music, no peep from the little one in several minutes... Suddenly, the silence is broken -
ELLA: Momma! I have an IDEA!
ME: Really? You have an idea?... What do you have an idea for?
[long thoughtful toddler pause, clearly wants to answer this correctly]
ELLA: I have..... an idea..... for CANDY!
Can't. Stop. Laughing.
Really, who knew 2-year-olds were this much fun. Even with all the screaming and time-outs, these have got to be the best days of my life. : )
Driving in the car, returning home from errands... Quietly listening to music, no peep from the little one in several minutes... Suddenly, the silence is broken -
ELLA: Momma! I have an IDEA!
ME: Really? You have an idea?... What do you have an idea for?
[long thoughtful toddler pause, clearly wants to answer this correctly]
ELLA: I have..... an idea..... for CANDY!
Can't. Stop. Laughing.
Really, who knew 2-year-olds were this much fun. Even with all the screaming and time-outs, these have got to be the best days of my life. : )
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
You guys!
Here's another place to check out pics of Ella and such, an online "scrapbook" site that we periodically update:
And my Ella quote of the week, upon facing night SIX without a pacifier, preparing to holler & shout, our little princess begins the whining tirade with a plaintive "No you guys! Don't go!" You guys? Really kid? Where did you get that one? Hmmm, what sort of TV have I been watching, that I didn't think she was paying attention to... Oh well, another generation has been molded and shaped by tv-aholic parents. Yep, I'm a slacker mother, I should be fired. And today we ran late and missed a big chunk of playgroup. I am so totally fired. Definitely fired. Maybe I can suck up to the boss? (Too bad I already kiss her cute little a$$)
Holy cow, two-year-olds are SO MUCH FUN!!!
And my Ella quote of the week, upon facing night SIX without a pacifier, preparing to holler & shout, our little princess begins the whining tirade with a plaintive "No you guys! Don't go!" You guys? Really kid? Where did you get that one? Hmmm, what sort of TV have I been watching, that I didn't think she was paying attention to... Oh well, another generation has been molded and shaped by tv-aholic parents. Yep, I'm a slacker mother, I should be fired. And today we ran late and missed a big chunk of playgroup. I am so totally fired. Definitely fired. Maybe I can suck up to the boss? (Too bad I already kiss her cute little a$$)
Holy cow, two-year-olds are SO MUCH FUN!!!
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Pretend
Yesterday, walking into the BX with Ella, she stops and holds out hands like 'claws', squinches face up and says "RRRRRR!!"
ME: Ella, are you a lion?.... A bear?
ELLA: I'm makin' an ANGRY FACE!
ME: [holding sides, laughing so hard] Yes, honey, I guess you are.
(special thanks to friend Kelly, who gave us the wonderful, I-highly-recommend-book, "I Feel Silly" by Jamie Lee Curtis, because the little girl has an 'angry' day, and I quote, "Today I feel angry, you'd better stay clear, my face is all pinched and red ear-to-ear", and when we read it, we act out this page, complete with the angry claw hands and the now-made-public "RRRRRRRR!")
Today, on the way to the car, Ella adamantly refuses to hold 'hands', but instead agrees to hold my 'Thumbkin' (thanks, grandma, for teaching her the 'Thumbkin Song', it's all 'thumbkin', all day now).
After said hand-holding skirmish, walking along contentedly, Ella proclaims, out of nowhere (as in, absolutely no sign of a cow in the parking lot) -
"Moo, moo, MOO! I'm pretending to be a cow!"
Holy cow (excuse the pun), the kid understands 'pretend' now? She never ceases to amaze me.
And so we "moo, moo, moo-d, the whole way to the car.
What a great day : )
ME: Ella, are you a lion?.... A bear?
ELLA: I'm makin' an ANGRY FACE!
ME: [holding sides, laughing so hard] Yes, honey, I guess you are.
(special thanks to friend Kelly, who gave us the wonderful, I-highly-recommend-book, "I Feel Silly" by Jamie Lee Curtis, because the little girl has an 'angry' day, and I quote, "Today I feel angry, you'd better stay clear, my face is all pinched and red ear-to-ear", and when we read it, we act out this page, complete with the angry claw hands and the now-made-public "RRRRRRRR!")
Today, on the way to the car, Ella adamantly refuses to hold 'hands', but instead agrees to hold my 'Thumbkin' (thanks, grandma, for teaching her the 'Thumbkin Song', it's all 'thumbkin', all day now).
After said hand-holding skirmish, walking along contentedly, Ella proclaims, out of nowhere (as in, absolutely no sign of a cow in the parking lot) -
"Moo, moo, MOO! I'm pretending to be a cow!"
Holy cow (excuse the pun), the kid understands 'pretend' now? She never ceases to amaze me.
And so we "moo, moo, moo-d, the whole way to the car.
What a great day : )
Sunday, January 07, 2007
Ella's first hit video of the new year...
Sorting through photos & video of Ella to get out to all our adoring fans, here's the first clip we came across that we wanted to share - Ella swinging in our Italian front yard this past fall, in one of our nice shade trees - yay! - we didn't have any shade trees in Texas so this is a treat, so excited we could finally have a tree swing!!! Just a quick 60 seconds or so, but fun to hear her, she knows AND can say mommy & daddy's names - hooray!...
Sorry, this seems really grainy, I'm working on the settings, try to have something better up soon...
Sorry, this seems really grainy, I'm working on the settings, try to have something better up soon...
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Happy Holidays
Happy Holidays to one & all! We've had a fun first Christmas on our own here in Italia, Ella had lots of great gifts to open and play with ALL day, great fun! Thanks to everyone for all the cards & gifts & holiday wishes, we miss all of you and wish we could be with you during this special time of year...
And on a non-holiday note, here's a little something I found through my friend Kori's site - thanks Kori! - a silly site that comes up with random peculiar royal titles for you with your name, really silly. Here's the titles given to myself and our little princess Ella, click on the link to go get a title of your own (and try it more than once if you don't like what they give you, it appears to be totally random):
Oooh, an almost funnier one for Ella the second time round...
Aaaah, silly holiday times, you'd think if I have this kind of free time I could get off my lazy rump and get out some new pictures of Ella to all her deserving loved ones, right? They're coming, I promise, one of these days, along with belated holiday cards and thank you notes and flying pink candy fairies : )
Hope all our friends out there are having a fun & relaxing holiday. Lots of love & hugs to all...
And on a non-holiday note, here's a little something I found through my friend Kori's site - thanks Kori! - a silly site that comes up with random peculiar royal titles for you with your name, really silly. Here's the titles given to myself and our little princess Ella, click on the link to go get a title of your own (and try it more than once if you don't like what they give you, it appears to be totally random):
 | My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Her Most Serene Highness Lady Abigail the Talkative of Melbury Bubblewick Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title |
| My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Reverend Lady Ella Maria the Uncanny of Barton in the Beans Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title |
Oooh, an almost funnier one for Ella the second time round...
| My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Honourable Lady Ella Maria the Eldritch of Biggleswade by Biscuit Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title |
Aaaah, silly holiday times, you'd think if I have this kind of free time I could get off my lazy rump and get out some new pictures of Ella to all her deserving loved ones, right? They're coming, I promise, one of these days, along with belated holiday cards and thank you notes and flying pink candy fairies : )
Hope all our friends out there are having a fun & relaxing holiday. Lots of love & hugs to all...
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Crazy busy holiday time
Trying a quick post, they just updated the blog system here, we'll see if it's easier or faster to use now. Anyway, Ella & I have been trading germs back & forth since Thanksgiving, and we're both trying to get over the second bug as we speak, this one's a doozy, I think every sinus pore in my entire head is clogged up AND both ear tubes, I did not know I could possible make this much mucus... yum, right? On top of the colds we are crazy busy with holiday plans, just like everybody else the globe over. This weekend we are in charge of throwing a kid's Christmas party for daddy's whole squadron (all of civil engineering), so we're scrambling with all the final details since only two of our hundreds of spouses volunteered to help - yay : ) Let's just guess who will be refusing to head this up next year, hmmmm.
Well, hope to post more soon, just gotta get through this last big weekend and then we can relax and spend our time up till Christmas just baking lots of yummy holiday treats and then, well, eating them - hooray!
Here's a few OLD pictures of Ella from the last couple of months....
Sitting like a big girl at her new table & chairs -
Thanks Nana & Papa!!!
Our halloween lion, can you tell she's saying ROAR!
Ella's first halloween candy - what an awesome chocolate face!
A fuzzy, but cute pic of our little elf - Thanks for the outfit Grandma Penny! (we'll take more pics in this soon, I promise, but this fuzzy one was the best one I could catch in her first outing)
Well, hope to post more soon, just gotta get through this last big weekend and then we can relax and spend our time up till Christmas just baking lots of yummy holiday treats and then, well, eating them - hooray!
Here's a few OLD pictures of Ella from the last couple of months....
Sitting like a big girl at her new table & chairs -
Thanks Nana & Papa!!!
Our halloween lion, can you tell she's saying ROAR!
Ella's first halloween candy - what an awesome chocolate face!
A fuzzy, but cute pic of our little elf - Thanks for the outfit Grandma Penny! (we'll take more pics in this soon, I promise, but this fuzzy one was the best one I could catch in her first outing)
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