I love, love, love this picture!

Of course in my perfectionist way I would have preferred the lighting to be better BUT enough already – it’s a great picture. Jaime is back to school today and Sabrina goes back tomorrow. I go back to work next Tuesday, and Junior and Niki start back to daycare on Wednesday. I have had a wonderful maternity leave, my last maternity leave. Next time I’m off work this amount of time, I’ll be retired! WOW! Okay – back to the present. I realized this morning that I was able to enjoy extra time with all of my children because of the extreme amount of snow we’ve had in the area. I also had a fleeting thought that perhaps the world still did revolve around me and this was God’s way of giving me more time with the girls AND the babies. Tough break for the rest of Northern Virginia – sorry about that, but it was good for me. Having typed that, I do need the bad weather to cease and desist now that I am headed back to work and juggling everyone’s schedules. :-) I am nervous about the schedules but I have faith that all will work out wonderfully. Bridget is very comfortable with Simon and George, as they are with her. In fact the only thing I worry about with them at home alone on Wed – Fridays is that they will eat my kitchen cabinets and trim. I have been wishing for new cabinets though. Hmmmmm – perhaps I’ll hold of on spraying the bitter apple just yet.

Junior teaches us the meaning of love

This post chronologically should be before Junior’s Birthday, since the event occurred at Niki’s 6 week well check. When I updated our COMING SOON section just now, it came to mind and I recalled how I had intended to blog it – so that I never forget the first tangible example of the LOVE Junior has for his little sister. I write LOVE because I believe at the moment it happened I realized what love really is – in it’s simplest form – is when you’ll do everything in your power to keep someone you care about from feeling pain.

So the story goes…..Junior goes with me to Niki’s checkup and he reads some books at first and switches back and forth from the rocker to the chair in the room, then the doctor comes in, and he keeps trying to tell me something all through her checking Niki’s eyes, ears, nose, joints, etc. All the children use the same practice so the doctor recognizes him and tells him “Joe, this appointment today is for your sister and I am talking to your Mommy. You need to wait until we are done talking and not interrupt.” My thoughts were a mixture – of gratitude for the discipline she instilled – and sadness because he really seemed to want to say something. He held onto me while the doctor mentioned four or five more things and then turned to him, acknowledging it was finally his turn. He immediately looked up and said “Tell them don’t put the pur-temp-pur in Nickel’s bum”. My heart melted. I apologized to the doctor for his interruptions but explained that he had been trying to tell us not to hurt Niki because at Niki’s last appointment the nurse poorly attempted a rectal temperature THREE times, to which she screamed her head off and Junior obviously didn’t want her to go through that pain ever again. The doctor dropped to Junior’s level and told him what a wonderful and caring big brother he was to protect his little sister like that. Junior was proud but deep down seemed more relieved and very happy that his baby sister would not cry on this day. (Note: I didn’t let him go to the 2 month well check – She got 3 shots – I really wasn’t ready for him to try and take out the nurse with his plastic sword. He’ll be skipping the 4 month well check too.) =)

And then there were FOUR!

Nicole Lynn Dalbo was born at 1249pm on 1.12.10. She weighed in at 6 pounds 11 ounces and measured 19 inches long.

I hope to post her birth story in the next couple days on the preganacy blog, but, uh, my track record wasn’t too good the last couple months, so we shall see. I will say that Niki had “brow presentation” meaning she tried to come out forehead first and that is why she has the bruising and eye issues. She’s perfectly fine though. As of this post – she has very little bruising left, a small amount of blood in the whites of her eyes, and one tiny little scab under the corner of her left eye. Oh and she’s got my nose – poor thing – and she’ll just have to learn to live with it. :-)

9.16.09

Happy news is so easy to report and post about. It’s the really sad stuff that stops me in my tracks. We lost our eldest pet Saturday. We don’t know the cause. Jaws had gotten down to skin and bones at the end and had pretty much quit hopping or doing the happy dance that he used to always do. He was also not getting any nutrition from his food or water. Luckily, each of us were able to hold him some between Friday night and Saturday morning, when he passed. I believe the tiny fellow had more of an impact on all of us than we realized. He will be dearly missed.

Click here to view a journey through life with Jaws

When you click the link, your Windows Media Player should open and play the video. Slower connection may notice a longer buffering period.

9.4.09

Last weekend was long and short at the same time. For the girls’ birthday they had received tickets to Taylor Swift in concert….in PENNSYLVANIA. She was performing with Kellie Pickler and Glorianna at Bryce Jordan Center on the campus of Penn State. The concert was AWESOME! I loved it! I really did. I think the girls enjoyed it too. I hope they did anyways. :-) The drive not so fun. Four hours up and then four and a half hours back and I believe we were leaving the parking lot at midnight. FYI…I’m pregnant and like to SLEEP at night, not drive. I said my prayers, though, and we got home, safe and sound. Of course Sunday had to include a nap so the weekend was basically preparing for, attending, and recouperating from the concert. Well worth it – in my book!

I am looking forward to a nice long weekend this labor day weekend though. The house is a wreck and needs attention BAD. The yard too. The pool is doing pretty well so perhaps we’ll actually get to get into it for FUN and not work purposes! The girls have dentist appointments for cavity fillings on Monday. I just realized that THEY should be paying for these fillings not the parents! Hmmmm – I’m gonna mention that as a new rule. See if it helps them take better care of their teeth!