meet baby daniella

Yesterday, my brother- and sister-in-law welcomed a beautiful baby girl into this world. They now truly have the million dollar family. Daniella is absolutely stunning and already a girly girl. I forgot how small they are when they leave the womb and it made me even more excited to welcome her new cousin before too long. She was perfect with all of her tiny toes, fingers and her little button nose. Little Miss L. was delighted to meet her new cousin and wanted to hold her the whole time. I can't wait to cuddle this doll some more and smell that precious baby scent.

Little Miss L. meeting Little Miss D.

Proud uncle.

Shh, it's okay..mommy is going to feed you.

She may be tiny but she has a huge set of lungs on her.

Love these tiny toes!

baby d's baptism part 1

The hubby and I would like to take a moment and thank everyone who came out to celebrate Baby D's special day this past weekend. It was long overdue, the hubby and I had kept pushing this day back as it never seemed like the right time. Well, last Sunday arrived and it was the perfect day surrounded by people who love and support our son. It was a beautiful ceremony followed by a great afternoon with food, family and friends.

I will share more of Baby D's special day next week but here is a sneak peek. Thank you to our parents, Mary Lou and Joe for all your help.

Baby D with his godfather.

Baby D with his godmother.

Waiting for the ceremony to start.

Umm, what are they pouring over my head?!?!

Group shot #1.

Group shot #2.

Our two little angels.

They love each other so much....melts my heart.

the big 2-5!

As most of you have noticed, I have been slacking in the blogging department, but this momma has been exhausted. Summer has been busy and our family has been on-the-go every weekend. I am hoping things will start to slow down soon and I will be able to get you all caught up. I had to share this quick post because I still can't believe my little brother turned the big 2-5 a couple of weekends ago.

We spent the day at my parents home where we enjoyed a beautiful afternoon on the St.Lawrence river. The kids splashed in the water, took a boat ride, and did a little fishing and I even grabbed a few minutes to relax too! Little Miss L. and Baby D were super excited to sing happy birthday to their awesome uncle and were even more thrilled when the ice cream cake appeared.

It was a wonderful afternoon. This kid, or should I say man, is making me feel old these days. Here are some pictures from the day...

Writing Uncle Brady a birthday message.

My happy little man.

As much as I know this guy needs a haircut, I don't want to lose those curls.

Time for a little fishing.

Baby D is always talking to and hugging his little brother.

Our little girl has been making this face since she was 6 months old. 

I love this child with all my heart and I love those lashes.

Really dad, you are going to pick that up?!?!

Time to blow out the candles.

Time for cake. Using the fork lasted all of 30 seconds.

Can you tell our children love ice cream cake?!

The birthday boy with his momma and grandma.

I love these two.

All grown up!

32 weeks

How far along?: 32 weeks
How big is baby?: Baby weighs 3 3/4 pounds (about the size of a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus.

Weight gain?: Sitting at 21 pounds but feels like 50.

Stretch marks?: Well, let's just say the belly is not too happy with me. I may have got a little sun burnt over the past couple of weekends. I've been lathering with Olive Oil to help with the itchiness.
Maternity clothes?: If I could wear nothing all day, I would. It has been so hot. I throw on the bathing suit when I can and when I need to cover up, it has been all about the sun dresses. Luckily the temperature has dipped today and provided some relief.
Food cravings?: No really interesting cravings lately. It has been so hot out, I just want to drink ice-cold water all day long.
Sleep?:  Sleep has been pretty good but I just wish I had more of it!
Gender?: A son.
Exercise?: Let's skip this question.
What's been going on? Summer has been flying by and before you know it, fall will be here. It seems like we have a function every weekend. I am hoping once August hits we will have some down time which means we will be in full baby preparation mode. Until then, I have to stop worrying and hope baby boy does not make an early appearance. The weather has been making things very uncomfortable lately. Lots of swelling and for some reason my hip has been acting up. Looking forward to my upcoming ultrasound next week. Until next week my only goal is to stay cool!!!

I feel like baby has dropped a lot in the last week.

Check out week 32 with baby #1 and #2 here.

love is magical

I absolutely love my parents for many reasons and I truly aspire to have a relationship like they do - they laugh, have fun, and always look out for each other. Last weekend, we gathered to celebrate their 34th wedding anniversary. We didn't head to a fancy restaurant but instead decided to relax at their place enjoying a barbecue on the St.Lawrence river. The kids had a dance party and loved the fact they got to dig into two yummy cakes.

I wanted to capture this special day but it is next to impossible to get a picture with the two of them. Let's just say my mom does not think she can take a picture so she always ends up with the giggles. My father thinks a picture should be taken in less than 10 seconds and if you are over that time frame, forget about it. Well, here is my failed attempt, but I love these pictures because they capture exactly who my parents are...

The giggles start...

Oh, no here we go...

Always having fun together...

Always look at each other with love in their eyes...

Finally! 

Baby D starts the dance party.

This girl had all the moves.

30 weeks

How far along?: 30 weeks
How big is baby?: Baby's about 15.7 inches long now and weighs almost 3 pounds (about the size of a large cabbage.)

Weight gain?: Weighed in at my OB appointment yesterday and I am up a whopping 21 pounds already!

Stretch marks?: Oh, how I love my extra virgin olive oil. Helps keep the tummy from becoming itchy.
Maternity clothes?: Summer dresses have been my go-to attire.
Food cravings?: The weather has been really hot and I am sure that is the reason why I had been craving an ice cream cake for two weeks. This past weekend my craving was fulfilled. I could eat it every day.
Sleep?:  I can't complain. I have been getting the best sleep all pregnancy the last few weeks.
Gender?: A baby boy.
Exercise?: It has been way too hot here. I have been trying to keep up with my daily walks but after 20 minutes I am boiling and my body feels limp.
What's been going on? I can't believe I am at 30 weeks already. The time is flying by and I am starting to panic just a wee bit. In the next few weeks we need to finish the boys room, sort through clothing, buy a swing and bassinet, pack the good ol' hospital bag and maybe picking a name would be good?!? The list keeps growing and with this comes a little anxiety. I don't know what it is about this pregnancy but I am terrified to give birth. I know I have done it two times before but it takes my breath away thinking about what is going to happen... the pain... the unknown... the recovery... Alright, time to change topic as I get antsy writing about it. I have to say Little Miss L. and Baby D have been very good to their little brother - They both love to talk to him each day. Baby D is always giving his brother hugs and kisses and telling others to be quiet as his brother is napping. I can't wait to see how they will react when he finally leaves the belly and enters this world.

Check out week 30 with pregnancy #1 and #2 here.

canada day part 2

The rest of our Canada Day weekend was spent enjoying a little down time. We don't seem to have a lot of that around here and we decided to take full of advantage of it. Yes, we had a million projects we wanted to get done around the house but we woke up Sunday to the perfect summer day and decided to put the projects on hold. We packed our bags and headed to my parents to enjoy a day of fun in the sun. The kiddos love going to their grandparents' house because, let's face it, not only do they get whatever they want (ice cream, goodies, etc.) and they also have the ideal backyard to play in. The day was spent chasing bubbles, swimming (not sure how they managed as the river is still very cold!) boating, colouring with outdoor chalk and so much more. The evening wrapped up with their own personal fireworks display as the neighbour next door provided a pretty good show.

Monday we woke up to breaky out on the patio - the kids love eating outside and wish they could do it all the time. After their bellies were full, we headed into town to check out some Canada Day festivities including the parade. We made a quick stop to visit great-grandma and then it was back to grandma's house to enjoy the rest of their afternoon bugging their uncle.

Everyone was beat after a great weekend, the kids had passed out within two minutes of being in the car once we started our trek home. It was a wonderful weekend spent with family and it was nice to be able to sit back, relax and take it all in without feeling like we needed to race to the next place.

We hope you all enjoyed your Canada Day long weekend!

Time to decorate the dock with chalk.

Baby D spent hours picking up rocks and throwing them back into the water.

Little Miss L. was all hands-on-deck. She was grandpa's side-kick the whole weekend.

Out for a little ride with grandma and grandpa.

Baby D did not want to leave the water all weekend. The water was cold but he was determined to learn how to swim.

Happy Canada Day breaky!

Mom, you need to take a picture of me and the fork. 

Breakfast tastes so much better when it's outside and made by grandpa.

Little Miss L. was so happy to watch the soldiers pass by. They even stopped and put on a little show just for her.

Waiting for the parade to begin.

Showing her Canadian pride.

They both decided to sing "Oh, Canada"