Happy 1st Birthday!

One year ago today was the happiest day of my life - the day Gabriella and Benjamin were born.  I can not believe how fast this last year has gone by.  It's bittersweet; I want my babies to stay babies but am just thrilled to have happy, healthy babies in my arms that are getting bigger and stronger every day. 
We had a small celebration today with some presents and a couple of smash cakes and a big Mickey and Minnie Mouse cake that Uncle Nick and Auntie Brooke bought for the babies:

life lately

Daily life over here has been pretty uneventful, which is just fine in my book!  Gabriella and Benjamin will typically sleep in until between 7:15 and 8:30, but that's after having an early morning bottle.  Then they'll play and eat and play some more until it's nap time, around 3 hours later.  After naps, it's more of the same.  If it's nice out, we'll head outside to play or splash in the baby pools, or we'll take the short ride over to Grandma and Grandpa's house for a dip in the big pool.  A couple of times a week we'll have playdates with Auntie Brooke, Dominick, and Owen.  All of this excitement is followed by more food and bottles and an afternoon nap.  Once Jamie gets home from work, they can't get enough of him.  Just this week Gabriella started saying Dada; up until now it was just hi.  So, here's life lately, in pictures:

Lucy

Here's the newest member of our household:
Lucy

Lucy was born on March 26.  We brought her home on May 19, just a few days shy of her being eight weeks old.  She's a smooth (or short) coat, where as Greta was a rough (or long) coat.  Basically she'll have a coat very similar to a Lab but with the markings of a Saint Bernard.  She's a very sweet girl and is great with the babies.  She's a baby herself and has those really sharp puppy teeth, so we're very careful with her around Gabriella and Benjamin.  I'd be lying if I said that I didn't cry a whole heck of a lot over Greta right before we brought Lucy home and even for a while after she joined our family.  I miss my Greta.  But Lucy's here now.  Here to make memories with us, to become a faithful friend to my babies.  Gabriella really gets a kick out of her, crawling after her around the couch and letting Lucy give her kisses!  Benjamin was a little more cautious at first, after being on the wrong side of those puppy teeth one morning.  But he loves her, too!!!

embracing the camera

Here we go, my first week of embracing the camera... getting in front of the lens and not just being momarazzi!  I have to admit that I really do love these three pictures.  Gabriella's sweet little face gazing at me, Benjamin and me sharing a giggle, and a no-brainer with me and both of my angels, my loves, my world. 

Gabriella and Mommy {9 months old}

Benjamin and Mommy {9 months old}

me with my snugglebugs

 I have linked up with Emily over here:

embracing the camera

I recently came across this adorable family blog.  A once weekly bit that she participates in  is *embrace the camera*.  The link below is the info page on her site, but in a nutshell it's all about mommies getting into more pictures!  Ummm, hello.  That's me.  Even before the babies, when Jamie and I would go o n vacation there would be about 300 pictures of him and like 6 with me in them.  It was like he had his own photographer documenting his travels.  I swear, people would ask "hey, didn't you go with Amanda?"  =).

Anyways, one of my new year's goals was to make sure to take pictures of Gabriella and Benjamin every week, video at least every other week, and once a month to get pics of me and Jamie with the babes.  The first two goals weren't too hard; it was pretty much already happening.  It's that last one... get in the pictures that I haven't rocked it on. 

I got a tripod for my DSLR for Christmas, so we have set it up and used the self timer for a few whole family shots, but not as often as I had hoped.  And definitely not enough candid, natural, silly, normal, this is our life shots.  It's my own fault.

I am guilty of sliding down the slippery slope of being a stay at home mommy - I don't take a shower every day.  I don't wear make up every day.  Some days I stay in my jammies and go right back to bed in them at night.  And some days when I do get dressed it's sweats and tshirts.  ::sigh::  So, I'm a bit self conscious and not wanting to hop in pictures looking all raggedy.  But then I read Emily's Embrace the Camera page.  And what she said makes sense.  I know she's right. 

One day all that will be left of me for my kids, besides their memories of course, is pictures.  They won't care if mommy had greasy roots in her ponytail.  Or unconcealed dark circles.  Or pimples.  (oh, the pimples!  I went back to the derm yesterday, btw)  They'll treasure the  pictures of their mommy and them and likely wish they had more, no matter how many there are.  I know I do with my baby pictures.  I LOVE seeing my mom and dad with me and my brother in the albums.  Never once have I ever thought 'mom should have put makeup on/ fixed her hair/ worn nicer clothes'.

So, I took the leap and got into some pictures.  My first day I was still in my jammies, not a touch of makeup.  Yesterday, I ran upstairs and put a little powder and blush on, fixed my ponytail, and threw on a cute tee and sweats.  I used the self timer to get me with both babies.  I took a few shots of me individually with Gabriella and Benjamin holding my arm out to get us in the frame. 

And ya know what?  It wasn't too shabby.  I'm totally uploading later today to share my results!!!

http://andersonfamilycrew.blogspot.com/p/embrace-camera.html

6 years in Heaven

6 years ago today was one of the worst days of my life.  Without a doubt it's in the top 2 worst days, so far.  Brooke's dad died very suddenly.  He had been in the hospital for less than a day.  I remember every single detail about the morning of February 14, 2006.  Not that much can make the sudden death of your best friend's dad, and your brother's future father in law any worse, but I need to add that Nick and Brooke were getting married in just 11 days... February 25. 

Dominick would have been dancing up a storm with the ladies at Nick and Brooke's wedding.  He would have been absolutely ga-ga over little Dominick (his namesake) and baby Owen.  He was such a kind-hearted, generous soul that was taken way too soon and is missed tremendously. 

It brings me some comfort knowing that we have the best guardian angel ever watching over us from Heaven. 

letter of intent

We're really struggling as a one income family.  I received in the mail the letter of intent for the upcoming school year.  I have to let my principal know by March 1st if I'll be returning to school in the fall, or if I'm resigning.  If I had to go back to work, my mom would retire and stay with the babies.  She's only going to work one more school year anyway, so she'd just go out a year earlier than planned.  I know without a shadow of a doubt that Gabriella and Benjamin would be in the best care imaginable, in my absense, of course.  It will just break my heart to leave my babies.  It would absolutely crush me.  But we need money.  I need to figure something out.  I can not go back to work full time during the day.  As a teacher, it's not like the work stays at school and you punch the clock from 9-5 like other jobs.  You get there an hour early and stay late, bring bags of papers home, have committee meetings, etc. 

I've been working on some wreaths and plan on approaching a local craft store, Brady's Craft Mart, this week.  It's kind of like a small scale walk-in Etsy, local arts and crafts.  I already spoke with them over the phone.  To rent a space there for a 6 month contract I have to have my work juried in, or approved, by the owner.  She has to think the work is marketable in this area and priced appropriately. 

I've been making some yarn wrapped wreaths with lace and felt flowers.  The concept is all over pinterest and etsy.  I'll post pictures at some point.  I'm hoping this is something that I can do, from the comforts of home, when my babies are sleeping, to bring in some cash.  Yup, I want to have my cake and eat it too.  It's so scary to think about... material, supplies, 6 months rent, it's a risk up front.  What if my wreaths flop?  I enjoy making them, but I'm not quite sure that they are a product I love.  But I suppose, if they sell and help solve my problem, I can learn to love them. 

I'm also working on getting my grandma's old sewing machine up and running.  Maybe I can figure out how to sew something adorable and original, something that everyone will love and want to have.  I'm not looking to make a fortune, just enough to help us bring in our bottom line and allow me the opportunity to continue being a stay at home mommy.  Being a mommy is all I've ever wanted and it was a long hard road getting here.  I can not emphasize enough what would happen to me if I have to leave my babies and work full time next school year.  My heart and chest hurt even thinking about it.

Christmas recap

We had a beautiful 1st Christmas as a family of 4!  Christmas Eve we ventured out to mass with my parents, Nick, Brooke, Dominick, Owen, and Nancy (Brooke's mom).  Afterward everyone came back to our house for dinner.  [ham, turkey breast with gravy, cheesey potato casserole, homemade pierogi (by yours truly)cheese and kraut - 2 kinds, not mixed together, corn casserole]  Dessert included fudge, potato chip cookies, Christmas tree spritz, oreo balls, and Brooke made melting moments.  Jamie's family normally is here, too, but his niece had just come down with strep the same day, so we actually still haven't celebrated with them yet. 

me and Gabriella

 

Jamie and Gabriella



 

me and Benjamin





Nick and Dominick





Benjamin and Owen

Brooke and Owen



Dominick and the dessert

my mom and Gabriella

Nick, Owen, and my dad

Gabriella



Benjamin

We put out cookies and milk for Santa and some carrots for the reindeer.  Blitzen does not like carrots and when Santa is not looking he spits them out!

Christmas morning was just so nice.  We opened presents with Benjamin and Gabriella who were totally spoiled.  Santa brought Gabriella a holiday Barbie - her first Barbie doll! 

 Jamie and I had been working hard to make fleece blankies for each baby.  We did them full size so that way they'll have them forever.  =)

 Then we headed over by my parents in our jammies.  Holy smokes... these babies seriously must have every single toy made by Fisher Price, Playskool, and VTech.  Present opening over there with the same group from Christmas Eve plus my grandpa took almost 3 hours.  We came home for a bit and normally would have gone by Jamie's side, but since they had germs we went back to my parents and had leftovers. 

I couldn't have asked for a happier day with my little family.







 

snapshot sunday

Here are a few pictures that I took with my cell phone this week... Enjoy! 

Halloween: better late than never

trick or treating by Auntie Brooke and Uncle Nick's house

cutest little ducky and ladybug ever

Dominick is holding baby Owen (Winnie the Pooh)
Gabriella and Owen were having a shouting contest, but she came up for air!

my parents
yup, that's Benjamin in the duck suit still

fast asleep in pink, black cat jammies from my friend, Sue

still tired the next morning in orange bat/dracula jammies from Sue

just when I thought life couldn't get much better- it did

Last night my family all got together to celebrate my mom's 60th birthday. I ate a ton of yummy Aurelio's cheese pizza, my mom opened her presents, and right after we sang Brooke and Nick took Dominick upstairs for a diaper change.  Lil D came down wearing a white shirt over his dress clothes.  I had anticipated that he'd be in his jammies because it was getting a bit late (for him, anyways!).  So in a split second I thought, "Maybe they're trying to keep cake off his outfit."  <it did strike me a bit weird that Nick still had his camcorder running>  Then Dominick, who's almost 21 months old turns around and his shirt says BIG BROTHER.  It took a second, but I jumped up and almost beat Nancy (Brooke's mom) to her.  My best friend is pregnant!!!  My official due date is still August 16, although I'll likely go early.  Brooke is due on August 31.  This is what Brooke and I plotted for three years ago; to be pregnant together.  Now it has finally happened.  My parents are going from 1 beautiful grandson to 4 grandbabies in no time at all!  Life sure happens fast.

Can you spot all 5 people in this picture?  I can!
Brooke is about 5 weeks pregnant and I'm just over 7 weeks.