Everyone gets chores in this house, even Bell....
http://s54.photobucket.com/albums/g119/handsfreebaby/?action=view¤t=MVI_0211.flv
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Friday, January 26, 2007
NY was great, but now Bell is sick.....
We went to New York last weekend on business! The New York City Babywearing Group Slings in the City sponsored a big babywearing event at the Hilton Hotel in Times Square! It was an awesome and exhausting day. They expected 300 people and got over 700, so needless to say we were busy all day long. Thankfully Don was there to help me, as he spent a lot of time sitting at the laptop (thanks Steve!) taking orders for BabyLegs. We did MUCH better than I had hoped and I spent this week re-ordering products, adding some new ones to my offerings (thanks to the profits from the show!), and getting ready for the local Baby Fair we will be doing this weekend (last year I was just starting out and there was a GREAT turnout of new and pregnant moms at this show). This is picture of the BabyLegs table Don manned for me on Sunday, and we had a baby carrier table right next to it as well. The only down side to the day was the Saints lost in the Championship game :(
Mom and Dad were up in Boston the weekend before for a renioun of their "old crowd". They had a great time and it sounds like lots of memories and even some mementos were brought to the day. Aunt Dot flew in from California for the gathering and then came down to New York to spend the week before flying home. We got to see her for a short while on Saturday evening when we got to my parents. Bell had a great time playing with all of her silver braclets, taking them off over and over again! It was great to see Aunt Dot again, last time we saw her was when Don and I were in California on our honeymoon!We were up very early Sunday to get to the city and did not get home until late (stayed to watch the game on the bar TV at the hotel). We were exhuasted and had to return to Freeport to return the laptop, so stayed until Monday. We had a little detour on our way home as Don had a work related conference call, so we hit a McDonalds while he talked. Bell got to play in her first playplace and crawl around in the tubes. It is times like these I am very happy she has an older brother, as there is no way I would be going up in them! She and Austin had a blast climbing up and sliding down.
Otherwise we have had a pretty lowkey week until last night. Bell must have picked up some kind of bug or virus, as she threw up all over herself and daddy at 8:30 last night, and again two more times. Don got the great job of stripping down the bed, and handling the dirty clothes and towels each time - he is a GREAT dad!! She spiked a 104.6 at about 10 pm (and Don was ready to take her to the hospital), he says he is glad I have been through this before so I know what to do. We got her fever down after she was able to keep the medicine down, but she is still running a 101-102 this evening. Our poor little girl, it is so sad to see her feeling so bad. I also felt bad for daddy, as he had to go to work this morning after us being up with her off and on all night. Knock on wood, none of the rest of us has come down with it yet, and hopefully will not!! So tomorrows baby fair will be minus my favorite model, as she will stay home with daddy and I will bring Austin along to work with me.
Winter has finally showed itself around here. We got snow yesterday, but not a ton, just enough to cover the ground - and enough for Austin and his friend JD to try out the snowball makers he got for Christmas. I was going to take Bell out in it today, but no such luck with her not feeling well. Well I am sure we will get at least a little more before the winter ends!
Monday, January 15, 2007
What a beautiful day in January!!
The kids had a great time playing out in the yard together today! Our little Saints fan loves her new play yard, as does her big brother it seems.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
They won!!!!
Don is SO excited!!! The Saints WON (and we live in Eagles territory) tonight and are going to the Championships!!!
GO SAINTS - Superbowl bound..............
Friday, January 12, 2007
Bell learns something new everyday!!!
Isabella is just going to town these days. Everyday is 
something new and she is so much fun to be with. She has just gotten into her dolls and stuffed animals. She loves her black stuffed dog her brother Austin handed down to her because she kept taking it from him (his "Lucky dog" grandma Barry gave to him). Lucky dog goes to bed with her every night and she goes right down to sleep (well, at least most nights). Her little baby doll (a birthday present from Austin) and her Dora doll she got from Grandma Tuscano are now her favorites. I wrapped her baby dolls on her one day and she loved it, she walks around patting its back and playing. The other day she walked up to me with her doll, one of her play silks (which I usually use to wrap her doll with), and signed "help" to me. Too cute!!! This is her with her baby doll on the other day.
She is also learning to color with crayons. Of course this is a highly supervised activity at this point as the crayons apparently look to good not to eat!! We work on out and in as well while coloring, as they need to come out of the box and go back in about 5 times during coloring.
Bell also loves to "help" around the house. You know, I sweep up a pile of dirt and she un sweeps it, she takes the laundry out of the dryer when we are trying to put it in, and loves to try and crawl up on the dishwasher to help her brother load dishes. But she is learning and having fun! She is to funny with the broom, she holds it all the way down by the bottom and bends down to sweep. I keep trying to get her to move her hands up and stand up, but no luck so far.
She has learned a bunch of new signs recently and it is so great, she can sign: dog, cat, bird, milk, more, eat, drink, hurt, flower, fan, play, night-night, ball, pacifier, hat, coat, shoes, socks, Austin, daddy, hear, plane. There are probably more I don't remember - oh, cookie.
And she is starting to really say words as well - of couse they don't sound like words to anyone but those of us who can interperate them! Daddy and mommy are clear, but here are a few others:
Cookie is "cak ca" (i think from me saying cracker - as they all get the same sign and word).
Night-night is "ni ni" - she says ni-ni, waves and kisses everyone who is home when she goes to bed.
One she just picked up yesterday is Phoebe, "be be". She loves when Phoebe plays with her. Phoebe has two long dog toys (a duck and a snake). Austin calls the duck "tug a duck". Bell will wrap it around her neck and run up and down the hall with it. Phoebe goes after her and grabs one end and pulls it off her neck. Then bell grabs the other end and they run around the house with Bell laughing and now screaming be-be. It is amazing how gentle Phoebe is when she plays with her!! Lucky on the other hand tolerates her, but mostly just swats her in the face with his hard tail. She walks around with her hand in front of her face when he is coming at her, as his tail is right at her height now.
Well, enough about Bell, you would think she is the only one in this family - ha!! Her life is much more exciting than ours. Austin has a swim meet tomorrow in Chesapeake, MD - it is about an hour away, but luckily an afternoon meet and not at 8 AM like most of them! He is doing well in swimming and improving his times and working on his dives and flip turns a lot this season.
Don will be spending the weekend alternating between watching football (The Saints are in the palyoffs !!!) and making me a pegboard display I need for some upcoming babyfairs I have. If only we could get satelite hookup to the shed, he could do both at the same time!!
I am feeling well, and getting big! Feeling the baby move everyday now, which is pretty neat.
well that's all for now!
Love you all!
Karen
something new and she is so much fun to be with. She has just gotten into her dolls and stuffed animals. She loves her black stuffed dog her brother Austin handed down to her because she kept taking it from him (his "Lucky dog" grandma Barry gave to him). Lucky dog goes to bed with her every night and she goes right down to sleep (well, at least most nights). Her little baby doll (a birthday present from Austin) and her Dora doll she got from Grandma Tuscano are now her favorites. I wrapped her baby dolls on her one day and she loved it, she walks around patting its back and playing. The other day she walked up to me with her doll, one of her play silks (which I usually use to wrap her doll with), and signed "help" to me. Too cute!!! This is her with her baby doll on the other day.
She is also learning to color with crayons. Of course this is a highly supervised activity at this point as the crayons apparently look to good not to eat!! We work on out and in as well while coloring, as they need to come out of the box and go back in about 5 times during coloring.
Bell also loves to "help" around the house. You know, I sweep up a pile of dirt and she un sweeps it, she takes the laundry out of the dryer when we are trying to put it in, and loves to try and crawl up on the dishwasher to help her brother load dishes. But she is learning and having fun! She is to funny with the broom, she holds it all the way down by the bottom and bends down to sweep. I keep trying to get her to move her hands up and stand up, but no luck so far.
She has learned a bunch of new signs recently and it is so great, she can sign: dog, cat, bird, milk, more, eat, drink, hurt, flower, fan, play, night-night, ball, pacifier, hat, coat, shoes, socks, Austin, daddy, hear, plane. There are probably more I don't remember - oh, cookie.
And she is starting to really say words as well - of couse they don't sound like words to anyone but those of us who can interperate them! Daddy and mommy are clear, but here are a few others:
Cookie is "cak ca" (i think from me saying cracker - as they all get the same sign and word).
Night-night is "ni ni" - she says ni-ni, waves and kisses everyone who is home when she goes to bed.
One she just picked up yesterday is Phoebe, "be be". She loves when Phoebe plays with her. Phoebe has two long dog toys (a duck and a snake). Austin calls the duck "tug a duck". Bell will wrap it around her neck and run up and down the hall with it. Phoebe goes after her and grabs one end and pulls it off her neck. Then bell grabs the other end and they run around the house with Bell laughing and now screaming be-be. It is amazing how gentle Phoebe is when she plays with her!! Lucky on the other hand tolerates her, but mostly just swats her in the face with his hard tail. She walks around with her hand in front of her face when he is coming at her, as his tail is right at her height now.
Well, enough about Bell, you would think she is the only one in this family - ha!! Her life is much more exciting than ours. Austin has a swim meet tomorrow in Chesapeake, MD - it is about an hour away, but luckily an afternoon meet and not at 8 AM like most of them! He is doing well in swimming and improving his times and working on his dives and flip turns a lot this season.
Don will be spending the weekend alternating between watching football (The Saints are in the palyoffs !!!) and making me a pegboard display I need for some upcoming babyfairs I have. If only we could get satelite hookup to the shed, he could do both at the same time!!
I am feeling well, and getting big! Feeling the baby move everyday now, which is pretty neat.
well that's all for now!
Love you all!
Karen
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Pictures and Movement !!
Baby T. is moving around, I can finally feel his/her faint flutterings!
Here are some pictures from our Sonogram at 18 weeks, amazing!!
It never ceases to amaze me how God works. This little tiny life inside of me has fingers and toes, can hear my voice, and respond to sounds and light. And we are only half way there to his/her arrival. We are truely blessed to be having this baby!
Don & Karen
Monday, January 08, 2007
New Years Eve.....The END!
2006 was a wonderful year for us. We settled into our new home and made it our own. Bell grew more each day, from a tiny infant to a fast moving toddler, with a few words and LOTS of signs in her vocabulary!! Austin made new friends and did great in school this year.Don stayed local (if you call NJ everyday local), and did not have to do much traveling, which helped us to be expecting in the new year!! We are looking forward to 2007, and hope it is as wonderful as year as the one just passed. We wish you all a Happy and Wonderful New Year!!!!
We spent the last night of 2006 at home, as a family, with some friends. Our neighbor Chris went out dancing with the girls, so Jess and Lindsay got to spend the night with us!! We also had our friends Annette and JD over as well. The adults played cards and the kids played Scene It and video games through the evening, and of course we all had lots of snacks!!
The kids were excited to get to have champagne at midnight when the ball dropped, but of course. none of them liked it at all! They all had a fun time with the connfetti and poppers at midnight, as did Bell!! She actually fell asleep on my back and woke up about 11:45 to join in the fun.
Bell out cold before midnight.
Lindsay drinking the "yucky" champagne at midnight.
Lindsay and Don facing off over who got to eat my famous black bean salsa first - Lindsay loves it, so does Don!!!
Jess and Don celebrating New Years!
The kids toasting the new year (As you can see, Austin did not try the champagne, he had fruit punch!!).
We spent the last night of 2006 at home, as a family, with some friends. Our neighbor Chris went out dancing with the girls, so Jess and Lindsay got to spend the night with us!! We also had our friends Annette and JD over as well. The adults played cards and the kids played Scene It and video games through the evening, and of course we all had lots of snacks!!
The kids were excited to get to have champagne at midnight when the ball dropped, but of course. none of them liked it at all! They all had a fun time with the connfetti and poppers at midnight, as did Bell!! She actually fell asleep on my back and woke up about 11:45 to join in the fun.
Bell out cold before midnight.
Lindsay drinking the "yucky" champagne at midnight.
Lindsay and Don facing off over who got to eat my famous black bean salsa first - Lindsay loves it, so does Don!!!
Jess and Don celebrating New Years!
The kids toasting the new year (As you can see, Austin did not try the champagne, he had fruit punch!!).
Part 3... New Jersey
Saturday between Christmas and New Years we spent in New Jersey, first visiting with Don's family and then with Nick, Linda and the kids.
Bell always has a fun time at Uncle Eds, she loves to play with the little cat food cans. She stacks and unstacks them, and rolls them around.
Bell hanging out with Grandma!! You can see her new playyard in the background, Uncle DAn and Aunt El gave it to us, and we trailered it all the way from NY!!
Bell with daddy and Grandpa. Apparently daddy thought something was very funny.
We visited with Edith (she lives next door to Grandma and Grandpa T.) while we were there. Bell had a great time playing with all her singing Christmas animals!
It was great to see Nick, Linda and the kids again. We wish we lived closer (or they lived closer to us!!), so we could see them more often. Isabella just wanted to take Morgan's baby dolls bottle and feed it to her brother. As you can see, he was a good sport about it! We gave Morgan a coloerforms silly faces game for Christmas, so the girls and I played with it. Of course Morgan, just wanted to turn the spinner to the part she need to finish making her face, but Kirsten and I helped her to play by the rules! She did not want to take any of the faces apart when we were done, so we put them away as they were - what a fun age!! Nick rounded out the evening by offering us some fresh clams. Well, he went to open up the first one and sliced right into his hand. So while Linda took him to the ER (dropped him off actually), we stayed with the kids. Nick ended up with a few stitches in his hand from it.
Bell always has a fun time at Uncle Eds, she loves to play with the little cat food cans. She stacks and unstacks them, and rolls them around.
Bell hanging out with Grandma!! You can see her new playyard in the background, Uncle DAn and Aunt El gave it to us, and we trailered it all the way from NY!!
Bell with daddy and Grandpa. Apparently daddy thought something was very funny.
We visited with Edith (she lives next door to Grandma and Grandpa T.) while we were there. Bell had a great time playing with all her singing Christmas animals!
It was great to see Nick, Linda and the kids again. We wish we lived closer (or they lived closer to us!!), so we could see them more often. Isabella just wanted to take Morgan's baby dolls bottle and feed it to her brother. As you can see, he was a good sport about it! We gave Morgan a coloerforms silly faces game for Christmas, so the girls and I played with it. Of course Morgan, just wanted to turn the spinner to the part she need to finish making her face, but Kirsten and I helped her to play by the rules! She did not want to take any of the faces apart when we were done, so we put them away as they were - what a fun age!! Nick rounded out the evening by offering us some fresh clams. Well, he went to open up the first one and sliced right into his hand. So while Linda took him to the ER (dropped him off actually), we stayed with the kids. Nick ended up with a few stitches in his hand from it.
Friday, January 05, 2007
Part 2....The Zoo
The blog bogs down if you add to much at once, so this post is continuation of the one before it...
The Zoo:
Friday was a BEAUTIFUL day and Austin, Bell and I spent a few hours at the Queens Zoo with Aunt Elanore, Katie and Emily. Don stayed home as his knee was acting up and did not want to walk that much (I think he got some good time in playing on the computer!!). The kids always have so much fun together and Katie and Emily love being around Austin. The queens zoo is a great one for small kids. It is small enough to walk in 1 1/2 hours, nice and flat, but with lots for the kids to see. We all had fun seing the ducks and the bears, walking through the aviary and feeding the goats. Bell laughed when they were eating out of her hand!! She laso had a great time chasing around the pigeons, signing "bird" and saying "weet, weet" the whole time!
Austin's new best friend!
Bell LOVED the ducks!
She had them eating out of the palm of her hand...
The kids..
The kids....and the bear!!!
The Zoo:
Friday was a BEAUTIFUL day and Austin, Bell and I spent a few hours at the Queens Zoo with Aunt Elanore, Katie and Emily. Don stayed home as his knee was acting up and did not want to walk that much (I think he got some good time in playing on the computer!!). The kids always have so much fun together and Katie and Emily love being around Austin. The queens zoo is a great one for small kids. It is small enough to walk in 1 1/2 hours, nice and flat, but with lots for the kids to see. We all had fun seing the ducks and the bears, walking through the aviary and feeding the goats. Bell laughed when they were eating out of her hand!! She laso had a great time chasing around the pigeons, signing "bird" and saying "weet, weet" the whole time!
Austin's new best friend!
Bell LOVED the ducks!
She had them eating out of the palm of her hand...
The kids..
The kids....and the bear!!!
Monday, January 01, 2007
The end of our year, Part 1....
I finally have some time to get these up. The pictures take awhile to post and I have so many I wanted to share (can you see my BIG smile - I love my new camera, my husband ROCKS!!).
It is a long post, mostly pictures, about the great time we had ending out 2006 with family and friends!! ( Post is split into a few parts to add all of the pictures!)
Freeport, NY:
Bell just loves the mirror mom keeps on the floor in the living room, just her height. She also found some red plastic Christmas balls on strings that she played with ALL weekend!! Oh, and she now loves to wear her hats, both inside and outside!
Danielle and Gianna,
Isabella loves her new Bear Blanket (BB as we are calling it) from Aunt Denise and Uncle Dave!
Grandma and Grandpa with Bell.
The three cousins playing with Bell's playsilks.
The Old Gang:
Michelle had all of us over her house on Friday night and we had a great time!! It is so wonderful to get to see my friends when I get back to NY. We miss you guys!!
Nicollette with Bell, Thmomas, Court, Sarah, Austin and across the back, Robby!!
Maryann, Mary Ann, Angela, Michelle, me and Liz (this was the silly picture).
It is a long post, mostly pictures, about the great time we had ending out 2006 with family and friends!! ( Post is split into a few parts to add all of the pictures!)
Freeport, NY:
Bell just loves the mirror mom keeps on the floor in the living room, just her height. She also found some red plastic Christmas balls on strings that she played with ALL weekend!! Oh, and she now loves to wear her hats, both inside and outside!
Danielle and Gianna,
Isabella loves her new Bear Blanket (BB as we are calling it) from Aunt Denise and Uncle Dave!
Grandma and Grandpa with Bell.
The three cousins playing with Bell's playsilks.
The Old Gang:
Michelle had all of us over her house on Friday night and we had a great time!! It is so wonderful to get to see my friends when I get back to NY. We miss you guys!!
Nicollette with Bell, Thmomas, Court, Sarah, Austin and across the back, Robby!!
Maryann, Mary Ann, Angela, Michelle, me and Liz (this was the silly picture).
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
We had a wonderful, peaceful Chistmas! We got up about 7:45 and opened our stockings, and then went to Church for Christmas morning Mass. It was not very crowded (we heard Christmas Eve mass was packed!), but the Priest did a wonderful sermon. He read the childrens book, A Chirstmas Story, and had some of the little ones up on the alter, right to the point, and not to long! We did not want to have to rush through our presents, so we waited until after church to open them. We had a lot of fun, and Bell loved ripping off the bows, tags and paper!
We all got some really nice gifts. Austin got a remote contorl plane (a gift that was not electronic!!), among many other things. Bell loved her little computer dad bought her (maybe she will keep away from MY keyboard now), and her xylaphone and moraccas!! As you may be able to tell from these pictures, I got a new CAMERA for Christmas!!! Don picked me out a great one and I am SOOO happy to be able to get some good pictures and retire my old one! And Don got a cart to tow behind his lawn mower - boy that was a heavy one for me to get home and hide! - Thanks to our neighbors shed it was not detected!
We had our neighbors in in the evening for a few hours. Bell loves playing with Jessica and Lindsay and ran right up to them when they came in. (Brett and Steph - we missed you guys!!).
It was a nice, relaxing day, as was today. Both days have been rainy, cold and damp, so we have enjoyed staying indoors! Austin just got out of his pajamas to go to his friend JD's house at 4:30 PM!
We hope you all had a wonderful and peace filled Christmas, and we miss you all. Looking forward to our trip north on Wednesday!!
We all got some really nice gifts. Austin got a remote contorl plane (a gift that was not electronic!!), among many other things. Bell loved her little computer dad bought her (maybe she will keep away from MY keyboard now), and her xylaphone and moraccas!! As you may be able to tell from these pictures, I got a new CAMERA for Christmas!!! Don picked me out a great one and I am SOOO happy to be able to get some good pictures and retire my old one! And Don got a cart to tow behind his lawn mower - boy that was a heavy one for me to get home and hide! - Thanks to our neighbors shed it was not detected!
We had our neighbors in in the evening for a few hours. Bell loves playing with Jessica and Lindsay and ran right up to them when they came in. (Brett and Steph - we missed you guys!!).
It was a nice, relaxing day, as was today. Both days have been rainy, cold and damp, so we have enjoyed staying indoors! Austin just got out of his pajamas to go to his friend JD's house at 4:30 PM!
We hope you all had a wonderful and peace filled Christmas, and we miss you all. Looking forward to our trip north on Wednesday!!
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Merry CHRISTmas Eve !!!!
Merry Christmas!! We wish you all a wonderful Christmas and a great New Year in 2007.
Yesterday we made Christmas cookies with our friends Jess and Lindsay. The first batch was GONE before I turned around!!
Tonight, Christmas Eve, we had Don's parents and Uncle Ed down for dinner and presents. I took video and mom took all the pictures, so hope to get some to post. This was Bell about 7:30 PM - out cold!! And what a hairdo when she woke up!! Now she is up and watching It's a Wonderful Life with daddy and Austin, and I am going in to join them. Can't beat that, cookies, hot chocolate and my family around me on Christmas Eve!!
Wishing you all Joy and Peace. Todays reading in church told us "Jesus is Peace", and tomorrow we celebrate Jesus!!
Love,
Don, Karen, Austin, Isabella and Baby T.
Friday, December 15, 2006
Christmas Parties....
Saturday was the Mothers & More Christmas party. They have wonderful Santa and Mrs. Claus that comes every year for the kids. Most of the kids would sit with Mrs. Claus if they did not want to go to Santa. Bell did not want either and would only go with Austin. Our neighbors Jessica and Lindsay (our great dog watchers!!) came with us as well.
When we got home from that party, we brought Austin and Bell to their house and Chris watched the kids overnight while Don and I went to Pennslyvania to his company Christmas party. Hey, they were paying for a hotel (and we have not been away overnight for 1 1/2 years), so we took advantage of it!! Bell was really good for Chris (other than sleeping 8-10 and then staying up until 1 AM before going back to sleep until morning!).
Don and I had a fun time at the party, it was nice to get to dress up and go out. Nick and Linda were their as well (Bell's Godparents), and it was fun to get to spend some time with them as well. With us in Delaware and them in New Jersey we do not get to see them as often as we would like. Don and Nick are on completely different projects at work now, so they never even get to see each other there. Don and I got to sleep in and go out for a nice relaxing breakfast before coming home. At least it was relaxing until Don got a call from work and we had to stop in there on the way home!! But today is (or hopefully is depending on how the project they are working on today went) his last day for two whole weeks!!! He loves taking off Christmas week, and since he used so little vacation time this year (to busy!), he has two to take. It will be WONDERFUL to have him around, I am so excited.
Anyway, we are looking forward to having Dons parents and Uncle Ed here on Christmas Eve day, and will be spending Christmas day quitely at home. We will go to NY during the week between Christmas and New Years to see everyone there, and back home for New Years.
It was a nice weekend and got us in the Holiday mood.
My parents leave tomorrow for Germany for a "Christmas Markets" cruise down the Danube river, and come home Christmas Eve. Germany in December, brrrrr...
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