Ho Ho Ho...Merry Christmas!

What a fun and exciting few days we had with the kids! Lots of presents and lots of family to see! Auntie Lynn, Auntie Shanni and Auntie Erin came over and brought gifts for the kids. They started to have fun "ripping" paper off presents. They didn't really get the grasp of Christmas just yet!

Xmas Eve we went over to the Manzello's. We had a yummy dinner of lasagna and seafood. The kids loved my lasagna!! They ate every last bite!! They got some really cute outfits from Mummu and Papa as well as from Aunt April & Uncle Scott. I'll be excited to use the gift cards they got from Uncle Greg & Aunt Sheryl to buy them some cute clothes for the spring! I then gave the kids a bath and they put on their Santa outfits sent from Nana and Papa! They were such a HIT! They looked so cute - and were so ready for bed! We had to then drive Dominic home and we all went to bed when we got home!

On Christmas Day, Matthew woke up at 5:30 - so I gave him a bottle and took him downstairs to our bedroom to drink it. I didn't want him to notice the presents before Ari woke up. LOL...Like they would notice...Arianna woke up at 6:15 - so I went to get her and I gave her a bottle and we went to see the presents! The kids loved ripping the presents open - and their faces were really funny! Santa brought Matthew a dumptruck and brought Arianna a Cabbage Patch baby doll. They also got "fridge phonics" (which to tell you is WICKED annoying...) and they got a tabletop activity center. They played with their stuff for a few minutes and then were fascinated with the diaper box. We put them in the diaper box and they stayed in there playing w/each other for about 15 minutes! I guess boxes are a lot of fun! David and I exchanged gifts...and I got a new camera!!! I took 186 pictures Xmas day! LOL I had to play with my new toy!! We fed the kids breakfast and were able to Skype with Nana and Papa before we left.

We got to Grammie's & Grampa Steve's house and Uncle Brian had just arrived. David took his own car this year because I was going to stay over with the kids. The kids opened gifts from Grammie & Grampa Steve and they got a new Rocking Horse! They LOVE it!! They got some clothes and a few other cute things in their stockings too (which they now have personalized stockings for Grammie to fill each year!!) The food was yummy and we enjoyed all of the company of Steve's family and Joan even joined us this year! The kids ate stuffed shells and chicken parm for dinner - (they are like their mama - love italian food!)

We got to stay over and play with Grammie & Grampa - then we headed home early afternoon. We had a busy few days but had such a wonderful 1st Christmas!!

Christmas is coming...the goose is getting fat...

Well - David has been singing that song all week and cracking me up - seeing how I have never in my life heard it before! That's David for ya!

The kids are doing so well - getting so big and well just being as cute as ever!

Arianna has 6 teeth and is into EVERYTHING! She has mastered the art of climbing stairs, and Daddy finally gave in and put the gate up...this was only after she climbed them 10 times, but the 11th time, she stood up on the 4th step and started jumping! We figured that we didn't need any broken bones just yet...even though I was her age when I broke my foot! (maybe a little older) She is so funny - definitely keeps us on our toes!

Matthew also has 6 teeth and is into EVERYTHING! He loves opening and closing drawers, cabinets, doors, etc. He has figured he can get up 2 stairs but then he starts crying becuase he's scared. He has this new thing where he blows (as if he is blowing a candle out) and just keeps doing it - so we'll be all set for his birthday!

The kids are still great eaters! They eat everything!!! Last night, David made Chicken Thighs, squash and couscous - they ate everything - and I didn't have to puree it! They ate the small pieces of chicken and said...mmmmm with every bite! It will be interesting if they like Calamari as much as Dominic does...we'll find out Xmas eve!

Christmas is coming this week, so we have a busy week with Xmas Eve and Xmas Day. Lots of food to make, lots of food to eat, and lots of presents! We received a box from Nana and Papa in Nebraska - I thought it would be funny to put the kids in the box with all the packing peanuts and well it only took 10 seconds for both kids to shove them in their mouths! I did manage to get a picture of them - and Ari has peanuts in her mouth!

That's it for now...I'll post pictures after Xmas!

Happy Holidays!

9 month update

We took the kids to their 9 month doctors apt. today! Here's the info:

Arianna is 18lb 5oz and 29 inches long. She is in the 90th percentile for height and weight...our little peanut is becoming a porker

Matthew is 18lb 7oz and 29 1/2 inches long. Somehow he is only in the 10th percentile for height and weight...probably because boys should be bigger!

The doctor told us to keep feeding Matthew until he turns food away - this isn't good for us becuase he'll eat us out of house and home! LOL She said both kids looked great and were advancing great! She said we can start them on whole milk once they turn 12 months old - so at least 3 more months with formula!

They then had to get 3 shots. 1 was a routine shot and then they got the flu shot and the H1N1 shot. They have to go back in a month for the next round of flu shots. They both cried, but it didn't last too long...until...we went to the lab. Because this is their 9 month apt., they have to have a vial of blood drawn to check their iron levels and anemia. Arianna went first...I held her on my lap and they put a little arm band around her to have her vein pop out...well then they stuck her with the needle and you would have thought someone really hurt her! She cried and screamed and screamed and well...screamed until we were home for 15 minutes! She's our little drama queen! Matthew took it like a man - cried for about 45 seconds and he was over it! It totally broke my heart though - to see those crocodile tears coming down...UGH!

We had our first official "snow day" today! I had the day off from work so I had the bonus of spending it with the kids. I dressed them up in their snow suits and plopped them in the snow. I took a few pictures then dragged them back inside! What a production!! We stayed inside for the rest of the day - until we went to the doctor. We got about 10 inches of snow, and now it is raining with thunder and lightening...very strange!

David and I got to have a weekend "away" this past weekend. We went on a bus trip to NYC with the college. We walked around and window shopped. The weather was really bad (rainy with occasional snow), so we spent 30.00 on umbrellas - since ours kept breaking! Then on Sunday we had a holiday ball that we go to every year. Joyce and Mike ended up having the kids Saturday - Monday. They were pretty tired, but they loved it! I had a hard time come Monday a.m. - I really missed waking up with the kids! When I got to my inlaws house after work on Monday - the kids were so excited to see me. Arianna got on her knees and leap frogged across the room clapping her hands and laughing. Matthew looked up with a huge smile and did a 1/2 laugh, 1/2 cry type thing as to say "My mommy's finally home!"

Well that's about it for now - the holidays are approaching quickly and before we know it they'll have their 1st birthday! So sad...my babies are growing up!

Gobble Gobble Gobble...

The kids celebrated their 1st Thanksgiving this past week. We went to my inlaws and had lots of food! Ari and Matthew enjoyed their 1st Thanksgiving by eating lots of mashed potatoes, green beans, sweet potatoes ... and even little bits of apple pie (I know I know...mom's naughty!).

I took the kids to see Santa this pas week as well - Matthew wans't too sure after a few minutes - but my curious little Ari...well... she decided to pull his beard! She even came home with beard fuzz in her fingers!

They go for their 9 month check up next week and we're all dying to know how big they have gotten! They are both so heavy, and Matthew is so tall! Ari is still a peanut! She does, however, outnumber Matthew with teeth. She now has 6 teeth (all 4 top and 2 bottom) and Matthew has 2 top and 2 bottom. They both wave bye bye now and they are really starting to know who people are. I will tell you they both love Mommy & Daddy!! They are so lovable and love to laugh and make you laugh as well!

They love taking baths and playing in the water, so after the holidays I'm going to look into signing them up for water babies at the local YMCA. They LOVE playing in the tub. Last night I had them in the tub for 20 minutes and they kept sitting back down as I was trying to take them out!

We went and had our family pictures taken this past weekend as well - I havne't seen the proofs yet, but I think we got some really cute shots!

That's it for now...I'll post more after their doctors apt.

The many faces of Matthew!

Here are the many expressions from Matthew! Very laid back compared to his sister!

what? I didn't do anything...I swear!

Seriously mom...it was Ari...not me!

Matthew eating leaves!

My happy boy!




I think I pooped!


SO happy!!

The many faces of Ari

Here are some of the many faces of Arianna -

Look at my teeth!

Going for a walk

What's UP??

My pretty bow!

You are my sunshine!

Such a ham for the camera!

8 months old...how time flies!

Ari and Matthew will be 8 months old tomorrow - it's kind of sad to think my babies are getting so big so fast! They are doing so well and constantly doing so many new things!

They now spend 3 days a week with David's parents (Mummu and Papa) and they love it! Grizzley gives them kisses when they arrive and he even brings his toys to play with them. The kids chase him all day long and he thinks it is a game!

We celebrated their 1st Halloween on Saturday! We took them to 2 houses on our street and then piled in the car and surprised Mummu and Papa. They haven't had trick-or-treaters in 25 years - so when their doorbell rang they were a little nervous as they didn't have any candy to give out! But low and behold it was the little piggy and horse saying Trick or Treat - smell my feet!

We also went through our 1st daylight savings this weekend - luckily we were able to keep the kids up later - so they ended up sleeping later. Phew...

Arianna is still standing on her own - no steps yet - we're just waiting! She babbles away and bounces. She's our little monkey. It looks like she'll be getting 4 of her top teeth pretty soon - and last week she was teething really bad. The past few days she seems to be ok. She's getting so big and already has thighs of steel! She loves to laugh and we are just so blessed to have a happy girl!

Matthew is still crawling around like crazy - he loves to laugh and lately has been a little skiddish! He loves playing hide n seek and getting into LOTS of mischief! His latest is taking out all of the wine bottles in our wine cabinet in the kitchen. We now have chairs blocking all of the different doorways so they can't go from the living room to the kitchen (unless we are in there). They will just stand at the chair and scream at us and make noises. It's pretty funny! He still loves playing with the Wii remotes, wii games, and anything else he can get his little hands on! He hasn't cut any more teeth yet, but I think his front tooth may be coming soon. Matthew is still very tall and LOVES to eat!

I gave the kids a banana the other day to eat - but they decided to squish it in their hands instead - it made a mess, but they had fun...that's what counts...right?? Last night, I made chicken caccatorie - so I took the sauce, a few small pieces of the shredded chicken and made some alphabet pasta - i blended it all up and they WOOFED down and said...Mmmmmm with every bite! They still love peaches and bananas - but they eat every food - I'm very lucky!

Work is slowing down for me a bit now, so I'll hopefully be able to update more! Until next time...

Lots of changes...

Well it has been a few weeks since I have posted - work has kept me EXTREMELY busy! The kids are doing great - getting bigger than ever and so much fun!

They really know who each other are now. If one is crying - the other will come see what is wrong - and they now chase each other when crawling and play peek a boo! I came downstairs yesterday and the kids were sitting in the living room holding hands having their own conversation - it was the cutest thing I've ever seen!!

Matthew is crawling away and LOVES playing in our entertainment center! He crawls over and pulls out every Wii game and movie imaginable and just chews on them. Arianna will help him some days! This is what i walked into yesterday:

Arianna is still her very daring self! Her new thing is she stands up and doesn't hold on to anything - I'm thinking she will be walking very soon!

They both love food - and I've been creating new and exciting mixtures for them to eat! They love alphabet pasta mixed with veggies!

We're heading to their first halloween party this Saturday - I can't wait to post pictures of their costumes!!! So funny!!!

updates

Well it's been a while since I've had time to send an update on the kids...Work has been keeping me REALLY busy! This week alone I think I put in 100 hours between work and being home taking care of the kids.

Arianna is growing so fast and she has such a personality! She now pulls herself to her feet and holds onto things (the couch, toys, our pants, the fridge, etc.) Today she stood up 3 different times and let go of what she was holding on to! She loves to laugh and thinks everything is funny. She still has 2 teeth and we are patiently waiting for more. She is so much fun and makes daddy and I laugh on a daily basis! The other day she said dada but I haven't heard it yet...Only Mummu heard it.

Matthew is slowly catching up to his sister. He is crawling, but he does this crazy crab crawl. Matthew also has 2 teeth and pulled himself up on his exersaucer the other day. He's very cuddly and lovable and sometimes he just wants to be snuggled. Matthew has been doing great sleeping through the night. The past 2 nights, he slept from 7pm - 6:30 am so I'm hoping this stays!

We took the kids to the Childrens Museum in Boston last weekend and met up with Kiera, Lisa, Matt and Tim. Dominic and Tim had a lot of fun playing at the museum. After, we took all the kids and went to dbar for dinner...so the kids had their first dbar experience.

The kids are really interacting with each other and playing with each other. I still have to tell them they need to share toys, but they will sit there and play for a while. They also interact and talk to each other in the car. I love listening to it...before I know it they will be fighting in the back seat!

first word!

Well - Arianna has said her first word! And I'm so happy it's...mama!

Yesterday we were having dinner and she kept saying: Mama...mama...mama...mummmmma. David kept asking her where's mama and she just looked at him and laughed - so we don't think she knows exactly what it means yet - but she says it nonstop now!

6 month check up and more!

The kids had their 6 month check up September 9th and all looks great! They both got 2 shots in the leg and had to drink some sweet stuff. They both did fine for the first shot, and the 2nd shot the both screamed. My heart broke for them!

Matthew is weighing in at 15lbs 8oz and is 27.5 inches long! He is in the 10% for his weight/height, so the doctor told us to feed him more “people” food (rather than more formula). We started chicken w/noodles and veggies – smelled disgusting but the kids LOVED it! I have to find some recipes to make “meat” baby food now. So far I have made all of the kids baby food – so this is the first “jar” food they have had.

Arianna weighs 15lbs 4 oz and is 25.5 inches long. She’s our little peanut – but this peanut is on the 10-12 month level as far as her development goes. The doctor went down a check list for both of them and the things she is doing is at a 10 month level, and the pulling herself to her feet in her crib is at a 12 month level! Matthew is at a 6month level, but some things he does is 10month level, so both are progressing ahead of schedule!

They both have 2 teeth now - Both of their front bottom teeth.

Ari has decided she wants to climb the stairs and what she wants...she does! She got ½ way up the first step and fell - but now she gets back up and tries again. She also pulls herself up in her crib and enjoys jumping up and down while looking at you and laughing.

My dad came for a visit last weekend, and the kids enjoyed their time with him. The weather was a bit crappy, but we made the best of it. We went to the Johnny Appleseed festival in downtown Leominster on Saturday morning, went to a BBQ in the afternoon, and then on Sunday we went to the Sterling fair. We even bought the kids new swings for the swing set out back! Papa bought 1 and we bougtht the other! Overall it was a busy weekend.

I started my fall travel season with work - and only being out 2 days I'm exhausted. Between driving time, attending high schools, taking care of the kids, etc. I've put in 30 hours in 2 days!

This weekend, the kids will be attending their first FSC football game. I have thier shirts ready to go - but I think I may have to buy them FSC sweatshirts before the next game! We are then heading to Grammie's for uncle Brian's birthday party.

We have a tooth!

Surprise surprise - we have a tooth! Both kids have been a little under the weather the past week. They have had a pretty bad cold. With this cold, Matthew really didn't eat on Friday. I came home late from work and he was all curled up with our neighbor Lynn on the couch. He hadn't wanted a bottle all day. Lynn went home and I took Matthew (who actually got a second wind around 8pm) so he was bouncing around, laughing and did a HUGE smile. When he smiled at me, I saw something in his mouth and turned the light on higher so I could see.

Obviously when you WANT to see something they put their tongue in the way and find it a game. Finally, I got him to laugh and tilt his head down as he opened his mouth really wide and low and behold...he has a tooth! Matthew's tooth is his front tooth on the bottom right. It has poked through the gums and he looks so cute! He's been in a bit of pain as it comes through, so we've been giving him a little tylenol and baby orajel to help with the pain. I don't think it will be long before his left bottom tooth comes up either - I can see it right below the gum line.

cold and flu season?? Already??

Well Mom and the kids have their first cold of the season! Arianna started with a bad cough, stuffy nose and was just plain miserable this weekend. You could tell she really didn't feel well, but through it all, she kept smiling. I got her cold, and a sore throat starting Sunday. (Not fun!) Now today - Matthew has started with the cough. I guess it is inevitable if one gets sick the other will get sick - they share toys, share a room and share everything else!

Through it all - they both still have their happy personalities...Mommy is the grumpy one - going on a few hours of sleep, 45 hours of work this week, and I want to crawl back to bed!

Arianna with her new pretty socks Grammie bought her:

Arianna hitting Matthew in the head!

Hard to believe my babies will be 6 months old tomorrow - how time flies!!!