The Ground Has Been Broken

Here is a link to a slideshow of pictures mostly from today!
http://tinyurl.com/pp78ap

Breaking Ground Tomorrow...

Holy cow. The time has finally come. We are breaking ground tomorrow on what will be our dream home and I could not be more excited :)

This has been a long time in the making, and the build will be too.

The plan is to drive out tomorrow afterwork and take a few pictures of the the big hole they will be putting in the ground.

Danny has no idea what he's in store for! And for that matter, neither do David and I....

Cancer Sucks

My Aunt Rosemary received some disappointing news yesterday. She was scheduled to have a gamma knife procedure done that would treat four small tumors on her brain, and they found more. By the end of the day, they were able to treat seven tumors, and to manage the rest, she will undergo whole head brain radiation. I haven't researched yet what this means, but it doesn't sound pleasant. What I do know is that she will be required to receive this radiation everyday for three weeks at the Cleveland Clinic.

My mom told us by email. She couldn't bring herself to call us and tell us because it just means she has to say it out loud. And it breaks my heart. I called my mom on my way to work this morning, and my whole heart is aching. Aunt Rosie is my aunt, but she is my mom’s sister.

My aunt is a fighter though. Actually, it was just last Saturday that we attended a special mass to CELEBRATE her reaching the 2-year mark of being diagnosed with this cancer. The turnout of support was beautiful. My aunt and uncle then hosted a get together at their house to share bagels and breakfast, and it was standing room only. What a testament to friendship, love and support. My aunt celebrates life. She is an unbelievable fighter with an unbreakable spirit. A force to be reckoned with. And while those of us on the side are sad by yesterday's news, I can all but guarantee that she has already put her game face on and is ready to tackle this next challenge.

It would mean a lot if you are reading this to please say a prayer for my Aunt. Pray for her continued strength and determination, and for her family and friends that are so deeply touched by her friendship. Everyone could use a little lift right now.

Been a while...

Danny is fantastic. He is still teething, but hasn't cut any teeth. He is almost 8-months old, and does not have any teeth! They are just below the surface. His mood fluctuates based on how much they bother him and while it's sweet, sometimes (in the middle of the night) it can take a toll on me.

Last week I was out of town in Chicago for work. It was a quick trip jam packed with lots of fun conference stuff. It was also my first time away, overnight, from Danny. The first night I fell asleep by 9:30 PM. I woke up a few times to phantom cries, and then fell right back a sleep. I did feel extra rested, but I missed my pumpkin.

Fortunately, I had good company, which kept me quite busy. I checked in a few times (ok, a lot), but mostly because Danny had hit a wall in the days leading up to it. I think it all ties back to the teeth, but he would just shriek! Like the sky was falling. It was awful. And this behaviour carried over to school as well. Poor girls. He is so lucky to have such good daycare providers. They are so patient with him when he is fussing.

We are having fun though now that the weather is warm. We still need to get out more, but Danny is an excellent passenger while we drive around and look at stone (YES, still looking). He just sleeps. Or, if he's a wake, he has full conversations with us. We found a home with the stone and coloring that we like. Now we're just wrapping up a few things and we should be almost done with those decisions.

We break ground on May 26th. Yes, we have a date! Yippee.....

Off to bed. Not an exciting post...I need some new pictures.

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Third Time is the Charm

I keep thinking about Mother's Day. Mostly because people keep reminding me that this is going to be my first Mother's Day. "Oh, your first Mother's Day...how special". My mouth says "Yes, very exciting" while my heart feels cheated and I physically have to contain myself from screaming.

I was pregnant with Angela on Mother's Day 2007. I recieved some special cards, and even a gift. I was pregnant with Danny on Mother's Day 2008. And I remember people telling me sweet things about pregnancy and Motherhood and that for Mother's Day 2009, I would be celebrating with the real deal.

Well, the big day is almost upon us. And I will enjoy a brunch with my family, but more importantly, I will be embracing my son and thinking about Angela. She may not be with me today, but David and I are her parents, and last year, Mother's Day and Father's Day was hard for us, even though we were expecting Danny.

I would like to note though, that a very dear friend of mine sent me a beautiful card last year, telling me what a wonderful mother I was to Angela, and many more thoughtful words. And that recognition felt so rewarding. She is an amazing friend and an even better Mother.

Back to my point...You shouldn't have to be a "Mom" to celebrate Mother's Day. I have so many friends that may not have children of their own or here with us, but they have experienced pregnancy, they are the Aunt any child would dream of, the stepmom to a spouses child, the girlfriend of a boyfriend with children. A role model. Someone who loves others children unconditionally as if they were there own.

I am counting all of my blessings this Mother's Day. This is the best job, and I couldn't be more appreciative to enjoy all of the ups and the downs that this road I have traveled has brought me so far.

This year, celebrate all the women in your life and the contribution they make to loving and parenting children.

Week 5 or 6?? I don't know

It's quite possible that he is entirely edible! I mean really, look at those cheeks! Most people could survive off of them for a week. I am that person that is constantly squeezing his cheeks. Poor guy. He doesn't know what he's in store for. This picture was taken after running around the driveway in his hot wheels (ie. walker) and then going for a walk. Wouldn't it be nice if falling asleep like this was socially acceptable in our everyday life. I'll admit it, I'm jealous.My life has become full of lists and post-it notes. I can't remember anything. To the point that last week I left a post-it note in my car, on my speedometer, so that I would not forget the sour cream that was in the fridge at work. This was of course to make the ranch dip to go with the veggie tray for Leah's First Communion Party. This guaranteed that I would not leave work on a Friday with out the sour cream. I remembered the sour cream. I made the dip. Only to get to the west side on Saturday for the party and realize that I forgot the veggie tray at home!!!!

Seriously, what is wrong with me?

I've even taken to leaving myself messages at work to remind me to do stuff. I call myself, and in a friendly voice tell myself not to forget to do XYZ and then say good-bye. To myself. And then in the morning, I get to work around 7:40-ish and see the red light voicemail indicator on my phone only to think, "My God. Who the hell already left me a message. It's seriously 7:30 in the morning." Only to listen to myself saying "Good Morning. Don't forget to do XYZ. Good-bye."

All the time I think of things I need to post on my blog. For example, Danny is sitting up on his own. This is a milestone, and it happened about a week or so ago...I can't remember (go figure).

We are in our 5th or 6th week of living with my in-laws and so far it's going great. Really. And I'm not just saying that to pacify the people that read this and know them and would love to bust their chops about whatever I write. It's true. It's been very easy so far, and I imagine as the weather gets better, it will be even easier since we can spend more time outside.

We have not broken ground yet. This is another question I am asked frequently. I will post some pics of the dirt and where our future front door will be. I meant to do that last week, but forgot. Hopefully, Kraig (builder) will break ground next week. We are very excited. The blueprints have been finalized and we are in the process of selecting our siding/stone/shutters/brick/roof. I think we've narrowed the stone down to two colors. We did that on Saturday and then drove around on Sunday to look at homes that have selected the same colors. These are tough choices. I want to make sure that I love whatever we decide because this is the house we plan to live in FOREVER.

I am also super busy at work. Which is wonderful. I would rather be busy then bored, and the key in this economy is employment. I am just lucky to love what I do and really enjoy my daily work relationships. Good work and good people. However, I have to "check it at the door" sometimes and make sure that when I am home, I am home. Because there is always a voice in my head that is telling me to do more.

So, I will continue to post, as I can.

Pictures....

Facing West on our dirt. We stop just short of the white house.

Facing East on our dirt. We stop just short of the red barn.

Dave wondering what he was thinking when he committed to so much lawn maintenance.

Me standing at the location where our front door will be.