from four to five

We are three weeks out from going from a family of four to a family of five! Three weeks! This pregnancy has flown by, especially compared to my pregnancy with the boys. Sure there were days where I felt like I'd never get to this point and I'd be pregnant forever. Literally, forever. But I think thanks to my little men and the busy and full days they provide for me, this has passed rather quickly.

I have really slacked on writing on here and I miss it. I've either been super busy or my mind just can't process words well enough to write a decent post. Ideas have swirled through my mind, but momma brain prevented it from coming across well enough for my sweet readers. Once Little Miss arrives, I am not sure how my day will play out, how bad momma brain continues, etc, but I do hope to pop on here as often as I can to write little bits here and there.

The next three weeks are full. I've tried to plan out everything that needs to be done so the week of the baby's arrival, I don't have anything major to do besides the every day activities and chores. My sisters are coming to visit at the end of the week and by the time they have to leave, I will only have one and a half weeks left! Craziness! Though I haven't been hit by the nesting bug at all, I have everything ready for Little Miss. Everything else that needs to be done is just random projects. Hopefully I can stay on track!

So, while this is just a little update and heads up that posts will be sporadic while I transition from life with two toddlers to two toddlers and a newborn, I'll be back. Hopefully sooner than later!

take us out to the ball game!

As we are coming upon another big life change, adding Little Miss to the family, we want to try to be sure to do a few fun things this summer before our outings get put on hold for a little while...and while I can still move. I think those days are limited. We took the boys to the zoo the other day and I thought they were going to have to leave me with the elephants because I was so tired of all the walking and waddling too much. The joys of being pregnant. My energy level is dropping fast and the heat of the summer gets to me after a while, especially while trekking through the zoo. Apparently my body enjoys being pregnant at the very same time, during the entire summer, as Little Miss will be arriving at the same time of the year as her older brothers did.

After seeing me trudge through the zoo, we thought something a little less active would be a good idea for our next outing. We decided since the boys enjoyed their time at the Washington Redskins game a while back, we'd check out our local baseball team. We could all enjoy the outing and as a bonus, I didn't have to exert myself too much... at least that is what we thought when we planned to go last night.

We found a great parking spot about two blocks from the stadium and I thought, oh that's a breeze to walk... until I took a pretty bad spill, with one of the boys in my arms. I had to protect not only the boy in my arms, but the baby inside. The Hubs and I are both surprised nothing is broken with the way I landed! I have a lot of pulled muscles and scrapes, but that is nothing compared to what should have happened, especially with my track record. Mare + sidewalks = bad news.

The fun didn't end there though. Our seat was the magnet for foul balls, which would be great if we had had a baseball glove with us. One of the balls literally came right for us. I looked up as I heard everyone around us getting excited and saw the ball coming right . for . us. I quickly dove over the boys as to cover them from getting hit, and apparently the Hubs dove over me. We must have made quite the scene! The ball ended up hitting the chair right next to me! Honestly, I am surprised I didn't get hit. That's how things with me usually go! After that though, we were clear sailing to enjoy the game!

While they may not look like the boys were always having the greatest time, they were. They were paying very close attention and loved people watching, light watching, airplane watching, and of course, ball watching! They would see the ball as it was being hit and once they didn't know where it went, ask us, "Oh no! Where go ball?" It happened to be .50 cent hot dog night so they enjoyed their hotdogs very much, while Momma and Papi enjoyed the price!

The Hubs really enjoyed taking his little men to their first baseball game, and it is definitely on our to do list again very soon! With a growing family, and keeping to a budget, it is very nice to live in an area that allows for affordable family outings. The game had a nice mix of a crowd and was very family friendly which was also enjoyable for us. It allows for the Hubs and I do do fun things as a couple, yet comfortable to be able to bring the kiddos along too!

Will has quite the reactions to things sometimes. This is one of his faces when he'd see the ball!

Will has improved his selfie shots. ;)

We don't have many family shots, and when we do get them, they tend to look like this. Someone is usually either hot and sweaty looking, slightly disheveled, blinking, not looking at the camera or not smiling. I have dreams of the perfect family photos, and if you have some sort of a trick, please let me know because I'd be grateful for even one! Maybe one day I'll save up to have Megan or Paige take on that task! For now, you get to see us in complete total reality! 

It was quite warm and the boys cheeks got nice and rosy and had funky hairdos by the time we left!

The stadium is set up inside with space to walk around, grassy areas, fun for the kids, etc. So it was nice to take a little walk to let the boys stretch their legs a bit.

Before I know it, the boys will be old enough to be in these batting cages themselves! For now, they enjoyed watching the big kids.

Gus made sure to take in every sight, not just what was in front of him and around his sides.

All three of our kids in one picture! (Not the little girl that photo bombed us)

 

Have you ever seen rocking chairs at a baseball stadium?! I had to just love this! Maybe it's southern thing.

One of the best feelings ever! A kiss from one of my sweet little men. When Will kisses me, it is not just a little peck. He takes my face in his hands and gives me a big kiss. It's quite adorable. 

Our family outings have been fun and I am so grateful for these days. When I was pregnant with the boys I was on bed rest so much which was nice to relax, but with two little guys around this time, it's nice to have the ability to get out and about with them before their sister arrives!

What are little family fun activities y'all do with your kiddos?!

momma mondays: it's a... gender reveal!

It's a girl!

I knew things would be different this time around. After all, it has to be quite a bit different with just one baby. Having two boys the first time I got pregnant was honestly quite a shock. I didn't know what on earth to do with one boy, much less two! While I still have a lot to learn as these little men grow, I wouldn't change or trade them for anything... even two little girls. 

When I found out I was pregnant again, of course I thought I'd love a little girl, but I pretty much banked on it being another boy. And, strangely enough, I was okay with that. I think after having these two little guys, I couldn't imagine anything different being any better! 

They have the best hearts, the sweetest personalities, the kindest smiles and are so incredibly filled with love! A boy or a girl like them would make me happy. It really didn't matter. I am awfully happy it is a girl, but part of me can't even imagine that she could be any more darling than my little men.

We all are so happy and are awaiting her big arrival later this summer! The boys will be great big brothers and are already learning to say, "baby" when they see one! Baby girl, we all love you already!

Momma Mondays: God, You are penciled in.

God, You are penciled in. I am ashamed to write that, but it is the humbling truth. When I was single and then even at the point that I was married, but not a momma yet, I would make the time to actually leave the house and all I was doing to go to Church. I would attend Mass or pray in adoration in the quiet of the Chapel. Some days it was one or the other and some days it was even both. When the boys arrived I still did my best to get to Mass with them each day. It wasn't always daily, but it was the majority of the time. I made sure I kept it a priority, while still keeping motherhood a priority, being sure it didn't take away from either of my babies' needs… or the needs of the home. But now it is getting very hard to take two squirmy, talkative boys on my own. They seem to be at an age that they don't understand to be quiet and they don't want to stay still in their stroller for 40 minutes. I don't want to be lazy, but it is just too darn hard with only two hands. I still try a few times during the week though. Buuuutttttttttt, whether I go to Church during the week or not (Sundays are always a given, plus the Hubs is with me), I need to be sure to leave set time for prayer in my day and a lot of times it means actually writing in my daily planner, pray, rosary, spiritual reading, quiet prayer… whatever it may be. It is pathetic that I am not so connected to Him that it has become a given, but sometimes I allow the dailiness of life to get in the way instead of making Him a main natural part of that dailiness without writing it down. 

Do you have tips for keeping your little ones quiet in church? I am hoping to order this one of these days. My Dad sent me the link for it and I also happen to know this man's sweet daughter, so it should be good. How about a daily devotion or favorite prayers that you keep in your days? How do you make sure to fit Him in your day? 

hello, new york!

Growing up on Long Island, I always had a special pocket in my heart for the great city of New York. I am not the best person to get around the city alone, so I end up like a tourist most visits. When Gus and I were up in the northeast for our Summer visit, we spent part of the time in New York visiting my family and my best friend. We met up with my godmother and one of my cousins and walked around the Battery Park area. I had driven through the area, but never spent time walking around. I have to tell you, it's beautiful. It is the perfect mix for my liking! Greenery and tress and concrete. Perfection. There were families walking through the little parks, young boys playing football on a field in the middle of the city. I loved it. We had such an enjoyable day together. My cousin knows a heck of a lot more about the things to do in the city than I do. So does the hubs and my aunt. They have all the cute little spots. One of my cousins was lucky enough to call this area home for a few years up until recently. How fun is that? So, once we arrived, we met up and headed to meet up at the Shake Shack for lunch and then walk the city. After my aunt and cousin headed out to make a visit to my grandfather in the hospital, Gus, the little men and I headed to see the progress at the site of the World Trade Center area and then walk over the Brooklyn Bridge. There were a few other sites I wanted to take the boys to, but it was getting to late and a bit dark. Next time. The boys loved people watching, looking at all the tall buildings, and lights. I can't wait for future trips to the city with the boys as they grow up.

Look at this lady's office. Pretty nice desk space if you ask me!

This boat was beautiful and so sleek. The pictures don't do it justice.

This is one special and incredibly handsome kid! He's just naturally this cool. If I had a candid photo taken of me, I'd probably be slumped over with my hair in my face... or something embarrassing.

The hubs and I love visits to NYC!

Family photo!

I truly love spending such precious time with family when we go back to the northeast. It is becoming more and more special as the boys grow bonds with the family I grew up in. I love watching their little relationships form!

The handsome hubs was soaking up every bit of the city skyline before we headed back down south, to a more countrified atmosphere. He is a real city boy and I am lucky he loves me enough to make the south his home!

Taking the boys to such a historic site was a really different experience for me. The rest of the city is fun to look at, but here they are, in this area that has so much sadness, so many memories, so many stories, and so much history, none of which they are aware of. They will never know this place like I did, only with two massive holes in the ground now as a memorial to so many lost lives.

This is such a beautiful memorial and it is almost just too much to take in at once. Part of me wanted to smile at it's beauty, yet there was such sadness as I pushed the boys along the walls with thousands of names listed. Each person whose name is on the memorial left behind memories and loved ones, with a life so horrifically taken from them. I prayed for them as I walked by, wishing I could touch each name and pray for each soul and each family individually. I would still be there, but I know God heard the prayers. September 11th was such a devastating day in our country, in our world, both personally and as a whole. Most of us will probably never forget exactly where we were and what we were doing when this happened.

They put a white rose on the person's name when it was their birthday. Happy Birthday, Edward Saiya.

My aunt and cousin brought the boys birthday balloons and we lost one over the Brooklyn Bridge.