Backyard Fun

Nate and Matthew had fun playing in the backyard yesterday with their neighborhood friends Laila and Nina. We had planned to go to the local pool all afternoon but rain clouds threatened our trip. Instead, they wanted to play in the pools at home. Matthew proved to be quite the dare devil diving from the deck to the pool and then from one pool to another. Yes, he is wearing a girl's swim diaper. He took a dive into the pull with all of his clothes on before we could take him in the house to get his swimsuit. Nate wanted to be cool by wearing his life vest:)

Practicing my crawl
Easing into the pool
Jumping to pool #2
Diving from the deck is much more fun
Backyard fun with friends
Must wear my life vest at all times, especially on a crocodile!

Happy Anniversary B!

Happy 6th Anniversary to my honey! It was exactly six years ago this evening that we were sharing our first dance as husband and wife and celebrating our marriage with close to 200 friends and family. It's been a wonderful 6 years and I look forward to many, many more! Love you Brian.

Hard to Believe

It's hard to believe that two years ago today we brought Matthew home from the hospital. I remember the day as though it was yesterday. It was the first day of summer. We made our way to the hospital believing he had a few more days before we would even discuss the possibility of him going home. When we arrived, the nurses were completing discharge paperwork and setting him up for the car seat test. Maria, our one and only favorite nurse, was on duty which made the day even better. While Matthew was completing the car seat test (and passing with flying colors), Brian was carrying out two HUGE coolers of breast milk that I had accumulated while Matthew was in the NICU. Thank goodness we had extra freezer space at home......

Two years ago we were bringing our little 5 lb baby boy home and now we are making plans to send him to preschool in September. Where does the time go?

June 21, 2006 - Welcome Home Day!

Today

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day Daddy! We hope you enjoyed your special day. Mommy thought it would be fun to go on a bike ride. It took nearly two hours to get the new bike seat for Matthew and bike trailer for Nate set up on our bikes. We started out by biking to the barber shop since the boys were long overdue for a haircut. We biked back towards the house and went to the neighborhood pool for a few hours. The route back to our house had several big hills so we (okay me) decided to take a detour which turned out to the three times as long and three times as many hills. We definitely got our exercise in!

Many who know Brian will atest that he is a fantastic father. He stays very active with the kids in play, reading, meal time, bath time, doctors appointments, weekly therapy and much more. Before marrying Brian I always knew he would be good with our children. He's better than good - he's amazing. The boys and I couldn't ask for a better Daddy!

Gifts from Nate & Matthew

Matthew made Daddy a pencil holder for his desk

Nate made Daddy a boat to hang his ties

We hope all Father's enjoyed their day especially the father's close to our hearts - Goddy, Pappy, Uncle Steve, Uncle Bobby and Uncle Bernie. We pray for all the Father's who have experienced the lost of a child especially our friends Maria and Jason who lost their son, Diego, a few weeks ago.

Race for the Cure - Annual Family Event

On Sunday we participated in the National Race for the Cure in Washington, DC. Brian and I starting doing this event together before we got married and have continued to do it with the kids. This is Nate's third race and Matthew's second. The only year we missed was when Matthew was in the NICU.

The Race for the Cure is always an empowering event. There are thousands and thousands of people signed up each year. Amidst the crowd you regularly see individuals in pink shirts - survivors of breast cancer. Their strength, courage and determination is such an inspiration.

Like last year, we also participated in the Kids Race for the Cure. Nate, Matty and I ran the kids course in record time (compared to last year). However, running the course reminded me how much I am out of shape as evident in the picture below. We were very proud of the boys especially since the heat and humidity was unbearable - even at 8:00am!

Almost Race Time
Fueling up before the kid's race
I'm awake now
Banana, anyone?
Yeah, we did it!

Birthday Festivities

Matthew and Samantha had a wonderful birthday celebration at Clemyjontri Park. It's a great location and the kids loved the playground and carousel. We had a large crowd of family and friends in attendance. Brian and I are thankful for the friendship we have with Samantha's parents, Rebecca and Steve. How incredible that two beautiful individuals came into this world the same day (within hours), in neighboring hospitals and sport an extra chromosome. We look forward to many more celebrations with Sammi and her family!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAMMI AND MATTY!! May this year be full of wonderful memories and great milestones.

Happy Birthday Matthew!

Dear Matthew,

It's hard to believe you turn two today. It seems like just yesterday we were holding you for the first time. All 5 lbs 7 ounces of you. Our lives changed forever the day you arrived - a great change. Daddy and I feel blessed to have you and Nate. You bring love, joy, patience and determination to our family. It's been a wonderful journey watching you grow the last two years especially this year. Since your first birthday you have found news ways to be mobile including scooting and crawling, have added many signs and are saying a few words, are pulling to stand and cruising along the furniture and your new skill of climbing stairs so effortlessly.

You have already made a difference in the lives of others over the last two years. Daddy and I joined you on Capitol Hill three times to campaign for the Prenatal/Postnatal Diagnosis Bill. You have won the hearts of many teachers and staff at school and people in our community. You have also changed the perceptions of people who are thankfully no longer using inappropriate language related to individuals with disabilities.

We are so proud of you Matty! This year will be a big year for you and we look forward to seeing you flourish even more.

Happy Birthday Little Guy. We love you.

Mommy and Daddy