A Late Happy Birthday

I had planned on making a slideshow of pictures to post for PeterXavier's second birthday, but I can't figure out how. So here are a few pictures to at least highlight how much he has changed in his two little years! Some things have stayed thw same though -- he is still a sweet fat little guy who can light up a room with his smile!

This picture was taken at his first birthday celebration.

Of course, the most thrilling part of the day for the birthday boy was the cake. When asked "how old are you??", he proudly announced "cake!!" And he thoroughly enjoyed eating it straight from the tray.

What a little man!

Monster Under the Bed

This morning at about 4:30, Christopher came into the room looking for Andrew, claiming: "The blanket under the bed is breathing! Or maybe Slow* came alive?? Daddy!! Come help me figure it out!"

So Daddy dragged himself out of bed to investigate the resident monster.

As it turned out, PeterXavier had fallen out of bed, blanket and all, continued to slumber peacefully on the floor.

*"Slow" is the gigantic-humongous-ridiculously-large-get-it-out-of-my-house bear who lives on PeterXavier's little bed.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day from your children!

Thank you for being our mother! Here are some of our favorite mommy things: made to order breakfast in the morning, helping you put away the laundry, when you take us to play at our friend's house, we love the field trips with our friends, when you drive us to Daddy's work to have lunch together, TaeKwonDo Lessons, Ballet Lessons, being silly, when we are grumpy and you cheer us up with chocolate(oh wait...it might be Daddy that does that, although you have left half eaten candy bars in the butter-door of the fridge for us to finish), going on walks with you and Daddy, when we ask for Hot Chocolate and you let us make it ourselves, playing games together (mancalla, go fish, banana slap), and we especially like it when we are playing outside and you surprise us with a awesome snack!

We love you Mamma!

Field Trip!!

I always swore that I would never homeschool. And on most days, I still wonder when it was exactly that I completely lost my mind. Then there are the days that we get together with our friends to have a picnic, play some games, and learn even more than was intended. The other day we took a field trip to Prophetstown, where the kids learned all about the Indians who first inhabited this area, life in a 1920's farmhouse, and that when you raise your hand, you need to have something to say! All of the kids had a chance to milk "Pebbles", the worlds most patient cow.

Here we are in the Indian meeting house. Notice the randomly raised hands??

And here's the crew with our fantastic tour guide!

Buccaneer Bay

Last weekend, we took a little trip to Buccaneer Bay, where the kids had a fantastic time splashing around, watching cable (big treat!!), and chillin' in the hot tub (oh, wait, that was me). Here are some highlights.

Sorry about the neck cramp you'll get from looking at these. Here are my pirates, ready to set sail for adventure.

Christopher loved the water slides!

This is my fifth child. It is quite possible that he had more fun than the kids.

Real Motherhood

involves eating the "turkey-cheese- and double-stuffed oreo-on-crackers" sandwich with a smile. And no gaging.

Last night we went out to "return a movie" (aka drvie the kids to sleep) and as we were pulling out of Blockbuster and preparing to turn onto 52, we saw a helicopter landing in the visinity of the hospital. Since the bigger kids were still awake, we decided to find out where it had landed. We drove round and round in search of it, when I had a flashback to childhood and remembered seeing those orange ball thingys that they put on electrical wires so that airplanes can see them. I remember asking my dad about it and thinking it was pretty weird. (to a child they look like dodge balls suspended on a wire). Anyway, I told Andrew this and directed him over to where I remembered these things being. Sure enough, there was a helicopter landing pad, complete with helicopter and pilots! So we stopped and the kids got to look all in and around the helicopter and talk to the pilots. It was a pretty neat experience -- except that it was sad because they were only there to pick up a patient and take him to Indy. I love random adventures!

Overheard at Breakfast

Grace: Hey Christopher!

Christopher: Christopher's not home right now. Please leave a message.

A Blustery Day

This past windy Saturday, Andrew took the kids kite flying. I sat in the car with Isabella and watched. Five minutes into the adventure Grace charged back to the car and declared it to cold and windy, announcing: "My face is as red as a blueberry!!"

Happy Birthday St. Isabel!

Today is the birthday of St. Isabel(la) of Spain. AND today is the our Isabella's "two week" birthday! I had no idea she was born so close to the birthday of her parton saint (thanks for the tip, daddy!).




As you can see, we are having no "adjustment issues" with our previous baby and his loss of a throne. Sometimes I fear he loves his little sister a bit too much!


Three of the four just hanging out. All of the kids love to hold their baby sister. And she's generally pretty happy to let them hold her. Such a patient little girl.

A little bit of vanity, a little bit of crazy

We took our first outing as a family of six yesterday. We went to the mall in Indy where I indulged my vanity and bought a few cutie new clothes. I am on a quest not to become that mom with so many kids she can't even put a decent outfit together. We confirmed yesterday what we had assumed -- we have crossed the line into crazy big family (even though I don't feel like a big family) and everyone looks and comments. Part of it was because Bella is so tiny, and people always want to see tiny babies, but it was also a bit because we had four kids with us. Maybe it is vain, but if everyone is going to notice us when we go out, I am at least not going to confirm their assumption that a"big" family equals dirty kids and a frumpy mom!

Unfortunately, we didn't succeed in proving that many kids doesn't mean unruly kids. Ours were pretty crazy. Andrew and I fail miserably in the parenting department because we tend to laugh at our kids misbehaviour. But seriously, it's funny when Christopher leaps into a window display and pretends to be a mannequin!

Beautiful Bella!

Her Daddy declared her beautiful and decided that only the name Bella would suit her! So here she is -- Isabella Concetta Antonio


I've always kind of been jealous of those women who had pictures of the new baby surrounded by happy siblings. Now I have my own!


Big Brother is pretty pleased with his new little sister. I don't know what's wrong with her hat. Her head isn't that pointy!
Hooray for sisters! These two have a lifetime of fun ahead. Bella is challenging Grace in the hair department. She'll be wearing ribbons soon.

Little Baby Girl

Our beautiful baby girl is finally here! She came quickly last night at 9:28, after our arrival at 9:00! She is a petite little gal, weighing just shy of seven pounds.

I had a doula with me and this is something I can not recommend enough! She was fantastic and made the delivery experience so much nicer. I delivered her in the squatting position, which was great for me, but the doc wasn't to happy about it. And our poor little girl literally fell out onto the bed. Luckily she was fine and it didn't seem to phase her in the least.

Her brothers and sister are glad she is here, but still not quite sure what to make of her. I think the hospital experience really throws them off. One more reason to homebirth!

I will let you know when she has a name. We're debating still!

God might be laughing . . .

but I'm not.

Labor seems to have started. Conveniently after five o'clock. And Dr. Genaris is on call.

Innocent Voices

In amazement that the baby eats -- and supposedly likes -- everything that I eat, my daughter declared:

I can't believe that baby likes the Body of Christ!

John Paul the Second

I was hoping for an April Fool's Baby, but no such luck.

I took the kids to a little "Farm Day" at the PU Research Farm. Being the city kids that they are, they had a great time seeing all of the animals -- especially the piglets. Maybe because we are reading "Charlotte's Web" right now, I don't know. But they were really enamorred with the pigs. There were ten piglets in the litter. It made me glad that people don't have litters! After the farm, we went to a friends for lunch and the kids just played all afternoon. It is great to get out of the house and let the kids just run around with other children for the afternoon!

Happy Birthday to Zita! She is three today and off on another grand adventure to Gravagna. Don't you think little cousins should share a birthday? I think so. But I am not sure my baby does.

Tonight all three kids are spening the night at my mom and dad's. PeterXavier has never spent the night away, so this is our "dry run" for when the baby comes -- in case it comes in the night. Hopefully little PX will survive the night!

The fabulous "St Cecilia Circle" threw a shower on Sunday for all of the expectant Mama's in our group. It was great fun -- especially the foot massage! My crazy sister returned a c-section pillow to me, with modification. "C-C" is now sporting her name, in green embroidery thread. Now that the pillow has a name, my kids think it is a new toy. They spent yesterday chasing eachother and the pillow around the house yelling "C-C! C-Ceeeee!!" It was quite entertaining!

Check out the Easter Hope Challenge, put on by Jessica at Shower of Roses. If nothing else, read the story and pray for this family!

(By the way, many of you may know Jessica or her siblings from Christendom!)

Random thoughts to catch up

Boy, I am getting to be a real slacker with this whole blog thing. But I have a feeling that if I posted to often, it would just be a running stream of whining. The kids are sick, again. Christopher went to the doctor today and is on medicine and doing much better. The weird part about this all is that we seem to keep getting the same two things over and over again. We're either vomiting or we can't breath. Lovely.

And I have hit that "incredibly tired, I feel like a whale" stage of preganacy. When does nesting kick in? I am still waiting. eagerly.

Ever since PeterXavier weaned, he has become a really rotten napper. The upside to that is that he goes to bed nice and early. This evening, at 6:30, Andrew was changing him and getting him ready for bed and the poor child fell sound asleep.

On Tuesday, we braved the blizzard to celebrate my mom's birthday out at Historic Prophetstown.

Seven Grandkids . . .

And counting!