It's A.....Boy!!

We are so beyond thrilled to be expecting our first son. And to have one of each - what a blessing! Karys will make a wonderful big sister and we are so excited to meet our little man this Spring.

On a sad note, my work has started monitoring internet usage again and so I'm going to bid farewell for a little while again on this blog while I work on the family blog. I hope to be back sooner rather than later this time.

Designs By....Me!

Remember the sewing machine that I purchased a couple weeks ago? Well, my sister and I decided that this weekend was the weekend to learn how to sew. My mom came over and provided some much needed guidance and after working on it a bit Friday, Saturday and Sunday, here is my finished product!

And here is my precious model!

While it has many faults, you can't see many of them at first glance and I've learned a lot this weekend! I think when I start my next project, things will go more smoothly and I'll learn from the mistakes I've done with this one.

But for now? This will be the dress she wears to the pumpkin patch!

I Will Never Forget

Do you remember where you were 8 years ago today?

I was 20 years old and in college. I was home that morning because I had a dentist appointment. I heard my dad yell from the living room and when I ran in there we watched in absolute horror as the second plane hit.

I was numb. My mind could not process what I was watching. I was scared. I didn't know what was going on or why. I didn't understand who would do such a thing. I wanted answers.

My heart and prayers go out to those who lost family members and loved ones on that fateful day eight years ago.

We will never forget.

Voluntary Pain?

Today my cousin, Valerie, and I are going to get our eyebrows threaded. While she has done this before, this is my first time. I must say, I'm a bit nervous about it after her telling me it's painful. But I think I will do okay. I mean, I've gone through childbirth right? Surely something similar to tweezing isn't that bad? Right??

Regardless, I have been planning this for awhile and have to go now because my brows are looking pretty bad. I'm going to get them shaped and cleaned up.

It's a lot cheaper than waxing and apparently better for your skin because there is no wax or creams involved. It's just like tweezing, but faster. Only about $5 is what I'm told!

Here we go....

Domesticity 101

See this guy to my left? He was just adopted into our family and should arrive hopefully next week.

See, I want this new comforter for Karys. Only it's $200 and even I have my limits on some things. So I'm determined to learn to make it myself.

My mom is going to give my sister and I lessons in the art of sewing. Soon we'll be able to make all sorts of fun things! Just imagine how much money can be saved!

Not to mention every household needs a sewing machine. Obviously.

Oh, and did I mention that my sister and I bought the same exact sewing machine? Fun!!

This is going to be a fun new adventure!

Sweet Baby...

Sweet Little One,

I watched you jump around and wiggle around in my belly today on the ultrasound screen. And I completely fell in love with you all over again. I am so unbelievably proud to call you my own and cannot wait until the day I can kiss those precious cheeks of yours. But for now, keep growing healthy and strong and I'll see you next Spring.

Love,
Your Momma

Which Team Are You?

I gotta say, after reading all the books and catching up on Season 2 of True Blood, I'm completely and utterly Team Eric. Which is generally not my taste - I rarely go for the blondes.

For now, I'll just replace myself in Sookie's little fantasies....yum!

Someday...

"Someday I'm going to be on that field dancing..."

Time Consuming

Wondering what I've been doing the past few weeks?

I must warn you, it's not very exciting.

And you will NOT be jealous.

Here is what I have been doing the past 13 out of 14 nights....with virtually no end in sight!

I've had a much harder time of it with Baby #2 than I ever did with Karys. Every night is a battle to keep down dinner and almost 100% of the time, I lose.

So, are you jealous? I didn't think so.

True Fan??

Countless friends have mentioned how wonderful True Blood on HBO was. I even watched less than 5 minutes of the pilot when it debuted last year and decided it wasn't for me.

A season later, Tim and I finally gave into peer pressure and sat down and ordered it on Netflix.

We're hooked.

Lucky for me, I've got Season 2 all on my DVR for when we finish Season 1.

Now, the hard part is going to be not watching the next 5 episodes that I have in my mailbox while my husband is out of town for the next week...

So he's buying me a couple of the Sookie Stackhouse novels before he leaves in order for me to bide my time in his absense.

Does anyone else kind of thing Stephen Moyer (the actor, not my father-in-law who shares this name) is kind of sexy in that brooding sort of way?

Confidence Booster?

Since I found out I was pregnant, I started noticing celebrities that were pregnant at the same time as me.

And it seems there are currently FOUR "angels" pregnant at the same time.

This I'm sure is a confidence booster as I start to grow, no?

Maybe it's just a pair of wings I'm missing that makes me unlike these girls? Ha!

Coming March 2010...

Double The Fun?

A couple of months back our sitter was out so I stayed home and watched both Karys and Addison (Karys' best friend who the sitter also keeps).

I thought it would be no problem because it would be like having sisters and playmates and they could entertain each other while I got some stuff done around the house.

Look how sweet they are together.....

What harm could possibly come of these two little angels being let loose in my house you ask? A picture says 1,000 words....so I will start there with what became of my house after this memorable day.

The Family Room:

The Living Room:

The Bedroom (where they played dress-up):

The Gameroom:

The Playroom:

Incredible.

Who knew two little people could have made this big of a mess?

My Heart...

This little girl is the reason for the permanent smile in my heart...

Passion, Pasta and Pistols

The succulent aroma of home-cooked pasta is drifting from New York City's most popular Italian eatery, La Speranza, but something else is heating up in the kitchen . . . cold-blooded murder! Restaurant-owner Pepi Roni has been shot in the back with his own pistol. Tonight his family and friends will gather to pay their respects to poor Pepi, but one of the guests won't be shedding any tears...

Remembering our beloved Pepi Roni...

Welcome to La Sperenza!!

Dinner is about to be served...

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THE SUSPECTS:

Bo Jalais: Cousin of a cousin of Rocco's, Bo manages the Scarfazzi vineyards. Bo comes from a long line of French wine-makers and no one knows 'ze' grape like Bo. An important man in the Scarfazzi organization .... what could Bo possibly have to whine about.

Angel Roni: Pepi and Rosa's beautiful daughter. It was Pepi's dream that his 'Angel' would marry a good Italian boy, have children and carry on the family traditions. Angel has a few fantasies of her own though and one of them is that hunk, Bo jalais. Mama-mia!

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Mama Rosa: Pepi's grieving widow. For 25 years, Mama Rosa cooked the pasta while Pepi greeted La Sperenza's dinner guests. In all the years they were married, not once did they argue. Had something finally boiled over in Rosa's kitchen?

Marco Roni: Pepi and Mama Rosa's only son, Marco was expected to take over the restaurant after his parents retired. Marco hates waiting tables. His goal is to play on a World Cup soccer team but his papa has been keeping him permanently on the bench.

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Rocco Scarfazzi: Pepi's twin brother, a tough-talking no-nonsense Italian business man. In addition to his vineyards and real estate holdings, it is rumored Rocco is in the 'laundering' business. He had no love for his brother Pepi but his reasons are his own ... capische?

Tara Misu: Rocco's vivacious young fiancé. She was just an upstairs maid in Rocco's villa until she swept him off his feet. Now Tara keeps a smile on his face and a firm grip on Rocco's assets. Tara is dressed to kill. She knows the effect she has on men and flaunts her charms shamelessly.

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Father Al Fredo: An Italian priest and long-time family friend of the Roni's and the Scarfazzi's. The good priest has heard their confessions and knows their sins.

Clair Voyant: Rosa's best friend and astrology advisor. Clair's talents include an ability to communicate with the spirit world and see into the future.

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The women of the evening...

The gentlemen of the evening...

Father Al Fredo on the solemn night

Dinner in Pepi's honor...

Look how sad Angel Roni is!

Who dunnit? We cannot tell! But it was a night to remember and fun had by all the guests! Only 2 of the 8 guests correctly identified the murderer after 4 hours and 13-15 bottles of wine later.

Great Friends, Great Food, Great Fun!