First, I'll say Happy Easter & a Blessed Divine Mercy Sunday to you and your families!
I'm really jumping into technology now! First, I started on Facebook about a month ago and now I'm starting a blog! In order to let you all access my blog without having to join Google, anyone can read it, IF they can find it. (It won't show up in search engines or blog searches. You have to know my URL address.) As an extra security measure, I won't be writing anything easily identifiable and the girls have chosen pseudonyms for the blog. From oldest to youngest, I'll call them Kitty, Fatima, and Dollbaby. (The girls know that my Mom called me Dollbaby until I was three. They thought that'd be a great name for our little baby-doll.
I'm really jumping into technology now! First, I started on Facebook about a month ago and now I'm starting a blog! In order to let you all access my blog without having to join Google, anyone can read it, IF they can find it. (It won't show up in search engines or blog searches. You have to know my URL address.) As an extra security measure, I won't be writing anything easily identifiable and the girls have chosen pseudonyms for the blog. From oldest to youngest, I'll call them Kitty, Fatima, and Dollbaby. (The girls know that my Mom called me Dollbaby until I was three. They thought that'd be a great name for our little baby-doll.
While I have been inspired by my friend Frank, who has sent me his monthly newsletter for the past 16 years (which I always look forward to and read with interest, although he wouldn't know it given the rare reply from me - sorry Frank), and also by my friend Joyce, who has sent me her usually monthly email for the past three years, you can thank my niece Christina for my long overdue foray into increased communication. Her baby girl was born about six weeks after Dollbaby and I've so enjoyed reading her blog and following her Facebook entries that I decided to follow suit. Thanks Christina for your help in setting up the blog! I might write more often if I choose, but my target is Fridays. Since Christina has been so faithful in posting every week and I've actually remembered to go and read her blog each week, I should be able to remember to write a post myself after reading hers! If you'd like to receive an email notification when I write a new post, just enter your email in the "subscribe" box at the top of the blog home page.
Fatima, Me, Dollbaby, Dave, Kitty
We traveled to Atlanta for Easter weekend and had a wonderful visit with Dave's sisters' families. Kitty and Fatima went to the 6:30am outdoor sunrise Mass (chilly!) with everyone else, while Dave, Dollbaby and I went to the 7:30am indoor Mass. By the time we arrived back at the house, breakfast was being served (thanks Kathy & Eileen!) and the girls had changed out of their Easter finery, which is why they are so casual in the picture! Oh, well. So much for my vision of what our first family-of-five Easter picture would look like!
As those of you who are on Facebook have heard already, we discovered that Dollbaby does not like long car rides. I felt so bad as she cried hard and looked at me longingly because she desperately wanted out of the carseat. The Easter trip was our test since we had been toying with the idea of going north this summer to visit family in Indiana and Ohio. We won't be doing that now! Fortunately, we'll see Dave's family at Christina's wedding in August. And, hopefully, some of my family might come see us this summer (hint, hint).
Dollbaby did have some sweet and happy moments on the drive.
A very happy moment with Daddy at a rest stop.
The girls had lots of fun with their cousins. And, everyone wanted a turn holding Dollbaby. Once Facebook's multi-picture uploader is working again, I'll post photos of our visit. For those not on Facebook, if I get some extra time, I'll look into an online photo sharing site. In the meantime, here are a few highlights.
Fatima stayed behind for the week, enjoying her Spring Break with the cousins. Among the things they did: zumba, a park, Faith Defenders meeting, two movies (Alvin & the Chipmunks The Squeakquel and The Toothfairy-- which she came home & told me I HAVE to see with her and we HAVE to get on DVD), bounce-a-rama, and the zoo. She had a blast!
Kitty spent her Spring Break hanging out with friends at the mall, playing video games and watching movies. When at home, she was mostly on the computer and chatting with friends on Facebook. To her frustration, she left her cell phone charger behind in Atlanta, so she couldn't use it to text all week. :-( She had a step back to school yesterday for "tech" day for the upcoming "Clue the Musical." She's the Props Mistress, Assistant to the Director, and I don't know what all else. She also got a really cute new hair style this week! She looks older and even more beautiful!
Before
After
Dave is very busy at work these days. He has been working from home one day a week since the beginning of February in order to help me. Those are the days that I go to physical therapy and acupuncture. During lunch one day this week, he went to the lake to help a guy from work with his boat. That really started the spring fever. He's very eager to go boating now! They were supposed to go out this past Thursday, but it turned cold and rainy.
As for me, my days are still spent at home since I can't get out yet without help. But, it's a wonderful, relaxing, fun time with Dollbaby. And, I'm working on a big project right now, creating a VBS (Vacation Bible School) program that our parish will use this summer. It started out as tinkering with a published program, but morphed into writing a new one. My recovery from Guillen-Barre Syndrome is coming along. The neurologist was very pleased when I saw him two weeks ago. He said that my maximum recovery will be by December 2011. Basically that means, if I still have any weaknesses then, he would expect them to be permanent. But, I am improving. So, I'm hopeful that I'll have a full recovery. I don't have full strength yet by any means, but most functions have returned (I just can't do things as well or have the endurance I used to). The one major thing I can't do yet is lift the carseat and work the straps/clip on the stroller. But, I can now work the clips on the carseat itself, and that is a HUGE improvement. And, I can lift and carry Dollbaby and take care of her on my own. I can sometimes carry her down (and a few times up) the stairs. I now have the go-ahead to start strengthening exercises. But, because of how weak I've become with GBS, that means 1# weights, 10 reps, 3x a week. But, I praise God that it is GBS and not CIDP (chronic), for the improvements I've had already, and for the recovery he will bring about. I thank you all again for your prayers and support through all this over the past five months. I appreciate your continued prayers.
And now, for Dollbaby's latest feats! She is just so adorably sweet and cute. We all love her bunches and bunches. We give God glory for the gift He has given us in her. She is such a happy baby! She smiles and laughs all the time. She gives the sweetest - wet - kisses now! She opens her mouth wide and plants it on my cheek. Sometimes she licks, too. She made the mistake of giving Dave such a kiss one day before he had shaved. She did not like that, as her immediate crying showed! She reaches for everything now and grasps things with both hands. She can play with her toys more now. But, it also means we have to watch what she might get a hold of. She is also rolling EVERYWHERE! Just in the past few days she scoots her knees up so her bottom is in the air and kind of rocks a little, as if she were getting ready to crawl. We're going to have to install baby gates soon. She is now 25.5" (75th percentile) and 13# (25th percentile) - very "lean," as the Dr. said. Her sisters were never over 50th percentile in height (Kitty was usually less than 5th) and Dave and I certainly aren't tall... It'll be interesting to see what pattern develops. Maybe it's just a temporary fluke.
Well, I guess that catches you up on what's been happening in our family. Thanks for reading. Please feel free to write comments (just click "comment" below). It'd be nice to know someone's reading my posts & it'd be fun to dialogue with you through this new medium.
We traveled to Atlanta for Easter weekend and had a wonderful visit with Dave's sisters' families. Kitty and Fatima went to the 6:30am outdoor sunrise Mass (chilly!) with everyone else, while Dave, Dollbaby and I went to the 7:30am indoor Mass. By the time we arrived back at the house, breakfast was being served (thanks Kathy & Eileen!) and the girls had changed out of their Easter finery, which is why they are so casual in the picture! Oh, well. So much for my vision of what our first family-of-five Easter picture would look like!
As those of you who are on Facebook have heard already, we discovered that Dollbaby does not like long car rides. I felt so bad as she cried hard and looked at me longingly because she desperately wanted out of the carseat. The Easter trip was our test since we had been toying with the idea of going north this summer to visit family in Indiana and Ohio. We won't be doing that now! Fortunately, we'll see Dave's family at Christina's wedding in August. And, hopefully, some of my family might come see us this summer (hint, hint).
Dollbaby did have some sweet and happy moments on the drive.
The girls had lots of fun with their cousins. And, everyone wanted a turn holding Dollbaby. Once Facebook's multi-picture uploader is working again, I'll post photos of our visit. For those not on Facebook, if I get some extra time, I'll look into an online photo sharing site. In the meantime, here are a few highlights.
Fatima stayed behind for the week, enjoying her Spring Break with the cousins. Among the things they did: zumba, a park, Faith Defenders meeting, two movies (Alvin & the Chipmunks The Squeakquel and The Toothfairy-- which she came home & told me I HAVE to see with her and we HAVE to get on DVD), bounce-a-rama, and the zoo. She had a blast!
Kitty spent her Spring Break hanging out with friends at the mall, playing video games and watching movies. When at home, she was mostly on the computer and chatting with friends on Facebook. To her frustration, she left her cell phone charger behind in Atlanta, so she couldn't use it to text all week. :-( She had a step back to school yesterday for "tech" day for the upcoming "Clue the Musical." She's the Props Mistress, Assistant to the Director, and I don't know what all else. She also got a really cute new hair style this week! She looks older and even more beautiful!
Dave is very busy at work these days. He has been working from home one day a week since the beginning of February in order to help me. Those are the days that I go to physical therapy and acupuncture. During lunch one day this week, he went to the lake to help a guy from work with his boat. That really started the spring fever. He's very eager to go boating now! They were supposed to go out this past Thursday, but it turned cold and rainy.
As for me, my days are still spent at home since I can't get out yet without help. But, it's a wonderful, relaxing, fun time with Dollbaby. And, I'm working on a big project right now, creating a VBS (Vacation Bible School) program that our parish will use this summer. It started out as tinkering with a published program, but morphed into writing a new one. My recovery from Guillen-Barre Syndrome is coming along. The neurologist was very pleased when I saw him two weeks ago. He said that my maximum recovery will be by December 2011. Basically that means, if I still have any weaknesses then, he would expect them to be permanent. But, I am improving. So, I'm hopeful that I'll have a full recovery. I don't have full strength yet by any means, but most functions have returned (I just can't do things as well or have the endurance I used to). The one major thing I can't do yet is lift the carseat and work the straps/clip on the stroller. But, I can now work the clips on the carseat itself, and that is a HUGE improvement. And, I can lift and carry Dollbaby and take care of her on my own. I can sometimes carry her down (and a few times up) the stairs. I now have the go-ahead to start strengthening exercises. But, because of how weak I've become with GBS, that means 1# weights, 10 reps, 3x a week. But, I praise God that it is GBS and not CIDP (chronic), for the improvements I've had already, and for the recovery he will bring about. I thank you all again for your prayers and support through all this over the past five months. I appreciate your continued prayers.
And now, for Dollbaby's latest feats! She is just so adorably sweet and cute. We all love her bunches and bunches. We give God glory for the gift He has given us in her. She is such a happy baby! She smiles and laughs all the time. She gives the sweetest - wet - kisses now! She opens her mouth wide and plants it on my cheek. Sometimes she licks, too. She made the mistake of giving Dave such a kiss one day before he had shaved. She did not like that, as her immediate crying showed! She reaches for everything now and grasps things with both hands. She can play with her toys more now. But, it also means we have to watch what she might get a hold of. She is also rolling EVERYWHERE! Just in the past few days she scoots her knees up so her bottom is in the air and kind of rocks a little, as if she were getting ready to crawl. We're going to have to install baby gates soon. She is now 25.5" (75th percentile) and 13# (25th percentile) - very "lean," as the Dr. said. Her sisters were never over 50th percentile in height (Kitty was usually less than 5th) and Dave and I certainly aren't tall... It'll be interesting to see what pattern develops. Maybe it's just a temporary fluke.
Well, I guess that catches you up on what's been happening in our family. Thanks for reading. Please feel free to write comments (just click "comment" below). It'd be nice to know someone's reading my posts & it'd be fun to dialogue with you through this new medium.
5 comments:
I brought up the blog, and the girls are squealed and ran to see the pictures. Of course they were mostly interested in the pics of Babydoll. But Emily's haircut got rave reviews as well. And MK also likes the pictures of herself. (Surprise!)
What a lovely blog! I love it all - from the stationery to the update. I love Kitty's haircut and I'm so, so glad to hear you're improving. Babydoll is totally adorable. Wasn't it also Kitty who was troublesome around this age when you guys came to Tappan? Those baby's - they have such a mind of their own! Everyone looks terrific. Love you!
I LOVED reading your blog! Your energy level seems supersonic! Your muscles will catch up! I loved your attiutde which is such a reflection of your faith!! Kitty is beautiful-loved the new do. . .loved the pics. . .Fatima looked like she had a ablast with her cousins! Happy, Happy, Happy! Tell Dave I hope he gets his boat in soon - he deserves some crazy boaating time!!
Auntie Anne
I love the blog! Kitty´s haircut looks excellent! I´ll have to tell her on Facebook. By the way I still can´t figure out how to post videos either! I used to be able to do it and now I can´t.
Loved the pictures, the update on the family, the look of the blog-site - and mostly being connected to the family. I'm so thankful you are improving - and pray Dave will soon be "all better" and able to enjoy the water sports he loves again. Glad the DVDs are coming in handy...and that we have very similar tastes in TV!
Love you! Aunt Mary
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