4 months old (17 weeks)

Weighing in at 12 pounds 10 ounces.
(this morning she wore the outfit Liv wore to her first birthday party- just a reminder of what a peanut Liv was)

a thought.

My children will not remember the words of wisdom
I've passed along over the years,
nor will yours remember the good advice you've given.
However, etched in their minds and planted in their hearts
is a permanent picture of who you are
and how you've lived before them.

-Dorothy Kelly Patterson

Suburban Square- SNOW>

We went to Suburban Squares annual winter wonderland. It is always the Saturaday after Thanksgiving and they blow in tons of snow for the kids to play. Santa pays a visit. Last year Liv was in the Main Line times and this year the photographer took a picture of her again. We will see if it makes the paper...... Meme and Gpop came and Nichole, Kevin, Sydney, and Ava. We saw quite a few neighborhood friends and Susan, Scott, and Roman. Liv had fun making snowballs and trying to make a snowman.

Gingerbread boys....in action.

New Favorite Hang Out....

Bean Bag at Aunt Nichole's......It just hugs you and snugs you in all the right places.

S'Mores.

We went to Cosi tonight for dinner and for dessert we had S'Mores. We had so much fun. They have a little cast iron fire cup in a lazy susan surrounded with marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate. It was SOOO much FuN! Looks like that might be our staple restaurant to get us through the holidays.....

You can buy the s'mores kit online (I just may be doing that).

9 horse pills a day.....

Well, eczema or dry skin seems to be an issue that almost every Katrina or Grace has dealt with. Therefore, our kids both suffer as well. Poor Charlotte has a pretty bad case of it and it is especially bad on her face. I went to the doctor today (specializes in osteopathic medicine, acupuncture, pain relief, allergy elimination) and he recommends I take mega doses of omegas to help get her grow fresh new healthy skin. I have been taking fish oils for over 6 years but only 2 a day. He wants meto take 3 with every meal. He thinks within a few weeks of me taking them her skin will be much better. Let's hope!

Liv the photographer. (pretty good)

gingerbread boys..

Thanksgiving.

We went to Nichole's house for thanksgiving. It was nice to see alot of family we rarely see. Ry's Aunt Carol from Massachusetts came and Kevin's family from California was there too. The girls had an absolute blast running around and playing. The only time I saw Liv was when she was running past the dessert table to swipe a cookie. Charlotte had a good start but then spent about an hour fighting a nap. Oh well, I guess she didn't want to miss out on the fun. (sorry for no pics, as soon as I turned my camera on when I got there it said charge battery.......;( )

Last day of soccer.

Liv and Ry had such a great time getting some quality time in each week at soccer. Watching the two of them run around the gym and play was really fun. We will miss it!

Organic Homemade Baby food Exchange.

Similar to a christmas cookie exchange, I have decided to start a baby food exchange. A few of my friends had babies when Lo was born and we decided if we all pick a fruit and veggie to puree in bulk then we can share. We are going to freeze in ice cube trays (1 ounce each), bag and label. That way you can get creative and combine a few cubes to thaw at a time for a meal.

We are also making our own rice and oatmeal cereal.

Pretty excited.....

BTW- the cloth diapering is going really well! Not as bad as I thought at all.... and they make her tush look so cute!

Olive and Bean (Beanie).

Olivia and Charlotte's names have morphed themselves into Olive and Bean. Bean started with Charlie- Bean. And Olive obviously is just short for Olivia. Terms of endearment.

Connor William Camarote. (3 days old.)

He has been in all of our hearts for years, but we just got word from Kevin that Connor is coming home. Kevin and Korrin got the phone call we all have been waiting for. They went to the hospital today and are coming home a mommy and daddy. Our dreams and prayers have finally been answered. Tears of joy. Connor is a lucky, lucky boy.
Kevin and Korrin, you are going to be such amazing parents. We love you!!!!!! Now you go and kiss every inch of him......

26.5 miles.

What an incredible feeling....... waiting about 100 yards from the finish line of the 2008 Philadelphia marathon. Waiting to see Jeanna's face turn the corner knowing she is almost done. All of the practice.... determination..... excitement....... struggles. It took her months to prepare for this. There were moments my eyes would just well up. There was so much energy, love, pride, and support from hundreds of people waiting to see their loved ones cross that line. Ry and I couldn't believe how inspiring and emotional it was to see young people, old people (some in their 60's), all shapes and sizes have the determination to commit to this accomplishment. You could literally feel the love and support in the air.

When we saw her running towards us I just couldn't contain myself. When she saw us all there screaming her name cheering her on, she just lit up. Then had about a second of holding back tears.......the pride we all had for her and the pride she had in herself was just breathtaking. It was one of the most amazing moments ever. It took her 4.5 hours.....She knew we were all there waiting for her to finish. I can't even imagine the struggles and determination it took.... We are so proud of you, Jeanna (aunt deena).

We waited for over an hour at the finish line for it (what a build up) and she gave me a high five when she saw us :) I swear every girl runner looked like her so it was hard to tell if it was her or not. Once we all saw her, we just jumped up and down and screamed.

Jeanna is in sight at minute 1.44 of video......






The coolest thing was we were able to get text messages on Ry's iphone of her status so we knew her estimated finish time. She kept a solid 10 minute mile the entire time. She said she even had some beer at a rest stop (I guess the carbs help)

16 weeks.

Charlotte decided to treat us on her 16 week birthday. She slept for 10 hours straight. The past few days she has been going through a growth spurt which means her eating and sleeping has been off (more eating/less sleeping). We got home from the city at 9 and she slept from 9pm-7am. A PERFECT night in my book! Thanks Charli-Beaner!

The Saloon.

On Saturday, we headed downtown to go to dinner with meme, gpop, chrissy, brian, and the Pescatores (uncle chuck, aunt susan, allison, and kevin. (Johnny is in Costa rica, jeanna was resting up for the philly marathon,and scott is in europe for 2 years). Had some Pinot Noir (my new FAVE), filet, and napolian dessert. The food was fantastic and our big party of 10 (plus 2 halves) had some great conversations. Charlotte slept through the dinner and Liv read books and colored.
We rarely see the Pescatores outside of Stone Harbor. It was great to see them for the holidays. We are looking forward to seeing them again (this summer ;)

santa.

The line was short and Liv wasn't TOTALLY freaking out so we jumped on the opportunity for the girls to see santa.

The look on Liv's face is true horror. But she knew the sooner she smiled for the camera the sooner she could get the heck away from him..... The only thing that saved her was clinging to daddy the entire time in line and knowing that she had to tell Santa she wanted a pink polka dot phone. (she is obsessed with this phone from pottery barn which cost $49 bucks...... guess santa has to cave in and just buy it .) It is the ONLY thing she really wants from santa.

Peek-a-Boo.

Liv has waited 4 months for her sister to be able to really interact with her. This is the VERY first time and I am so glad I got it on film. It was a moment I will never forget.....

giggles- 16 weeks.

We can really get this girl to giggle now......

google mobile app.

Liv trying out daddy's google mobile application that allows you to say a word out loud and the phone will search for it in google. It is funny because the phone doesn't pick up her 3 year old speech and always searched for the wrong word. FOr example she said ice cream, and it translated it to art.

Our artist.

Ice skating.

We took Liv to the Skatium (Haverford's ice rink) to see how she liked it. daddy skated with her while charlotte and mommy watched. She LOVED it! As soon as we walked in she couldn't wait to put the skates on and go out there. We wanted to try this out before we took a trip to Penn's landing to go ice skating. It is a definite go. She already can't wait to go again....
(great idea, they have lawn chairs there so the kids don't have to cling to the wall to have something to hold on to)

Impromptu Snow day.

Day Date.

After four months of trying to converse over two little ones, Ry and I were able to have some much needed Kid-Free Convos. We took the P&W (transfer to the El) down to rittenhouse. We had some coffee, shopped, and went to Tinto. We had some Sangrias with lunch. We had a little bit of culture, and a lot a bit of tasty food. We had an amazing time...

A true mommy moment......While waiting for the train Ry noticed my north face coat had pb&J all down the left arm. He asked if I had a napkin. I whipped out a whole box of wipes out of my purse. He laughed and said you seriously have that whole thing in your bag....... It is so funny how, I carry that mom gear all of the time and as soon as I am kidless I realize how silly it is to have a whole box of wipes in my purse for a date downtown. Good thing I had it though, he was able to clean me up before our date oficially started.

The girls were super well behaved. They stuck to their nap time with meme and gpop and Charlotte finished two bottles of pumped milk.

Being "just the two of us" was so nice. Looking forward to the rest of our four day weekend (ry took off for some family time ;) )

Give me a lips on the kiss.

We all know what Liv means. She says this every time before being tucked in.

heaven.

Whenever, I am nursing Charlotte (especially after a long nap and she extra hungry) and my milk lets down, she gets this look on her face that sends me the chills. Fills my heart with such purpose. Her eyes wiggle back and forth really fast and practically roll back in her head. She is in pure heaven. As if to say, "This is the best meal I have ever had. And, I feel so warm in my mommy's arms. There is no place better."
Being a mommy to these girls, has taught me many of things. One lesson the more I give, I get. I may be giving to these girls all day and night. It has been almost 4 years of my body either making a baby or nourishing one. But I am getting so much more. More than I ever imagined.

nighttime routine.

I need to remember this in 20 years.......

Every night Charlotte goes to bed at 7 and Liv 8. Liv enjoys that last hour with us as solo time. Charlotte gets her solo time at 3 am.
Liv usually runs around and plays in the basement with Ry. She dances, paints, plays grocery store..... but at about 7:30 we head upstairs for pjs and time to wind down. She lays in bed with us and we watch Noggin. The night routine is so exact. It starts with me giving her a 1 minute warning of bed time. Then she turns and gives daddy a kiss. She tries to insist on a binky kiss but he fights for a lip kiss. He wins. Then she jumps in my arms and kisses me while I walk her into her room. As I put her in bed she repeats over and over an over "I can't sleep" ( ironically that is her code for I am tired). I lay her down, she says I want my green blanket and dora blanket. As I layer her up she hands me her binks and says "This has hair on it". I pretend to get it off since she pretended it had it in the first place. Then she says turn my up fan and down fan on (translation-ceiling fan and humidifier). I turn them on then walk and shut her door and lock the gate (yes I still have a gate at her door so she can't roam the house at night).

About two minutes later I hear a thump. Then about 2 more minutes later she opens her door and I hear about three thuds. Each are random toys or books or clothes. She mumbles to herself,"I don't need this." (refer back to the picture I posted of what our hallway looks like). I then open her gate and she leads me to her bed. I say nothing. She climbs over her bedrail by herself (this is crucial. if I touch her while climbing into bed, she has to start alllll over again). I layer her up for once last time and walk out. I close the door and the gate..........

Now that has been our EXACT night routine for at least the past 4 months. Literally to the T. EVERY NIGHT. IN the same EXACT order......Works for her and me. It only lasts about 8 minutes max. Liv you are a piece of work..... love you!!!

Thanksgiving.

Today I am especially thankful for the sound of Charli-Beans giggle and the way her entire face lights up when she sees me walking toward her. You see her dimple and toothless gums. Her tongue twirls around her mouth as she blows bubbles.

Today I am also thankful for Liv coming into our bed at 7am and getting under the covers between ry and I. Then she rubs her fingers through my hair and rubs my arm in a rhythmic motion as she knows I am enjoying it. She pulls me toward her and whispers "you are the best mommy ever".

Today I am truly thankful for my husband who gives me the chance to get out of the house and get some me time. Although it may just be roaming the local shops, it is time for me to be me.

I am also super excited for the next two weekends because they are 4 day weekends for Ry. We are jump starting it with a day date (thanks mom and dad). We haven't had a date since pre-lo. Can't wait!!!

Nature was calling us.

Alot of Ry and my relationship was formed and strengthened over long walks in these trails. We would walk and talk about our future. Our Children. Now we got to walk those same trails with our family of 5, corriah is included. Afterall, she has been the one on the trails with us for the past 10 years.





She still got it.


Our potty in the trunk of the car comes in handy. Nature has called at some of the strangest places.....

Uncle John's 25th Birthday Bash!

Jeanna threw Johnny a sweet 25th birthday party. Everyone had fun. It was the perfect mix of family and friends. Some friends from elementary school. Liv enjoyed getting into Aunt Jeanna's make up and jewelry box. She also stalked the cake and had one too many pieces.
Uncle John got to show off his and G-pop's carpentry skills. They finished the entire basement and it looks incredible. I almost don't believe that they did the entire thing themselves (drywall, tile, woodwork, paint, etc). A mounted flatscreen topped it off.

soccer.

Liv only has one more week of soccer and she really has had a great time with it. It is so fun watching her run around like a maniac with daddy.

in the am, sending daddy off to work. Line up for your kiss....

Charli-Bean.

That's all folks.

One of her favorite snack.......carrots and hummus

Katrina Bakery.

Liv and i baked brownies and cookies today while Charlotte was sleeping. Liv's job was to sprinkle the walnuts on the brownies and she did it with much attention to detail. She also kept sneaking her finger in the mixer everytime I turned around. But she was innocent enough to tell on herself each time.....

Clean bill of teeth.

Today Liv had her 6 month dental cleaning. We were a little fearful due to her past visit of 7 cavities (due to night nursing until she was two). I can not rave enough about Dentist Mckee. He and his staff are amazing. From the moment Liv walked in she felt like a princess. She had a personalized spit bib on, princess sunglasses, marshmallow flavored toothpaste.... Her teeth were perfect and she was so patient during the cleaning. Moments like this make a mommy proud.....



(as you can tell, liv dresses herself now)

Happy Lifeday to you.

Today is not a birthday in our house (well happy birthday uncle John), but is a life day. One year ago today, the miracle of Charlotte was made. Happy Life day, sweetie, I love you!

Thanks, but No Thanks.

Okay so Liv has a new nickname for me that I don't really like....... "Big Mama". Thanks to the years of child pysch courses that I know it is a compliment. The theory is the larger the child views you, the more important you are in his/her life. But it isn't helping my post-baby body image..... ;)

She is even cute when she cries.

Liv(in) the spotlight.

Lovin' on you.

Mommy lovin' up on baby number 1 and number 2 while number 3 naps. (And the numbers are in reference to birth order because they all are tied for number one in my book.)

Mommy Time- 14weeks.

pink -eye.....;(

Although Liv doesn't seemed bothered by it, her right eye is PINK. We are so sad to cancel our weekend plansto have dinner with the family, soccer, and lexi's birthday.... Looks like we will either be housebound until her eye clears up or Liv will be stroller bound so she doesn't give it to anyone else.

The zoo.

Lucy and Will both have yearly memberships to the zoo and they invited us to go today. At first Liv used the stroller as her safe base and was rather scared of the animals. She didn't think the fences were high enough to keep the zebras and bears from jumping over them and getting her. But like true Livi style, after about a half of an hour she is running around like a wild child. We went to the children's petting/feeding zoo. She was in the gates with the goats, sheep, horses, pigs, etc. there was nothing between them...... the kids can pet,feed, and brush the animals. She ran around like a nut and played with the animals. We got to the petting zoo early and we were the only ones in there (yay). Once the crowd came, we moved over to the huge tractor to play on (while the three moms took a pit stop to feed the babies). We ate lunch at a picnic table and then went on the PZ Express train ride.(She ACTUALLY couldn't wait to get on it). That is a huge shocker considering after three trips to please touch museums, she still won't go on the carousel) Once the crowd started piling in, we left. (Man I keep forgetting it is teacher's convention week and the schools are off.......we keep going to attraction sites with lots of kids...better luck next week when the big kids go back to school)