1 kid, 2 kids, 3 kids, 4

There are so many differences between your first and second child. With your first child you do, or try to do everything by "the book." You want someone there with you at all times, because lord only knows what would happen had you been left alone. You wake up every hour to check if the baby is still breathing. On the rare occasion that you are left alone and you try and take a shower you take the baby into the bathroom with you. You know because at 1 month old they can climb right out of that baby safe crib! You think that the sleep deprivation you are experiencing will NEVER end. I remember it felt like an eternity of not sleeping.

Then along comes number 2, or 3 or 4 or whatever may be. All of the above goes out the window. You no longer need help 24/7. You know the sleepless nights will not go on forever and you can see the light at the end of what once seemed a never ending tunnel. Showers are much more frequent then they once were and oddly you don't seem as tired this time around.

So hang in there new moms, it gets easier, I promise.

the dentist

Pediatric Dentists have, in my opinion the hardest job of all dentists. Their patients are so innocent and unaware of the pain a dentist can bring. It can go one of two ways. The first being the way it went with me when I was 4 years old. I went to the dentist to have a cavity filled and was traumatized. The man shouldn't of been a dentist on a corpse never mind a child. Or the way it went for Isabella today.

Due to Isabella's cleft lip her bite and her tooth don't line up properly and she wore away at the enamel and it turned into a cavity. The news of this "cavity" devastated me. It would be one thing if she never brushed her teeth and ate candy all the time but that's not the case. She brushes twice a day and uses anti-cavity mouth wash without even being told. We take her to the dentist every 3 months to avoid, what now seems was inevitable, a cavity.

Since we found out about this 2 weeks ago it's been looming over my head. She enjoys going to the dentist believe it or not because they are so incredibly nice and paint her nails when she is done. I thought after she had the cavity fixed she would dread going to the dentist as I did as a child.

I wanted to tell her so badly that it was going to hurt and she was going to get a needle but the doctor told me that wouldn't be the best way to go about it. I suppose in this case ignorance was bliss and she wouldn't of gotten in the chair had I told her that. So we went and she made it out alive!

Me on the other hand...not so much. I heard her crying and moaning which simply broke my heart. I was trembling and couldn't breathe, it was a border line panic attack. I too brought some support, the support of my Grandpa, the guy who first took me to the dentist 25 years ago. He tried to keep my mind off of her moans and groans but I could still hear her. I had to leave the lobby and go stand in the hallway. The hygienist came out and told me she told the doctor that mom was crying so she wanted to ensure me she was fine. She told me Isabella was not crying in pain she was just moaning because she didn't like the drying out her mouth to do the filling. These poor people have one of the hardest jobs. They have to deal with frightened children as well as their basket case mothers!

So after the procedure she didn't run out of the room screaming she went and had her nails painted. The doctor, who reminds me of snow white with the soft voice and all came out with Isabella's I-Pod, blankie and giraffie and told me how it went...they listened to Rhianna the whole time and she did great. So thank you Pediatric Dental Arts and Dr. Melissa for making Isabella's first "scary" dental experience a not so scary one!

A round of applause please

Mr. Donato is growing up so fast!! Within the past few days he has learned to clap his hands. Whenever he hears music he bursts out clapping. He is also tirelessly working on crawling. He goes backwards now, having a hard time getting his belly off the floor to get the momentium to go forwards. Before I know it he's going to be crawling all over the house! I better start baby proofing!!

Baby Simba

Donato was baptized on Sunday and it was an amazing day. He was surrounded by all of the people who love him. In true Father Owen fashion he held Donato up like Baby Simba and presented him to the parish as it's newest member. He really puts on a great show.

sleeping in

Correct me if I'm wrong, but how come every time one of my kids sleeps later then they usually do I automatically think the worst. I suppose even the tiny humans like to sleep in on occasion. I run in there and just stand there waiting to see their chest rise. Then I stand there for a few minutes to make sure they keep breathing.

I think I've said this before but it's kind of like the first night your child sleeps through the night. You would think this is a glorious night for all but nope, you're up every hour wondering if they still breathing. Why is it that we always assume that kids are terrible sleepers. I always expect someone to wake up crying or come into my room in the middle of the night. I guess if I set myself up for the worst every night and no one gets up, I will never be disappointed.

the witching hour

I know all of you Mommie's know what I'm talking about when I say, "the witching hour." Why does it always come when it's time to make dinner? Babies must have an internal clock telling then it's 5 o'clock and Mommy needs to make dinner now so start crying! I remember this distinctively with Isabella. She would get so cranky everyday around 5 for no reason at all. Now that I have two kids she gets mad when he starts crying and she can't hear her shows. I quickly remind her that not that long ago she was crying and I couldn't hear anything. She patiently tries so hard to entertain him so he will stop crying. But quickly gets frustrated when nothing helps. Then she says to me, "Geez Mom play with the poor guy!" Kids say the cutest things!

But as I write this at 5:45pm I must go because a "witching" baby awaits!

why hello smiley!

I love walking into Donato's room to see a happy smiling baby! He wakes up and just rolls around playing with his toys. Bronx (the dog) usually hears him first and goes and sits by his door waiting for me to open it. Then he runs in, jumps up and puts his paws on Donato's mattress and stares at him. That's another bond that amazes me that we will save for another day. When I get to the crib I see a big toothless smile staring up at me. L.O.V.E. it!! So happy to see me, such love for that little man!

Isabella on the other hand is getting to the age that where she doesn't want to get up. She walks down the stairs, comes into the living room looking all disheveled, hairs a mess and with her raspy morning voice says, "Good morning Mommy." It takes her a little while before she's her happy little self. She reminds me of me just in a pint sized body. I swear she's a 30 year old stuck in a 4 year olds body.

good morning sunshine

I love walking into Donato's room to see a happy smiling baby. The look they give you is an indescribable one. I love feeling so needed. He is truly happy to see me. It's rare that you get looks like that from people. You gotta love your kids for being able to do that for you. It's kind of like a re-payment for taking care of them. It's their way of saying thank you.

Babies have a great knack for telling you things without saying a word. They give you looks, smiles and coos or in other cases, wines, screams and cries. It's amazing how they can communicate without speaking any actual words. You never really think about it, but it's amazing how you know what they need without them telling you.

Then you have the older child "good morning" or not so good morning in some cases. It can go one of two ways. In our house it's like this, they come in your room and wake you up or you have to go in their room to wake them up. I love when Isabella comes in my room in the morning with her raspy voice and wild amazon woman hair. She sees that we're still sleeping and oh so kindly goes downstairs and turns on the tv. She reminds me of myself. If I wake up before everyone else I sneak downstairs to have some peace and quite before all the crazy begins. I love how much she like me!

I'm not looking forward to next year when I will have to wake up for school. Now I know how my mom felt when she had to get my sister and I up. No parent wants to do it. They spend the first 5 years of the child's life wanting them to sleep in then all of a sudden you have to wake them up! Craziness to me!

all we need is love

Look at these faces....I flippin' love them to pieces!!

If this picture could talk it would say, "Mom are we done yet? I mean really more pictures of us in the paper? All we want to do is play with our toys!"

It's really crazy how much we love our children. You think when you see them for the first time you have never loved something more. You think the kind of love you have for them could never multiply but it does. Every morning we wake up and have our morning routine. It's better on days when there is no school of course. Donato wakes up between 7 and 8, then Isabella soon there after. We lay in bed drinking our bottles, sippys or coffee and watch the news or cartoons. We all just snuggle. It's times like these that I tresure and will look back when they are grown and miss.

Not only does the love I have for my children amaze me but the love Isabella and Donato share is like no other. I have never seen a little boy light up more then when his sister makes him laugh. She has the abaility to make him hysterically laugh like no other person. He just looks at her with those big eyes as to say, "ok I know what you're supposed to do. You're the girl whos gonna teach me how to do bad things and when we get caught you're going to blame it on me and that's ok." But that's what brothers and sisters are for right?