Merry Christmas Everyone!

Thought I'd share my favorite gifts.....

Emotions are a funny thing

Thought I'd take a few moments to capture some of the thoughts running through my head tonight - our last night as a family of three. Tomorrow is the big day - the day our daughter arrives. It's amazing to me the variety of emotions we humans have the capacity to feel at the same time. You wonder just how that's possible.

First off, I'm so very excited to meet her. I can't wait to see what she looks like, can't wait to hold her, can't wait to hear her tiny little cries. I can't wait to see my husband hold his baby girl in his arms for the very first time. I can't wait to watch him get wrapped around her tiny little finger. Even more so, I can't wait for Matthew to meet her. I can't wait to see his reaction to her. We've had an amazing two weeks together at home, and we've been talking about her a lot. It seems like this week he's really begun to understand that she's coming, for real, and that she'll be part of our family. Just today, he told me he's going to give her a kiss on the head and on the nose. I can't wait to see if he really does that.

And yet, amidst all this excitement, I can't help but feel a little bit sad. Sad to think that some of the attention he's used to getting will now be shared. I worry that he'll somehow feel less loved, and that thought just breaks my heart. I am determined that I will not let that happen. When I first found out I was pregnant this time, after being completely overjoyed, I felt this same twinge of sadness. I wondered how it would be possible to love another baby as much as I love Matthew. But, I quickly came to realize that it would be easier than anything I'd ever done in my life. Your heart and your love just grow. I know this without her even being here yet. And I also know that the joy he'll experience from having a sibling will far outweigh anything else he'll feel. I just need to make myself focus on that thought and help him to find that joy.

My deepest hope for tomorrow is that he is as excited as we are to meet her, and that he really feels like giving her those kisses on her head and nose. He's been calling her "My Gabby" for the last few days, and I hope he really feels that way when she's finally here.

Love you, my little man, and can't wait to meet you, my little girl.

~ Mommy

32 weeks....

I figured it was about time I shared an update on my pregnancy. I haven't written much at all about it anywhere, for a number of different reasons. But, we're getting down to the wire here, so I think it's time...

I went for an ultrasound on Friday (at 32 weeks) for the purpose of estimating the baby's size. Dennis wasn't able to come along as we had planned since Matthew was home sick. In any event, off I went. I was happy to hear that everything looks good - no extra parts have grown, so it's still a girl. She has actually turned head down (she was breech at my last Dr.'s appointment), and I could see the hair on her head - looks like we'll have another hairy baby on our hands! Her hands were by her face, just like Matthew's always were, and her feet were up there, too. Based on the measurements taken, she's measuring approximately 10 days ahead, and already weighs around 5 lbs 3 oz - above the 90th percentile! Man, we make big babies!

I had hoped to avoid a c-section this time, although as a compromise with my doctor, I have one scheduled for my due date. Now, based on what they're seeing in terms of size, they're thinking that should be moved up at least a week. I'm expecting to chat with the doctor tomorrow to discuss dates. If I go into labor on my own beforehand, they'll let me go and see how I progress. And, I have another ultrasound scheduled at 36 weeks to see how much she's grown by then.

I didn't get a ton of pictures, but thought I'd share those I did get....

This one is my favorite, although the picture and the scan don't nearly do the moment justice. She was looking right at us, and opening and closing her eyes and mouth. It was so sweet I couldn't help but cry a little bit. Can't wait to meet this little girl!

Happy, Happy Day!

Happy Birthday, Babe!

We love you like crazy!

Making the most of a long weekend

Thank goodness for Christopher Columbus. For obvious reasons, but especially for the long weekend this past weekend. It's not a holiday my company recognizes, but since Dennis had it off, I decided to take the day too.

We've had a lot going on lately, and haven't gotten around to some of our favorite fall activities. So, we decided to take advantage of the long weekend and get our autumn on (along with a few other fun things). I've included some pics from our weekend below, but there are lots more at our online gallery if you'd like to take a look.

We started out on Saturday with a trip to our favorite apple orchard, Jameson's High Meadow Farm in Chester, MA. Matthew fell asleep just as we got close, so we drove around for a while to let him catch a few winks. It wasn't the sunniest of days, but the area is so beautiful that it didn't even matter. Once we headed to the orchard, Matthew was in his glory. He had an absolute blast running around and loved helping Daddy pull apples from the trees.

Love how they have the same expression on their faces in this one....

Next, we headed to Knightville Dam to check out the foliage. We actually hit it at a pretty good time - we're usually WAY too late and everything is brown and dead. We were happy to see everything looking so beautiful, but it got crazy windy as we walked along the dam so we didn't stay long.

From there, we headed to Huntington Country Store for some goodies, and my personal favorite - the Wrapple - this fabulous apple roll-up they make at this time of year. Yup - went home with two of those, in addition to peanut butter cookies, pepperoni bread, and a new pepperoni and garlic bread concoction they've come up with. We also got an angel that we can use as a Christmas tree topper, and our Advent calendar, which we always buy there.

We headed home for a quick rest, and then went off to a concert at the Wherehouse in Holyoke. We saw the Makem and Spain Brothers as part of the 10th anniversary celebration for the Irish Cultural Center at Elms College. We'd seen them several years back when they tagged along at a Tommy Makem show we attended one St. Patrick's weekend. We love them, and apparently so does Matthew! When the music started, he just leaned back against my chest and took it all in, clapping now and then in time with the music. He even made his way into the video the ICC was filming - very cool!

On Sunday, I had a baby shower to go to at Fusion Cafe in East Longmeadow. Delicious food, great company and can't wait to meet the latest Pagliaro baby! Then, after the shower, we headed to the MassMutual Center to see Sesame Street Live. We all had a fabulous time - Matthew was in heaven seeing Elmo and all his buddies dancing around. He was so captivated - he alternated dancing in the aisles with moments of being purely mesmerized. It was so fun to watch! Somehow we made it out without purchasing the $10 Elmo mylar balloon, but we did buy a $15 stuffed Elmo. (Why didn't I just stash one of Matthew's in my purse?? Lesson learned.)

Then, on Monday, we decided to set out for pumpkins. We went to Pell Farm in Somers, where they have a great selection of pumpkins, but even better - they have tons of animals to check out and pet. They also offer pony rides and hay rides - such a fun place. The absolute best part of the visit was when Matthew picked some grass and walked over to a donkey and said "Onkey - wanna bite?" So damn cute!!

We came home with some great pumpkins, and then just CRASHED. All of us got in some great naptime that afternoon. A perfect ending to a perfect weekend. Hope you had a great one too!

What is it....

...about little boys and garbage trucks?

I swear Matthew can hear the truck coming from a mile away. He moves from room to room to watch it and I always open the dining room window for him so he can hear them when they reach our house. The best part? After they take our trash or recyclables, he says "Thank you, gawa." (Gawa is his word for garbage truck, which he actually uses for all types of trucks.) Then for the next hour or so, he'll ask me "Mama? Gawa bye-bye?" Love it.

What a difference a year makes....

This just blows my mind.....

9-24-08

9-24-09

Trip #1

Well, it's that time of year again. Tonight was our first trip to this year's Big E, and my first trip ever on the opening day. I must say it was quite a bit quieter than I anticipated - pleasantly surprised!

It's amazing to see the difference in Matthew since last year's visits. If you're bored and have some time to kill, take a look back at my posts from last year....unbelievable how much he's grown and changed.

Thought I'd post a few pictures from tonight's visit. You know me....there'll be more to come from subsequent trips.

Hmmm....do I really have to share these pierogi with Mommy & Daddy?

Ahhhh.....milk.

Showing off his new Sox hat from the Massachusetts building. (Matthew, not Dennis!)


Irish musicians putting on a performance at the Dingle Peninsula exhibit in the Young Building

The phenomenal voice of the group, inspired by Guinness. Oh, and our priest, Father Reilly, on guitar!

We stayed for about 2.5 hours - just enough to whet our appetite for our return visits. I must say my favorite part was watching Matthew take it all in and get so excited about the things he saw. Never thought it was possible for me to like The Big E more, but seeing him having so much fun topped it all.

Can't wait to go back....

We Must Never Forget

It's Been A While....

No, I'm not channeling Aaron Lewis from Staind (despite the Longmeadow connection). Just stating the obvious, really. Haven't blogged (or read my favorite blogs) in forever.

Not for a lack of things going on around here. We've been quite busy - weddings, birthday parties, trips to the Cape, weekend drives, Saw Doctors concerts.... Just somehow haven't found the time or gumption to actually sit down at the 'puter and write about it. I feel it returning slowly, so I thought I'd dip my toe back in the water by sharing a few pics from our recent adventures.

More to come soon....thanks for sticking with me....

Another fun weekend!

For those of you who live around here, you know that Saturday was one of the nicest days we've had in a long time. The sun was shining ALL DAY LONG - not a drop of rain - a perfect day to hit the road.

We headed to the Berkshires to have lunch and then head to Mount Greylock. We had lunch at one of our favorite places out that way....

After lunch, we took a nice leisurely drive through Monterey and Tyringham. It was a gorgeous day, and the views were just spectacular. We stumbled upon the Tyringham Cobble, 200+ acres of forest and meadows (cool story about it here).

We drove along the outskirts of the reservation, found where it crosses the Appalachian trail, and ended up near this stream we love.

The road we usually follow near that stream was closed, so we headed another way, only to find some of the most beautiful views ever. This one is someone's private residence....must be nice.

We ended up back in Lee, and decided to make a quick pit stop at the outlets. By the time we were done, we were pretty pooped, so we decided to save Mount Greylock for another day. We headed home for a brief nap, before heading out later that evening to the Italian Festival put on by the Mt. Carmel Society in Enfield.

I was in my glory, surrounded by people that reminded me so much of my Italian heritage and family. The music was great, the food was fabulous, and the people watching could not have been better.

OK, of special note here are the meatballs. I'll go out on a limb and say I make a damn good spaghetti sauce, but I've never really made meatballs that taste the way I like them to taste. These were unbelievable - some of the best I've ever had. Why can't mine taste like these???

For dessert, we had a delicious cannoli, and while we waited in line for fried dough, Matthew demonstrated that he likes Italian music just as much as he likes Mexican. See for yourself....

We had hoped to go back tonight (because there were actually a couple of things we didn't eat on Saturday!) but the weather just didn't cooperate. You can bet we'll make it a point to go again next year.

Pleasantly surprised

Yesterday, around lunchtime, we decided to head out to get Matthew's hair cut (yet again). We typically have lunch at Flatbread Company when he gets a haircut (gotta justify going all the way to Canton somehow), but we had pizza for dinner Friday night so we just weren't feeling it. We decided instead to have lunch at this little Mexican joint in Enfield called Sarapes. Dennis had heard great things about it recently, so we thought we'd give it a try.

From the outside, it doesn't look like much - it's a tiny little store front in a building with a dry cleaner and a laundromat.


We started out with a basket of homemade tortilla chips and three different kinds of salsa. One fresh, chunky mild salsa with lots of yummy cilantro, and two thinner spicy salsas - one green, one red. We tried plying Matthew with Cheerios until his lunch came, but he was not satisfied. We gave him a chip (his first chip ever!), which he promptly devoured. We gave him another, expecting he'd eat it, but instead he made a dunking motion with it, as if to tell us he wanted it dunked in salsa like we were having. After doing that a few times, I decided to just move the mild salsa within reach for him. He LOVED it (and proceeded to dunk his Cheerios in it as well)!

Here's a shot of him giving the nosy lady next to us ordering takeout a dirty look (just like Daddy had just done). Don't you just love when people talk to your kid as a way of getting a message to you? She kept making comments about the salsa being spicy. Seriously, lady, mind your own damn business. First of all, it's not spicy, and second of all, if I want to give my kid spicy food, I really don't care whether you express your disapproval. There are entire cultures whose children are raised on spicy foods. Besides, does my kid look like he's not taken care of? Buzz off.

Our lunches were outstanding. Even the rice and beans were awesome - the rice was nicely seasoned and not at all dry, and the beans were topped with a perfect amount of oaxaca cheese. This was definitely not like your typical Mexican chain restaurant style food. Don't get me wrong - I'm a big fan of On The Border and Taco Hell myself, but sometimes it's nice to have something a little more authentic.

Matthew enjoyed the atmosphere, as you can see in the video below....

I can't wait to go back again and try some other dishes!

And that's the way it is...

R.I.P. Uncle Walter