Baby it’s cold outside…

It sure is a winter wonderland in Chicagoland. It did warm up a bit today. It is now 1 degree Fahrenheit instead of -7 (this is before wind chill is factored in). They say that it is -31 with the wind chill. That’s cold. I did learn a pretty cool fact though…my car registers negative numbers. I never knew it could do that.

Carmella is growing like a weed in the warm summer sun (minus the warm and minus the sun). She is exactly 2 months old today and weighs in at 12 pounds 8 ounces. She is a tall baby too measuring 24 and a quarter inches. Both measurements place her in the 95th percentile.

She had to get her first round of shots today. She wasn’t too happy about it, but she was a trooper. She only cried a little then relaxed and fell asleep shortly after I placed her in her car seat to go home.

There is so much more that I want to blog about, but such little time. In case I don’t get to write more before Wednesday, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

[Ella in her new Christmas outfit that her Auntie Kathy and Uncle Jason got for her. She is so excited her hands and feet are moving like crazy.]

Sorry it’s been so long since I’ve posted anything on our blog. My computer crashed last week and was off getting fixed for a few days. But it’s back and so am I.

Carmella and I have been busy lately. We spent a cold and snowy day in Chicago two Saturdays ago. Our new, but dear friend, Heidi, her daughter, Hanna and Hanna’s friend, Ruth accompanied us on our outing. We spent most of the day at Macy’s and ate at the Walnut Room where there is a massive Christmas tree in the middle of the dining area. Ella just adores Christmas trees and the lights so it was just perfect. The cheese platter was to die for.

Busy, busy, busy doesn’t even begin to describe Mark’s schedule lately. He amazes me—really! He has done such a good job at balancing work, school, new baby and role of husband. Thankfully he took his finals for this term this past Saturday. What a relief to be on a bit of a break. Monday morning he said, “It feels like I am forgetting something because I don’t have to carry any school materials with me on the train.” Yea!! Freedom for a few weeks.

This week we have guests visiting from out of town, a Christmas party to attend, and Mark is travelling one day (if he doesn’t get snowed in). The last two mornings it has been under 10 degrees—just the beginning of a Chicago winter. The streets are still icy from a rain storm a few days ago and we are expected to get some more snow today. It has put a damper on walks in the park with Ella. I am going to have to become one of those “mall walkers” to improvise.

Here are a few pictures from this weekend. Enjoy.

A Christmas Blessing

Mark and I debated for several days whether to get a real tree or purchase a fake one for our home. Since we will be in Boston for Christmas we knew that a real one would have to be taken down before we left—what fun is that? The last thing I want to do the day before Christmas Eve is to tear decorations off the tree and put the tree on the curb. It’s a sad thought. However, fake trees are extremely expensive and I couldn’t see spending the money.

In the end we decided to go ahead and get a real tree. Thankfully our plans were thwarted by severe weather conditions. The very day we wanted to pick one out God decided to bring on the rain, sleet and eventually dump several inches of snow on Chicagoland. Needless to say, it was a little too cold and wet to go Christmas tree shopping that day.

Well, it was a good thing we decided to wait on getting the tree…The very next day our neighbor mentioned that he wanted to get rid of their tree. He said that they had it in the garage and we could have it if we wanted it. That very night Bill (our neighbor) brought it to the house and I unpacked it immediately. It took me all night to fluff out all of the branches, but when I finished I was pleasantly surprised at the outcome. We now have a nine foot tree standing in our living room. What a wonderful Christmas present. God is so cool.

Carmella is just fascinated with all the lights. I place her on her little play mat and she just stares up at the tree as happy as can be.

A Snow Day at Home With Mommy

Carmella and I played in front of the sliding doors and watched the snow slowly and peacefully cover the patio, lawn and swing set in the back yard. She was mesmerized by the bright lights the white covering provided outside. Soon enough she will be asking to play in the snow and build a snowman. But today we enjoyed the first snow of the year from the warmth of our living room.

Later that day I strapped on the Baby Bjorn and Ella helped me pull out all of the Christmas decorations. We are one stocking shy of a complete mantle. Ella and I will have to go shopping today to get one that will represent her as part of our family.

Here is a short video clip of our snow day playtime.

Thanksgiving in Ohio

Carmella went on her first road trip this Thanksgiving. We travelled 5 ½ hours to Shelby, Ohio to celebrate the holiday with Sharon’s family. Our little pumpkin did very well—sleeping most of the way to and from Ohio. She was meeting everyone for the first time. Grandpa S. was especially happy to meet her since he didn’t get to come out with Sharon’s mom right after Carmella’s birth. She also got to meet her Aunt Kathy and Uncle Jason as well as the extended family including all of her second cousins.

The trip brought back memories from Sharon’s youth. The entire family used to gather at her grandmother’s house every Thanksgiving and do a Christmas exchange, changing Thanksgiving to “Christgiving”. The house was always filled with the smells of turkey dinner, the sounds of laughter and the warmth of being with a loving family. It was said this Thanksgiving that not everyone is as lucky to have such a loving family and one that you look forward to spending time with instead of dreading the holiday get-togethers. We do feel very lucky. I know that little Ella felt the love as she got passed around.

On the way home Ella had her first restaurant experience. Her mom and dad really wanted a break from driving so they stopped along the way (somewhere in Indiana) for a bite to eat and stretch break. She was a perfect angel during the meal…awake and not screaming…that’s all we can ask for at this point. The waitresses sure did ogle over her. She was as big a hit as the pumpkin pie.

The day after we got home it started snowing. We were going to get our Christmas tree that evening, but it was miserable outside (a mix of rain and snow) so we decided to save it for another time. Hopefully we will get one up and decorated by the end of the week.

Here are a few photos for you to enjoy…

[Ella and her Auntie Kathy...who is expecting by the way... Ella is helping her practice]

[Second cousin Anna plays with Ella.]

[All bundled up to take a stroll outside.]

[Grandpop S. getting acquainted with Ella. They shared some precious moments together.]

[A little drool never hurt anyone. I get that way too when I smell good cooking all day long.]

Play Times and Resting Times

The many wonderful moments we share with our little Carmella... at rest and at play, with her mommy, daddy, and grand parents too... she sure has a busy social life.

So you don’t miss a beat…here are some family pictures.

Carmella loves autumn just like her parents. She just had to take a walk outside while the foliage was at its best. Unfortunately, she missed most of it because she fell asleep.


It is strange not having Grandma S. around.

Ella loved hanging out and playing with her.

She sure is going places fast.

And when she is all tuckered out, her daddy gladly lets her rest on his chest.

Our Sweet Baby

For those of you who need a little Carmella fix... here are a few picts to enjoy.



[Tummy time!]

[Our little trick or treater!]

[She only stands tummy time for a short while before politely asking to be turned on her back.]

Carmella Rose

Well as you can see, we have welcomed Carmella Rose into our lives. She was born at Hinsdale Hospital at 7:45 p.m. on Wednesday, October 22. As of today she is one week old. The Lord has truly blessed us with her little life.

Last night was the first night that she slept between feedings without a bout of crying. So my mother, Mark and I all finally got ample sleep. The times when she does cry are much easier to bear when we have had a chance to rejuvenate ourselves. The learning experience continues as we bond with Ella and figure out how to best meet her needs. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

Some of my favorite things:

• Watching her sleep
• Listening to her little squeaky noises
• The way her lips pucker when she is finished eating
• The clicking sound she makes with her tongue when rousing from sleep
• Her beautiful large, almond shaped eyes
• Just about any part of her little body you can think of—especially her soft, pudgy cheeks.
• The way she cuddles up on my chest and falls asleep cradling her head in her little arms

Well, I could go on forever…the bottom line is that Mark and I are absolutely head over heels in love with her.

Due Date Approaching

Tick tock, tick tock. The seconds are ticking away and I am unfortunately counting each one. These last few days are long and exhausting. We seem to be in a holding pattern just waiting for something to get started. The trouble is that there is no way to know when the baby will come. It could be today, it could be next week. We do know that the doctor will not let it go past Oct. 22. So for sure by next Wednesday we will be holding her in our arms…but I sure hope it will be sooner.

Here is a photo of me taken yesterday (Tuesday, October 14).

We will keep you posted. But don’t hold your breath…I tried that and trust me it’s not wise.

A Quick Trip to Chicago

My dear friend, Lisa, and her husband, Kevin, came in from Boston last weekend. I decided to take the train in to the city on Friday and meet them for the afternoon. We made a simple plan and didn’t try to do too much. So we walked to Millennium Park, saw the sights there, hung out at a coffee/tea bar, and then walked back to the train in time to meet Mark after work. Here are some photos of our time together.

Much to my chagrin the journey did not bring on early labor.

Pregnancy Brain

I have a little over one week until my due date and I seem to be experiencing the strange phenomenon of “Mommy Brain” or “Pregnancy Brain”. For instance, I went to the Jewel (local grocery store) yesterday which is literally three blocks from my house. Coming home I completely missed my turn and went several miles out of my way to get to the house. I have absolutely no idea what happened. I knew my turn was coming up, but it was like I didn’t even see it. Yes, so many of you are thinking…keep that crazy woman off the streets! Well, you might be right.

Then poor Mark is without any dress pants because I took them all to the cleaners and forgot to pick them up. It completely slipped my mind.

One thing I did do, finally, was bake some dinners and freeze them so we would have something decent to eat when I am not feeling up to creating meals once the baby gets here. I spent all day making a lasagna, chili and mini calzones. All that time on my feet nearly did me in. Afterward my back hurt and all I could manage to do was crash on the couch for an hour or so. Thankfully I gave myself enough time to recover before picking Mark up from the train station and heading to my women’s Bible study that evening. (Don’t worry. I got a ride to the study. I couldn’t even imagine the damage driving in the dark would cause.)

September = Quality Cousin Time

Growing up in Ohio holds so many memories for my sisters and me. Most of those childhood snapshots include spending time with our cousins, Matt and Andy. Whether it was practicing to perform a musical/talent number under the name “The Tree-Top Monkeys” or playing some made up game, we always had such fun together.

Time and distance have separate all of us, but we still try to stay in contact best we can. Now that everyone is married and the majority of us have kids, it is even more difficult to travel the distance to see one another. However, since Mark and I moved out here, we have had the great pleasure of being in a location easily accessible to Andy and his family. In fact, we have already managed to see them twice since we moved in April.

This latest visit came on Mark’s birthday, last Saturday. Andy, Amy and the girls drove up from Indiana for the day to hang out with us. Here are some shots of the girls…

Then, Sunday night Matt, Heather and their four kids came to visit. Matt and Heather went to school in Chicago and still have many close contacts out here. We were blessed by being able to host them for a short time while they travelled through Chicagoland. I was able to join them at the Brookfield Zoo on Monday. Here are some of the highlights.

Matt and Heather packed up and departed Westmont on Wednesday morning. It was so sad to see them go. The house was way too quiet. I had to put on the radio and make myself busy so I didn’t get too lonely. Thanks everyone for making September extra special.

One Last Vacation Before Baby

Our long awaited Michigan getaway was perfect despite the heavy rains. We escaped the suburbs on Thursday and headed around Lake Michigan to see what the other side looked like. We arrived in Benton Harbor around lunch time, checked in to our hotel and immediately drove to the nearest beach. St. Joseph is a quaint town on the lake where we window shopped and had a bite of lunch before retiring to the beach for the rest of the afternoon.


Mark got to paddle out in the lake while I relaxed on the beach with a book. It really was a perfect day.
The rain started coming down the very next day, but we were determined not to let it ruin our fun. So we headed north to check out two towns we heard were worth seeing. The first, Saugatuck, reminded us a little bit of some New England towns we used to visit on the weekends.

South Haven was another little gem, not quite as charming as the first, but still fun to explore.

On Saturday the rain continued to come and it was getting close to departure time. We decided to check out one more place before going home—Warren Dunes State Park. I am so glad we did. The heavens turned off the sprinkler system long enough for us to take a walk on the beach and enjoy the sounds of nature before getting back in the car again.

What a great way to spend one last vacation together before becoming a trio.

Labor Day Camping Trip

Mark had his final day of classes for his first term at Kellogg on Saturday and we celebrated by getting out of town and going camping with our church. The hour-long drive to the campsite was beautiful with miles of open fields and farmland to look at. In no time at all, we turned into the Cedar Creek Retreat Center, found our cabin and settled in before the evening activities started.

Okay, okay, I know what you’re thinking: “Why are they sleeping in a cabin, aren’t they like outdoorsy people who love to tent camp?” Well, people, remember that I am only a little over a month away from giving birth. Plus, the cabin was air-conditioned and it had its own shower and toilet—a major plus when you have to go two to three times in the middle of the night. A little comfort at this stage doesn’t hurt anything.

That evening we had a huge potluck dinner and then a worship service around a bonfire. Mark got to play his Djembe for the first time since we moved to Illinois. This photo shows him gearing up for the campfire worship time.

The next day we decided to find the Fox River. It was a bit treacherous in that we had to climb through barbed wire and go over an electric fence enclosing a cow pasture to get to the water. We found the river no problem; it was the return trip that frightened me a tad.

On our way back we encountered three massive black cows. They obviously didn’t like the sight of us, because they made a lot of noise while staring us down. I grabbed onto Mark and stood behind him until we figured out how to get past these gigantic creatures without upsetting them and getting charged and trampled. If any of you know my track record with supposedly docile creatures, you will understand why I was being extra cautious. (It has to do with not one, but two manatee episodes in Florida.) Needless to say, we forged our own path out of there and made it safely back to camp. It’s little adventures like these that make life interesting.

I spent the rest of the afternoon playing in the pool before we headed back home. It was a short but very worthwhile trip.

The Joys and Sorrows of Pregnancy

Things I love about being pregnant

1. People get up and offer their seats to me.
2. Random ladies in the parking lot of Costco help me load up my car because I can’t reach down into the massive cart to pull out the boxes of groceries.
3. People seem twice as friendly and smile as I walk (no, waddle) by.
4. My husband pats, sings to and talks to my stomach. Normally this would be very odd.
5. The glow of my skin. Actually, I have a bit of a tan too—I never get tan.
6. Falsely believing that my legs got skinnier just because my belly got so big—even if it isn’t true, it still feels good to think that way.
7. Feeling and seeing her move around. It’s so cool.
8. Praying for her little life and preparing a safe and loving home for her enter into.
9. Knowing where my child is at all times.
10. Learning all kinds of new things, like how to burp a baby, how to get a baby on a feeding and sleep schedule, and, well, so many other things that I didn’t know before… I am sure I will continue to learn every day.
11. Peace and quiet. Having time to journal, read, relax, and enjoy the beautiful weather we have been having. I sometimes need to remind myself that quiet is okay right now because it will soon disappear.

Things that frustrate me about being pregnant

1. Sudden loss of concentration
2. Getting tired quicker
3. Loss of interest in foods I used to love—especially spicy Mexican and Indian cuisine.
4. Watching what I eat and having to cut back on caffeine
5. I can’t go rollerblading or get in and out of my kayak—paddle boats are as close as I can get
6. Not being able to put on my shoes without breaking a sweat.
7. Heartburn
8. Not having the baby to hold in my arms yet.

Recreational Days

Mark and I try to get out and explore our new surroundings as much as we can. This Sunday we took a short trip to a local lake/park to see if it is a place we can kayak in the future. So we headed to Busse Lake, which is about 20 minutes from our house, to walk around and check it out. The park has many great qualities, including a decent sized lake for tooling around in. It also has a 7-mile bike trail that would also be perfect for rollerblading. The other great aspect is that it has free parking—a rarity. The only thing we wish we could find close to home is a beach for swimming. Of course Lake Michigan has beaches, but the nice ones are all at least an hour and a half drive away—not a quick afternoon dipping trip.

Today I got to hang out with a new friend and go hiking (no we have no hills, mounds of dirt or even slight inclines around here) at a local park. The Morton Arboretum (yes Morton Salt) is very close and has some fantastic trails through beautiful forests. Here are a few photos from the day… By the way, the ant is not real.