Disney Family For LIFE!

How can you not love it in Disney?

If you haven't been then you NEED to go, like right now!

I hated to admit it, mostly to my husband, but I could literally go there every year!
Disney has Happiness trademarked, look at these happy faces!

We went on a surprise trip (surprise to Martino) for my husbands 40th birthday in 2014.
Honestly, I considered Vegas for the two of us but this was perfect!
And last year we were lucky enough to tag along with some friends to DisneyWorld.
In case you didn't know:
Martino proposed to me on splash mountain here,
 this is our first time back since then!

I HAD to make them matching shirts, look how cute they are!

It made a world of difference for the boys to have other little people to do stuff with.
It worked out perfect that we had a herd of boys...
there was no waiting in line to see princesses,
spending a fortune at the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique,
or having to buy a bunch of dolls.

They were so happy to meet Lightning McQueen & Tow Mater.
Our days were packed with fast passes to collect,
characters to see and treats to try.

Hot mamas in our Minnie Mouse ears

I found an amazing pair of ears this trip.....
they have rhinestones, feathers and mesh, how perfect!
(and these are going to be classic when I have grey hair and am taking my grandchildren to Disney)

The bittersweetness of this trip is that it is probably going to
be the last time my smallest is going to nap on me like this.
I am going to miss these small boy cuddles.
Good bye Tula, we had a really good time.
Although I have moments of weakness where I think...
"maybe just one more"
I look at these pics and realize this won't be happening
as often as we want it to if we add one more.



I have so many more pics and tips to share with you,
this will definitely be a revisited topic.
I am going to leave you with a little motivational quote:

first, Think.
second, Believe.
third, Dream.
and finally, Dare.
 -Walt Disney

The return

I'm Back!

It has been a few years too long and too much has happened for me not to come back.

Our little family grew from 3 to 4 with the addition of another weiner, 

I am officially outnumbered but I have a guaranteed plan to get a female in the house.

(I will tell you about that later)

We suffered some losses in the last year and the boys now have one grandpa left earth side.

It was sudden and it was hard but we are getting through,

because we have to and thats how you heal, 

you keep living.

We have a mini version of him walking around in our house so we won't forget him anytime soon

This is our families reminder to truly live every day,

make it count and make sure everyone you care about knows it.

You don't always get a do over and there isn't always a "next time". 

The other loss was just recently and although not as tragic it still left a hole in my heart.

My little Fidel has been with me longer than my children, my husband, and my marriage.

He came to school with me, moved across the country with me, drove shotgun, lived in various apartments and never complained. 

His favourite pastime was finding a sun spot and having a snooze in the heat.

He strolled on the farm where I spent my summers as a child with my grandparents.

He was the "one", the pet that you will forever want to replace but just like us,

they are one of a kind.

I know these two are keeping each other company up there.....

mostly with Nono tossing chunks of cheese to Fidelli, 

watching the boys grow and everyone miss them.

xoxoxoxox

Mom of two

After all the anticipation and waiting and wondering, 

My little man has arrived.

I was SURE he was going to be a she.

This pregnancy was completely different than the first, 

and even though everyone says that each one is different, 

I was sure that was the reason it was so different.

All the stress he put me under to get here was also convincing me it was a girl.
(Birth story to come later)

No matter now, I love him, and so does his big brother, and proud papa.

I love his smell, 

I love the softness of his skin,

 I love how his body forms to mine to snuggle in, 

I love rubbing my lips on his downy hair, 

I love how he stares up at me as I feed him, 

I love squeezing his soft squishiness. 

I love that I am the only one who can stop his cries, 

 I love our solo cuddles we have in the middle of the night, 

That's our getting to know each other alone time.

I love having a baby.

I am happy I have another boy.

I love that he gets to wear all my favorite outfits that Leo wore.

Leo will have a best friend.

I admit, I was a little heartbroken that he wasn't a girl,

But once I held him and he looked at me I knew this was meant to be. 

They will be mamas boys, and they will be mine.

I won't be around here for a while,

I am getting to know my new little man  and figuring out how to manage two.

Where are you baby?

Ok, I am done.

Tomorrow is 40weeks and to be honest I thought I would be holding my baby in my arms,

not my womb anymore.

Seriously, I have been patient, although you haven't been kind.

Sleepless nights filled with nausea and growing pains for me,

why do you punish me so? 

I have been good to you, 

Carrying you, singing to you, feeding you and growing you.

My phone doesn't stop ringing with questions of where you are,

I am not the only impatient one, although it feels like I am the only one struggling.

The list goes on of the people waiting to hold you, 

and I am done hogging you and am ready to share.

Although it is dark and warm and cozy where you are, 

you are definetly cramped as I can feel every movement & stretch you make.

I promise to swaddle you so you don't feel overwhelmed,

but I know you will be happy in all the arms that will hold you.

The weather is turning and I want to show you the colors of the trees

before the last leaf falls.

Leo was born on my birthday so maybe you are waiting to be born on your uncles.

I will find a little more patience until then as that is 5 more days,

so hear my pleas and make your grand entrance.

Please.

A letter to my unborn little

To my second baby,

For the last nine months we have been together I have felt you grow inside me.

From the instant I found out you were there you were wanted. 

A day hasn't passed where I haven't imagined what you will be, 

who you will look like, what you will become.

You are being born into a family that can't wait to meet you and already loves you.

Your big brother lifts my shirt and kisses my belly every day saying "hi baby".

It reassures me that he is ready.

Ready to open his heart, share his mom, and grow into a little man, no more a baby, 

right before my tearful eyes.

Our days together, just you and I, are coming to a close 

and although I am ready to meet you I am not sure I am ready to share you.

These last few precious moments you and I share as I nurture you and grow you

like only a mother can are cherished in my heart.

I will miss the kicks (no matter how uncomfortable), the hiccups, 

and what feels like gymnastics going on in there because it means you are growing.
I made a person with my body, it is pretty amazing.
The days of waiting will soon be over with your birth and
as your daddy cuts the cord to separate you from me you will begin your journey earth side
as your very own person, an original, don't forget that!
Although we will no longer be connected know that I love you dearly.
No one else will ever know the strength of my love for you and your brother
because only the two of you know what my heart sounds like from the inside.
For your life I wish health be on your side, imagination in your mind,
love in your heart and happiness in your soul.
I wish you courage in the face of fear, strength in times of weakness,
Hope in times of despair, faith in times of sorrow,
I wish you to have kindness  and courtesy towards others,
Always treating them as you want to be treated.
I hope to instill these qualities in you and your brother,
teaching you both the basic principles to live a happy life by.
No matter what path life leads you down know that your father and I
will always be here to guide you, support you and love you.
You have the potential to become anything your heart desires,
don't let anyone tell you different.
See you soon
Love, Mom

Letting go

We have all had "that friend" 

The one that you never thought wouldn't be in your life,

the one you always figured would be there for you, 

in good times and bad, kind of like a marriage, right? 

After all, you were there for them, 

you supported them with a shoulder to cry on, late night phone calls, 

promises to hate the person who hurt them.

It was never hard to find things to talk about, something to do or places to go.

They were always there for you when it was easy,

or maybe it was just when it was easy for them!?

Fortunately we can change as life gets hard, and we have to evolve to deal with the change.

It's called growing up.

But when one person in the friendship doesn't change it seems like the friendship gets left behind.

It took me a long time to accept that this "friend" wasn't who I thought they were.

As we grew older and my life changed with marriage, a baby, and soon two,

my "friend" is no where in sight.

Hmmmm.....

I have never been anything but supportive for my friend, so why can't they be happy for me?

We haven't always lived in the same place or had the same friends,

but when we were together we picked up like we were never apart.

I shed many tears of sadness of us being far away.

I used to not think I could live without my "friend" in my life.

Unfortunately it has taken a lot of soul searching to come to the realization that this isn't the person
 I thought they were.

Friends support each other, rally for each others success and want to see the other happy.

Don't they? 

Isn't this how a successful friendship works?

Then why does it feel so hard?

I have come to terms with the end of our friendship.

It doesn't mean that it still doesn't hurt or make me sad to think of what I thought it was going to be.

Some people just don't grow up,

some people are incapable of change, or simply don't want to.

Whatever the reasoning for their lack of selfishness I can't be mad anymore.

I can't waste another second of my happiness being sad or angry or hurt

because I didn't do anything wrong.

I think that is sometimes the hardest lesson for people to learn.

It isn't always your fault.

That doesn't mean it isn't hard letting go or saying good bye.

I feel like we sometimes suffer through friendships by holding onto them

when we know it is time to let go.

Just because you have been friends for a long time sometimes isn't a good enough reason to stay friends, unfortunately.

I have my memories and they are good so I am going to hold onto that and not let 

the negative parts ruin them.

I have said my peace,

my conscience is clear, my life is happy,

and I can truly say that I have the friends that I need.

Can you?

Only keep people in you life that
Love you, Motivate you,Inspire you, Encourage you,
Enhance you, and
Make you happy.
If you have people who do none of this let them go.
Life is too short:)

Am I ready?

I am ready to not be pregnant anymore, but am I ready for a baby, hmmmm

I will have to get back to you on that one.

It's not that I won't love this baby once its here, 

I just feel like I love Leo soooooo much, how can I have that much more in me to give? 

Where does it all come from? 

And I know people with 2,3,4 kids and of course they love them all.

But that first one is really something special.

That first one is your learning curve.

What did I do before I had him? Nothing important because I can't remember.

With the first one you learn the importance of life, 

that I am not the most important person in my life, 

although it feels good to know that you are to them, and that they rely 100% on you.

Who else in your life really NEEDS you for their survival besides your children?

No one. 

People get divorced, or die, friends move away, parents get old, siblings get married, 

and we as adults survive. 

But babies don't have that ability yet.

It is really amazing how someone so small who only has a cry for communication can teach us so much about ourselves.

I never thought I had it in me to raise children.

Everyday Leo makes me smile and I would never give that up.

He instantly changed our lives and for the better, in way he  will never fully fathom until he holds his own child in his arms, a moment I pray I am there to share.

From the "I wuv you mommie" to kissing my belly & saying "hi baby"

He is an amazing little man that I am so happy to watch grow.

When I think he isn't watching, he definitely is, 

He mimics me putting on mascara in the morning

(Which daddy isn't too happy about but it is so cute)

 A part of me is sad that I am having another baby because I won't have so much time 

to spend with Leo, 

I am savouring every moment we have and trying to get in extra cuddles, 

more fun activities, extra playtime together, 

but to be honest, at this point in my pregnancy it is really hard.

My baby is stretching my body to its breaking point and I am more tired than I remember being the first time....probably because I got to rest a lot the first time. 

I am ready to have this baby on the outside world. 

Maybe not mentally, but for sure physically. 

My bags are packed, baby clothes and diapers are washed and ready, 

the nursery is painted and the feature wall is taped off,

(There will be a whole separate entry for that later)

all I need is for my body to cooperate now. 

My oven is almost done cooking its little new bun and I can hardly wait to meet you. 

See you soon baby, 

Your big brother can't wait to kiss you!