Ellia Turns 3!

Well here it is a month later and I am just getting to write about my little lady turning 3.  Where does the time go?! (I feel like a broken record with that comment. haha.) They have been the best 3 years of my life! How she brightens up every day and makes this little life of ours even more wonderful. 

We wanted her birthday week to be special so we tried to do a lot of activities the week leading up to her birthday.  We took her to Moon Park one day and enjoyed a picnic lunch under the fall trees.  Then she played her little heart out, all the while trying to make friends with other kids at the park. That evening Uncle Korey came out to celebrate her birthday a little early since he would not be able to make her party.  We took her to get some chicken wings and I think she ate Kevin and Korey under the table!  The next day we went shopping for her party at Cost Co’s and then took her to pick out her birthday cake at Giant Eagle. Of course she picked a Tangled cake! Click on the link to see more pictures leading up to her big day. Ellia's Birthday Week!

On Thursday night I decorated the dining room with streamers, balloons and princess items for her party on Saturday.  She woke up in amazement and pure excitement for the festivities to begin. Her birthday (November 11^th) was on a Friday this year and we told her we would take her to wherever she wanted to go. So it was off to Chuck E Cheese for the day.  She had a blast playing games, riding, eating pizza, seeing Chuck E and wining prizes.  Dominic slept through the whole thing but showed his enthusiasm later on with in his little brother shirt! Click on the link for even more pictures from this fun filled day! Chuck E Cheese Birthday!

On Saturday the 12^th Ellia couldn’t wait to put on her party gear. She loved her party room and I often found her dancing away in the room before the guest arrived. We invited immediate family and the cousins were told to dress as their favorite princess character. Samantha came as Sleeping Beauty and Magerie as Snow White.  It was a true princess party and I know that Ellia had a blast playing with her cousins.  Here is a link to more birthday pictures. Ellia's 3rd Birthday Party!

 

As Kevin said the blessing over the food that day, we found ourselves emotionally thankful for this little lady so full of life that God has blessed us and entrusted to us. This past year she has again amazed us with her own little personality.  Just to know this person God so uniquely designed is beyond my imagination.  How brave and mature she seemed to get when we moved into our new house. And then becoming a big sister.  She extends such a genuine love towards her little brother and I know she will always protect him.  Her motherly love is one of her  gifts from above. Her sense of humor can bring a smile to anyone’s face.  Her love for animals, babies, friends, family and for Jesus are just some of the wonderful qualities I see developing more and more. There are so many things I would love to teach and instill to Ellia.  The most important of them all is to Love the Lord with all her Heart.  There is a song by the Sidewalk Prophets called “The Words I Would Say” and I every time I hear this song I pray that I will be able to teach my children the truth that is clearly expressed in these words.  So I leave this post with these lyrics and hope that one day my daughter will read this and be able to agree that her mother and father loved her so much and helped her to know the truth that truly set her free.  Happy 3^rd Birthday my dear sweet Ellia Bean~ Your Daddy and Mommy love you so very much.

I'd tell you just what you mean to me,

I'd tell you these simple truths,
Be strong in the Lord and,

Never give up hope,
You're going to do great things,
I already know,
God's got His hand on you so,
Don't live life in fear,

Forgive and forget,
But don't forget why you're here,
Take your time and pray,
Thank God for each day,
His love will find a way,
These are the words I would say

Fall Activities

What beautiful weather we ‘ve had in early Fall!  Kevin and I got Ellia outside to enjoy it as much as possible.  Prior to Halloween, we travelled north to Soergel Orchards Family Farm in Wexford to pick out our pumpkins and some groceries sold at their local market.  Ellia loved seeing the farm animals; some sheep, goats and a humongous pig penned up on the property.  She also got to walk thru the kid sized wooden town of buildings and vehicles and picked out her own pumpkin, as did the rest of the family. Dominic and daddy hung out, literally, as baby boy slept thru the whole trip slung to Daddy's chest.  Here is another link to more pictures from that beautiful day. Trip to Soergel's

After Ellia had a successful poop on the potty, we took her to pick out a Halloween costume. She decided she'd like to be her favorite Disney cartoon princess Rapunzel from the movie Tangled.  She demo'd the dress several times around the house before Halloween.   The Thursday before Halloween, I took her trick or treating at South Hills Village Mall with her cousins Alex and Samantha, who dressed as Cinderella and Indiana Jones.  They had a blast getting candy and seeing all the other kids dressed up.  It has become a tradition to go trick or treating at the mall and it is hard to believe that Dominic might be able to join the group next year. Here are some more fun pictures of the kids and also our time spent with Mimi and Papa after we were done trick or treating.  Click on the link below!

  

More pictures from mall trick or treating.

The next day we returned to one of our favorite places, CostCo’s (if favorite places are determined by how often they are visited – Giant Eagle is a tie for first place).  The huge carts at CostCo’s are great because Ellia and Dominic can both ride at the same time!  I just had to get a picture of Kevin pushing the kids.

Giant Eagle was hosting a fall festival at their Market District Store in Robinson so we enjoyed sampling some fresh fall foods.  There was also a clown making balloon designs and Ellia was soon turned into a  princess with a crown of her three favorite colors and a heart shaped wand.

That evening we had our neighbors from Pennsbury over for a visit. Ellia enjoyed playing with Max again and Kevin and I enjoyed Vic and Lori’s company. It was the first time they got to meet Dominic and the kids also exchanged Halloween treats! Ellia got Mr. Vic and Max to play Candy Land with her and Daddy. Ellia won of course. hehe.

   

The Saturday before Halloween we attended Isabella Stupakis’ second birthday party at Chuck E Cheese. Ellia was looking forward to this party ever since we got the invitation. Ellia wasn’t scared of Chuck this time and even gave him a high five. She enjoyed playing with the other kids and riding the rides. Daddy and Dominic hung out with the other fathers and babies. I love seeing these guys who have been friends from the “good old days” being proud daddies. Here’s the link to see more pictures from the party. Happy 2nd Birthday Isabella

 Sunday the 30th Ellia and Dominic rooted for the Steelers!

Ellia also played photo session with her babies. She loves lining up her dolls to take pictures. I can’t resist. Here are some of her proud moments being a mommy to her babies.

On Halloween we carved our pumpkins. At first Ellia didn’t like the feel of the pumpkin guts but by the third pumpkin she started to help pick out the pumpkin seeds. Kevin and I tapped into our creative gene and attempted some fun art /silly faces. I don’t think we did too bad of a job!  Unfortunately the weather wasn’t cooperating for trick or treating but that didn’t stop Ellia and I from making it to some of the neighbors.  She wore her purple rain coat under her dress and we headed out. Dominic was my little pumpkin for the night. Can’t believe he is 4 weeks old in these pictures. We are still adjusting to his eating habits and it seems that the swing will be his bed of choice. Ellia also enjoyed passing out candy to the kids and would sit on the steps patiently waiting for them to come up and ring the bell.  We had about 60 kids come on that rainy night.  Not bad for our first Halloween at the new house! Every day after that Ellia thought we should go trick or treating. Here is a link to some extra pictures from that fun night. Halloween 2011

 Since the weather was so beautiful on Wednesday November 2^nd we decided to surprise Ellia and take her to the zoo. We didn’t tell her were we were going until we pulled up to the gate. She was so excited and it couldn’t have been a more perfect day. All the animals were out and there were hardly any people there.  Ellia said that the elephants were her favorite.  We had packed a lunch and during our break some peacocks came by to eat as well. Ellia and Daddy had fun feeding them Cheetos. Dominic spent most of his first trip to the zoo sleeping and woke up for a bottle at lunch. We also got to see a polar bear finally. It seems that every time we are at the zoo we never get to see them. Ellia had a blast playing in kid kingdom with Daddy. What a wonderful day we had in the fresh air.  So far I think it has been the most memorable day yet during this time off. Fall Trip to the Zoo!

  

 The next day, even though it was chilly, we spent the afternoon outside playing bikes, chalk, bubbles and kite flying. Kevin decided to clean the garage and Ellia decided she needed to clean the other side of the house for some reason. I got some funny pictures of her efforts. Dominic hung out in the garage with Daddy taking in the fresh air.

 And on November 5^th we celebrated my 31^st birthday. What a joy it was to wake up with my little man fast asleep on my chest and my little Ellia next to me. She likes to cuddle when she wakes up now and so does Dominic after his morning breakfast. Hehe. God has truly blessed me more than I ever deserve. To look at these little ones and know that I have been given the opportunity to be their mom is more than I could have ever asked for.  We celebrated at Nana and Papa’s house with Aunt Kelly, Uncle Ron, GG Wenzel and Hannah. The Foulk’s unfortunately couldn’t make it since the little ones had colds. Here are some of the pictures from that day. What a great birthday!  We were supposed to get together with Mimi and Papa and the Barkers on Sunday to celebrate my birthday, Papa’s birthday and my parents Anniversary but unfortunately Jen and Samantha and my dad were under the weather as well. Here are some great kid and family pictures from Saturday. Happy Birthday Mommy!
 

We took Dominic to his 1^st month doctor’s appointment on Monday November 7^th. He weighed in at 11 lbs, 7 oz and 22 ¼ inches long.  The doctor was impressed that he had gained a little over 3 pounds in one month. He beat Ellia’s one month weight at 10lbs, 13 oz. Definitely a boy trait I would say.   Ellia's babies are even looking small compared to him now!

 

The role of a parent has its ups and downs but this time off with my family is something Kevin and I will cherish for a very long time. I love watching Ellia’s personality, intellect, and persistence develops every day as well as Dominic growth.  Thanks again for listening and the next post will be about my little lady turning the big 3! Until then, Love and Blessing as always!

 

A New Adventure Begins!

Hello Everyone. I know that it has been over a month since I have posted and my little guy is growing fast.   Being a full time Mommy has limited my access to the computer and so I have not had the chance to really sit for a while and blog.  I think that is a really good thing though. I know this time off with my children has truly been a blessing from above.  It has allowed both Kevin and I to enjoy time with our precious gifts in ways we usually miss out.  So, I am trying a new way of blogging to help (hopefully) minimize how much time it takes me to actually post. I will be inserting links to pictures that you can click on and view. There are way too many pictures since the birth of Dominic that I think I would probably be behind in blogging for more than a year! Anyway.. hope you enjoy and know that no blogging on my end means well spent family time!

Ellia Meets Her Brother!!!

Praise the Lord, everything he has created, everything in all his kingdom.~ Psalm 103:22, NLT

October 3, 2011 we welcomed Dominic Robert Angelo into the world and Ellia Renee Angelo became a big sister. The day unfolded something like this. I was one day overdue and Ellia and I decided to meet Aunt Jen and Mimi for lunch. I had high anxiety that day and Vader was particularly obsessed with staying close to my side. I grabbed my overnight bag just in case and headed out the door. We ate lunch at South Hills Village Mall, we walked around to try and get things moving, did some shopping at Macy’s and then Ellia went with Aunt Jen and Mimi so that I could go to my doctor’s appointment.   Here is the last picture I have of me with my big belly at the mall shopping.

The wait at the doctor's was of course 20 min or longer and then I had to wait in the actual room.  The doctor told me that I was 4 centimeters dilated and 80 % a face.. which means my cervix was opening up nicely and thinning out as well. I thought she would admit me but she said since I wasn’t having contractions I was okay to go home.  ???? BUT since I was one day over my due date she was sending me up to another floor to have a stress test done. Thank goodness because about a half hour into the stress test I started getting contractions and they were consistent. They monitored me for another hour and at 6pm they admitted me!  The surreal part being that the room was the same one I delivered Ellia in.  Talk about deja vu.  Kevin was on his way home from work and for a while there I didn’t know if he was going to make it.  I didn’t even know if I was going to get an epidural. However around 7:30pm I finally got one.  Nana and Papa Angelo showed up and kept us company. Kelly, Ron and Baby Hannah came, Mimi and Papa also made it right before I was about to push. I rested for about an hour and around 9pm it was time! Little man came out at 9:09pm weighing 8lbs 3oz and 19 inches long!!! Ellia showed up afterwards with Aunt Jen. I think she was in shock because the last time she saw me was at the mall with a big belly.  She took it all in but was super excited.   My little Baby was now a big sister. She looked enormous next to Dominic and memories of her birth flooded over me as I realized just how fast time goes by.  As I watched my little lady hold her brother for the first time I praised the Lord for his wonderful blessings of love. 

Here are pictures to check out from this special day!!! The Birth of Dominic

Ellia stayed with Nana and Papa that night but the next day she was back with her big sister shirt and smile from ear to ear. Mommy and Daddy got Ellia a baby boy of her own!!!  (complete with boy parts.. hehe) She soon got right into the role of feeding and changing Baby Boy! You probably saw some of the pictures in the link above. Too cute! Family mostly visited and we also got some wonderful pictures taken by the hospital photographer. They are priceless shots of our little guy not even a complete day old. Dominic's Hospital Pictures

We came home Wednesday from the hospital. Ellia was brought back home by Nana and Papa. Vader got to meet the newest member of the family and we started to settle into our new lives.  This link takes you to some more photos of our homecoming. Welcome Home Dominic.

Since we have been home things have been interesting, hard and wonderful all at the same time.  Sleeping has been hard for all of us and just figuring out the daily routine is challenging at times.  Ellia started to get more defiant, which I figured would happen but when it actually did part of me couldn’t really swallow the reality of it all.  That’s when the prayers start to come to mind and tears pourith over.  Some hurtful words started and then she would break the rules… however sometimes I had to take a picture of these mischievous acts because they made me out right laugh. Then there are moments that melt my heart. Like when she holds her brother and tells him she loves him or when she wants to help feed him, burp him, change him and sings to him.  These are the moments that outweigh the challenging ones. 





During the first couple of weeks we were home Dominic had his first bath. We also had to take him within the first couple of days of being home to the doctor’s for a checkup. When he left the hospital he weighed 7 lbs 12 oz and at the doctor’s he weighed 7 lbs 13 oz.  Ellia had to wear her big sister shirt too and proudly told the doctor and nurses about her baby brother. The doctor thought that Dominic looked a little jaundice and so we had to take him back to the hospital for blood work. However his levels were low and all was well.  That weekend we had GG Wenzel visit with Nana and Papa.  Aunt Kelly, Uncle Ron and Baby Hannah also stopped over to visit. Here is a link to more pictures of his bath and GG Wenzel's visit as well as pictures form the first couple of days at home. Bath and GG W's visit!

 I have enjoyed taking pictures of my two little babies and Ellia’s interaction with her brother. She still looks like a giant next to him but she is so sweet. She has become a big helper and is just maturing into a little 3 year old. There isn’t a day that goes by that she doesn’t make us laugh. I have to also find things to keep her busy since she is off from preschool. So we do art projects, read books, do learning activities and free play as much as possible.

In the week that followed my friend Jamie came to visit bearing gifts of goodies for us to enjoy. She also gave Ellia Candy Land and now it is her new favorite way to win against Mom and Dad.. hehe. We ended up visiting GG Angelo and cousin Wendy was there with baby Joey. Ellia enjoyed playing row row row your boat with (Aunt) Wendy and Joey. I also got some beautiful flowers from my fellow coworkers. My parents and the Barkers (minus cousin Alex since he was sick) came to visit the following weekend. The girls enjoyed playing with each other and with Uncle Dave who was generous enough to give them horse back rides! We then took a trip to Ellia’s school so she could visit with her friends and show off her new brother. Then we stopped by for a visit at Nana and Papa’s.  During that week we took Dominic on his first outing to Giant Eagle, Michael's and Five and Below!  We were out because Ellia pooped on the potty and so we let her pick out some treats and we got some craft projects to make together.  We enjoyed the fresh air and time together!  Ellia has also enjoyed helping Daddy cook dinner recently. I got some fun shots of her helping him and sticking her tongue out. She is just too much at times but you can’t help but smile when you look at her.  Here are more pictures from that week and our adventure out.GG Angelo's and more!

 Well I think that is enough for now. The next post will be all the fall fun activities we did and Halloween. I will leave you with some pictures of Kevin and My Anniversary dinner. 6 years!!! I think we are doing okay.. haha. We got some wonderful sushi from the strip district, some great beer and a white chocolate raspberry cheese cake for desert.

Until next time, Love and Blessings to you all!