3 YEARS?

For richer or poorer, through sickness and in health.......

Me and Brad just celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary! Can you believe that 3 years have gone by? It seems like just yesterday, but at the same time, so much has happened in 3 short years. We have been doublely blessed with our baby girls Valerie and Natalie. Our lives have certainly changed in a few short years.

We celebrated our anniversary at Foxwoods! It was so awesome. We went to play bingo which we use to do all the time. For the first time...I won $350!!!!!!! Just enough to buy a brand new TV since ours quit working about a month ago! We stayed at the new MGM hotel, which was beautiful!!!!! We were up high on the 25th floor. It was soooo beautiful. You look out the window and all you see is colored trees. Valerie and Leelee enjoyed staying with Nana and Pop. They were very good. I was a little nervous about how Natalie was going to react, because she's very little, but she was better than anyone expected. Here is the view from our room

Here are some pictures from the Columbia County Fair in Chatham NY... It was a gorgeous day!


Here we go.....


Valerie didn't like that the sheep said "BAAHHH" right in her face



.....Natalie didn't like it either



Valerie enjoyed a corndog .....


.....while Natalie enjoyed her thumb


Ladies in pink

Time to go home

We finally got to the Lake!

MY BEACH BUDDIES!

On tuesday i finally got to take the girls to the lake! It was fun! cept I forgot a towel. who goes to the beach and forgets a towel?.... oh right, ME! its hard to go out because they have 2 different sleeping schedules. Natalie sleeps from 10a-noon, then Valerie from 1230-230, then Natalie from 230-430!!! So I am a prisoner all day. It is nice to be able to spend time with both of them alone though. I couldn't be more happy with the way things are going though. Natalie is on a breakfast, lunch, supper schedule, then a bottle before bed. She goes to bed at 8, and Valerie follows right after that. I am very proud to say that I have a 19 month old and 5 month old, that go to bed at the same time, and sleep in the same room! Its been perfect so far. I can't believe how quickly everything fell into place. When I got pregnant with Natalie, Valerie was only 5 months old!!!!!(i found out the day before she turned 6 months) I was so afraid I wouldn't be able to handle it, but its amazing how strong you can be when being strong is the only option.

If She Wasn't Here

Just feeling a little emotional today, i don't really know why. (no i'm not pregnant...lol) Sometimes I just think of what Valerie went through, and it makes me emotional

If she wasn't here, I'd never know that she has blonde hair and big bright blue eyes.

If she wasn't here, I'd never know that her favorate food is macaroni! and how much she loves ice cream.

I'd never know that she loves to dance, even at commercials. And I'd never know how much she absolutley loves dogs, and pretty much all animals.

I'd never know how much she loves books, and that squirrel-nut-kins is her favorate stuffed animal (we still can't figure that one out)

I'd never know how much she likes to go outside and pick blow flowers. Or just pick up sticks and rocks in awe. I'd never know how excited she is when we go to Walmart or the supermarket.

If she wasn't here, Natalie would not have a big sister to look up to.

I'd never know how happy I would be to see her take her first steps, or reach any milestone.

I'd also never know that my heart could break into a million pieces as I watch her get wheeled into surgery. And the love, patience, and faith that I would learn as she had her journey.

When Valerie was diagnosed with CDH, she was given a 60-70% of survival. I was actually given an option to TERMINATE the pregnancy. Imagine? I never wouldve known any of these things. It just makes me sad that some people would choose that option, because I believe that every baby deserves a chance!

Valerie and Natalie meet Grandmama

Valerie was afraid

Natalie was happy as can be

Aunt Pam who is 63 and looks AWESOME for her age

(she never had any kids...lol)

Last weekend Valerie and Natalie got to meet their great-gramma! It was so nice! Brad Aunt Pam drove to NC from FL to get grandmama, and they drove here to visit us. We were so happy and only wished they stayed a little longer. Grandmama is their only great-grandparent. She was thrilled also, as she doesn't have any great granddaughters. Of course Valerie was a little afraid, she warmed up a little, but seemed leary the whole time. (we think its because grandmama has a bad cough, so valerie was afraid) We haven't seen her since our wedding in 2006. Natalie was being extremely talkative and enjoyed all the attention. we hope to see them again really soon!!!!!!!!!!

Our visit with Marie, Rich and Cory

Natalie is sleeping in the back

Yesteday our friends Marie and Rich and Cory came up to see us. Valerie was a little shy at first, but as soon as she saw Cory, she quickly became friendly! Natalie was being quite the charmer, smiling and cooing at everyone. She is gettig cuter everyday. We hung out for a while and Valerie and Cory played with toys. Then we went to a carnival at The Common. It was Valerie and Natalie's first time going to a carnival (although all Natalie did the entire time was sleep) Valerie was very excited. I took Valerie on a carousel. At first, I didn't know what her reaction was going to be, but she loved it!!! Me and Brad also went on this hand gliding ride . I hate rides. I don't know why, I use to love them, but now I always get motions sickness, and don't feel right for a long time. Brad convinced me to go. (he said "you can have a baby with no drugs, but your afraid of a ride?", and I thought he's right, after having a baby with no drugs, nothing seems that bad...lol ) It wasn't that bad, but afterwards, I had a headache. Then we went out to dinner, it was nice, because Valerie was occupied with Cory! It was a really great day.

A Beautiful Day for the Park!

Today was a beautiful day here in Pittsfield. I took the girls to Onota Lake (about 1 mile away) Valerie had fun playing at the playground, and I think Natalie enjoyed the outdoors too. Valerie is really getting to be a "ham." She never took off her sunglasses while we were there, perhaps she just wanted to be like Mama. We had a good time. I am so truely blessed to have Valerie and Natalie in my life. I love them both so much. They rely on me for everything. Brad was still working today. I feel bad that he misses out on things that happen throughout the day. But at the same time, we are so fortunate that he still has a job, and i am lucky enough to be a stay-at-home mama. With this economy you never know what is going to happen.

Speaking of Brad, today is the 5 year anniversary of our first date. Its funny, you never know where your gonna find love. I really think that God had been trying to get us together. We ran into each other many times. He actually bought my old car!!! how strange is that? Actually in January of 2004, I went out with my bro Jimmy, Brad, and Loren. But we didn't really talk much. May 15th 2004, i didn't expect that i'd be meeting my future husband. I was just going out to have a good time with my friend Loren, and Brad asked us if we wanted to go out with him and Scott. We went to karoake, and me and Brad just started talking. It was like there was no one else there. We just clicked. And then we fell in love. 5 years and 2 kids later, I can't imagine my life without him.

My First Blog

She is such a daddy's girl

After being told to stay away from the grill

Hello, I decided to create a blog after following Paulas all the time. Just a little way to keep in touch with everyone, and a way for me to relax if I ever have the time...

well this was the first nice weekend of the year! we were so excited to be able to get out after being cooped up in the house all winter. Valerie loves playing outside. So this past Saturday, we decided to fire up the grill. So Brad got the grill going and Me and the girls joined him outside..., however, Valerie is getting to the age where she doesn't want to listen to Mama anymore, and kept throwing a fit when i told her she had to stay away from the grill. So we decided to go inside. Just as the burgers were done, Natalie started to cry because she needed to eat. Valerie also needed to eat...so i'm feeding Natalie, Brads cutting up a hotdog for Valerie, and getting her settled, all the while our food is just sitting there getting cold. Finally we got to eat, and then it was time to clean up (and it was quite a mess) I think next time, we're gonna order pizza...