Emma's 5 Months Old!

Gosh, every time I write Emma's birthday post it completely amazes me how fast time goes. 

Not like she's 15 or anything but she's been here for 5 months already and I feel like I just met her yesterday. 

Her personality is coming out more and more everyday and what a personality it is! 

She's very vocal, not asking for a cup of coffee vocal but she loves to squeal all the time.  

If she's happy, sad or bored she'll squeal.  

It's awesome when we're in restaurants.  

She's still got chubbs of chubbs and I love it.  

She's so strong and healthy and if that means squeezing her big girl body in 6-9 month clothing so be it. 

She wants to move so much like her big brother that she'll try to launch herself from our laps onto the floor...

again awesome in restaurants. 

She's lifting her entire upper half off the floor and then she'll mush her face into the rug and lift up her butt as high as she can get it but she hasn't figured out how to do 

both at the same time.  

And that's a-ok with me because I have a strong feeling once she figures it out, she's gone and we're in BIG trouble. 

She's still smiling like a crazy person.

And for those who were keeping track of her sleep depravation training techniques let me tell you.....She was defeated!  She's finally sleeping through the night and I'm finally looking (and feeling) less and less like death everyday.

  

She's such a great little girl and I'm not saying that because she's my fabulous daughter, I'm saying that because she will always smile at the old lady in the supermarket and 

giggle when you play peek-a-boo.  

I love watching her learn and figure out life, 

then I love watching her drift off in my arms before bed. 

I couldn't ask for anything more.....except SOME FRIGGIN' HAIR!!!  

Thomas, we have a problem...

This post is dedicated to my son's addiction...

Thomas the Train.

Okay, Okay, I know what your going to say...how bad could an addiction to an imaginary talking train be?  

IT'S BAD!!!

I've been scouring the Internet looking for a 

TTA group to put my son in. 

Oh what is TTA?

Thomas the Train Anonymous.

I've never seen a little boy so obsessed with anything more in his entire life. 

Once I tested this phenomenon. 

I bought him a train for Easter and it wasn't a train that was(to my knowledge at the time, I know better now) popular in the tv series and all I did was hand it to him, he took one look at that tiny face on the front of the train and exclaimed "EDWARD!"

To us uneducated adults even though they may be the same color and all the faces may look the same to my completely obsessed toddler they look as different as your mother and father. 

As soon as we mention a car ride to the store, a dinner plate on the table or a mid day nap Jack scoops up as many trains as his little chubby hands can hold and brings them 

wherever he needs to go.

It's a borderline talent that he can hold as many as 7 trains at a time. 

 We have so many trains that whenever we go anywhere we need to put them into another container to travel with them or we will fight with an epic melt down.

Lines them up, makes them go through a tunnel, drives them across a bridge, talks to them before he puts his head down to sleep, whichever way he plays with them he treats them like friends. 

 Like our education system we have a similar program in our house, it's called "No Train Left Behind"

If one goes rouge we'll spend much of our free time to search for them.  Looking under the couch, in the car or calling to see if they're at Mema's house is something Chris and I have done many, many  times. We even have a train roll call at the end of the night to make sure that come morning Jack isn't asking for the only train that's missing. 

And how do we handle this addiction?

We go to Strasbourg Pennsylvania next Saturday to spend the day with the real live Thomas the Train!  Jack is going to fall over as soon as he sees the life size Thomas and even take a ride on him.  I can't wait to feed my son's insatiable hunger for these trains next weekend because I know the moment he sets his eyes on Thomas will be the best moment of my two year olds life.

I'm positive that we'll come back a few trains heavier and a few dollars lighter. 

And even though these trains could be the reason why we're late to go see Thomas on Saturday I still love that Chris and I are fortunate enough to give Jack this gift. 

Jesus is Emma's Homeboy

Last Sunday we hosted Emma's Baptism. 

Days like this I always freak out the night before that I'm going to show up at the church and have gotten the date wrong, or go to the restaurant with a small army of people and they won't have my reservation correct, or worse....

forget to match my shoes to my handbag. 

All legitimate concerns in my opinion.

But I thank baby Jesus none of that happened and 

we had a wonderful day.

  We started with the tradition of 

the Godmother dressing Emma.  

I couldn't be more grateful to have a friend like Steph.  We've known each other since sixth grade and at times she knows me better then I know myself.  So It was a no brainer when I had to choose a Godmother for Emma. She's been amazing to me and my children and I know she will be in my family until we're crotchidy old ladies. 

So I asked her to be the Godmother of Emma.

Emma is wearing me and my sister's christening gown which means that it's 32 years old.  My mother kept it in such great condition and I can't wait to pass it on to 

Emma's babies one day. 

Since Emma STILL HAS NO hair (ugh!)I went out and bought $30 worth of headbands.  

We settled on a white headband with a bow as big as her large Irish head for the ceremony.  

 And since the church ceremony wasn't the attention grabber that Jack expected he got to watch Elmo with his cousins.

 Emma did better then Jack did at his Christening. Which doesn't say much because Jack screamed his head 

off during his baptism 

This must have been this Decon's first Baptism because he seemed very nervous and poured Holy water in Emma's eye. 

But she handled it like a woman and we all carried on.

 Yet another family photo where only one of us is even turned towards the camera.

 Here is us with Steph and Chris' cousin Sean 

who we asked to be Emma's God Father. 

He and his wife Justine bought Emma the perfect silver cross that she wore all day and will be able to have as a keepsake.  

 Okay we have 3 of us looking at the camera....getting better.

Emma, Me and Aunt Steph 

Emma, Aunt Steph and Sean 

Aunt Lauren, Emma and Mario 

Mae, Mae and Emma 

MeMa, Papa and Emma

 Since the ceremony took place during Jacks' nap time he fell asleep in the car and was put to 

sleep on the restaurant floor.

And if you look closely the price tag is still on Jack's belt...mom of the year right here! 

All of Grandma Barabara's grandchildren.   

It's been years since all my cousins were together in one place and felt good to be able to 

give my Grandma this picture. 

Aunt Lauren giving Emma some Love 

My Grandma Albina, her children, her grandchildren
and her great grandchildren. 

 I only wish I can be as lucky as my Grandma Albina to have 

this much love around me one day. 

Since Emma is quite the Diva we did an costume change.  

Another tradition is for the Godmother to buy the gown and since we used my gown for the ceremony Steph bought Emma a beautiful gown for the party and she chose a cute pick rose for her hair.

When we put Emma in her Christening gown Chris turned to me and said, next time she's in a white dress 

will be at her wedding....

 That gave me goosebumps. 

Emma and Her Godparents

 Pictures like this touch me.  

They aren't staged or forced, it shows real love and emotion and I'm grateful to have been able to catch this moment in a picture.

 One day my babies will be all grown up and life happens quickly and I'll have photos like 

this to look back at. 

Sophia giving Jack some love 

Grandma Barbara and Grandma Albina
and their Great Grand daughter. 

After the entire day was over, Chris and I looked at each other and let out a big sigh that we did it.  We threw a nice party and  got our family and friends together to celebrate our baby girl.  

An Evening in Cold Springs

Cold springs is just one of those towns you just don't see anymore.  There isn't a Walmart or a Chilli's,
it's only small mom and pop shops with unique
gifts and everyday needs.

I feel like I need a partridge family song 

playing in the back ground as we walk down Main Street.

Yeah they have a Main Street, 

can't get much more apple pie than that. 

After stopping in a shop or two we walked down to the
Cold Springs Train Depot Restaurant

We asked for a seat tucked away in the back just incase one of our children have an embarrassing Oh-my-god-throw-myself-on-the-ground temper tantrum but neither one did.
Come to think of it, it's very rare that that ever happens but now that I type that on a blog intended for the world to see you'll be sure that the next time we're out in
public this type of tantrum will happen.

We were sitting right on ground level to the train tracks so every time a train was about to come by they would beep their horn and Jack would make this face....

He would then look up at me and say.....
"oh mama train is comin"

And then watch it go by in half shock / half terror mode.  

Jack was in his train obsessed glory.

 

Oh my smiley, smiley Emma.

 

And what summer night is complete without ice cream.  I let Jack pick out his flavor again and he asked for Chocolate Chip so that's what we had. 

Then Chris worked it off by pushing 100lbs of kid and stroller back up Main street, thank god for husbands.

 

This was just one of those perfect summer night that I will always remember and I hope that my kids
will do with their kids one day.