Proud Sister

My brother is about to check in (literally) to begin his final two months of Army training before being shipped to Iraq. We don't know if we will be able to have any contact (phone, Skype, email, etc) while he is training or before he goes overseas and it's breaking my heart. I am so proud of my brother for the man he has become, the father he has become and for what he is doing to serve our country. I don't want him to go, but I know he needs to. Your thoughts, prayers, good vibes or whatever you subscribe to would be very much appreciated for both my brother and his fellow servicemen/women.

Thank you,
A

Lil' Bruce Lee

What a difference 5 1/2 months makes!

Max just before leaving the NICU to come home with us- 10.5.08

Max today, reunited with Daddy after a week at Nana's- 2.20.08

Jean Update

I wanted to put up a quick note to share some amazing news: my Aunt Jean will be going HOME today! It has been two months since she was hit on that horrible day in December and she has defied all odds. When it became clear that she was going to survive the accident, the doctors predicted that she would probably need to spend three months in various rehab facilities. She shaved a whole month off that prediction! It is truly a miracle and we are so thrilled. She will continue to have therapy at home and my uncle's employer is being so awesome in letting him work from home for the time being so he can be with her as she transitions back into home life.

As Michael mentioned in his previous blog, Max and I were in an accident this past weekend on our way to Nana's house. We are both fine! In addition to my little boy being safe, I'm particularly thankful for the understanding and kind words of the gentleman who I accidentally pulled out in front of (darn blind spot!). I'm proud that I held it together as we were talking to the police and exchanging insurance information, but I started to lose it towards the end. As I was apologizing profusely and starting to get teary, the man said "Honey, you can replace car parts, but you can't replace people. You're fine. Your baby is fine. I'm fine. It's dark and snowy and it was just an accident, it's okay". And then he made sure I'd stopped crying before I got back into the car to drive away. Sometimes the kindness of strangers amazes me. 

On a side note, the reason we'd stopped was because Max was screaming his little head off and I was afraid he wasn't breathing in between screams. (He kind of looked like Bob the Tomato from Veggie Tales.) After the police arrived, the officer asked if Max was okay. We peered in the car window... and the stinker was sound asleep. Go figure!  

A Time to Reflect

So, I'm sitting here working on a notebook for my Period Styles class which will be handed in on Wednesday. OneNote is a great program, but I need to take a mental break.

Angie and Max were in a fender bender today. Everyone is fine, not a big deal. I'm sure she'll tell everyone all about it. I wasn't there, so I cannot accurately describe what happened. But again, everyone is fine. Angie has taken another step to becoming a full-fledged family member (we all have experienced the old "insurance card" exchange once or twice in our lives...). I believe the next step in becoming a full fledged family member is stitches. That, or a head x-ray, I'm not sure.

It got me thinking. My dad was in a car accident when he was an infant. This was back in the 40's before seatbelts were safe, and before safety glass, let alone baby carseats. As it's been told to me, he was riding on my grandmother's lap and my aunt was driving. There was a collision, and my dad went through the windshield and wound up on the hood of the car. I can't imagine how my grandmother felt at that moment at seeing her child lying face down on the hood of the car. What saved him that day was the fact that my grandmother's elbow hit the windshield and broke it before he hit it. He would up with over 140 stiches in his head, but eventually made a full recovery. (Later in his childhood he had polio and scarlet fever...no wonder he was a tough old softie...)

It got me thinking about the path throughout the generations that has been taken by so many people to make us who we are. Had my grandmother's elbow not hit that windshield a split second before my dad's undeveloped skull, neither I, nor my brothers would be here. Nor would Max. Our persons are not defined by large episodic events, so much as they are by the tiniest of actions. A split second. And when you compare that to the grand scale of time that has taken place throughout the begining of time since the big bang...well, it blows the mind. Now mind you, the episodic, transmformative actions have their great influence too, but they're not the only defining events. And whats more, I'm sure there are events that have happened that none of us are aware of that have shaped us as well. Events that shaped our personalities that we don't even know about and never will.

This is why I believe in fate. Not the three old hags spinning, twisting, and cutting somewhere in Hades (have I mentioned I've had a lot of Greek history this semester?) but something else. Some people account this as being God, and that's great. Others believe it's kismet and that's fine too. I'm not sure what it is, but it's definately out there.

(nothing illegal was smoked prior or during this posting.)

Who's the Boss?

The answer is clear- not Tony, not Angela, not Mona... and not even Bruce! THIS GUY. He's definitely the boss!

Pregnancy Dishes for the Non-Pregnant

Shortly after my pregnancy was confirmed, we learned that I had developed gestational diabetes. Ever the caretaker and doting huband/father-to-be, Michael suggested we head to Barnes & Noble to pick up some pregnancy & diabetic cookbooks. 

One of our favorites turned out to be Eating for Pregnancy. It has delicious recipes that were not only great for during the pregnancy, but are used even to this day. I like them because they're 'healthy without being overly healthy'. (Read: I never felt like I was being starved just because I was eating for diabetes) Michael says it's his favorite cookbook, so much that a bulk of our meals come from this book, which says a lot! 

Some of our favorite recipes:

- Black Bean Dip

- Crab Cakes w/red bell pepper sauce

- Salsa Verde

- Vegetarian Curry 

Drop us a line if you'd like any of these recipes. Or better yet, buy the book for yourself- you won't regret it! (Link to Amazon above!)

So... you really want to know what's going on in the household?

The Holy Grail of Boo-Ya!

Well, Max is now regularly giving us the amazing gift of sleeping through the night! (Or as my husband once stated- 'The Holy Grail of Boo-Ya') He usually goes down anywhere from 9:30-11pm depending on his mood and stays in slumberland until approximately 11-12 hours later! It still amazes me to not need to get up at 3am to feed him. After his morning bottle and a little playtime, he's usually ready to go *back* down for another hour or two! This in itself is awesome for both my work hours, as well as hygeine.

We spent a whirlwind day and a half in Brooklyn last weekend with my uncle, aunt & cousins. Jean is doing quite well and has been moved to another facility in Brooklyn Heights. While some words/thoughts still take time, she is progressing remarkably! I couldn't get over how 'Aunt Jean-like' she sounds... guess I'm still not quite sure what I was expecting, but regardless, I was pleasantly surprised. It was so great to finally see and talk to her again. The same goes for my wonderful uncle, as well as my two cousins whom I haven't seen in at least three years. We were also able to re-meet my cousin's wife and their two sons. (This was the first time I've met them and still have yet to meet my other cousin's son!) It was fun to see Max & Toby (Matt & Allison's youngest) stare each other down in baby mode.

We also got to hang out at Matt & Allison's sweet new store, Robicelli's. Check it out, NYC/Brooklyn! They have awesome organic and sinfully delicious stuff. I had the Tuscany sandwich- chicken breast, homemade pesto, smoked mozzarella and oven-roasted organic tomatoes... TO DIE FOR!

Besides to visit the fam, Michael's goal of the trip was to stock up on some school books at a gimongus bookstore (Strand's) in Union Square. He only got through three floors before he ran out of room in his bags & arms to carry! We're hoping to go back again very soon- I'd like to see the store myself!

We were also thrilled to get to hang out with our friend Robyn and her beau, Pete. The three of us met while working at the infamous theatre in Vermont in the fall of '01 and this was the first time we'd seen her since a) we'd started dating, b) gotten hitched and c) had a baby! She's one of those kind of people who just light up your life with her smile and personality and it was so awesome to see her again. And two thumbs up for Pete as well- this was also our first time meeting him! Treat her well Pete, or we'll have to sic Max on you! ;)

Five Months

Hard to believe this little bundle of slobbery-fussy-starting-to-teethe joy was born five months ago today! We go for his next Synagis shot tomorrow morning, so we'll get a weight update then.

It's On!

Okay, you've all been warned.

I said that this year, I was going to hit everyone up for sponsorship for my participation in the Relay for Life.

Well, let the fundraising begin!

You can click here to make a secure, online donation. My goal is to raise $1000 by May 1.

Please me create a world where our children won't have to deal with the struggles of cancer.

Thank you!

Super Bowl Champs!

It was an exciting night to be the Steelers Family that we are! What a game! I don't have any fingernails left! Here's a pic of Max celebrating/waking up from a nap. We enjoyed good food, beverages and the game at our friend Val's place- thanks for the fun night, Val! (More to come soon on our fun weekend in Brooklyn with family!)