The Boy Who Cried....

In the past few weeks, Dominick, you have earned yourself a new nickname. Yup, a nickname besides Donkey Boy, an affectionate name stemming from Dominick the Donkey. This names stems from something much less glamourous. You're pooping habits.

You see, you aren't always honest about when you have to poop. You will announce, "gotta poop, gotta poop!" Then, you bound up the stairs, watching me chase behind you. You laugh and giggle and run into the bathroom, only to flush the toilet and say, "all done." No actual production. Thus, you have earned yourself the nickname of The Boy Who Cried Poop.

This belief of mine, that you cry poop, came back to haunt me this week. You and Alex were in the bath tub splashing away. Suddenly, you quietly said, "gotta poop." It was so quiet I had to ask you to repeat yourself. Just as quiet I heard, "poopy." This was such a far cry from Christmas Eve when in front of a house full of people you declared at the top of your lungs several times "Go poop!" So, I ignored you, figuring you would announce this louder if you really meant it. Nope. You didn't announce it louder. You just pooped, right there in the bathroom. We did an emergency evacuation of the tub, before I even had to think about how I would remove your poop from the tub. But, that my Boy Who Cried Poop, is a story for another day!

Alex, you have had a monumental week. I am continually telling you that you need to slow down. Enjoy babyhood. Be a baby. But, you don't listen. One day, you decided to start crawling across the room. The next day, you crawled over to the couch, pulled yourself up and stood up. After that, you started taking some steps while holding onto the couch. And now, you are just letting go and standing there. What are you thinking? You are too little to do these things! You are so determined to get out there and chase your brother. I love it! I can totally relate!  I have this sense of pride watching you do these things well before you should be, however, I have an intense fear that you are going to get hurt. Then, you may never try walking again!

This coming week is going to be pretty big for you too. Your first plane ride. Just you and me. Keeping my fingers crossed that this goes well!

Slow Down!

I've known it for a while. I've searched for an answer, an alternative, a way to stop it; all to no avail. No matter what I do, I can not slow down time. So, I sit here now, after an extended vacation with you, Dominick and Alexandra, and I am baffled by how fast time is going. Too fast, for sure.

I'm sure if you are old enough to actually read this, that you know by now that I take a lot of pictures. And, I''m so glad that I have these to share with you and the world really. However, I fear that the moments not captured will slip away, out of our memories. All the amazingness of each of you should be detailed. I want you to know what cannot be captured on film. So, I have decided to start this blog for you guys, mostly. Others may read it, but essentially it is for you two. I hung up my blogging shoes not shortly after Dominick was born. I was in the knack of blogging each day and I just couldn't keep up that commitment. This time, I am not committing to daily blogs. I'm thinking more like weekly highlights.

Dominick, you have some memories to view from my past blog, Life As It Should. What you won't get from that blog is the sheer awesomeness that you possess. Since the day you were born, you have brought awe to those who meet you. You've been the easiest kid. Almost 2 1/2 and we maybe heard you cry twice. You're a tough cookie. When you get a series of shots at the doctor, do you cry? Nope, not my boy. You just give her this dirty look. You are brilliantly smart, although your dad thinks I exaggerate (never!!). But most amazing is you personality and charisma. Anyone who comes in contact with you is taken aback by you. Your smile and laugh is infectious and ever present. You love being goofy, like walking around like an old man, and hiding yourself in buckets. But, really, your face just draws people in. Just like your daddy, you have a gentle face. A perfect face. In fact, once a girl told me that she has never wanted kids, but if she could be guaranteed a son that looked like you, she would want one. That's pretty impressive my boy! So, yes, you are the first born, the one that's easy on the parents so they will have a second. Easy as in no crying, champion sleeper, great traveler, and basically potty training yourself.

Which brings us to current day. Yes, you potty trained yourself. We just had our winter break in which we spent Christmas and New Years in New York. On the trip back, much to your dismay, we put a diaper on you so we wouldn't have to stop for you to pee 900 times. Well, apparently, after getting the "it's ok, you have to go in your diaper," speech, you took quite a liking to just letting it go again. Once home, you didn't go back to the potty. You simply peed wherever and whenever you wanted. You basically marked your territory all over the house. Luckily, you are easy, like I mentioned before. You got your act together and started using the potty again after about two days of animal activity. Thank you, bud!


Alexandra, yes, Dominick is the first born. That makes you the baby. At seven months old, yeah, you are certainly a baby. Dominick was the easy one, the one that tricked us into having a second baby, you. Not that you aren't a perfect, beautiful baby. It's just that....how do I say this? You cry. You don't like to sleep on your own. You don't want anybody but your mother. I must admit, that last one, I like. It makes me feel special. But, it's hard at times. For example, when I have to pee, or make dinner, or help your brother or Shea with something. Luckily, for you my dear, your smile lights up your face, which in turn lights up the room. Many early morning you wake up crying. I come in to get you, basically walking in my sleep. Once I pick you up, your cries stop and you smile that smile at me. My heart melts and you interrupting my sleep is totally forgiven. Besides that, really, you are a very happy and cheerful baby. We see that beautiful smile often and love hearing your squeals of joy that nobody brings to you more than your brothers, Dominick & Shea.

As a 7 month old, you bring us much pride. You crawl, you stand, you jump, you are very eager to walk. We think you will be there soon. It is pretty much impossible to get you to sit down. You have the strongest little legs and when you refuse to bend them, there is no fighting you. You are possibly the most active baby on the face of the planet. You want to keep up with your big brothers. I can totally respect that. That is how felt with Uncle Nick.

And Shea, as for you, your antics are well documented across two blogs: http://june-24th.blogspot.com and http://lifeasitshould.blogspot.com. You are thoroughly entertaining. Since becoming a big brother of two, you have changed only in that you try to steal food more readily. You know that your spryness is inferior to the little hands so often holding food in front of you. Other than that one shortcoming, you are as amazing as ever. You remain my Wonder Dog! You have simply added play mate, doggy jungle gym, and baby protector to your prior duties. I will be sure to include Shea highlights, as they are sure to occur.

So my children, my message to you, in this very first post, this introduction, is to s-l-o-w down!! I am trying to savor every second of you and it's just going too fast. We have just spent the last 19 days together. You would think I'd be tired of you. Never, never, never! Just remember that when you are old enough to be tired of me!