We've Got...

1) Petunia Sprouts--wee itty bitties!

2) J's first tooth (bottom left)!

3) my parents arriving in less than 2 hours!

What could be better?

Have a great weekend! I will write to you next from our bed! Woo hoo!

Dirty Hands = Happy Boys

We've officially started our first Gasperini-Ville greenhouse! The boys had a great time using medicine droppers to add water to peat pads (good for challenging fledgling dexterity!) :) After the pads puffed up, M and I opened the netting and planted hundreds of Petunia seeds in the hope that we can grow our own for a planter near our front door. So far, no sprouts, but we're waiting...

And in the meantime, I've raised my white flag and called in my parents for reinforcement! They are heading out tomorrow and I am so relieved. Mono: 10, B-mama: 0. I'm losing this battle, for sure! Thanks for your prayers!!

Cherub Update

This is B-mama, reporting to you live from the Gasperini-Ville family room, where this little fella:

has gone and taken the carpet by storm!! J is officially crawling! He started out with little rear scoots, going after a train puzzle piece and the rest is history!! Woo hoo! We have video to prove it (which I wish I could share but it won't sync--bummer!) Today he is 6 days shy of 9 months. Yahoo Baby J! We love you and are so proud of you, boy #3!

On other Gasperini-Ville cherubic fronts, two days ago the boys were keeping rather quiet while chalking on the driveway and garage. I walked over and saw this written everywhere! M and I had worked with writing his name awhile ago but haven't approached it since... And then here were these beautiful "Matt"s written on the concrete! I was so surprised and impressed!

He then asked how to make an "F" for (how he pronounces) the "phew" portion of his name. So adorable! We talked about how it is really "th" and proceeded to write out the rest of his name. He did a fantastic job!! M, we are so proud of you!!

How we love all three of our boys!

God bless you and yours,

Prayer for Parents

I have been meaning to post this since gathering with a neighbor to pray the Stations of the Cross together on Good Friday. It was so special! Her Episcopalian church encouraged its parishioners to pray ecumenically with neighbors to honor our Lord's Crucifixion. While we prayed and walked around to various "stations" in our backyard, this passage especially spoke to me...

We pray for parents of this neighborhood and the world. Holy God, grant to all parents humility, wisdom, and love. Protect them from trying to make their children into what they want them to be; but give them the grace to help their children become what you intend them to be. Remind them to laugh more, and not to take themselves too seriously. Remind them that all children really want from their parents is to know that they love them. As the time comes, help mothers and fathers release their children from childhood; and through your grace, grant that child and parent may always remain connected, one to another...

A Morning Ditty

Good Morning to you
Good Morning to you
We're all in our places
with bright shiny faces.
And this is the way,
to start a new day.

We sing this song occasionally when going in to wake the boys in the morning. I can recall singing it often to our oldest M when he was a baby. It is definitely the type of song I plan to continue to sing to my kids well into their teen years, just to embarrass them to no end. Ha! :) It is a shiny, happy song and tends to bring a smile to any face as it is sung.

Today is one of those days when I am actively "putting on a happy face." Mono is kicking my rear, for sure!! In addition to the overwhelming fatigue has been the onset of a really sore and swollen throat. I could feel my sleep interrupted last night whenever I would swallow and feel the excruciating pain. Lord, help me! Toughest yet has been watching my fitness go from uber-half-marathon status to atrophy city. Ugh!! :) Since I have always been a fitness guru, it has been maddening not heading to the gym or jumping on the elliptical here.

Talking this morning with my sister, we searched for how God is going to use this time of illness for good. No doubt I am learning greater patience. I'm also learning my limits and He's reminding me to avoid overdoing it! In my down moments, I am getting to see and breathe and take in life around the house, rather than passing through the days so quickly that times are often blurry from activity!

Today, T and I snuggled together to read some books and then played a game of Candyland. Life at the moment seems a little simpler. And that, of course, is wonderfully blessed.

I hope you awoke this morning to the start of a brilliant week.
Hum a merry tune and think of me; I'm singing right along with you.

God bless,

T antics

Yesterday during quiet time and mom's new rest time,

I was approached by a visitor, bearing a gift.

T entered the room with a sheepish smile, a small item gripped in his paws.

T: Mommy, what is this? Mommy, what it this?...

B-mama: (rather groggily) I don't know, T, what do you have?

I peered over the side of the bed to see none other than a small piece of poop cupped in his tiny little hands. Even worse, he then accidentally dropped it under our bed, smiled, and ran out of the room. Gross!

How much I love that little boy! lol. TGIF!

A Liberating Diagnosis

First things first, hello and we are WELL! Thank you for so many nice well wishes, thoughts and prayers. We are really doing just fine. I think Gasperini-Ville breathed a big SIGH of relief on Monday night after hearing the news of my diagnosis. Don't get me wrong, we weren't all rejoicing in me being sick. But we were breathing easier that there was a legitimate reason for me feeling so off lately. When a mama doesn't feel *right*, the whole family and home suffers.

The last two weeks had been, in all honesty, some of the most trying in my vocation as a mother. I've had the usual highs mixed in with a lot of lows. We had good times mixed in with a lot of impatience and irritability. It had not been easy. While Easter was a beautiful respite during it all, I then plummeted back into feeling completely off and not knowing what to do about it! I would find myself in tears in the middle of the day with no obvious explanation.

Which is why mono (and crazy postpartum hormones) is a wonderful, liberating diagnosis. I'm not just "off". I'm "sick", which means I have hope to feel *better* very soon. The doc gave me 2 weeks in the acute phase, followed by a month or so of reading my body and not pushing myself too hard. I've definitely been feeling a bit more fatigued, but nothing short of first trimester woes. Note: I am NOT PREGNANT. I just wanted to make the comparison so all my female readers out there might know how I'm feeling!!! ;) Thankfully my case of mono seems to be on the mild side--Praise God!! And I may have been dealing with this for a little while because I've felt very little change in fatigue from days ago--it's just all been low!!

And the beautiful outcome to all of this??? I have the excuse to sit and enjoy time with my children. Not to mention our Mimi has been showering me with love and help... and my GG has been very sympathetic. ;)

Maybe I need to contract mono more often. lol j/k

:)

Thanks so much for journeying this crazy life with us. We are so blessed by you.

Hope you are all enjoying a beautiful Thursday.

God bless,