And so the adventure begins…

We’ve been home for 3 days.

3 whole days.

And William, Alexander and Benjamin are just in LOVE with their brother. In LOVE! As a parent, this is the most beautiful sight to see. Your children loving each other. Especially the newest sibling!

But it must be said… it has been absolutely hilarious listening to the things the boys have been asking us and telling us about Henry – or as he has been tagged by the boys, “Henge.”

And the boys are so innocent with their comments and remarks.

My favorite was when William walked in to see me for the first time after having Henry, and there I was with tears in my eyes as the boys greeted their brother… and the hugs and kisses… and the “can I hold him?” asked a hundred times in a row by William and Alexander.

But then William turned to me and said, “Mommy, I thought you said your stomach would be gone after Henry was born?”

Ahh… the innocence (honesty?) of a child.

And something only my son could get away with saying to me! 🙂

I will say that all went well with the c-section. It was a much different experience than my 3 previous births. Going into the hospital to deliver on a specific date, at a certain time, has its advantages when you have 3 little ones at home! And even though I’m somewhat confined to the living room and kitchen for the next 2 weeks, having Henry here is absolutely wonderful. Each time I look into beautiful eyes, I ask him, “How have I gone this long in life without you?”

So here we are. 4 boys under 4.

We’re back to 3 cribs. 3 boys in diapers (we’re still working on the potty training with Alexander!). And 2 boys with bottles!

Ah, life is perfect.

– Audrey

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Caroline Patricia… an angel star

Stars.

My best friend Bernadette believes in stars. Stars bring comfort and light. Stars reflect earth’s dreams. Stars are God’s promise of morning.

And stars are reminders that her dad is watching and guiding from heaven.

Tonight, there is a star-garden filling the entire universe. Twinkling stars. Diamond stars. Wishing stars. And angel stars… stars with bright and beautiful wings that dance across the night sky.

I know that one of these angel stars is Caroline Patricia, who with her great-grandpa keeps perfect time in the evening dance of miracles.

Caroline is Bernadette’s granddaughter. Caroline was born a baby angel on June 14th, and she was laid to rest today. The love for sweet baby Caroline is beyond words. Greater than time and eternity. Infinite in its power.

The grief, the sorrow, the sadness, the pain in losing Caroline is unspeakable… unbearable.

Broken hearts. Questions. Faith. Searching for the eternal. Knowledge of God and God’s purpose.

And the love. The running, leaping, jumping, flying love for a little girl who danced inside her mommy all through the fall and winter and spring… right to the entrance of summer. The little girl who commuted to Boston by train with her mommy each morning and evening. The little girl who listened to her mommy and daddy and grandparents cheer on their beloved Providence College Friars at each home game. The little girl who would be welcomed with unrestrained joy and happiness.

It seemed that the world had come to an end.

This morning, the rising scent of summer flowers was sweet. The earliest birds delighted waiting branches. Dew glistened as the sun swelled in the sky.

God promised that the world would continue turning. I know this because the day turned into night.

And the stars began to dance.

The night sky is a celebration of promises. Especially now… with heaven’s newest angel, with her bright and beautiful wings, dancing in the night sky in the arms of her loving great-grandpa.

Caroline. Darling sweet baby Caroline. Your dance is dreams remembered and your light is the pure flame of life.

A diamond in the sky. An angel star.

A miracle.

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I’m counting my blessings.

As you enter my home, I have an antiqued wall hanging that expresses what I feel each moment of each day: Count Your Blessings.

This week, there were a million blessed moments. Counted. And I thank God.

– Sharon

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Giveaway for Boston area moms + gratuitous baby picture

In the midst of baby central over here, I’d like to just give Boston area moms the heads-up on a campaign Mom Central is doing for American Standard.

They’ve created a site for Boston area moms to connect with each other about allergies and asthma, tips about keeping indoor air healthy while dealing with allergy season… and best of all, there is a chance to sign up to win an AccuClean whole home air filtration system.

They’re giving one away to a Mom living in the greater Boston area!

So if you live in the Boston area, check out the site HERE and sign up HERE.

Even if you don’t live in the Boston area, check out the site for the tips about allergies, asthma and keeping indoor air healthy!

(As most of you know, I recently began working as the Social Media Manager for Mom Central, so I’ll be sharing some of the exciting things going on there from time to time on my blog!)

And now for an adorable photo of Audrey and Henry, taken this morning:

– Jane

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The perfect SMILE!

My mother took this photo of William on Tuesday.

Right after Henry was born Matt sent out a photo via cell phone to everyone in our family to announce he was HERE.

This was William’s face the VERY FIRST time he saw Henry’s photo. I don’t think I could have dreamed a more perfect smile or reaction!

– Audrey

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Baby updates throughout the day… *UPDATED w/ pic – HE’S HERE!*

… can be found on Jane’s Twitter page here!

Please keep Audrey and little Henry in your thoughts and prayers today! We are so excited to meet our latest family addition!

*UPDATE – HENRY HAS ARRIVED! HE WAS BORN AT 12:09 PM – 7 LBS. 14 OZ. HE AND AUDREY ARE DOING GREAT! MOMMY IS RESTING!*

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Sherri Blum Designs makes it to People Magazine!

We would like to send a HUGE congratulations out to Sherri Blum Designs, one of our fabulous Virtual Baby Shower sponsors!

Sherri was recently asked by Jodie Sweetin (Stephanie Taylor on “Full House”) to help with the nursery decor for her new baby girl, Zoie.

AND… People Magazine’s latest cover story features Sweetin in her new role as a wife and doting mom after putting a rough patch behind her.

So, you can see some of the wonderful Sherri Blum Designs products in the latest issue of People right in Zoie’s nursery!

See more about which Sherri Blum Designs products are featured in Zoie’s nursery here!

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Just don’t call me late for dinner…

My first little granddaughter called me “Umma” when she was learning to talk.

I loved being called Umma, but I knew it would not last.

She caught very quickly onto “Grandma,” and the rest is history. Since then, all of my grandchildren have called me Grandma.

Except Benjamin, Audrey’s littlest guy.

He calls me Mama.

Now, it is true that I see him every day because I work with Audrey. And it is true that I am pretty involved with his care, especially now that Audrey is due with Henry in a couple of weeks. Yes, I can still bend and lift and all that good stuff.

I just melt when he extends his arms and hands to me… looks into my eyes with his big baby-blues… and says, “Mama. Mama.” Thank goodness that Audrey is so comfortable in her own role as the “real” Mama. She laughs and melts right along with me.

Maybe Benjamin just knows exactly what he wants and how to get it from the world’s biggest sucker.

Me. Mama!

– Sharon

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My boys + my belly + the beach = Perfect Mother’s Day

We expected rain all week in New England for Mother’s Day.

So you can imagine my delight when I opened my eyes at the usual 6:45am and sun was peeking through my bedroom windows!

But where was my husband?

Downstairs making coffee, breakfast and (gasp!) cleaning the kitchen before bringing up the boys and the news that I could sleep “as long as I wanted.”

But all I wanted was to gather my boys, my belly and head to one of our spectacular Rhode Island beaches!

This is what my morning looked like…

(Me and my boys – William and Alexander – pushing Benjamin… getting ready for baby Henry. Thanks BOB Strollers for this amazing stroller! Can’t wait to use it more this summer, and for getting into shape after Henry!)

*I just wanted to update – I’ve gotten a bunch of emails this morning from people asking where I got my polo shirt (in the photos on the beach). It was a gift from my husband from Motherhood Maternity. The color is aqua. The style is button-down polo. And it’s that ultra-soft cotton.*

– Audrey

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It’s National Safe Kids Week!

I had the opportunity to learn about Safe Kids while at Camp Baby earlier this month.

The mission of Safe Kids Worldwide is to prevent accidental childhood injury, a leading killer of children 14 and under, and has actually reduced the unintentional injury death rate for children within that age range by 45% over the past 20 years.

Founded in 1987 by Children’s National Medical Center, with support from Johnson & Johnson, the organization brings together health and safety experts, educators, corporations, foundations, governments and volunteers to educate and protect families.

This week, April 26th through May 4th, is National Safe Kids Week 2008. It includes research, advocacy for public policy initiatives, advertising, distribution of safety devices and grassroots events through hundreds of Safe Kids coalitions and chapters.

Safe Kids USA has developed a safety checklist on the top injury risks to children and the steps parents can take that will have a major impact in keeping their kids safe. This is an excellent resource to have and to refer to often:

1. Child passenger safety – I ensure that my children under age 13 are and under are properly secured in a back seat of a car for every ride.

2. Car seat selection – I make sure to keep my children in the right type of car seat or booster seat until the adult lap and shoulder belts fit them correctly.

3. Wheel safety – I make sure that my children wear a helmet and other protective gear every time they bike, skate, skateboard, or ride a scooter.

4. Pedestrian safety – I teach my children to cross streets at corners and look left, right and left again before crossing. I also make sure that children under age 10 always cross streets with an adult.

5. Water safety – I always keep my eyes on my children when they are playing in or near water.

6. Open water safety – I always make sure my children wear life jackets when riding on boats or playing in or near open bodies of water.

7. Fire safety and Poison prevention – I have smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors installed on every level of my home and outside of every sleeping area. I change the batteries once a year, and test the alarm every month.

8. Suffocation prevention – I do not place blankets, pillows or other soft items in a baby’s crib. I keep small items such as toy parts, coins, buttons, and beads away from children under age three.

9. Poison prevention – I keep poisonous items, such as medicines and cleaners, locked away and out of reach of children.

10. Fall prevention – I do not let children play on stairs, furniture, balconies, roofs, or in driveways, streets or parking lots.

Help the Safe Kids cause on:
Facebook
MySpace
Change.org

Other resources:
Join the Safe Kids monthly newsletter
Donate to Safe Kids

– Jane

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