Catherine Marie’s exquisite dance

Sometimes someone comes into your life so quietly, so quickly, so quiescently.

It is as if a warm breeze, a butterfly’s wings, a ballerina’s ballon or a pure whisper touches your heart.

This is how Catherine Marie danced into my life… through the words of grace, beauty, faith, and abounding love of her mommy, Katie.

Letters to Catherine. Love letters to a sweet baby girl who is loved beyond all measure. Adored beyond all bounds. Honored beyond all limits.

Love letters written by a mommy who tells her beloved baby girl all the things she should know. Wonderful things about her daddy, Donnie. Lovely things about her grandma Donna Marie, who is an angel in heaven. And things about Catherine’s diagnosis of congenital diaphragmatic hernia, found during her April 2nd ultrasound… the same ultrasound that told Katie and Donnie that their baby is a baby girl.

The ultrasound that changed everything…

Love letters to a daughter. Letters so special. So profound. Letters full of life and strength and happiness and faith. Letters that so intimately connect Katie to Catherine as they breathe the same air, share the same sounds, beat almost as one heart.

Letters that Katie is sharing with the blogging world. Something Katie never thought she would do “in a million years”… but the need to share with family and friends and even virtual strangers is as strong as the technology that allows such a sharing.

Through Katie’s sharing, I see Catherine dancing in her mommy’s tummy. Tiny plies and pointes. Merry little whirls. Jazzy intrigue. Even rump-shakin’ rock ‘n roll messages with her arms and feet!

Love letters that tell of a journey. Ask for prayer. Talk of a miracle. Prepare for what may be.

I have never met Katie. Donnie. Or Grandma-Angel Donna Marie.

I may never meet Catherine. But I do know that in the miracle of receiving these strangers into my life, I have entertained angels.

If you do nothing else today… take a few moments to read Kate’s “letters to catherine.” I will borrow and paraphrase some favorite words here, by Leo Tolstoy, to explain the true beauty of experiencing Katie and Catherine’s exquisite dance… “One can live magnificently in this world, if one knows how to love.”

– Sharon

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Swish, Sweep & Grin

I still remember the day that Audrey and Jane got back into my car after picking up a couple of hot dogs at our local hot weiner joint… and Jane said, “Grin gave us two extra ones.”

Without batting an eye, Audrey added, “Grin knows you love the ones with extra onions.”

OK. Two extras were good. I guess.

I do love extra onions.

But… who (or what) was Grin?

Grin? Oh, he was the guy who didn’t talk much. But he always had a great big smile.

When I finally realized that Jane and Audrey had nicknamed this hot weiner worker based on his, well… GRIN, I couldn’t help laughing out loud.

There was no malice. No libel. Nothing disparaging or malevolent.

It was simply an observation.

Of course, I had to explain that although it was true that the nice man did GRIN, it certainly would not be necessary to call him that outside of our car. Or home. And certainly not at the hot weiner joint.

But my initial laughter at the appointed nickname did create an avalanche of sorts that did not stop at Grin, and that has continued to this day.

We’ve had Swish… the ever-efficient woman at the Dunkin’ Donuts counter who opened bags in such swift swish motions that she became known to us simply as “Swish.”

The frazzled lady at the ice cream shop who self-admittedly one day said (to Audrey and Jane) that she was a train wreck. OK. She became “Trainwreck” from then on.

Or the guy who meticulously swept his bagel shop around customers as they dropped anything… even morsels. How could they resist the name “Sweep?”

And how could I forget Shift. “Shift” worked at our neighborhood pharmacy… and I cannot recall her EVER not being there. On the job. Covering her never-ending Shift.

Then a kind-of really gross one. Shell Toes was the older (well, he was probably the age I am now) boyfriend of our next-door-neighbor. He had crusty, yellow, clam-like toenails, and he ALWAYS wore sandals. The nomiker “Shell Toes” was downright kind!

And due to that pesky little thing called genetics, this nickname thing has found its way to Audrey’s little guys. Yes, it happened today.

It was William’s last day of pre-school, and Audrey told him that he could pick out a special toy from Toys “R” Us to celebrate his wonderful first year. Once inside, William looked wide-eyed at all his choices, and finally settled on a Star Wars Light Saber. There was one left with a torn box, so William’s solution was to ask Fingers for one with a good box.

Fingers?

Seems that William had seen one of the stock-persons stocking the shelves.

And yes. He had the longest fingers that we had ever seen.

Oh, boy. History does repeat itself!

– Sharon

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6 Random Things…

My blogging-friend Steph, the mama behind Adventures in Babywearing has tagged me to share 6 random things about myself.

Here goes…

1. My very first job out of college was as a personal assistant to fashion designer Donna Karan. That’s how I got started at the company. I watched and I learned so much from this great fashion-business-maven. It was one of the coolest jobs I have ever had. I even had a garment allowance!

2. When we were trying to get pregnant with William (my oldest son) for a whole week I got false negative pregnancy test results. Talk about a roller coaster of emotions.

3. I am obsessed with Sharpies. The ultra-thin ones. They are the only pens I write with… and I always have at least 3 of them on me.

4. When I first got married, I was featured on ABC’s 20/20 in a segment called “Who will age the most gracefully?” It was when I was 23 years old. They picked 3 women with different backgrounds and had us answer tons of questions about our lifestyles. The doctor doing the judging (Dr. Nicholas Perricone) said that since I wanted to have 4-5 children (even back then I wanted a big family) my chances of aging gracefully were not that high due to the constant pregnancies. I came in second place. Hmm… I think I’m doing OK right about now! 🙂

5. I pinch my knuckles when I’m nervous.

6. I have never been able to complete a New York Times Crossword Puzzle. But I still keep trying every Sunday… !

Thanks Steph!

I am tagging 5 other blogging-friends:

Amy from MomAdvice
Colleen from Classy Mommy
Dawn from Coming to a Nursery Near You
Julie from Pink Morning
Laura from Gustogirl

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Proof I’m raising 4-legged teenagers

Roll your eyes if you must, but (as you know) I consider my dogs my kids.

But lately, I feel more like I’m raising teenagers. Yes, 4-legged teenagers.

Case in point:

That’s Ryder, riding shotgun in my car.

Remember those teenage years of riding in silence with your parents because you were too cool to talk?

Doesn’t it look like she’s pulling that attitude with me? “Yeah, mama. Whatever.”

Meanwhile, Sethy just sleeps in the backseat, basically telling everyone to leave him alone.

“Leave me alone.” Remember that one from teenagehood?

Speaking of sleeping, my kids are champs at that.

Again, case in point:

That’s Seth sleeping, one of his favorite things to do. He loves to sleep in the car. On his dog beds. On the deck outside.

But despite my pleading, he doesn’t like sleeping on the couch next to mama. No matter how many times I invite him up next to me, he kind of looks at me like, “Um, nah…” and then goes off to sleep somewhere else.

Meanwhile, if I’m on the couch downstairs, Ryder is usually up in our bedroom, snoring away on the bed.

Let’s see… who else likes to be alone in their rooms? Oh, yes. Teenagers!

And finally, when it comes to eating, my pups aren’t exactly patient. Like teenagers, when hunger calls, all else must stop and mama must deliver.

The other day I was preparing breakfast for the kids, and as usual, they sat and watched me.

I got sidetracked for a second and had stop the food prep for a minute. Ryder let out a big sigh (and I swear I saw her roll her eyes) and left the room, like, “How dare you delay my breakfast!”

Of course, I’m sure I don’t help the situation, as I’m a total sucker when it comes to their puppy dog eyes.

Like any parent, I always try to do what’s best for my kids. Acting like teenagers or not, they are my babies and my very best friends.

Come on, look at these faces:

Wouldn’t you give them anything they wanted?

– Jane

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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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3 Boys (well, 4) and a Slip N Slide

I spent some time with Audrey and her boys (my brother-in-law included) on Monday afternoon.

Audrey’s yard has the best small hill for summer and winter fun. And there’s nothing quite like seeing the excitement and fun from 3 little boys as they slide and glide down, and then make their way back up the hill for more Slip N Slidin’! It was especially fun watching Benjamin join his brothers for the first time.

– Jane

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I have WHAT in here!?

Inspired by Rocks In My Dryer’s blog post – “What’s in your car?” – I immediately thought of her post when I was searching in my pocketbook for an elastic band for my hair last night.

In a word, I was HORRIFIED by the contents of my pocketbook.

So here goes…

Appropriate pocketbook items:

1. wallet
2. planner
3. Blackberry Curve
4. keys
5. hair brush
6. MomAgenda
7. AHAVA hand lotion
8. Extra-Strength Tylenol
9. gift certificate to local bagel shop

Random:
1. Not 1, but 8 (working) Sharpies
2. An Official League Franklin Hard-Baseball (Why? My kids are 3 1/2 an under!)
3. 1 My Little Pony (I have NO idea where this came from… I do have ALL boys!)
4. 1 jar of Gerber’s Green Beans with Rice (expires March 10, 2015… Oh, good!)
5. Wet Wipes (they should be in my diaper bag)
6. 1 diaper – sized 4 (my youngest wears a size 5)
7. 1 digital camera
8. 2 old photographs from last summer
9. 1 Starscream Transformer
10. 1 sock
11. 1 unused Ziploc
12. 1 birthday card – Benjamin turned “1” on April 4th and I still have it in my pocketbook!

Please tell me I’m not the only one who carries around excess “baggage” in her pocketbook!

– Audrey

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In Memory – Marine Lance Corporal Dimitrios Gavriel

Memorial Day – a day to honor the memories of those men and women who have died in the service of our country. First celebrated as a national holiday in 1866, the date May 30 was chosen specifically because it was not the date or anniversary of a battle. Credit for the day of national recognition is given to General John Murray and General John A. Logan for their belief that the graves of all soldiers across the land should be decorated in the tradition of the ancient Greeks and their fallen heroes.

I honor these heroes today.

I honor the memory of one special hero, Marine Lance Corporal Dimitrios Gavriel.

Dimi died November 19, 2004, as a result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

This is how I know Dimi.

When Audrey met Matthew on the campus of Brown University almost a decade ago, Dimi also became a great presence in her life. Dimi was Matt’s best friend, and Dimi held a special place in Matt’s life. Dimi would be the Best Man at Audrey and Matt’s wedding ceremony on June 30, 2001. Dimi’s apartment is where Audrey and Matt would stay as they searched for their own place in New York City.

Dimi is with whom Matthew would find places to fish in and around New York City. Dimi is who would travel to Rhode Island on weekends that Audrey and Matt were at my home… and Matt and Dimi would disappear for hours and hours on their fishing expeditions. I can still see Dimi’s old diesel Mercedes parked in front of my home.

I vividly remember the last time I saw Dimi. I thank God it was a perfect day. Dimi was visiting for the weekend, and of course he stopped in to see Matt and Audrey at our former home in Bristol, Rhode Island. My husband and I stored Matt’s canoe under our back porch, so it wasn’t a second or two before the two of them were hauling it out and heading down the street to the Bristol Harbour. On that summer day the wind was whipping forcefully, but Matt and Dimi had the no-fear of two hearty mates and manuevered that canoe down-harbor with the gusto of a couple of seasoned sailors.

Audrey was terrified that they were going to capsize… but they didn’t. And they crawled out of the canoe to tell about it. Audrey, my husband and I met them at journey’s end, at a little outdoor seafood place, Quito’s. We laughed. We drank beer. We ate New England’s finest.

The day was one of joy. Of sharing. And Dimi talked of the Marines and his decision to enlist. He had built a promising career for himself on Wall Street after graduating from Brown University, but the loss of friends on 9/11, and the calling of a greater course, led him to enlist. He was 27 years old.

A woman at the next table heard Dimi explain his decision and asked him what his mother thought of his enlistment. Women think like this. Women think like mothers. Dimi’s dark eyes, usually twinkling with some mischief, became serious and earnest. I don’t remember his exact words… and I would never try to put his words into my own… but he explained, ever succinctly in the way Dimi explained everything, that his mother was frightened for him, for her, for his dad and sister… but they all supported his passion and his mission once the decision was a final decision.

The woman wished him safety, and luck. We drank some more beer and we talked some more in the warm summer sun.

Then my most vivid memory of Dimi happened. A memory that I will cherish for all time.

Matt and Dimi knew that they had consumed too much beer to hop back into the canoe, and besides, they would be rowing up-harbour against the wind. So they did what any able-bodied young men would do… they put the canoe over their heads and began to walk back to my house.

Well, the walk was less than a mile… but as Audrey and I followed them in her car, we laughed so hard that she could hardly hold onto the steering wheel. All we could see were four legs and a canoe. Four legs and a canoe walking up the street in the warm summer sun of a perfect day.

We tooted the horn as we passed them… then we waited for them on my old front porch.

When Dimi left later that evening, I kissed him good-bye. I wished him safety and luck. My husband grasped his hand and they fell into a hug.

Three months later we would hear the most tragic news that Dimi had been killed in action. November 19, 2004.

Today I honor all the heroes who have fallen in service to our country.

Today I honor our friend, Marine Lance Corporal Dimitrios Gavriel… my hero.

– Sharon

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Birthday Tradition

When each of my grandchildren celebrates a birthday, I buy a special pair of pajamas (anything from dinosaurs to race cars and rockets, princesses to snow bunnies and flowers) and have them embroidered with the birthday date and year. I make absolutely sure that the pajamas are given on the actual birth-day, so the birthday child can wear them to bed that special night.

As you can imagine with 7 grandchildren, I have become best buds with the embroidery place in my town. When they see me coming, they say, “So it’s birthday time again!”

This got me thinking… why not celebrate Audrey’s special 30th birthday with her own embroidered t-shirt on this most wonderful day.

So my beautiful birthday girl… HAPPY 5-23-08 BIRTHDAY!

Even though you are now a Mommy of your own children, you will always be my little darling!

I love you!

Mom

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It’s OFFICIAL… I’m 30!!

Oh, yes… this mama is 30 today!! (My first photo in my 30’s! Granted it was at 6 am and taken by me… but here it is!)

I got my first “Happy Birthday!” this morning around 2:30 am from my husband as our oldest son barreled into bed with us. And it felt GOOD to hear!

So this morning around 5:30 am I got myself out of bed, got dressed and just wanted to enjoy as much of May 23rd as possible!

I even got lucky this morning… how many ladies in America can wake up on their birthday with 3 handsome men in bed with her!? (Keeping it “PG-13” rated here… it was my husband and 2 of my sons!)

And so… 30 – HERE I COME!!

– Audrey

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