My Not So Happy Birthday...

I first sat down to write a little thank you on FB to all of those that wished me a Happy Birthday, all 120 some of you, and I just kept writing, so I decided to write a FB note instead, but couldn't figure out how to do that quickly enough for all of the words that were pouring out of my head, so a BLOG it is!
Thank you for all of the birthday wishes! Believe it or not, my actual birthday was not "wonderful, fantastic, glorious", or any combination of the previous (your words, not mine). It was one of  'THOSE' days. Even "adventurous, spontaneous, hot momma chickas" (again, your words not mine) like myself have a bad day every once in awhile and mine just happened to fall on my birthday. But reading your birthday wishes this morning along with a great cup of coffee helps to make yesterday just fade away and disappear like it should!
Looking back, it all started without my morning cup of coffee, you know, the one that starts the day fresh, gives you a boost of energy, but most importantly, keeps your caffeine withdrawal headache at bay? Ahh, sweet glorious coffee.
Anyway. The day started off pretty normally. Baby Mia woke up needing to be nursed, so I did. Josh leaves for work, and Mallory starts yelling from her bedroom, "MAAAAMM-A (long pause) MAAAMM-A?!" I quickly finish nursing the baby, cutting her off short I'm sure, head over to Mallory's room to tell her it is OK to get out of her bed.
Side note: It is unusual for her to stay in her bed ALL night. So we use bribery to make it happen as much as possible and when the bribery really sinks in, she follows the rules to the point. So when we say "stay in your bed all night" and she actually listens, she won't get out of her bed without permission.

 So I go in and she immediately asks for her princess earrings (stick on) and matching princess ring for staying in her bed ALLLLL night. Then the next thing out of her mouth "I want chocolate. Momma can I please have some chocolate?" She asks nicely you see?
To this I reply as any good mother would, "No, you may not have some chocolate. We need to eat breakfast first." This brings about the first temper tantrum of the day. I try to redirect with the princess earrings and matching ring which somewhat works until she says, "Momma, I want a snack"
The word "snack" in our house, usually refers to Goldfish and I have a thing about not feeding my child goldfish for breakfast. I manage to get her to eat some yogurt for breakfast and she seems excited about a half of a banana, but then ends up just rolling it all over the table covering it in last nights dinner crumbs and then tells me she doesn't want her banana. So what do I do...I eat it, of course. Breakfast of champions.

I look at the coffee pot filled with yesterday's leftover coffee which was Tiramisu flavored and think about heating it up rather than making a new pot of coffee. But decide against it, considering that yesterday's Tiramisu coffee was not as delicious as it sounded. In fact, Josh and I both decided we didn't like it. I was sincerely disappointed considering 1) The flavored coffee is a delicacy from the States that we have visitors smuggle into Italy for us and 2). I LOVE Tiramisu. It is one of my all time favorite desserts and it it is on a menu, I get it. Thankfully, we live in Italy and it is on MOST menus.

"Momma, can I watch a movie?" YES, I think. I'll be able to feed Mia some baby food in silence. Silence to me is now accompanied by the VeggieTales theme song and its following catchy tunes. I'll have a moment to wake up and get my bearings about me, so yes, I put a movie on.

I'm not so sure what happened between breakfast and lunch. I'm pretty sure it took me 3 hours to switch out a load of laundry though.

Lunch rolled around and Mallory ate a Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich with apples, which I ever so cleverly decorated the sandwich with. She ate half of the sandwich, all of the apples (no skin of course) and then marched into the living room with the other half of sandwich in her hand high above her head. "Momma, I'm going to eat this in the living room, and hold it up real high so Kota doesn't get it, OK?" Sadly, holding it up over her head only makes the sandwich eye level for Kota. Luckily Kota was passed out on the kitchen floor and didn't notice the sandwich leave the premises and go into the living room. Phew, crisis averted.

20 minutes later: "Momma, I'm hungry."
Did she really eat the other half of her sandwhich or is it sitting on the couch wreaking havoc on my upholstery? No, she really did eat the whole other half. OK. Goldfish it is. A bowl full of goldfish and I've bought myself some more time to wake up. I finish feeding Mia apples for the first time which finally she has learned to swallow baby food as opposed to "zerbert" it all over me. I come into the living room to find Mallory perched on top of the couch with her bowl of goldfish in hand. This perched position is to keep the large dog away from her goldfish you see. She has learned, after Kota has consumed numerous bowls of goldfish just laying around. This of course is always followed by a complete meltdown.....from Mallory.

My eyes wide as saucers, I excitedly instruct her to get off the top of the couch. This she takes as me yelling at her and she throws herself onto the floor in hysterics.
OH. EM. GEE. This is only getting worse.
It is now that I decide that a nap is not optional for her today.
Nap time is a disaster. I put her into bed, give her some books, which I know will only lead to her asking for more books, and her not sleeping, but will buy me some time.
Just as I suspected, She yells from her room, "Momma, I want some more books!" I oblige.
Later: "Momma, I want 2 blankets!" I oblige
Later: "Momma, I'm hungry." I give her a cracker.
Later: "Momma, I want some water." I tell her she has her sippy cup, but she insists on her pink big girl cup. I explain that she can't have a big girl cup in bed because it will spill. "But why?" she says. "Because I said so." Yes, I use that phrase mutiple times a day. How else do you reply? Telling her she can't have the pink cup leads to an overtired 3 year old flailing about in her bed. I leave. The screaming continues.
Kota nudges the door open and eats the cracker she has placed on her rocking chair. More screaming. I get her another cracker.
"Mallory I am not coming back into your room after this. It is nap time, you must close your eyes and get some sleep."  I offer a "Princess Party" as a bribe if she naps. I am exhausted and will offer activities that will only exhaust me more just to get a tiny break. The princess party, I explain to her involves painting her nails and dressing up in her new "Belle" dress. She seems enthralled, turns into a sweet child again, rolls over in her bed like she is ready to snooze, and I take a deep breath. I've done it! She is going to nap! Now I need to lay down.
 I don't usually need a nap, but I can barely keep my eyes open. No sense in making coffee now, it is 2 pm! Mia is sleeping, so I take the opportunity to ignore the laundry, the cleaning and the general mess that is my house after we return from a week long vacation. This nap is for sanity purposes. I lay down on the couch, after I clear it off of course, and close my eyes. I don't know how much time passed, not much I am sure, and Mallory was lifting up the blanket crawling up on the couch to snuggle with me.
"Aww," I think. "A nap with my baby on the couch, how sweet." NOT. SO. MUCH.
Here is what ensued.
In a loud whisper:
"Mommy, I need my froggy, and my blanket too." She goes to her room retrieves the items and back on the couch with me.
"Mommy I have to go poopy"
"Go ahead" I know she can't complete the entire task by herself, but I am wishing that today is the day.
"Mommy, I'm all done" she calls from the bathroom.
I get off of the couch, go into the bathroom.
"Mommy, I have more, but you can stay in the bathroom if you want" Gee. Thanks.
We finish potty time. Back on the couch. She lays down on the other side of the couch by herself.
"Mommy, the PHONE!" The phone is ringing, but I am still hopeful for sleep, so I don't run to get it. I hear Mandi leaving a birthday message. I'll call her back.
Next thing I know. There is a crunch of a cracker over my head followed by crumbs on my eyelids. She had grabbed a pack of crackers off the table and helped herself. At least she saved me that trip.
I close my eyes, praying for sleep.
"Momma, I need help" She has changed her pajamas and her shirt is on backwards. I help. 
Then, I am pummeled by 2 baby dolls.
"Here, Momma. Here are my babies. They need you, they are crying." She is still loudly whispering. I cuddle the babies under my blanket and try to go back to sleep.
"Momma, I got it on the wrong way" She has changed her pajamas again, still the shirt is on backwards. I help and am about to blow my top. 
I hear Mia. She is awake and ready to nurse. All hope is gone.
My phone rings it is my sister. We skype, trying to have a conversation in between me tending to Mallory and commanding....ok...yelling at her to stop jumping on the couch.
My mom calls while I am talking to my sister and leaves a message. I'll call her back. She calls again.

I call her back. We try to have a conversation in between me reprimanding Mallory and a time-out screaming session. She is overtired...and so am I, and a major headache is brewing. I hear Josh say in my mind...'did you drink any water today.' Drinking water is his remedy for anything, but, no, I haven't had anything to drink, not even coffee. I go and chug a glass of water.

It is now 6pm and Josh is calling to tell me he is on his way home. I haven't decided if I want to go out for my birthday or not or have Josh pick up something to make for dinner on his way home. Both are terrible options, because going out, means Mallory will be up late when she has school tomorrow, and I have a headache. Having Josh pick up dinner means it will be that much later until he gets home, and I'm not sure how much longer I can make it. I propose going out to eat by myself.

Now this seems so awful to do on your birthday when you should want to be surrounded by those that you love. But I am really not feeling the love at the moment. I just want to be by myself with a large glass of mommy juice. It sounds so nice and seems like a beautiful moment in my head, them Mallory grabs the phone and wants to talk to Daddy. I think Josh senses my desperation, I hope.

We go out to dinner, I'm craving my favorite. Tagliatelle with lime and shrimp. They've changed the menu and no longer have it. Ugh. Bring me a glass of wine...STAT!
Josh forgets my birthday present in the car. So he goes out to get it. I open it up expecting the only thing I really asked for. A certain brand of perfume that I knew I liked. What he got me, is not the perfume that I liked, but a different perfume. I try to conceal my surprise, because I know he spent a good while sampling perfumes to find one that he liked, and also smelled similar to the one that I want.  Why he didn't get the one I wanted, I'm not sure. He assured me this one was Italian, and I had to laugh because the other one that I wanted was Versace. Versace IS Italian...lol. I explained this to him. Anyway. The perfume smells nice, so all is fine, and I'm thankful for the time he spent to get me something nice. If he would have got me what Mallory wanted to get me, I would have ended up with a cow. So I really am thankful.
We finish dinner and head home. Mallory sings me a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday on the way home, which melts a tiny bit of my headache away. At this point it hurts to make quick movements, and I'm on the verge of being sick because it hurts so bad. I feed Mia and crawl directly into bed at 10pm. This is super early for me, but my headache is still pounding and I know the sooner I go to bed, the sooner I can wake up and make a pot of coffee that I was so desperately in need of on this day.

Today is a much better day, as I am 3 cups deep and feeling much better just from writing down what a shlop my day was yesterday. (shlop is a made-up word)

So thank you for all of the birthday wishes, they started my 'day after birthday' day off on the right foot. I declare today my actual celebration for my birthday. A Re-Do  of sorts.

Have you had your coffee yet? I suggest you do.

Family Photo in Viareggio, Italy

Unsolicited Relationship Advice

In celebration of Valentine's Day, I thought I'd just write a little something.

How we celebrated:
On Valentine's Eve, Josh got a fabulous babysitter and we went out (with Mia) to dinner at probably the best restaurant we have eaten at since we arrived in Italy, and it was only 5 minutes down the road! It was perfectly delicious. He had the most beautiful card for me with his inner most thoughts and feelings about me hand written inside. All it said was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. No really, he did write me a lengthy note about how much I mean to him...blah blah gushy gushy.
Seriously though, Josh has been given the gift of words (on paper..lol). He can express himself so beautifully in a card or letter. I've got a whole box full of 12 years worth of cards and notes to prove it. I keep them because one day, when I am long gone, I want there to be tactile proof for my children to see how much their daddy loved their mommy.
He also surprised me with an unnecessary but cherished gift: A Tiffany's necklace! Can a girl get any more lucky?

So here it is, the meat and potatoes of this post: UNSOLICITED RELATIONSHIP ADVICE:
I usually don't give advice or opinions unless asked. Probably because I have been given unwanted and unsolicited advice in the past and it usually annoys me. So I try not to annoy others. But just in case you've been dying to know the secrets to a happy marriage, strong relationship, or landing the mate of your dreams...READ ON!

Josh and I have been a "couple" for 12 years now! We are coming up on our 6 year wedding anniversary. We have been through a lot together and so I like to think I know the tiniest bit about being in a relationship and what it takes to make it work.
Here are a few lessons I have learned.

1. Don't judge a book by its cover.
When Josh first showed interest in me, I really wanted nothing to do with him. I even tried telling him that I didn't want to get involved with him because of his "bad boy" image. Ok, that last part was a joke, But I really did tell him I didn't want to be with him and my excuse was because he was going off to college to the fall and I didn't want a long distance relationship. As a freshman in high school, I KNEW what I did and didn't want. haha. Josh basically let my request go in one ear and out the other, which leads me to number 2.

2. Don't take "No" for an answer.
Well....let me clarify fellas (for my millions of male readers). "No" means "No!"," but sometimes you just need a little persistence in the right situation. In our case, persistence paid off for Josh. So did roses, lavish gifts, and extravagant dinners at Applebee's.

3. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate, and Procreate!
I CANNOT tell you how important communication is! Holy Toledo! TALK to each other, if it bothers, angers, annoys, upsets, disappoints, humiliates, or embarrasses you, TALK about it. Make the best effort to TALK about it. Don't fly off the handle, raise voices, or throw a hissy fit. Talk calmly about your feelings. On the other side of it, let it be known when you appreciate, love, adore, are impressed, are pleased, or are thankful.
And Procreate! Children are a blessing from above, and they have only made our relationship stronger. Now, don't go gettin' knocked up, because I said it will make your relationship better. That would be bad. I'm just saying having children takes a relationship to a whole new level and you depend and rely on the other so much more that is changes the dynamic, from my experience, in a good way. I also say Procreate because it is fun to try...."EWWW gross!" (In the voice of my former 10 year old self) Moving on.

That is about all I can think of on such a whim of a blog and my creativity has dried up for the day. If you have someone special in your life, take this day and EVERYDAY to show them how much you appreciate and love them.
If you don't have someone special. Hit the alarm and throw your head under your pillow because today is the worst day of the year!
I'm totally kidding! Really though, there are plenty of fish in the sea, and despite the fact you've been through most of them...fish are always laying millions of eggs and thus there is always fresh fish out there on the open market. Does that make you feel better?........ No?! Crap.
There really isn't anything I can say to make someone who is feeling crappy about today feel any better. Except for the fact that St. Patrick's day is around the corner and there are usually plenty of single Irish gals and guys, or guys and gals pretending to be at least 1/12 Irish out at some bar drinking green beer looking for that special someone through their thickest pair of beer goggles. What does this mean for you? YOU are going to look AMAZING! Forget about those last 10 lbs, the bad highlights you just got, or that beer gut, because you are now the cream of the crop and the biggest fish in the sea! Go get em' Tiger!

Happy (or not) Valentine's Day.
Feel free to Share!

il tempo vola-TIME FLIES!

Wow, time flies. Blogging has really been put to the back burner lately. In case you hadn't heard...uh...we had a baby...and when I say "We"...I really mean "I"...had a baby :) So much has happened in the last 3 months, that I should really update you in the shortest way possible hitting on major key points and FAQ.


Mia Rose Hunking was born October 13th at 3:44 pm.

FAQ; How was it giving birth in Italy?
Well, let me just say it was different...very different. Not in a bad way, just not what you would experience back in the states by any means. When you walked into the hospital it felt like something straight out of the 60's. The patient rooms were bare bones. No TV, no telephone, no Wi-Fi, no in room shower (I'll touch more on this in a minute) No spousal sleeping arrangements. Josh and my mom took turns sleeping on the hospital room floor on a sleeping bag. God Bless them! Just the bare necessities, a bed for me, and a table to change the baby on. Luckily, we had private insurance, so I had my own room, otherwise I would have been sharing a room with up to 6 other moms and their babies. I saw it with my own eyes. It is true....6.
When I had Mallory, my bed was the equivalent of a souped up Hummer. It had bells, whistles, and best of all a self adjusting mattress that my guess is designed to help prevent bed sores.
My bed in Italy...MODEL T FORD. It was a rough ride (period) By day 3, I was ready to run out of the hospital, which would have been a miracle, considering I could barely walk.
On another comparison note, when I had Mallory via C-section, the next day, nurses were asking if I had showered yet, and I remember responding by saying "Oh, no I didn't, I didn't know if I was allowed to with my incision and all" Then off to my in room shower I went at their urging!
Remember me saying there wasn't a shower in my room? So, I manage to ask the nurse where the showers are the day after my C-section with Mia. She blabbered something in Italian, shook her finger and repeatedly said "No" and mimed scrubbing her arm pits and pointed to the sink in my room. So the reason for no shower in your room is because THEY DON'T LET YOU SHOWER! I know, it is gross. Let's just stop there and move on, shall we?
Last but not least we have the pain medication issue. I contemplated committing what I'm sure is a Federal crime in multiple countries. I was about to hit some folks up on Facebook asking them to overnight me some narcotic drugs. I'm not saying I know a lot of people that would have the ability to do that, I mean only like 4 or 5, but that is beside the point. I digress. I was at the point of desperation when my anesthesia began to wear off, and I had this intense pain. Probably because MY STOMACH HAD JUST BEEN CUT OPEN. I called the nurses to make sure the "GOOD STUFF", going into my arm through IV was actually dripping and not kinked, because it certainly was not working at alleviating my pain. I eventually asked my doctor what it was exactly they were pumping into me and she informed me it was about the equivalent of Tylenol. Yes, you read that right. After having major surgery, I was on Tylenol folks! The reason they couldn't give me narcotics was because I was breast feeding. Yes, I get it, they do cross over into breast milk, but I popped them like candy with Mallory and she turned out just fine...I think. Seriously though, you take them when you need them and boy did I need them. Especially since I had a hacking cough that came about the night before my surgery. Incision in stomach plus coughing does NOT feel good, I can assure you. At one point, I asked for more "tylenol" and was told I couldn't have any more because it was "bad for my liver". So is drinking alcohol, but people still do it!

5 weeks after Mia was born, we headed on our first family road trip to Germany for Thanksgiving. No, they don't celebrate "Thanksgiving" in Germany. Those Indians landed in Williamsburg, VA remember? Silly.  We went to visit my cousin and his family there and had a wonderful visit and plenty of gluhwein. (Hot wine) at multiple Christmas markets where Mallory rode plenty of carousels, over and over and over again.  I'm dizzy just thinking about it.

In the beginning of December, Josh had a few days off work for some Italian Holiday, and we took full advantage and headed 2 1/2 hours south to Tuscany! 4 nights in a Tuscan Villa, Tour of Florence, Wine tour, and a personal chef that came to the villa to cook an 8 course meal for us...we were living the high life! Definitely and unforgettable trip. My mom was still with us and she also enjoyed herself, especially playing Pocahontas and John "Sniff" with Mallory. Gotta give thanks to that Pocahontas for discovering America you know? Mallory is only 2 1/2 and she is already learning her American history...sweet!

Carla, our personal chef at our Tuscan Villa!

Did I say it was a trip to remember...yes I did. I will "REMEMBER" that my daughter is prone to car-sickness just like myself. The road to Tuscany is no straight shot, so after many twists and turns through the country side...we had an "incident" in the car about 30 minutes from our final destination. Poor Mallory and poor Mom who was in the back seat with her. It was cold and we had the windows down for obvious reasons. 'Nuff said.

We spent the holidays back in the states. Mia had her first plane ride at 2 1/2 months old. Both of the girls were so good. Not a peep out of either one of them. (Thank you Duct Tape!) We enjoyed our time at home thoroughly. I managed to only make it to Target 4 times as opposed to my original prediction of 7. Pathetic...for multiple reasons. I did LOTS of shopping. I pre-bought gifts for Mallory's birthday and stockpiled bribery items too. Ahhh....nothing like a little retail therapy, and boy did I need some therapy after spending nearly 3 weeks with my family! Just kidding...I loved every minute of being with our families. It was such a blessing to be able to spend so much time with them! Now if only they'd all come visit, that would be awesome.

Headed to the USA!

Speaking of visitors, our 2012 is booking up quickly, so get your trip in ASAP. I'm looking forward to our next batch of confirmed visitors and trips! February will be an exciting month for us with a visit from our friends who just moved to Germany. Meredith and her 8 month old son will be coming to visit me for some time while Josh heads back to VA for a few days for an awards banquet in Fairfax. He has been instructed to bring back coffee, flavored powdered creamer, and turkey gravy packets....seriously.
After Josh returns home, we will be seeing friends of mine from high school, Kristin and Greg, and then at the end of February we are headed to Edelweiss in Germany for a ski week.

Now some of you may be thinking...LIBBY! SKIING?! ARE YOU CRAZY? And why would one think this? Primarily because one time, about 12 years ago, I had a bit of an accident (which turned out to be no accident at all, because that is how I met my very handsome husband). This "accident", if you will, involved skis, trees, broken shoulder, and a few broken ribs. Let it be known, I most likely will not be getting on a pair of skis, rather I will be tubing down a hill with no control whatsoever. Let the fun begin!

Oh...in case you didn't get a Christmas Card from us...here it is. I will say though how ridiculously proud of myself I am that I did get out cards to most friends and family! Thank goodness for Shutterfly! It made it super easy for this new mom to get out Christmas Cards. Photos Courtesy of: Rachel  Burwell

Photo Card

View the entire collection of cards.

If you like to eat...continue reading:
A bit of a Tastefully Simple Update! Thank you for all of your support. In both November and December, I did nearly 5X my sales goal. What a blessing that was! Every order counts and means the world to me, so please keep Tastefully Simple products in mind for your next gift giving, entertaining, or everyday occasion. (When in stock at our house...Perfectly Potato Cheddar soup and Bountiful Beer Bread make a weekly meal)
I am ALWAYS looking for new catalog hosts to collect a few orders from friends, family, co-workers, and in return you get FREE FOOD! I am currently in need of catalog hosts for February and March. The first 2 people to contact me about hosting a catalog party and mention the blog, get an extra $10 worth of FREE FOOD! Ready...GO!
Also, if you like to eat, please visit my Fan Facebook Page: Libby Hunking- Independent Tastefully Simple Consultant and "LIKE" it! Pretty Please?! Then, pretty, pretty please share it with your friends! You never know when I could reward you for sharing...and besides...didn't your mother tell you it is nice to share with your friends?....I thought so!
Shop the Tastefully Simple Catalog on my website!
Thanks for reading...
Ciao!

It's BABY TIME!

Forgive me Loyal Readers,
It has been one month and 9 days since my last Blog....

If you had been in my shoes the past 5 weeks, you would completely understand my delay in updating the masses on the happenings of our OH-SO spectacular life! Let me WALK you through what has been going on with us across the BIG-DRINK.

Mile Marker 1-6 Terrain: Moderate and inclusive of steps and hills

Josh, Mallory and I took our last vacation as "Tavola per tre" (Table for 3). We headed to Caorle Venice to a camping Village just outside of Venice. We stayed for 5 nights in what was basically a stationary mobile trailer with 2 bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom, and a deck. We got an incredible deal on this vacation. We went the first week in September, and the price in August was 5X what we paid. I'm a bargain hunter what can I say! It was on a rather large camping resort complete with 4 swimming pools, restraunt, grocery store, entertainment and more. The walk to the beach was a bit longer than I anticipated, but all was well and I just added it up to be burning off our nightly gelato!

We spent quite a bit of our time at the beach, and even though our first few days there were a bit rainy and overcast, it didn't seem to bother Mallory as she built sandcastles with Daddy. I should have taken a picture of myself sitting on the beach with an umbrella...a rain umbrella, not a "shade me from the hot blazing sun" beach umbrella! Before the trip, we really psyched Mallory out for the beach. She was so excited to go everyday, and the water was so calm (on the nice days), she just walked back and forth along the shore in the water. At one point she face-planted in the sand, and came running to show me the aftermath with a huge smile! Thanks for the cute bathing suit Nana and Pappy!

We took our first trip to Venice, and lets just say Venice IS very romantic, but not with a fussy 2 1/2 year old...yikes! We did some very basic sightseeing and took the water taxis (vaporetto) for a better view. I wanted to see the Rialto Bridge and then make our way to the Rialto Market. By the time we made it to the bridge to look at our map to determine where the market was, I realized my tour book said it had closed an hour earlier...urgh. The Rialto bridge was bustling with people and really gives you a great view of the Grand Canal which is the major canal that runs through Venice. We logged quite a few miles roaming the streets and checking out the sights.

 on the Rialto Bridge overlooking the Grand Canal in Venice

On our way home after our Ferry ride from Venice to the mainland, we stopped at a fantastic restraunt, where Mallory made a new friend and I got a great compliment! The owners 2 year old grandson frequented our table during dinner and at one point accidentally pushed Mallory over! A few crocodile tears later and we ended up with 2 Free Lollipops. We have found it is quite common to be served a complimentary Limoncello after dinner, so when I went to the front to pay our bill, I was offered Limoncello, which I politely declined while pointing to my large belly that was hidden behind the counter. The owner had a shocked expression on his face, like he couldn't believe I was pregnant saying "complimento, complimento, Si?" or something that resembled that, which basically meant, that it was a huge compliment to me, because I looked so good, he couldn't tell I was pregnant. I'm pretty sure that's what he meant, and if not, I'll just continue to think that :) He then muttered something else in Italian, to which I replied "Non Capisco" or " I don't understand" He motioned for me to follow him to which he addressed Josh and asked Josh if he would like a limoncello, to which Josh of course accepted! See below... We really enjoyed our vacation, our sunburn, and the time together. It was exactly what we needed, when we really didn't feel like we had a summer at all. We spent most of the summer in a hotel, and it just kind of went by without our permission, or without us really making a summer of it. But sun, sand, and relaxation is just what the doctor ordered!

Josh's first official Limoncello!

Mile Marker 6-9! Terrain: Treacherous with Hills and Heat!

When we returned home from Vacation...it was GO TIME! Kota arrived the day after we got home and the very next day Alicia arrived. Picking up Kota didn't log any miles on the pedometer other than her multiple walks a day, but Alicia and her visit logged record breaking numbers for steps! In just a few days of travel, I logged over 25 miles! That is A LOT for a 8 1/2 month pregnant lady, let me tell you! Our tour of Italy kicked off with a 5k hiking wine tour! Yes, you heard me right! I surprised Alicia with this, and to be honest, I was contemplating up until the day before whether or not this was a good idea for me. I decided to brave the vineyards and I am so glad I did. We had a great time eating, drinking, hiking, and telling about 7 different people that we were in fact NOT sisters! Ok, let me clarify the drinking thing... Apparently it's no thang for a pregnant woman to be drinking wine in Italy. I'd go up to the wine table, for literally a taste, and I'd get a full glass. So I did what any best friend would do..took a sip and then handed off my glass to Alicia. She was drinking for TWO! The tour was really neat. We'd hike a little, have a stop with wine and a little bit of food, hike some more, stop for wine and a little bit of food...etc... The hikes inbetween stops weren't that bad except for one extra long hike with a very long hill to climb. I stopped midway to catch my breath, but from the looks of some others on the tour (most of which were well on their way to tipsy)..I thought I was faring pretty well! Just about everybody in our group commented on the crazy, courageous (is the word they used) pregnant lady on the wine tour! We really did enjoy ourselves, not to mention fending off the gracious compliments and advances on Alicia from the toothless Italian. He wanted to dance with her desperately, and Alicia was desperate NOT to!

Alicia and I before the wine tour in our cool tour hats!

Fitting in with the local and dancing on the table!

Random guy....cool picture, and better him than me on the ground!

Mile Marker 9-20 Terrain: Flat but LONG

Next stops on the Italian tour were the Duomo in Milan, Lake Como, and Bra!

Alicia and I took some time to head into Milan and check out the Duomo, do some window shopping and have dinner. In the meantime, my mom arrived from the states! Despite her jet-lag, she willingly watched Mallory on numerous occasions to make our sightseeing go a little smoother and faster. Thanks MOM!

We made Lake Como into a nice day trip. We drove up in the morning and happened upon a street market. This is the only place where you can buy a super cute trench coat and fresh olives all on the same street! After our little detour through the market we headed to have lunch along the lake and I had the finest risotto topped with fresh perch...YUM. After a leisurely lunch we headed just down thertoad to the funicular that takes you up the mountain to a town called Brunate, where you can overlook and see the lake around the town of Como. Unlike the other funicular futher up the lake that Josh and I had been to before, this one did not offer as good of a view, so it was a little dissapointing, but still a fun ride to the top!

Next Stop: International Cheese Festival!!! No trip to Italy would be complete without visiting Bra, Italy for "The Cheese." HOLY CHEESE BATMAN! This place was crawling with Cheese from around the world, and most of it was FREE. We only paid a little bit to go into the Great Hall of Cheese to do some wine tasting and cheese tasting, but further along our cheese trip, we came upon streets and streets lined with Cheese vendors..not necessarily selling cheese as their main priority, but rather letting us taste their precious cheese. It was yum, followed by yum! I only had one piece that tasted like stinky feet and I couldn't swallow it. The rest were just divine. We also stumbled upon some Sicilian Cannolis...OH MY STARS! I never was a big fan of the cannoli in the states, because they are SOOO sweet. But here in Italy they do them right. Just a touch of sweetness and a whole lot of deliciousness. We brought a few of those home and a big hunk of cheese we tried toward the end of our cheese meandering. While Alicia and I spent time posing for pictures in front of a giant blue snail, Josh spent some time in the beer tent sampling Italian and German Beers...and when I say sampling, I don't mean a shot glass size full of beer, they give you a whole cup!

Mmmm... Slimy

Say "Cheese!"





Mile Marker 20-30 Terrain: Mostly flat with occasional stairs, lots of standing

Our final excursion was off to Venice! Mom watched Mallory and Kota while we drove to Venice to navigate the canals once more! This time we got to see much more and really became pros at navigating the canals via water taxi. We made it to the Islands of Murano and Burano. The first of which is known for their hand blown glass, and the latter for its vibrant colored residences.

We spent the night in Venice, had a wonderful dinner along the grand canal and then I happily retreated to our hotel room where I was never so glad to see a bed in my life. We were pooped from all of our activity that day. The following day we made a stop at St. Marks Square (Famously known for pictures of people covered in dirty pigeons as well as the large basilica... ) It was incredibly packed with tourists and dirty birds, so it didn't make for an enjoyable tourist stop, for me at least.

While in  Venice sitting a nice little restraunt by the water...I had a vision...a vision of KATE GOSSELIN in Italy....

I don't follow the tabloid gossip from back at home, but if she wasn't vacationing in Italy...you had me fooled. Maybe it was a disguise..I mean she did revert to the old hairstyle and all, AND she took it one step further by going brunette! GASP! Perez Hilton and TMZ would love to get a hold of this one! I think you should try being a brunette for awhile Kate, it would look good on you, and I hear brunettes have more fun...or maybe just more kids in my case. I went brunette, and 2 months later I was pregnant with Mallory...and she turned out Blonde....weird huh?

Ok, so I digress. I guess what you really are looking for is some details on this baby that will be arriving on THURSDAY! EEK. We took a tour of the maternity ward where I will be after I have my c-section. It is nowhere near what you would find in the states. This is bare bones accomodations folks, no telephone for your room, no shower in your room, no wi-fi internet access, no cot or pull out chair for Josh to sleep on, no air conditioning Italian Television only AND 4 women to a room in most cases. Luckily we have private insurance so I SHOULD be in a room to myself with air conditioning, although officially Fall has arrived here in Milan, and the weather is crisp and delightful, so AC really isn't a huge issue anymore. I will have internet access in the room as long as we have good service through our internet key on our laptop, so I'll be sure to update Facebook, and maybe even a baby blog..I will apologize ahead of time for anything I say, as I will surely be on pain medication (let us hope they have the good stuff over here!)

My mom is here being mom/nurse of course! She is warning me that they should be checking my Blood Pressure regularly and my pulse to make sure I'm not bleeding internally...nice thought right? I assured her I would have them write down my BP so we could keep track of it to make sure it is stable. We are all a little on edge with the language barrier and delivering in a foreign country. All nerves are to be expected I suppose, but at this point I have given it up to God. I'm usually pretty calm about things on the outside, but freaking out inside, but I think I have come to a good balance of being fairly relaxed in both cases, because I know I am being watched over and prayed for. So thank you for your prayers. Josh is not allowed in the OR with me, and there is a slight chance (since we mentioned to the Dr, that mom was an OR nurse) that Mom will be allowed in with me. I hope she is, as I'd rather have someone there with me of course. Josh will be in the receiving room, where they take the baby to be weighed and have her apgar tests done, so he'll get to see her right away. Speaking of weight, I had a dream the baby was 8lbs 3 oz. I'm sure they will be giving us the baby's weight in Kilograms like those crazy Europeans do, so we'll have to do the conversion to see if my dream was correct, and I'll be sure to leave the converting up to Josh! If my dream prophecy is true, my new business venture wil be dressing like a gyspy and reading palms or something like that. It has been quite interesting to give my weight and height in Kilograms and centimeters. I must admit, it's a nice feeling saying you weigh about half of what you normally do...LOL We have nearly settled on a name for the baby, and the only one who might say something is Mallory...so if you get her by yourself or on Skype, she'd probably leak the name to you, so we've been keeping her sequestered and closely monitored especially on skype calls with family! I highly doubt we'll change the first name because it sounds so cute coming out of Mallory's mouth, and for all she knows, that IS her baby sister's name!

Mallory is doing well in pre-school. On delivery day, she'll be going to school and coming back home at 1pm. Her teacher from school who also babysits on the side (PRAISE GOD we just found that out) will be coming to watch Mallory for the afternoon and evening. Although I have to be at the hospital at 8am, I'm not scheduled for my C-Section until 3pm(Italy time). It will be a long day for all of us. These next few weeks are going to be difficult for us all as we transition. The biggest difficulty is going to be her accepting the fact, that I won't be able to pick her up, rock her before bed, etc...until Mommy's boo boo on her belly is all better. We can't wait to see her interact with her baby sister.

My Tastefully Simple Team and Business are alive and well! We added 1 new team member to our team in September and I have been consistently hitting my sales goal, and the team has been EXCEEDING our Team Sales Goal! GO TEAM! If you have Tastefully Simple Needs, please don't hesitate to e-mail me, or place your order directly online. This is a great month to stock up on products for easy entertaining and meals. Think Easy Halloween Party, Tailgaiting food, or a lickity split meal! Mallory is a die hard fan of Perfectly Potato Cheddar Soup, and she always asks for more. All you do is add water and it is chunky and delicious. It is Perfect for those cool fall nights, and is ready in a snap!

I am opening up a Catalog party to celebrate the birth of the baby! No baby shower her, so why not a Tastefully Simple Shower?! Simply go to my website to place your order online and AT CHECKOUT, select Libby Hunking as the host. For everyone that places an order, you will be entered to win $20 in Free product PLUS any qualifying Host Credit! Could be $20, could be $100 or more.....just like that! The more who order, the bigger the pot! The winner will be announced in My November Tastefully Simple newsletter, and on Facebook by November 5th! So if you aren't connected to me through one of those than GET CONNECTED, by sending me your e-mail address or friending me on Facebook. And be sure to tell your friends who like to eat..... It's like the lottery...but your chances are REALLY GOOD! :)

*If you have a 20% discount coming to you for placing 3 orders, and you'd like to use it for this, no problem! Just e-mail me your order so I can apply the discount for you!

Visit my website TODAY to shop and browse the catalog and place your order TODAY or by October 31st for yourself, YOUR BOSS (Boss's day is observed Monday Oct 17th!), your sibling's birthday, or for one of your business clients! You'll thank yourself and they'll thank you!

Again, I appreciate your business, your prayers, and your support more than you know!

Keeping you posted, one blog at a time,

Libby

PS. Stay tuned for: Blog by Josh. He wanted to squeeze one in on this one, but it's dying to be posted and has waited long enough!

I'll have the Schnitzel...... no on second thought, maybe I'll try the Pork.

The week of August 15th, Josh had off work because his entire office was shut down for the week due to a random Italian Holiday....rough, I know. We planned a trip to Germany to visit my cousin Doug, his wife Sandy and their Daughter Tori.
It took us about 8 1/2 hours to get there, and Mallory barely made a peep up the whole way. She was very content with the iPad (what she calls the Big Movie) and the iTouch(the little movie). We hit traffic going through the many tunnels in Swtizerland, and at one point were stopped long enough to get out of the car, have a stretch and change a diaper. Potty training was out of the question during our time on the road!

We arrived at Doug and Sandy's in Frankfurt Germany and had an awesome German dinner at a local Biergarten. Schnitzel topped with this amazing mushroom sauce and hockey puck sized hashbrowns on the side.. YUM. If you don't know what Schnitzel is...you'll be fully schooled after this, I promise. Schnitzel is a pounded out piece of pork, breaded and fried. That's it. The going slogan in Germany is "How would you like your pork tonight?" Pork, Pork, Pork and more Pork. Funny though, we didn't see a single pig while we were there...hmmmm?

A Castle in the middle of the Rhine River

The name of a town, that gave me a chuckle.

The girls passed out after our Boat Ride Day!

We were able to do quite a bit of sightseeing while we were there. One day we took a boat tour along the Rhine River to see all the castles that lined the River. It was a gorgeous day and the girls had fun playing on the slide on board the boat!

Mallory and Tori on the boat!

We did downtown Frankfurt a little bit, walked around, ate some schnitzel, soft pretzels(something you surely cannot get in Italy) bought some delcious Streudel that shamelessly fell out of the paper and onto the street as I was getting into the car. 5 second rule right? I dusted that bad boy off and Josh and I ate it for breakfast for 3 days. It was SOOOO worth saving!

We took the girls to this kiddie park called Lochmuhler. It was the greatest place EVER. It was fairly cheap to get in, and Mallory was FREE. When we got there it was raining and we were decked out in Ponchos, but it soon stopped and left us with a fairly empty park. Mallory was able to get on and off rides lickity split and ride them 3....or 4 times if she wanted. It was complete with a petting zoo where we fed and pet multitudes of animals, goats, deer, sheep, cows, ducks, bunnies, and a donkey. Josh and I were standing next to the donkey and I couldn't help but think we looked like Mary and Joseph with me being nearly 8 months pregnant and all. There was this giant cow, that I let slobber all over my hand and arm for the sake of the girls enjoyment and Sandy's well.....disgust. Hahah. She later told me she is NOT an animal person and couldn't believe I was letting that cow gobble up my hand. It was gross, I'm not going to lie, but when you've gone to Delaware Valley College (an agricultural school) you can say without a doubt that your hands have been worse places than a cow's mouth :)
At one point the cow gave me a big nudge on my belly, and I couldn't help but wonder later whether it was sensing the baby in my belly or the big burger I ate the night before.














This park was no ordinary park you'd find in the States...believe me. Some of these rides wouldn't even get past the first planning stages in the states due to safety concerns. Let me enlighten you....One ride, lets call it the Death Plunge...was for one person at a time. It was this log ride type car that you get in. It pulls you up this track backwards tethered to a rope. Once you reach the top, the rope disengages so that your boat goes flying down the hill, over a ramp where you are literally flying through the air (not attached to a track) only to plunge and skid across the water. There were no attendants operating most of the rides or makings sure everyone was buckled in safely multiple times. Some rides were even self powered. There was this 8 seater Ferris-wheel that was powered by an adult pedaling a bike that was attached to it. It was very funny to watch some of the adults trying to make that ferris wheel move faster than a snails speed! There were large trampoline areas, where Mallory got the hang of bouncing, she'd get 3 jumps in and go flying and rolling all over the place. She'd get right back up, bounce again, flop down, and giggle uncontrollably.

INSERT FAILED AND IMPATIENT ATTEMPT AT UPLOADING VIDEO OF MALLORY JUMPING ON THE TRAMPOLINE

Here's another thing that kept me entertained throughout Germany...regular road signs. Every "EXIT" made me laugh. Ausfahrt ironically means "exit" That is even more funny to me.

Then we found this sign at Lochmuhler. Translated I imagine it to say "Goodbye, and a good fart to you for that hot dog with sauerkraut you ate while you were here." I'm sure that's not REALLY what it says...but you have to admit, pretty funny nonetheless!

From Virginia to Italy...

The Sea Freight Container has made it from Virginia to Italy!

Well, we are in our new house. Praise God! I was about to open a can of you know what on someone at the Hotel we were staying at. To share a bit of my frustration, not only was I irritated every day of tossing and turning all night and waking up with a sore back, but 90% of the staff at the hotel were morons. I know that isn't nice, but seriously....let me justify my name calling.
There was the toilet paper incident..... Fabio refused to give me a roll of toilet paper because the maid had neglected to leave us an extra roll that day. After making a call to his MANAGER (really, about a roll of toilet paper??) he informed us that toilet paper was not part of our rate and he would have to charge us for the toilet paper. Get. Out. Of. Town. I walked away in disbelief at the way I was treated over a lousy roll of toilet paper. The problem didn't persist as the maid always kept us stocked with toilet paper, even though she apparently isn't supposed to, but I'm guessing it was never communicated to her to stop giving us toilet paper. When we left, I snagged any toilet paper that was left and even contemplated taking it out of the lobby bathroom...but I didn't.
Then there was the check out incident...... Josh spoke to another person at the front desk, lets call him Antonio. Josh asked Antonio if it would be a problem to check out late on Monday with the possibility of extending our stay one more night in case moving in didn't go as quickly or as smoothly as we had planned. Antonio, said he would check with the Manager and call us if there was any problem with a late checkout. All day we received no call indicating that checking out late would be a problem. So when 5pm rolled around and we were on our way out to our new house, we were informed by none other than the infamous toilet paper Fabio that we would be charged a full days rate for checking out late. Josh tried to explain the situation saying he had spoken to Antonio earlier and that we should have received a call if there was going to be a charge associated with a late check out and that we didn't receive a call. FABIO, was insistent that checkout was at 12 and since we were late we would be charged the full rate. Keep in mind we had been residents of this hotel for almost 2 months and here was FABIO, trying to nickel and dime us for checking out late! He was going through some paperwork after he told us how much it would actually be and I couldn't take it anymore. I firmly expressed our confusion in being charged when we were told we would receive a call and that we didn't so we assumed we wouldn't be charged. Oh the wrath of a pregnant woman! He hurried off to call his manager and came back with his tail behind his legs, because the manger told him not to charge us. TAKE THAT! Like I said..Moron. His attitude was poor as he shook his head, rolled his eyes and banged on the keyboard. ARRIVEDERCI Fabio!

Our New Home!
So all of the hotel craziness aside, we are in our new house and I must say I have never been so glad to see my bed, and my couch! I literally gave my bed a big hug, and had I been alone, I might have shed a tear or two. The movers arrived at 8:30 am and Josh was there to meet them. I was back at the hotel until around 10 with Mallory and then I dropped her off at Josh's boss's house because his wife Joanna volunteered to watch Mallory while we moved in. I was SO nervous that Mallory would have a complete meltdown and freak out when I left, but she barely acknowledged me as I said goodbye. Mind you, I had been pshyching her up to go to Miss Joannas and play with all of the toys and see Miss Joanna's baby etc...Mallory stayed all morning and part of the afternoon without incident and only cried because I made her leave to go back to the hotel and take a nap.
The movers did an excellent job. I played traffic control as things came off the truck indicating whether they went up or down stairs. This was crucial to the move in, as we only have a spiral staircase to get things up and down inside the house, so everything had to go through the garage into the basement or through the front door to the first floor, or in some cases over the back balcony!

They worked two days. The first day was unloading the sea freight truck, into a smaller truck (pictured above), and then into the house, and the second day unpacking boxes. Each day included an hour and a half lunch break and quitting time at 5pm. This was in sharp contrast to the movers back in the states who worked from 9am-8pm with NO lunch break, and about a 30 minute pizza break for dinner each day.
We had them leave a handful of boxes unpacked, because we had so much stuff to put away, there was no place to put the things that would have come out of the boxes. We have plenty of storage space, which is nice, but my suspicions have been confirmed, we have too much crap!
It's starting to feel like home already. Especially the other night when I made Meatloaf, (probably the best meatloaf I have ever made thanks to Tastefully Simple's Sweet Bell Pepper Dip Mix), baked potatoes and zuchinni! It doesn't get more American than that ....unless I would have had an apple pie to wash it all down with. It is so nice to have my own pots and pans for cooking! I must say though, I've never read so many instruction manuals in depth before in my life. The ovens is completely different and of course it is in Celsius...so I totally guessed at what temperature to cook the meatloaf, but it came out perfect! We bought a microwave, and that too works a bit differently than your typical microwave at home. We are still without TV and internet at the house (other than the mobile internet key we bought about a month ago) and we are still without Italian cell Phones. Hopefully those things should be in place by the end of August. It's hard to get much of anything accomplished here in the month of August as most businesses completely shut down.

Corner of Living room and Patio

Mallory's room is all set up complete with a little toy area, and she has been enamored with her toys all week, some days barely coming out of her room, other than to bring me the occasional book to read to her. When I get a moment where Josh can occupy her, I am going to purge some of her toys and stuffed animals that are spilling out of her toy shelf. I'll just put them in the basement for now and swap them out again when she isn't looking. She was needless to say quite happy to see all of her books and toys!
It is a strange feeling, but the crib is all put together in the baby's room and filled with miscellaneous baby things, baby tub, baby bouncer, boppy, monitors etc. It is hard to believe that in just 2 short months, our new little girl will be arriving and that this is the house where she will spend her first year. We have such great memories of bringing Mallory home at our house in Virginia, and watching her grow and learn new things. We look forward to that same blissful experience here in Italy.
Church:
Last week we attended an English speaking Church in Milan. It was small, intimate, and was made up of mostly people from the Phillipines. It was nice to participate in worship and hear a message straight out of the Bible. Like attending any new church as we have found, I'm sure it is going to take some time for us to settle into it. It is held in a basement type of place, which helps to keep it cool, but the pastor mentioned to us, that only half of the congregation was in attendance due to people being on holiday, and that when it is full it gets quite hot. Although they offer child care, I think Mallory was the only child there, and was mostly well behaved. The pastor even commented on how good she was. She had fun showing off to the pastor and his wife (both Americans) and she certainly had fun clapping and dancing to the music. When asked how old she was, she put her finger on her cheek in thought and after a moment responded with "DUE" (pronounced 'doo-ay'). This means "2" in Italian. Even I was impressed that she answered in Italian, the correct number, without being prompted!
Vacation:
On Friday we leave for Germany to visit my cousin and his family! Italy shuts down for the week of Aug 15th, so Josh has off the whole week. Instead of heading to Germany, what we really should be doing is staying home putting the house together and potty training Mallory. Yeah well, she'll pee in the potty when she's ready, and those boxes aren't going anywhere right?
Side note (almost a whole week has passed since I originally wrote this and so I am having to go back and update things)
Speaking of Potty Training: We are in full swing potty training mode here! Mallory has been running around half naked (thank goodness for hardwood floors) she consistently pees in the potty and has now 2 days in a row done #2 on the potty, both times without being prompted or asked!! She is doing really well and we'll try to keep up our efforts even with all that we have going on. But it is a nice piece of mind knowing she is capable. I'll spare you all the graphic pitcure I sent to my immediate family of her first #2 in the potty. It is quite a hilarious picture and she has the cheesiest grin on her face. She was certainly very proud of herself.
Back to Germany....
We are excited to spend time with family, and I've already been prepping Mallory of how much fun she is going to have with her cousin Tori! I've never been to Germany before and the only things I can remember from my 3 months of German in middle school are "thank you, you're welcome, may I have a tissue, and may I use the pencil sharpener....and God Bless you" Not quite sure if all of these things will come in handy, but I'll give them a whirl and let you know how it goes.
On our way home from Germany we will be picking up our friend Luke in Milan and he'll be spending the weekend with us. We've already sent requests to him for tasty kakes..Reeses peanut butter cups, and cheetos...LOL. One night while laying in bed, Josh and I played a game.... We would go back and forth naming things that we missed from the states. Ok well truthfully, I played, and Josh half listened. His one and only contribution was the Peanut butter cups. Poor Luke is also getting a package from Amazon with lots of Italian adapters in it to lug over with him as well. I guess this is just fair warning that if you come to visit us, be prepared to leave a few of your things at home to make room for some special requests from us! :)

We have lots to look forward to over these next few months, a beach vacation near Venice, my best friend Alicia coming to visit, my mom coming to visit, and the arrival of our new baby girl Bertha. Yes, that is the name we have picked out, so please run out and monogram anything soft,cuddly and pink. Just make sure you keep the receipt :)
Until next time....

Thoughts from the Heart..

I often have moments of being completely overwhelmed by my blessings. I hold my beautiful child and breathe in her sweet scent, and I just want time to stand still if even for just a few minutes before she squirms away from me to carry on in her own unique toddler way. She speaks and I hear myself. She makes an expression, and I know she gets it from me. She brings so much joy to our lives and even to those of perfect strangers. I can't help but be overwhelmed with the job I've been given to love, nuture, cherish, teach, and raise this wondeful blessing we call Mallory. She is smarter than I ever was or will be, she gets THIS from her dad, and I suppose she looks a little like him too :) She is articulate and knows what she wants. She can recall the smallest details. She has the most infectious laugh and cracks herself up with a giggle that seems to rise from her toes.

Being a parent is exhausting. There isn't one who will tell you otherwise, I'm sure. Soon the exhaustion will hit a new level as I navigate the waters of having 2 children. The lack of sleep, crying, midnight feedings will return as all too familiar things. This time though with a 2 1/2 year old demanding attention, interaction and stimulation from the overjoyed AND exhausted parents. I have no doubt that mommy's little helper will be in full swing and that she will be completely enamored with her new baby sister. She is already practicing with her baby doll, carrying her ever so gently, tucking her into bed, talking to her softly. We'll just have to break the news to her, that her new baby sister can't sleep with her and that we don't feed our new baby sister blueberries...she does love to share! EEK!

I always want my children to know that I am proud of them, that I believe in them, and I pray for them. I will never let an opportunitiy pass to tell them one of these things. I will be supportive and encouraging in all of their endeavors from learning to swim, using the potty, remembering their address, learning their times tables, trying out for a sports team, joining the chess club,  to getting into College or deciding on an alternative to College, dyeing their hair green, traveling the world, to starting their own business, working their way up from the bottom, finding love, losing love, finding love again, moving far away from home, or even bunkin' in with mom and dad until they can figure things out.  God willing, I will always be there for my children.

I use the analogy of my heart growing like that of the Grinch in "How the Grinch stole Christmas" when Mallory was born. Not to say that I had a small shrunken, nearly non functional heart before she was born, but rather to say, I had NO IDEA about the amount of love that would fill my heart. Sounds cheesy I know, but it is true. I'd look at the dog and think, if I love my dog this much, surely I'll love my own flesh and blood more, but how? That sounds awfully cold, but it is what I thought, because I really had no idea of the love that was about to flood my heart, and I really, really loved my dog :) I certainly believe in love at first sight...

Side-story: I have to laugh, because now that I am thinking about Kota (the dog) it was love at first sight for us too! I bypassed multiple cute cuddly puppies to this gigantic full grown dog in crate. I knew at that moment I HAD to have that dog! :) She will always be my first 4 legged baby.

....because as soon as I saw Mallory, I was in love. I felt love like I have never experienced before. It hit me like a ton of bricks and I had two major realizations that I am reminded of daily.
1. You'll never quite grasp how much YOUR parents love you, until you have children of your own.
2. I know how much I love my child, and yet my Heavenly Father loves me MORE!
How 'bout them apples eh?

That's all for now...
I love you Mallory. And baby girl #2...I know it will be love at first sight for us too!