Revolution of Love

Revolution of Love

Do small things with great love.

{pretty, happy, funny, real} – vol 28: Easter & Matthew’s 1st Birthday Edition

round button chicken



~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~



{pretty}




The kids are looking pretty in their Easter outfits. I let the boys go a bit more casual since anything fancier would have only been worn once.


28a.JPG

Bella in name and looks.




28a2.JPG

Andrew and Agent P.




28a3.JPG

John-Paul the rascal was actually still and smiling. An Easter miracle!



{happy}




Brian’s parents made an Easter egg hunt in their backyard. They were as happy as the kids!


28b1.JPG


28b2.JPG


28b3.JPG


28b4.JPG


28b5.JPG


28c6.JPG

Matthew was asleep when the kids went on their egg hunt but he had a hunt of his own earlier that morning and found the kids’ decor and a giant egg, which made him very happy.



{funny}




28c.JPG


Today is Matthew’s first birthday! Yay! We had a party for him at my in-laws on Easter. It has become an unintentional family tradition for my in-laws to get a cake with the wrong spelling. One year they spelled Andrew Joseph as “Josef” and last year John-Paul had a cake from a fancy French bakery and it was spelled “Jean-Paul.” This year the tradition continues, but we’re getting closer!

{real}



I can’t help but think about how Matthew is grown over the past year.

28d1.JPG

Matthew at 1 day old.




28d2.JPG

Matthew at his baptism at one month old.




28d4.JPG

Matthew at four months.




28d6.JPG

Matthew at nine months.




28d3.JPG

The birthday boy at one year.



Time is flying too fast! Savor the moments.

2_signature.jpg


{pretty, happy, funny, real} – vol 27

Wouldn’t you know it. Yesterday I carved out a half hour where I could post this week’s {p,h,f,r} and the power went off. Blast you, Murphy’s Law. Once we got our power back on I didn’t have time for the computer so I am posting this now instead. Enjoy. šŸ™‚

round button chicken



~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~



{pretty}




27a.jpg


It’s a Lenten Friday so of course I am craving meat. There is a juicy turkey burger in the fridge just calling my name. If that was not enough, I am also craving something sweet. Like a delicious pastry from one of our favorite Carmel bakeries. If you are ever in downtown Carmel, you must stop and visit there. It is a local and tourist favorite.

{happy}




27b.JPG


I was so excited and happy to take this photo! There was no wild craziness, screaming or wrestling. The baby was sleeping peacefully and the boys were quietly painting and I was washing the dishes. For a few precious moments I felt like one of those picture perfect families where the members smile and white sparks shine off their perfect teeth. It only lasted a few minutes but what glorious minutes they were!

{funny}




27c1.JPG


27c2.JPG


Okay, this is more like the family photos I am used to. It seems that John-Paul finished his yogurt but still had a bit left in the container. Not wanting to waste, Matthew decided to finish it for him.

{real}




27d.JPG


Is it my imagination or are kids getting tech smart earlier and earlier. JP knows how to work my iphone with ease and the other day I saw Matty playing for Andrew’s Leap Pad. Kinda crazy.


2_signature.jpg


7 Quick Takes (3/16/12): The “I Thought He Was Going to Die” Version

Hosted by Jen.

– 1 –

Yesterday was an insane day and, as usual, my way to cope is to write about it. It started out normal enough but then it went crazy…

Rain Clouds Gather – I got the kids off to school them went to take my morning walk. When I was done and as I was getting Matthew back in the car, I got a phone call from the preschool. My usually playful JP was listless and not himself. I wasn’t sure if he has just tired (I loathe you, daylight savings time) or coming down with something. So I picked him up from school and headed home. The poor guy slept for an hour or two and then seemed much better. I gave him his lunch then went to send off some fundraising emails while Matthew played with his toys.

A few minutes later JP came to my chair and I scooted forward so he could take his usual position of comfort – standing behind me on the chair, leaning his head on my shoulder, and rubbing his finger on my lips. I don’t know how this soothes him but it does. As he hugged me I was thinking to myself that he seems fine now and maybe we should go ahead and go to speech therapy when he made this strange noise. Now the excitement begins…

– 2 –

TMI Alert – I turned my head to look back at him and saw chunks fly out of his mouth. I was covered in it, the desk chair was dripping and the desk was splattered. Immediately Matthew saw puddles of liquid to be splashed in and ran over. Luckily I was wearing a jacket over a tank top so I threw off the jacket, which had most of his lunch, and in one arm I held JP and my desk trash can, in case more was to come, and in my other arm I grabbed Matthew and ran down the long hallway to my bathroom. (See all that walking is paying off.)

I looked in the mirror and saw vomit dripping from my cheek onto my neck. Nice. There’s nothing like the glamour of motherhood. I quickly wiped my face off then bathed JP while Matthew emptied out the contents of the bathroom drawers on the floor.

– 3 –

The Famous Last Words “I Only Turned for A Second” – I finished cleaning JP and then smelled Matthew’s stinky diaper. No problem, after JP’s fiasco this will be cake. Now this is where things get scary – seriously. I grabbed the phone to call the speech therapist and leave her a message that we won’t be there. I placed Matthew on the bed to be changed. As I’m leaving my message, phone cradled in my neck, I had one hand on Matthew and with the other hand I tried to grab a diaper wipe that was just… out… of… my… reach… and my wiggle worm tried to escape but headed in the wrong direction – right off the bed. He fell down and started screaming. I hang up the phone. (What a message that will be.)

– 4 –

Snap Out of It – I picked up Matty to comfort him and you know how a baby cries really hard then sucks in a breathe and cries even louder? Well, Mathew sucked in the air but never let it out. He just stood there then looked almost like he was going to faint. I freaked out. I thought perhaps he hit his head so hard he had brain damage. My mind traveled at warp speed – it a matter of seconds I pictured the whole scenario – me in the hospital, the doctor telling me they did everything they could, my breakdown, the funeral… I slapped myself out of it and rubbed his chest and called his name. He finally took a breath and whimpered but seemed tired out. As I debated going to the emergency room or calling 911, I quickly changed his dirty diaper. There was no time for me to change out of my vomit clothes. I’d have to bring JP with me and hope he doesn’t get sick again. In the meantime Matthew had quieted down and seemed better.

– 5 –

Dr. H to the Rescue – I called my pediatrician’s emergency line and told him what happened. He asked me detailed questions about what happened. How far did he fall (off the bed), is the floor carpeted (yes), did his eyes roll back (no), are his pupils unequal (no), is he vomiting (no, just his brother), etc. He said it sounded like he was okay but I had to keep an eye on him for any warning signs. It seems he didn’t so much hurt his head but rather he was crying so hard that he lost his breathe.

– 6 –

Perspective – I sat on the couch with the boys grateful that Matthew finished his milk and was now hitting me on the face with his “love taps” as he laughed and babbled away, “Mamamamamama…” Who cares if my desk area was still covered in vomit or that I had yet to shower after getting drenched in it. Who cares about all the things I “should” be doing today. I was just relieved that I had my babies snuggled in my arms and God has spared me a scary, scary cross (at least so far.) There’s nothing like a little shake up to help you put back perspective in your life!

– 7 –

Lesson Learned – Today is a new day and the kids are home from school. I hear yelling, screaming, laughter and the sound of JP and Matty giggling as they play with the bubble machine by my desk. The chaotic noise never sounded so beautiful.

So if today happens to drive you mad and you are feeling like you are going to lose it, stop and take a breath. Remember what matters most and count your blessings. God will get you through the rough spots. Don’t wait for a near tragedy to remind you.

Thanks for listening and have a wonderful weekend!!


{pretty, happy, funny, real} – vol 24

round button chicken



~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~




It has been a busy and stressful week and I haven’t had any free time to post to the blog. Right now I have a ten minute window to make a quick post so I’ll catch you up on the latest.

{pretty}




24b2.JPG


I’ve been busy, busy with the school fundraiser and after a meeting this morning I stopped into the Adoration chapel to pray. It felt good to regroup and only focus on Our Lord for a bit. I decided to take the scenic route home and I am glad I did. How can you stay stressed when you stop and look at a scene like this? So pretty.

{happy}




24c.JPG


This week John-Paul started pre-school! He has been so happy there. He and Andrew have recess at the same time so they enjoy playing together with their little friends. I know JP loves it because when it’s time for him to go, he has a tantrum and doesn’t want to leave. But after I pick him up and give him a kiss, he rubs my lips with his finger (that’s how he soothes himself) and he rests his head on me, ready for a nap in the car.

{funny}




24b.JPG


Matty must have found John-Paul’s secret candy stash because this is what I found him eating for breakfast.

{real}




24d.JPG


Since we had that laundry room flood, we had to not only empty out the laundry room but also the hallway closet that held all the jackets and cleaning supplies ect. Everything was thrown into the closest bedroom, which was Bella’s. The poor room looked like a war zone.


24d2.JPG


Thankfully everything has been dried out, the carpet padding has been replaced, the carpet has been washed and $600 later (ugh!) I got my laundry room back… and Bella got her room back. (Now I just need to catch up on all the piled up laundry. Oh joy.


2_signature.jpg


{pretty, happy, funny, real} – vol 23: Haircuts, Hand-Me-Down PJ’s & Water Damage

round button chicken



~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~



I am a day late posting this but it was an insane day yesterday and I never had time to post this. Better late than never. šŸ™‚

{pretty}



23a.JPG

Bella got a haircut the other day and we took off about 3 inches. She looks so much older to me! How did my baby girl get so grown up?? I swear she look just like my little sister JC! (And JC is still my little sister even though she is in her 20’s now. šŸ˜‰



{happy}




23x3.JPG

Matthew is most happy when he gets to explore something new. I was cleaning out the fridge and when he saw the door open he ran over. You can’t see it from this angle but he has a huge smile on his face.


********************

23x4.JPG

“Uh, oh. Did someone catch me in the act?”


********************

23x5.JPG

“But, mom, I was just looking for a snack!”



{funny}



I think it is funny that these pair of pajamas have lasted long enough to survive all three boys and their mischief.

23c1.JPG

Here Andrew is wearing them while he crushed up animal crackers to make a rocky terrain for Wall-E.


********************

23x7.JPG

Here John-Paul is wearing them while “helping” me with the dishes.



{real}




IMG_2074.JPG

This is what happens when your washing machine overflows and it floods the laundry room and the carpet outside the door. Water damage. Ugh!



I hope you enjoyed my week in photos.
2_signature.jpg