The Baby Who Did Not Want To Be Born

Note: While this is a birth story, rest assured that I did not include any squeamish details.

Lucia made us wait quite a few days past her due date before finally choosing to make her appearance. During that time, I fluttered between feeling anxious to get the whole birthing process over with to being completely fine with remaining pregnant and putting off that ordeal as long as possible. At one particularly uncomfortable point when my swollen, overdue belly was driving me completely nuts, I scheduled an induction with my midwife and went home completely happy with my decision. We went for a family walk that evening where we began talking to the kids about when their sister would be born and then some doubts and frightening thoughts began sneaking into my head. I prayed about it for a few days, talked to several friends, and then ended up cancelling the induction. I felt like such a wimp but I really wanted to give my body time to go into labor on its own and as long as my midwife was willing to allow me to remain pregnant, I would rather waddle on and pray that Lucia would come naturally before I was forced to induce.

On Friday, May 15th, three days after I cancelled the induction, Paul and I made some beer-battered fish tacos. It was certainly a labor of love making all the different toppings and frying up batch after batch of fish. By the time we sat down to eat, I realized that the irregular contractions that I had been experiencing on and off throughout the entire pregnancy were suddenly coming at 6-minute intervals. We cleaned up the kitchen and continued to time the contractions and they were still about 6 minutes apart. They also had changed from being a minor, annoying pain in my lower abdomen to a stabbing, uncomfortable ache in my lower back. I began to panic that the baby might be posterior in her positioning just like Emma had been. Emma was a very difficult delivery and I was terrified to relive that experience.

Paul told me to relax. I requested that we take a family walk to the park and continue tracking the contractions. Maybe the walking would speed them up? We took our walk and the contractions just kept coming. They also grew in intensity. By the end of our walk, Paul was pretty convinced that the baby was probably coming and I was beginning to believe it as well. We put the kids to bed, sent a note to my Mom and a friend, and then went to bed. I half expected to wake up in a couple hours in full-blown labor. I did wake up a couple times from the pain in my back but nothing too eventful ended up happening. When I woke up at 7:00 AM and realized that I had not gone into labor during the night, I was majorly bummed. The back pain was still there and continued to come and go, but this time at extremely irregular intervals. I was frustrated with my body.

My Mom and my sister decided to come out to stay with us anyway. I tried to tell my Mom that I was pretty sure my body was broken and Lucy was never going to come out. My Mom assured me that I was being silly and she was convinced that the baby would be coming at any time. She was pretty sure that I was experiencing prodromal labor but that active labor was right around the corner. By the time she arrived, I was clearly in a rotten mood. The pain in my back combined with my fear of birthing a posterior baby had turned me into one grumpy pregnant lady. I was not fun to be around. Plus, I was beginning to feel like the proverbial "watched pot" - only instead of never boiling I would never begin laboring!

Saturday came and went with lots of painful contractions but nothing regular. We woke up bright and early at 6:00 AM on Sunday, May 17th to get ready for early Mass. While getting dressed and ready, I noted that I did not feel a single contraction. Further proof that my body hated me! Towards the end of Mass, I felt a single twinge in my back and quickly dismissed it. Later, after we had returned home and were making breakfast, the twinges continued but I did not note anything regular. We enjoyed a nice family breakfast, cleaned up, and then just hung around. By this time, the contractions were still irregular but were getting progressively more painful. I had to actually go into a different room when I felt them coming on just so I could get down on my hands and knees to relieve some of the pressure I was feeling in my back. The pains were really starting to make me mad. My Mom suggested that Paul and I go for a walk or do something fun together. She wanted to take Matthew and Emma to the Zoo that afternoon. I did not really feel like walking around much since the back pain was really bothering me but then I remembered that Paul and I had picked up a large bundle of rhubarb from the farmer's market a few days ago. I decided that I wanted to make a rhubarb crisp and then drown my sour grapes attitude about not being in labor with buttery, sugary goodness. Paul and I made a list of the ingredients we needed to make my favorite crisp ever and then headed to the grocery store.

I should note, that Paul had been tracking my contractions on his phone for a couple hours just to see if anything materialized. I had told him not to waste his time, but he still insisted on doing it. He pointed out to me that they had been coming about 7 minutes apart for over an hour. I brushed it off as nothing. They would eventually stop just as they did before.

As we wandered around the grocery store casually picking up our ingredients, I had to stop and breathe through some of the pains. By the time our shopping trip had ended, Paul pointed out that the contractions had been 5 minutes apart for the last 40 minutes. Again, I brushed it off as nothing.

We returned home and helped my Mom get the kids ready to go to the zoo. After they left, Paul and I began making our dessert while watching an episode of Psych on Netflix. Every four minutes or so, I had to lean across the countertop and breathe slowly through each contraction. Because of this, it took a ridiculously long time for us to finish the crisp. We began making it at 4:00 pm and slid it into the oven at 5:30 pm. In reality, we should have had it in the oven in under 30 minutes. But those contractions (which I insisted were still not real labor) slowed us down!

After the crisp was safely in the oven, Paul began gently suggesting that perhaps we should think about heading to the hospital. I told him that I didn't want to. Then, he tried insisting that I eat a snack, maybe take a shower, and then head to the hospital. I said yes to the snack and the shower, but no hospital. Paul's reply: "Ok, whatever you want. We'll just see where we're at in a little bit."

I ate some cheese and then went upstairs to take a shower. The water felt awesome on my lower back so I took a pretty long shower. After I got out, I put on some makeup and began blow-drying my hair. The contractions started suddenly getting more and more intense. I continued to blow-dry my hair, setting the blowdryer down during the contractions so I could breathe properly through them. The intensity was really making it difficult for me to relax my body. I then realized that the last few contractions had been 2 minutes apart. I also then realized that my legs had begun to shake uncontrollably - and that freaked me out. I decided that maybe I should try finding Paul. I went to get up and realized that I couldn't because I kept getting hit by one intense contraction after the other. I then began to feel a lot of pressure in my pelvic region. I recognized that sensation: the baby was coming NOW.

Meanwhile, Paul was downstairs eating a large ham sandwich. My Mom and the kids had come home in the meantime and a movie was playing loudly.

Upstairs, I tried to yell for Paul to come upstairs. However, nobody downstairs could hear me because the movie was playing so loudly. I was still unable to get off the floor, so I crawled gingerly over to the vent and began yelling for Paul to get upstairs through the vent. That didn't work either. I was getting pretty scared that I was going to be birthing the baby on my bathroom floor. By myself.

Paul eventually had the brilliant thought: "Monica has been upstairs a while by herself. I should go check on her!" and wandered upstairs only to find my huddled in pain on the bathroom floor.

"We need to get to the hospital NOW!!!" I said through gritted teeth.

Paul immediately gathered up my bag and headed downstairs. My Mom came up to check on me and help me down the stairs. I kissed my kids goodbye (Matthew said: "Good luck Mommy! Have fun getting Baby Lucy out! See you at the hospital!" and Emma declared: "I coming with you, Mommy!") and headed out the door. But not before my Mom insisted on snapping this stunning photo of me with her phone. I was ready to kill her.

The drive to the hospital was long and extremely painful. The pressure and pain was so intense and every pothole the car hit made the pain escalate. "Do you have to hit every single one!?!?" I asked Paul. We took some time to pray together for baby Lucy to come safely and that really helped me relax. I also stuck my rosary ring onto my ring finger to take into the hospital with me so I could continue asking for the Blessed Mother's intercession during birth (something she is slightly familiar with).

Paul drove into the parking garage closet to the hospital entrance (he offered to drop me off but I did NOT want him to leave me!). After parking the car, he helped me out and we began hobbling towards the hospital entrance. It was a true walk of shame. I could not stand completely upright and kept getting slammed with contractions that forced me to double over and breathe. We finally made it to the reception area and headed to the front desk. As I clung onto the edge of the counter, breathing heavily while doubled over in pain, the secretary looked up from her computer, smiled cheerily, and then asked us: "What brings you in here today?"

Paul answered: "My wife is having a baby."
"Okie dokie!" was the cheery reply, "You'll want to take her up to Labor and Delivery on the fifth floor."
Then she looked at me as I continued to huff and puff and asked: "Do you need a wheelchair?"
"That would be great," Paul replied.
"They are over there," the receptionist motioned to a line of wheelchairs to the right of the counter. Paul went to grab one, but I had such a death grip on his arm (another contraction had surged at that point) and he was unable to move. So, we just stood there awkwardly as I continued to breathe deeply.
"Do you want me to grab a chair for you?" the receptionist asked.
Paul: "That would be great."

So, we got me into a wheelchair and Paul began sprinting up to the fifth floor and into Labor and Delivery. Once again, we were greeted by a cheery nurse who asked us: "What brings you in here, today?"

 Honestly, I thought my pregnant body, doubled over in pain as I tried my best to breathe was a pretty good hint.

Paul: "Uhhh...my wife is having a baby."
The Nurse: "Alrighty. When is her due date."
Paul: "Her due date was a while ago...she's having the baby RIGHT NOW!"

Maybe it was the urgency in his voice that got her moving, but we were quickly moved into a room where I was hustled into a hospital gown and then checked. The nurse's eyes widened: "Call her midwife in NOW. She's ready to go." The nurse assured me that if I could not wait for the midwife, that there was an OB already on the floor who could deliver the baby.

I should probably note that at this point, I was still half-convinced that I was not actually in labor. I almost expected to arrive at the hospital and for them to tell me that I was only 5 cm dilated. I was completely thrown when they told me that I would be pushing the baby out soon.

Luckily, my midwife was driving right past the hospital when she received the alert. She had a pair of scrubs in her car and changed into them at a light before rushing into the hospital. She was there in less than 10 minutes. They basically threw a sheet down and told me I was ready to push. Again, I could not quite wrap my mind around the fact that my body was ready for me to push Lucy out. I asked my midwife if the baby was posterior and tearfully told her that I was so scared to push her out if she was posterior. Heather (my midwife) grabbed my hand and gave me a quick pep talk: The baby is not posterior. She is already on her way out. All it will take is a few pushes. This delivery will be quick. 

The pep talk, combined with Paul's calm and reassuring demeanor, helped relax me. I pushed three times with one intense contraction while holding Paul in a headlock. One of the nurses paged for another nurse to come hold my other leg up because: "Mom's got Dad's head in a death grip." After that, I pushed maybe twice more before I was suddenly handed a beautiful, crying, baby girl with a full head of hair! She was so beautiful and so sweet that I could not hold back the tears. I cried when each child was born - but with Lucy, I absolutely sobbed. I kept saying over and over: "My baby girl! We waited so long for you!" I just could not believe that she was here. I mean, we had been making a dessert and thinking she was never going to arrive just a couple hours ago - and now she was in our arms!!

She was born on my late maternal grandmother's birthday - May 17th. My Mom had mentioned that it was grandma's birthday that morning and I remember thinking how neat it would be if Lucy was born that day. And she was!

I called my Mom and asked her to come to the hospital immediately. I could not wait for Matthew and Emma to see Lucy! She is the luckiest little girl to have two such wonderful siblings who already love her so much. The two of them were so excited to finally meet the little sister that they had heard so much about over the past few months.

Now, we just need to find our "new normal" as we adjust to life with three kids. I'm sure it will prove to be messy, sticky, noisy, and tough but also....joyful!

As my Mom told me once when she handed me my little sister Jane to hold for the first time almost 17 years ago: This is love.

This is Love.

Disappearing Turkey and Black Bean Enchiladas

A few weeks ago, my dear friend Christina offered to take over the blog for a guest post during my maternity break. She is gearing up to marry the love-of-her-life in just over a month and was really eager to try out a recipe post of her own! As a little bit of background, Christina and I have been friends since we began our freshman year at the University of Notre Dame over 10 years ago. We have been through a lot of highs and lows together and have shared many laughs and tears over the years. She stood up for me as a bridesmaid on my wedding day and has always played a supportive role as I started my family. You can learn a bit more about her on her little corner of the internet Waltzing in Beauty.

***

Hello, Monica's devoted readers! While Monica is away on a much deserved maternity break, I am taking over A Beautiful Mess for the day.

Many of my memories with Monica involve food in some sort of way. What can I say; we enjoy the good things in life, especially delicious food! I was thrilled when she told me that she was beginning to blog and share her love of food and family and I have been drooling over her recipes ever since.

I did not have to think long or hard about what recipe I wanted to share in Monica's absence. One of my favorite things to do is give gifts and often that gift is to deliver a meal to a family during a time of sorrow or joy. If we were so blessed as to live in the same city, I would for sure be showing up at Monica's doorstep with a cooking reprieve so the family could focus on cooing at new little Lucy. These Disappearing Enchiladas would be exactly what I would bring along.

I would highly recommend making a recipe for you and your family or preparing this on a full stomach. Once this starts cooking, the smell will make it extremely difficult to give it away or to avoid inviting yourself over for dinner.

Disappearing Turkey and Black Bean Enchiladas

Adapted from Skinny Taste 

1 lb extra lean ground turkey

15 can black beans, drained

4 oz can chopped green chiles

14 oz can diced tomatoes (I use Red Gold with chipotle)

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped cilantro (I prefer fresh, but dried works just as well)

2 tsp cumin

1/8 tsp chili powder

8 flour tortillas (the recipe calls for 6 inch, but I have used larger ones)

1 cup (reduced fat or whole fat, whatever you desire) shredded Mexican cheese

Coconut Oil

For the Enchilada Sauce:

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp green chiles

1 cup tomato sauce

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin

3/4 cup fat free broth (I use Imagine Vegetarian no-chicken broth low sodium)

In a medium saucepan, sauté garlic in a spoonful of coconut oil. Add the chiles, chili powder, cumin, broth, and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 5-10 minutes. Set aside until ready to use.

In a large skillet (extra-large is nice because it will get crowded in there) brown the turkey. Add the onion, garlic, black beans, cilantro, green chiles, diced tomatoes, cumin and chili powder. Mix well and simmer on low, covered for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer an additional 5-10 minutes to reduce the liquid.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 13 by 9-inch disposable tin baking dish or glass baking dish with coconut oil.

Scoop about 1/2 cup of the turkey mixture into each tortilla. You will want to place the mixture closer to one end of the tortilla. This will help you roll the enchilada more tightly which will help them fit in the baking dish snuggly and serve easily. 

Do not worry if you have some meat fall out on the edges, you can stuff it back in or reserve for another enchilada. The remaining mixture is great for using in a taco salad or eating with chips and salsa another day. Place the enchiladas on the baking dish with the seam side down. After all the enchiladas are snuggling in the dish, top with enchilada sauce and cheese.  Cover with aluminum foil. 

If you are delivering the dish to a family, instruct them to bake the enchiladas covered on the middle rack for 35-45 minutes. The baking time will differ depending on how cold the dish is prior to baking. If making at home while the meat is still hot you may only have to bake for 25-30 minutes. 

For extra brownie points bring along some sour cream, cilantro or scallions. 

I call these disappearing enchiladas, because they are so yummy that you will not have enough time to take a picture of the final result to share before they are all gone. Or such was the case in my house. 

Enjoy!

Introducing Lucia Therese

Lucia Therese made her dramatic appearance on Sunday, May 17th at 8:31 PM. 

She is the largest of our babies in terms of weight at 8 pounds, 1 ounce but the shortest in length at just over 19 inches, a whole 2-3 inches shorter than her two siblings! She is a precious, beautiful, content little bundle and we are so happy that she is finally here!

If I'm feeling brave, I just may post her birth story in the coming weeks. It's a pretty good one.

Thank you for all the love, prayers, and support! She was certainly worth the wait!

P.S. We've had a lot of questions about our baby's name, so 

here is a pronunciation guide: Lucia (loo-see-uh) Therese (te-rez).

Want to Know What 42 Weeks Pregnant Looks Like?

I am large and so very not-in-charge! At least not in charge of this pregnancy because if I had my way, I would have delivered a couple weeks ago. In the meantime, baby girl is still sitting pretty in her snuggly little space. This is what I get for being such a good baby vessel.

I scheduled an induction for earlier this week and then chickened out because I hate pitocin and medically speaking there was no reason to induce. I'd rather things start as naturally as possible. So, I'm trying not to complain too much about my misery (heartburn, tiny feet in my rib cage, the inability to tie my shoes, crouching down to pick up a toy and then getting stuck and requiring Paul to rescue me...the normal stuff) because I could have ended it if I wanted to!

Come Out Soon!!!

In the meantime, meals have been quick and easy because Paul and I have been on edge that any day could be the day for a while now. Here is a meal we made the other day that was awesome. I failed to snap a picture of it because I sat down to eat, saw my camera staring at me from the living room, and then decided the walk was too far for my tired, swollen, feet to waddle over and retrieve. But, I'm not complaining.

And here's a photo of my hugeness from earlier today for posterity. Or enormity.

And my little headaches...

Asparagus Carbonara
from Confections of a Foodie Bride

8 ounces spaghetti
1 tsp olive oil
4 slices of bacon, cut into cubes
3/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper (less if you are black pepper-intolerant like Paul)
1 large bunch asparagus (~1.25lb)
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2/3 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish

Bring a large pot full of 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and stir. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions for al dente.

While the pasta cooks, trim the woody ends from the asparagus. Heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon pieces and cook the bacon pieces until crisp. Remove the bacon from the grease with a slotted spoon and let drain. Add the asparagus to the hot grease and cook until fork tender (about 5 minutes).

Drain the pasta, reserving 3/4 cup of pasta water before draining.

Whisk together the egg, yolk, 2/3 cup Parmesan, and 1/4 cup of the hot pasta water (splash the pasta water in gradually to temper the eggs). Add the drained pasta, the asparagus and bacon grease (deglaze with a bit of the pasta water to get all that salty bacon grease into the pasta), and black pepper. Toss well, adjusting the consistency with splashes of reserved pasta water to create a creamy sauce. Serve hot, topped with extra Parmesan!

Chicken Burritos Mojados

Move over Chipotle and Qdoba, there is a new burrito in town!

Cinco de Mayo is kind of a big deal around here because it is the one faux-holiday that Paul has marked and ready to go in his calendar. Although this year, he actually asked me: "When is Cinco de Mayo?" I still am not sure whether he was kidding or not.

See, it is not Paul's deep-seeded love for the rich, cultural history of Mexico nor his passion for the language. I'm pretty sure the only Spanish words he knows are enchilada, quesadilla, queso, and pretty much any other Spanish word that can be found on a Taco Bell menu.

No, Paul just loves Mexican food. I'm pretty sure he never met a burrito he didn't like. He would gladly polish off a gigantic bowl of guacamole for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Whenever I serve anything hispanic for dinner, I get an extra kiss and the exclamation: "Kids! Your Mother is a great cook!" Add in a dessert course of Mexican flan and he is an even happier man.

So, for Cinco de Mayo this year, I decided to make this recipe that I spied recently on Josie's blog. Reading the description made my mouth water: chicken cooked in a red chile sauce, mexican rice and pinto beans, fresh avocado, and cilantro wrapped in a gigantic tortilla and then smothered with three sauces. I was sold!!

There is a bit of prep required for this recipe, but nothing is difficult and it all comes together pretty quickly and smoothly. Plus, the burritos bake in the oven for a good 20-30 minutes allowing time for clean-up, table setting, and child corralling.

I cannot stress enough how good these were! Seriously, way better and fresh than anything you can buy out at a restaurant. Paul was obsessed - he stuffed himself to the gills the first night and then enjoyed the leftovers for a couple days afterwards. Emma thought they were delicious. The only holdout (big surprise here) was Matthew, who thought they were "too spicy". I assure you, they were not. We're working on him. Regardless, this recipe is a keeper and will definitely be repeated! (And SOON!)

Chicken Burritos Mojados
found on Pink Parsley, originally from  ATK's The Best Mexican Recipes

2 1/4 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup long grain white rice, rinsed to remove starch
1 (15-oz) can pinto beans, drained
4 tablespoons chili powder
salt and pepper
3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 Tbs vegetable oil
1/2 large white onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
2 (8-oz) cans tomato sauce
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
6 (10-inch) flour tortillas (BIG tortillas)
2 avocados, halved, pitted, and cut into 1/2inch pieces
8 oz Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cups tomatillo salsa
1/2 cup sour cream, thinned with a bit of milk until it is of drizzling consistency

Bring 1 1/4 cups of the broth, rice, beans, 2 teaspoons of chile powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until the rice is tender and the broth is absorbed, about 20 minutes.  Remove from heat, and allow to sit for 10 minutes, covered.  Stir in the scallions and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and cook until it's just softened, 4-5 minutes.  Stir in the garlic, remaining 3 Tbs chile powder, and cumin, and cook until fragrant, about one minute.  Stir in the tomato sauce and remaining 1 cup of broth and bring to a simmer.  Nestle the chicken breasts into the sauce, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low.  Cook until the chicken is cooked through and registers 160 degrees, about 10 to 15 minutes, flipping halfway through.  Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, and once it's cool enough to handle, shred or chop into bite-sized pieces.  Taste the red sauce and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the rice and beans mixture, chicken, 1/4 cup of the red sauce, 2 Tbs of the cilantro, and cheese.  Season with salt and pepper and stir well.

Wrap the tortillas in a damp kitchen towel and microwave until they are warm, about one minute.

Working 1-2 tortillas at a time, mound 1 cup of the chicken and rice mixture in the center of each tortilla  Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of avocado.  Fold the sides then the bottom of the tortilla over the filling, pulling back on it to tighten around the filling.  Roll tightly into a burrito.  Place the burrito seam side-down on the prepared baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining tortillas.  Cover rightly with foil, and bake until heated throughout, 20 to 30 minutes.

As the burritos are cooking, microwave the tomatillo salsa until hot, about 1 minute.

To serve, distribute the burritos to individual plates.  Pour the tomatillo sauce over half of each burrito, and pour the red sauce over the other half.  Drizzle with cream, sprinkle with cilantro, and serve.

Waiting...

We are on baby watch around here. Like my other two children, this baby is showing no interest in meeting her mother. I tried to have Emma baby talk to my belly to see if maybe her sweet little voice would encourage some progress. Obviously, our efforts were in vain but now Emma is constantly pulling up my shirt and trying to speak to my stomach - not really a great new activity when grocery shopping, at the library, or in church. Emma is also convinced that my stretched belly button is baby Lucy's ear. What strange, disturbing thoughts that child has!

In the meantime, we will continue to wait. I am trying to take things easy - hence the lack of activity on this blog. We are enjoying the warm weather, the sunshine, and the opportunity to get a few chores and projects accomplished before Baby Lucy finally decides to arrive.

Some of the highlights from the past week:

1) I had a fantastic birthday thanks to my wonderful husband and children. Well, Emma was actually a bit of a grump the entire day, but Matthew was so sweet and caring that it warmed my heart. This is the first year that one of my children legitimately cared about whether my birthday was special or not. Matthew loved getting preparations ready with Paul and was especially concerned about my presents and cake. At the end of the day, he came up to me, leaned against me with his arm around my shoulders and asked: "Did you have a good birthday, Mommy?" Such a sweet boy!

2) Paul replaced the trim around the garage door. It was an all-day affair, but it was something that needed to be done and had been bugging him for ages. The kids enjoyed watching him work and "helping" on occasion. Emma loved hammering the concrete.

3) Matthew and I had a mother-son date night and went to see his best friend in "Beauty and the Beast." It was the cutest show and Matthew laughed and clapped his way through the entire production, telling me at several points during the program: "I like this play, Mommy!" He was quite perturbed when the show ended and we had to go home.

4) I took the kids on a shopping outing and we picked out some clothes for my upcoming "fourth trimester" as well as some sunglasses for Matthew. Of course, he chose ninja turtle glasses. Both kids also replaced their bubble machine from last summer with two "bubble guns" that blow hundreds of bubbles at the push of a button. The toy has been a big hit, especially with Emma who asks to play with hers all the time.

And in the midst of the beautiful weather, the closing of the school year, and the promise of a summer full of fun activity, we wait impatiently for our third baby to grace us with her presence. Hurry and come, baby Lucy! We can't wait to see you!

Matthew's Preschool Progress Report

Preschool graduation is looming on the horizon and I am happy to report that despite my fears about how this year was going to go, Matthew will be graduating to Kindergarten with flying colors. Academically, that is.

When we had our first conference with Matthew's teacher, she was quick to say that he is very, very bright and always a step ahead on the lesson. However, because of this, she thinks that he gets "bored" pretty easily and then feels the need to entertain himself in disruptive ways. He likes to tease the little girls in excess, rap out music on his desk, stomp his feet to make his tennis shoes light up (I never should have bought those things), request to play puzzles during song time and then pout when refused, and so on.

Every day, I dread opening his folder to read his behavior chart because I never know what I am going to find. Some days the comments might read like this:

"Matthew was so helpful today. An absolute joy to have in the class!!!"

Or, on less than stellar days, they might read like this:

"Your son told a girl he didn't like her repeatedly because she sat in his usual spot during circle time. Then, he shook the table while trying to be funny during snack and caused everyone to spill their drinks. He was chasing the kids around in the gym pretending to be a spider and scaring some of them."

Picking him up at the end of the day is always so stressful. Paul and I have been trying so hard to reiterate to Matthew that he is at school to learn and the best way to learn is to LISTEN and OBEY his teachers. Every day when I drop him off, I ask him: "What are you going to do at school today, Matthew?" And he'll reply: "Listen and Obey!"

Some days, that message gets through a little better than others.

His behavior drastically improved after Thanksgiving and we did not have any negative days until March. Then, his behavior began taking another dive. Mainly, Matthew was refusing to practice with the class for the preschool graduation program and his teacher was worried that he was going to ruin it. So, we had another meeting with the teacher who reiterated that he was probably bored and she noticed also that he really is very sensitive to noise (with group singing activities in particular) and that we might want to get that checked out. We already knew about that one since he always plugs his ears during the music at Mass, when a car drives by, while going through the car wash, etc. We have brought it up with his doctor before and he said that Matthew will probably grow out of it. Since the meeting, Matthew's behavior has been great for the last couple weeks - he has consistently received all greens on his behavior chart!

However, I had to laugh at and share the most recent comment from his teacher here with you all because it perfectly sums up our strange little child. He received a green on this day, with the following note:

"Good day today. He did growl at the principal though. I talked to him about using words not sounds to talk to people."

Oh, Matthew. What are we going to do with you?