Don't they look alike?? Wow!
I would have done a quiz but the blue outfit gives Augustine away and he looks a little bigger but --WOW!
Gianna (above)
Augustine (above)
Gianna (above)
"Raising Souls"
Monday, May 21, 2012
Sibling Love
"The best gift you can give your child is a sibling"
This has been one of the most precious things for me to see as a parent. Augustine loves his little sister as I would imagine and hope that every big brother would. There is something sweet and mature about his love for Gianna and I can just imagine him being that awesome big brother that sticks up for his sister, enjoys a friendship with her and all the while threatens her prospective boy friends with, "Hurt her and you will hurt." You know the big brother stuff. :-)
I will forever remember Augustine bounding into the hospital room with exuberant energy and joy excited to see me and his eyes lit up when he saw - "Baby Gianna!"
He so tenderly kissed and hugged her and pointed to her "eyes" and "nose" and "mouth."
This picture melts my heart...
He so sweetly gazes at her as if it is love at first sight just like it was for me. He hated to leave without Mommy and Baby and Gianna when it was time to go... and it was hard for me to see my, now old, little baby say goodbye. How does it work to love two little beings so fully and so differently? To say goodbye to the days when Augustine was my only baby to cuddle ...
...and to greet the days when my arms would long to hold both my children for hours... all the while staring down those dreaded dirty dishes and unswept floors that threatened to take my arms away from what they really wanted. The love grows but so do the chores... the diapers, the dirt, the mess, the clothes. I only loath them for the reason they take me from my babies.
The first day home with Gianna Augustine was overtired and threw lots of tantrums because he wanted to hold, "my baby" all the time. He was loving but it was exhausting. Since then he has calmed down a bit but still cries for her at bedtime when they are separated and asks for her immediately when he wakes from nap or bedtime.
When I try to have time just for me and Augustine, he begs for Gianna to join us. He wants to share his toys, books, and time with her. That touches my heart so very much!
When Gianna cries he will usually stop what he is doing and calmly go straight to her to give her a gentle kiss on the head... he then goes back to playing. He loves to do Tummy Time with her and he will even wipe her spit-up away unprompted. One day we were watching Sesame Street together while I nursed Gianna. Well, Augustine watched Elmo... I watched my precious gifts. Augustine turned from his show and gazed at Gianna sweetly and patted her on the head.... and back to watching his show. This moment replays in my mind often... it was as if he wants to assure his little sister, "I'm here for you, I love you." Am I reading too far into the mind of a two year old? Not with moments like these. They are two peas in a pod and I am one proud gardener.
Oh that your love for each other will grow. I pray you always find a friend in each other, that you protect and love each other and that... Gianna's little head doesn't get trampled by your eager feet.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Gianna Rae Ann Stanbary - is born!
I feel like I have so much catching up to do... and yet it has only been 2 weeks!
Gianna Rae Ann my beautiful daughter whom I have long waited to see was born, just as her brother was, smack dab on her due date, April 28th 2012, at 8lbs 3oz and 19in. Which, of course, was also the feast day of St. Gianna! What a divinely planned arrival.
I will write a post on her birth story... but for now I want to write about this beautiful little person that has entered my life in such a special way.
I've always known based on my wonderful experience carrying this little beauty that she was gentle on her mommy. I hoped this would also be the case after birth. Ive heard many stories about how the "second child" is the hard one, so I was a bit curious.
Well, Gianna, you are a sweet and beautiful soul. You entered the world without crying, in about 5 min of pushing, and you nestled on me and started nursing-- what a breeze! You were healthy and peaceful. Even now as I hold you in my arms there is a special gentleness to your soul, to your spirit. Many people say that is a newborn trait... but, in you, I feel something different... in your spirit. The last two weeks have not proven me wrong. You nurse perfectly, cry and fuss very little, once your need is met you are content. The second night home from the hospital you slept 5 hrs straight and the next night 6 hrs straight.
You go to bed early (around the same time as your brother).
You nap when it is most convenient for me...
...and you even smile on Mother's Day for me!
Gianna Rae Ann my beautiful daughter whom I have long waited to see was born, just as her brother was, smack dab on her due date, April 28th 2012, at 8lbs 3oz and 19in. Which, of course, was also the feast day of St. Gianna! What a divinely planned arrival.
I've always known based on my wonderful experience carrying this little beauty that she was gentle on her mommy. I hoped this would also be the case after birth. Ive heard many stories about how the "second child" is the hard one, so I was a bit curious.
Well, Gianna, you are a sweet and beautiful soul. You entered the world without crying, in about 5 min of pushing, and you nestled on me and started nursing-- what a breeze! You were healthy and peaceful. Even now as I hold you in my arms there is a special gentleness to your soul, to your spirit. Many people say that is a newborn trait... but, in you, I feel something different... in your spirit. The last two weeks have not proven me wrong. You nurse perfectly, cry and fuss very little, once your need is met you are content. The second night home from the hospital you slept 5 hrs straight and the next night 6 hrs straight.
You go to bed early (around the same time as your brother).
You nap when it is most convenient for me...
...and you even smile on Mother's Day for me!
Oh, how you melt my heart and fill me with so much love!
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
2 Golden Years - Happy Birthday Augustine!
AUGUSTINE - "Great and Magnificent"
To My Dear Augustine,You are two years old on your Golden Birthday and I thank God every day what a blessing you have been to me! I treasure your little person so much, your personality is sweet and uninhibited and you have incredible energy. You truly light up my day and have given me the most wonderful job I could ever desire or imagine. To be your mother is a phenomenal gift you have given to me and I truly love the honor of loving you with all my heart in the most selfless way a person can love.
Your birthday was special and very memorable as you woke up determined to use the potty. "Augus poopy in the potty" you said over and over and over and over as you rode on your new rocking horsey chair. Finally I set you on the toilet and you asked for books to read. Clearly expecting to be in it for the long haul. (You have asked to sit on the potty many times before but never with this much determination, effort, and resolve.) Sure enough, you went potty on the toilet for the first time ever... on your birthday. Nothing like punctuating the day!
I stayed up late the night before making these cupcakes of your favorite "dessert character" - Cookie Monster.
Your Grandma Risa and cousins Nathan and Andy came over to celebrate with you by sharing pizza, gifts and cake! You love your "Gamma Sisa, Na Na, and Annie." I spent more time just enjoying you and the day rather than taking pictures, but the images of your sweet smiling messy pizza face will be ingrained in my mind.
One of your favorite gifts was a bubble gun - YOU love bubbles and I have to hide it from your sight or you would want bubbles day and night! You were such a good boy and even said "Thank You" (when prompted) for your gifts.
The day finished with the grand finale...
The long awaited viewing of -- THE LION KING on the big screen and -- POPCORN! You were SO adorable and you jumped off the couch at all the songs so you could sing (quite well actually) and dance along. I hardly watched the movie as I couldn't take my eyes off of you.
Two years seem so long since I feel like I've had you to treasure for so long and yet... it seems so short when I remember bringing you home from the hospital. I was changed forever. I've heard it said that that a mother lives her life with her heart walking around outside her body. I know that feeling, oh, so well. I know the rest of my days my heart will be wrapped around your little preciousness and not inside my own body. I pray everyday for God's greatest protection and blessings on you. I offer your life and my love of your life to Him as you are truly gift. A gift I treasure so deeply and enjoy so thoroughly!
Happy Birthday my Golden Boy!!
Monday, April 9, 2012
Healthy Eating - Meal Plan
So here is a quick post on our meal plans for the week:
I've also discovered sweets are possibly making my pregnancy insomnia worse... so... Lent may not be over for me and this diet is a great benefit to the baby right now! BUT HAPPY EASTER none-the-less!
- Whole Wheat Pasta with sauteed FRESH broccoli, spinach, orange peppers, mushrooms and crock pot cooked chicken breast. (I found a recipe for the garlic chicken broth sauce and it turned out quite yummy!)
- Chili with ground turkey, peppers, tomatoes, beans, and mushrooms
- Asian Chicken Wraps: Whole wheat wraps with cooked chicken cubed, shredded carrots, bean sprouts, green peppers, spinach, and homemade Asian peanut sauce
- Whole Wheat Pancakes/Waffles with homemade Rhubarb/Strawberry sauce (I had pre-made in the freezer)
- Egg and Rice Skillet with veggies
- Leftovers
I've also discovered sweets are possibly making my pregnancy insomnia worse... so... Lent may not be over for me and this diet is a great benefit to the baby right now! BUT HAPPY EASTER none-the-less!
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Health Kick!
One morning Jeremy proclaimed he was going to start snacking.
Ok...
Healthy snacks like: nuts, seeds, spinach, broccoli, carrots, and berries.
...ok... (I couldn't help but smirk.)
Jeremy loves his tater tots, mac n cheese, and "rice packets".
I'm also going to eat whole grains, beans and less meat. "We eat too much meat."
Ok. It's almost all I could say since he won't eat a meal unless it has some sort of meat. I actually don't use a lot of meat when I cook and when I do its Ground Turkey, Turkey Ham, and Chicken Breast. We almost never have beef or pork mostly because its too expensive.
So, what brought about this great healthy revelation??
As it turns out TPT had a health guy on during fundraising week late at night and Jeremy got sucked in. Ive seen the guy myself and he is pretty convincing. The clincher was - ENERGY. Jeremy and I are both tired all the time it seems for different reasons but none-the-less its pretty annoying. Since Jeremy gave up energy drinks for lent he was especially feeling the lack of energy. The idea that healthy, good for you, foods will help give you energy is not a new revelation but it was just what Jeremy needed to hear.
I love the idea of cooking more healthy but since it often isn't the cheapest and certain things like carrots and spinach Jeremy wouldn't eat if I bought them. I've been cooking with only brown rice and whole wheat noodles for a while as well as only buying 100% whole wheat bread and Augustine and I eat fruit like its candy. Augustine LOVES healthy foods and begs for broccoli (one of my favorites too!), cooked carrots, hummus, beans, frozen peas, and most other veggies. He makes his mother proud when I actually have to say, "no more carrots, can you eat your rice?" The idea of cooking foods for our whole family that I also want Augustine eating sounds great to me!
In reality it has been a pretty big shift and I had some frustrating moments in the transition, but overall its been great and I'm finding my groove. I actually enjoy the challenge of making new foods and being creative with old favorites.
Most of our meals have some combination of meat, beans, and veggies and is often served on a bed of spinach. They are also, often, a sort of "hot" salad.
The "snacking" has been the hardest shift but now includes:
Monday I cook up a HUGE pot of brown rice (and maybe wild rice) as well as a HUGE pot of black beans and/or garbanzo beans etc... My hope is for it to last throughout the week. Saturday or Sunday we usually finish off the rice with a yummy rice, egg and veggie skillet! The garbanzo beans make a fabulous Greek veggie salad or hummus that have been huge hits so far.
The black beans I pretty much add to everything I make throughout the week.
My shopping list now includes:
So, that's our health kick... I'll start trying to post weekly menu plans and ideas to track our journey with all of this as well as health improvements we are noticing. Starting with this one...
Since Jeremy has been eating this way and I am now keeping more health foods around and accessible I have been eating better myself. With Augustine I was low in iron towards the end of my pregnancy and I know it was a result of slacking on my healthy pregnancy "diet". This time around I've been eating better/more vitamins in my foods and was not low on iron!
To happy healthy eating!
Ok...
Healthy snacks like: nuts, seeds, spinach, broccoli, carrots, and berries.
...ok... (I couldn't help but smirk.)
Jeremy loves his tater tots, mac n cheese, and "rice packets".
I'm also going to eat whole grains, beans and less meat. "We eat too much meat."
Ok. It's almost all I could say since he won't eat a meal unless it has some sort of meat. I actually don't use a lot of meat when I cook and when I do its Ground Turkey, Turkey Ham, and Chicken Breast. We almost never have beef or pork mostly because its too expensive.
So, what brought about this great healthy revelation??
As it turns out TPT had a health guy on during fundraising week late at night and Jeremy got sucked in. Ive seen the guy myself and he is pretty convincing. The clincher was - ENERGY. Jeremy and I are both tired all the time it seems for different reasons but none-the-less its pretty annoying. Since Jeremy gave up energy drinks for lent he was especially feeling the lack of energy. The idea that healthy, good for you, foods will help give you energy is not a new revelation but it was just what Jeremy needed to hear.
I love the idea of cooking more healthy but since it often isn't the cheapest and certain things like carrots and spinach Jeremy wouldn't eat if I bought them. I've been cooking with only brown rice and whole wheat noodles for a while as well as only buying 100% whole wheat bread and Augustine and I eat fruit like its candy. Augustine LOVES healthy foods and begs for broccoli (one of my favorites too!), cooked carrots, hummus, beans, frozen peas, and most other veggies. He makes his mother proud when I actually have to say, "no more carrots, can you eat your rice?" The idea of cooking foods for our whole family that I also want Augustine eating sounds great to me!
In reality it has been a pretty big shift and I had some frustrating moments in the transition, but overall its been great and I'm finding my groove. I actually enjoy the challenge of making new foods and being creative with old favorites.
Most of our meals have some combination of meat, beans, and veggies and is often served on a bed of spinach. They are also, often, a sort of "hot" salad.
The "snacking" has been the hardest shift but now includes:
- Healthy Cookies: peanut butter, flax seed, shredded carrot, applesauce, whole wheat and oatmeal included! (Yum!)
- Whole Wheat/Lower Fat Banana Bread
- Pre-bagged/Portioned Almonds
- Apples
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Hummus
- Grapes
- Other fruits and veggies
Monday I cook up a HUGE pot of brown rice (and maybe wild rice) as well as a HUGE pot of black beans and/or garbanzo beans etc... My hope is for it to last throughout the week. Saturday or Sunday we usually finish off the rice with a yummy rice, egg and veggie skillet! The garbanzo beans make a fabulous Greek veggie salad or hummus that have been huge hits so far.
The black beans I pretty much add to everything I make throughout the week.
My shopping list now includes:
- Dry Beans
- Brown Rice
- Fresh Spinach
- Fresh/Frozen Broccoli
- Mushrooms
- Carrots
- Tomatoes
- Cucumbers
- Almonds
- Peanut Butter
- Whole Wheat flour
- Oatmeal
- Apples
- Bananas
- Other fruits and veggies...
So, that's our health kick... I'll start trying to post weekly menu plans and ideas to track our journey with all of this as well as health improvements we are noticing. Starting with this one...
Since Jeremy has been eating this way and I am now keeping more health foods around and accessible I have been eating better myself. With Augustine I was low in iron towards the end of my pregnancy and I know it was a result of slacking on my healthy pregnancy "diet". This time around I've been eating better/more vitamins in my foods and was not low on iron!
To happy healthy eating!
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
9 Months with Baby Gianna!
Hello 9 MONTHS!
What a GREAT place to get to!
I am still feeling really great although I have felt like the baby has dropped. Should I say, "hello bathroom" since that seems to be my favorite room in the house? In the evenings I am feeling a little sore in my core muscles which are hard to identify at this point, although I know they are still there.
I went to the Dr for my 36 week appointment and I am 1 1/2cm dilated! Wooohooo! Doctor said I measured smaller this time even though baby seems "a good size", so she confirmed baby dropped. When I asked about the baby "being good sized" she also said she might be smaller than Augustine was but not much. Bummer. I mean I'm glad she is healthy--- but I was hoping she would be smaller. I've gained 20 lbs so far and my hemoglobin came out fine (last time I think I was low on iron).
What a wonderful time to have a baby! Spring! Oh, joy!
I keep going back and forth about when the baby should be born. Which is actually quite ridiculous since I have VERY little (if any) control on the issue (naturally speaking). I love to plan and since the thought of her coming early dawned on me I have been contemplating it. I am so eager to meet this little sweetie pie! Although due to work schedules I finally feel (at the present moment) she should probably hang tight until April 28th (her due date). Jeremy has SO much work to do and is so stressed that once The Hobbit opens at the Theatre (April 27th) his deadlines will be up and thus a slight lifting of work stress. Notice how I used the word "slight".
Well, let the countdown begin!
What a GREAT place to get to!
I am still feeling really great although I have felt like the baby has dropped. Should I say, "hello bathroom" since that seems to be my favorite room in the house? In the evenings I am feeling a little sore in my core muscles which are hard to identify at this point, although I know they are still there.
I went to the Dr for my 36 week appointment and I am 1 1/2cm dilated! Wooohooo! Doctor said I measured smaller this time even though baby seems "a good size", so she confirmed baby dropped. When I asked about the baby "being good sized" she also said she might be smaller than Augustine was but not much. Bummer. I mean I'm glad she is healthy--- but I was hoping she would be smaller. I've gained 20 lbs so far and my hemoglobin came out fine (last time I think I was low on iron).
What a wonderful time to have a baby! Spring! Oh, joy!
I keep going back and forth about when the baby should be born. Which is actually quite ridiculous since I have VERY little (if any) control on the issue (naturally speaking). I love to plan and since the thought of her coming early dawned on me I have been contemplating it. I am so eager to meet this little sweetie pie! Although due to work schedules I finally feel (at the present moment) she should probably hang tight until April 28th (her due date). Jeremy has SO much work to do and is so stressed that once The Hobbit opens at the Theatre (April 27th) his deadlines will be up and thus a slight lifting of work stress. Notice how I used the word "slight".
Well, let the countdown begin!
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