Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Dr. Ella

This weekend marked a big event in the Pagano home.
Ella finally pooped in her potty!
She is now officially 100% POTTY TRAINED!!!
We told her when she no longer went potty in her diaper that we would buy her a gift. It didn't come as a surprise when she said she wanted a doctor outfit. Even though she isn't a fan of going to the doctor, she definitely loves to play doctor at home and only responds to Dr. Ella when she is in costume.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Besties

Ella and Mackenzie

Thursday, March 25, 2010

A daily dose of these delicious faces
Jacob working on his tummy time. Ella HATED tummy time and would scream everytime I put her on her tummy. Jacob is the complete opposite. He LOVES tummy time and enjoys checking out his world from this new angle.
Ella wearing her Princess and the Frog hat that she made.A fun little activity I found on the internet. Crayola's website lets you upload your pictures and then you can print them out as a coloring page. Here is a sample of of our lovely artwork.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

sick, sick and more sick

Our poor sweet bean is sick.


It all started last Wednesday evening...Ella woke up from her sleep coughing, wheezing and gasping for air. This was one of the scariest moments of my life. Not only did it scare us, but it scared her as well, making her breathing worse. Vincent took her to the emergency room and the doctor said she had croup. They were at the hospital until 3am that night because they gave Ella oxygen and monitored her for awhile before releasing them. For those who haven't heard of croup it is a viral infection. It causes swelling in the upper airways which makes it difficult to breathe and often leads to a "barking" cough. Ella has had croup before, but it was a very mild form and NOTHING like what she has this time.

In the process I have caught a cold...probably from her croup. I am trying my best to keep Jacob healthy through all of this. At 3 1/2 months old, I am just not ready for him to get sick.


Since that night we have had our ups and downs. Ella was put on a steroid which helped clear her wheezing and help her breathing immediatley. She still is very congested and has a cough. I pray that she feels better with each day.

...I am half asleep so please excuse my typos...

Sunday, March 21, 2010

the big 3!

Happy 3rd Birthday Mackenzie!!!
We LOVE and ADORE you!
Being able to watch you grow over the last 3 years and turn into the amazing little girl that you are has been a wonderful privilege.
XOXO,
Vincent, Jen, Ella and Jacob

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Sunday, March 14, 2010

being green

Some pictures of my beautiful children right before we attended a St. Patty's Day playdate...

Saturday, March 13, 2010

at the zoo

Jaimie and I took the kids to the zoo last week where we met up with her mom, aunt and nephew. This was our first time back this year and boy did we have fun!

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Preschool

On Monday, we signed Ella up to start preschool in the fall. It is a wonderful school that we all fell in love with the minute we walked through their doors last August for an orientation. We are thrilled that she got into this school and look forward to her going to class with her best friend Mackenzie.

Our beautiful little girl is growing up.

Wow, such a bittersweet concept for us to grasp.

Ella is a true gift from God. She lights up our world in a way we never imagined possible. I have been blessed to be at home with her since the day she was born. I remember when I was pregnant thinking I would return to work after my 3 month maternity leave (at least part-time). YEAH RIGHT!!!! The day she was born and I held her in my arms, I knew that spending everyday with this beautiful child would be too little. She is my constant companion and I LOVE it! She goes everywhere I go and what a proud mommy I am to have her by my side.

SO...the thought of preschool this fall and being away from her makes me kinda of sad. (yes, that may make me a little...or alot... pathetic considering her preschool is only 2 days a week for 3 hours a day!) I love that she loves to spend everyday with me and that I am the center of her universe. The thought that she may not want/need me as much makes my heart ache. But at the same time, watching her grow and develop into the amazing little girl she has become is one of the proudest feelings I have ever had! And I know watching her learn and go to school will be yet another proud experience for all of us!

3 months



Jacob is 3 months old!

From sleepy newborn to happy, bouncy baby boy! Our precious little guy loves to smile and his laughter is pure joy! He is just as ticklish as his sister was at this age.

He is discovering the world around him. He is fascinated by his hands and enjoys looking at and chewing on them.

When the wind blows he gasps the air and breathes it in with delight. Our dogs Mia and Maggie have caught his attention and can bring that lovable smile to his face everytime they are near. He is sleeping through the night which makes me very happy!!! His longest stretch is anywhere from 3 to 6 hours.

Ella is still trying to figure out where he fits into our family. She still has days where she just wants mommy and daddy to herself. But, most days she seems to love and enjoy her brother. It never gets old watching her laugh at his silly noises!

Saturday, March 6, 2010

what a week!

A big, huge thank you to Bryan, Jaimie, Mackenzie and Luke for opening your home to us.

Last week Vincent and I found out that we had terrible water damage and mold in our kitchen from our dishwasher. Unfortunately where the water damage was, we weren't able to detect it until it had gotten really bad. So for the last week we packed our bags and stayed at Jaimie and Bryans while our kitchen was being fixed.
We are back home now!!! After they put in a new dishwasher and the room is painted it will be complete again.
What a relief it has been to be able to stay at Jaimie's house. I cannot imagine having to stay at a hotel with a toddler and a newborn mostly by myself for a week-which is what I would have had to do.
So again, thank you Bryan and Jaimie for being there for us and for being such incredible friends. Thank you for your heartfelt kindness.
We love you guys!!!