“Trust and trust alone should lead us to love” -St. Teresa of Avila

"Sometimes," said Pooh, " the smallest things take up the most room in your heart." - A.A. Milne

2012-01-30T11:32:00.001-05:00

Leo loves his Pooh bear from Aunt Claire! His favorite thing to watch is Pooh's stoutness exercises. Leo has three teeth coming in and is a trooper. Most recently, his dad taught him how to growl. I'd prefer a new word, but that's not nearly as fun.

There is still no cure for the common birthday. - John Glenn

2012-01-14T20:40:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday, Grandpa! I'm glad I spent the day with you!

How did it get so late so soon? It's night before it's afternoon. December is here before it's June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon? - Dr. Seuss

2012-01-12T21:36:00.002-05:00

Leo's godmother leaves tomorrow and she will be missed.

You ought to have seen what I saw on my way To the village, through Mortenson's pasture to-day: Blueberries as big as the end of your thumb, Real sky-blue, and heavy, and ready to drum In the cavernous pail of the first one to come! And all ripe together, not some of them green And some of them ripe! You ought to have seen!- Robert Frost

2012-01-02T20:22:00.003-05:00

Leo had his first taste of baby blueberry yogurt. He loved it! He covered himself in it too. He was especially cute with his new toys during his bath.

Yesterday, everybody smoked his last cigar, took his last drink and swore his last oath. Today, we are a pious and exemplary community. Thirty days from now, we shall have cast our reformation to the winds and gone to cutting our ancient shortcomings considerably shorter than ever. ~Mark Twain

2012-01-02T13:50:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year!

“Sadly this Christmas passes away, so let us give thanks today, as we prepare for the year anew, with faith and hope to see it through.”

2011-12-25T20:46:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas! Leo is 7 months old today!!!

"Fight all error, but do it with good humor, patience, kindness, and love. Harshness will damage your own soul and spoil the best cause." - St. John Kanty

2011-12-23T11:01:00.001-05:00

Leo had his first sleepover at Meme and Grandpa's house. Of course, he slept very well. He made a liar out of me. I can't complain because I slept well too. Also, we might get an offer for a sleepover again!

Leo is eating fruit every night and is doing pretty well with it. He is also very computer savvy. It's modern child labor.

Today, Leo and I are enjoying time with his Aunts.

The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis. -Dante Alighieri

2011-12-22T06:24:00.001-05:00

I just finished Dante's 'Inferno' and I am surprised at it's readability. I enjoyed it very much. It was possible for him to come up with such creatively terrible punishments by adding people he knew in some of the levels of hell. Hmmmm.

It took me a day to finish. Jodi Piccoult's 'The Tenth Circle.' Her books do not disappoint. I am almost finished 'Handle with Care,'this is probably my favorite!

On the home front, Leo is sitting up on his own. He is still not interested in sleeping through the night. It's a good thing he's so cute.

To bring up a child in the way he should go, travel that way yourselfonce in a while. ~Josh Billings

2011-12-15T05:23:00.002-05:00

Last weekend was our first overnight without Leo. We went to Lake Placid on Friday night and came home Saturday evening. We had a wonderful time. I was nervous to leave at first. My nervousness dissipated when Luke took me to "Milano's." Even though we were "getting away" most of our conversations revolved around Leo.

So after our dessert we walked around Main Street which was decorated for Christmas.

On Saturday, Leo went to a NYSCOBA Christmas party with Lexie and he was a hit. I was told by a co-worker he had a longer line than Santa.

God Walks Among the Pots and Pans. -St. Theresa of Avila

2011-12-03T08:49:00.002-05:00

Leo had his six month appointment this week. He is a whopping 19ibs. He is 26.50 inches long. It has been a long week, it seems it after having a shorter week for Thanksgiving.

I'm looking forward to this Sunday, which will include baking, baking and more baking. I love baking during this time of year, especially before Christmas. It is even more enjoyable with my little helpers.

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

2011-11-25T12:26:00.001-05:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday. Today, I am thankful for my six month old, Leo!

He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him doit. ~Clarence Budington Kelland

2011-11-10T14:41:00.005-05:00

Our death is not an end if we can live on in our children and theyounger generation. For they are us, our bodies are only wilted leaveson the tree of life. ~Albert Einstein

2011-11-10T10:23:00.002-05:00

Today is the feast day of St. Leo the Great. He was the Pope from 440-461. He is famous for convincing Attila the Hun not to invade Italy during the fifth century barbarian invasion. He is a doctor of The Church. Happy Feast Day, Leo Joseph!

Grandpa Nichols' Birthday is another reason November 10th is dear to me. I know he's looking out for Leo and interceding for our family.

“Santa Claus has the right idea: visit people once a year” - Victor Borge

2011-11-05T08:23:00.000-04:00

About a month ago, I bought Leo some Christmas outfits. One outfit, in particular, won't be fitting him at Christmas. So, Leo had a little photo shoot yesterday.“

"If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment." - Marcus Aurelius

2011-11-04T11:53:00.000-04:00

I'm so relieved! My job is safe! Thank you to the PEF members that voted YES!

Fear not, we are of the nature of the lion, and cannot descend to the destruction of mice and such small beasts. Elizabeth I

2011-11-04T07:38:00.001-04:00

A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book. ~Irish Proverb

2011-10-27T17:36:00.000-04:00

We are still waiting for a long sleep.

Every tooth in a man's head is more valuable than a diamond.~Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote, 1605

2011-10-26T18:26:00.002-04:00

I finally have a picture of his first tooth.

There was never a child so lovely but his mother was glad to get him to sleep. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

2011-10-26T12:23:00.001-04:00

Leo is five months old!

Sweet Dreams

2011-10-23T18:15:00.001-04:00

Seven days without laughter makes one weak. ~Mort Walker

2011-10-22T16:55:00.000-04:00

Bittersweet October. The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking, perfect pause between the opposing miseries of summer and winter. ~Carol Bishop Hipps

2011-10-22T14:20:00.001-04:00

Always Kiss Your Kids Goodnight, even if They're Already Asleep. -H. Jackson Brown Jr.

2011-10-20T19:41:00.002-04:00

“Adam and Eve had many advantages but the principal one was, that they escaped teething” -Mark Twain

2011-10-19T21:07:00.001-04:00

Leo's first tooth has arrived! There have been countless attempts to capture it on my camera, however, none were successful.

"Father!" - to God Himself we cannot give a holier name. - Wordsworth

2011-10-18T20:28:00.001-04:00

Trifles make the sum of life." - Charles Dickens

2011-10-17T16:16:00.001-04:00

"Pain is never permanent." -St. Theresa of Avila

2011-10-17T15:54:00.006-04:00

What happened yesterday?! He's not impressed.

His mother is so impressed with him, he slept through the night last night. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for tonight. He's a talker and I love all of the new sounds he's making. He is trying to roll over from his back to his belly, however, his belly has been getting in the way.

“To have courage for whatever comes in life - everything lies in that.” - St. Teresa of Avila

2011-10-15T18:41:00.007-04:00

This week has been, by far, one of the hardest I can remember. After a really nice long weekend, I found out on Tuesday morning that I am being laid off. My job, along with many others is the ammunition Gov. Cuomo is using against my union, PEF. I am wrestling with loving being home with Leo and loosing part of my identity with the loss of my job. My last day is the 28th.

Leo has taught me so much since his arrival. Throughout this week he is happy and has made me happy. He isn't worried and has taught me to be less anxious. I need to become more like Leo. Through this, I will learn what really matters in life and to trust God completely.

It is the Feast Day of St. Teresa of Avila. "Into the Fire" is a book about St. Teresa and St. John of the Cross. It is an eye opening book about prayer. It is a life changing book.

Favorite Moments

2011-10-12T17:28:00.011-04:00

The first time I saw my son....

Father and Son