The time has come

I'm finally (starting) to get caught up on blogging today.  I'll back-date some entries (cheater!).  The earliest one should be Mike's birthday - November 17th.  I guess it's kind of been a while since I posted pictures!

It's a...

BOY!!!

We honestly would have been thrilled either way - it would have been nice for Lilly to have a sister close in age and we've so loved having a girl - but it's really exciting that we'll get to experience at least one of each!  And he looked great and healthy and weighs about 11 ounces.

The more Mike thinks about it, the more and more excited he gets.  And he'll finally have someone to pass all those baseball cards on to :)

We brought Lilly with us, thinking that she might like to be there and see the ultrasound.  But she hadn't slept during nap time and she really couldn't have been less interested.  All she wanted to do was ask questions about random things in a really loud voice and spill her bag of Goldfish all over the floor of the ultrasound room.  And she doesn't quite seem to get that we now know that it's a boy.  She keeps telling people that she's having a baby sister OR brother.

We didn't find out what Lilly was and I think that I will miss that element of surprise.  But it's really fun to start thinking more specifically about life with our baby boy.  And to think about decorating the room!  I have (unfortunately) formed quite an obsession with Restoration Hardware's baby decor.  Uh oh.

P.S.  My mom seems to have located my camera cord - we think Lilly might have "helped" my mom pack after Christmas.  I'll try to scan some baby pictures later today, but if I can't they'll be posted as soon as the cord gets here (hopefully Monday)!

Where are you?

I know it's been FOREVER since I blogged, but life has been like that lately.  I finally tried to get caught up the other day, only to discover that I can't find the (very unique) cord I need to upload pictures from our camera to the computer.  I have searched high and low and can't find it anywhere.  I hate losing things!  I looked for a replacement for it at a couple of stores and it's not there either.  It's backordered on the Sony website until March 8th.  I'm really hoping it will turn up soon.

So I promise to get caught up on everything soon.  Lots of good things, lots of sad things - life.  The great news is that tomorrow at 4 pm we go to the doctor to find out the gender of this new little Tolerico and we can't wait!  It's a high point among some lows.  Will post an update then.

Lots of love to you.

Amma

I have a lot of blogging to get caught up on, and I will, but if you're reading this it would mean so much to me if you could say a prayer for Amma, my grandmother.  Mike and Lilly and I had a great visit with her less than a month ago, but she's really not doing well now.  She has congestive heart failure and is in hospice with probably only a few days left.  She has been the center of my mom's family for so long, the real heart and soul of the big, crazy bunch of us.  She is so loved.

I've been having a hard time with this.  She and I have always been so close.  I got to spend six summers with her in Maine in high school and college.  The summer before my junior year in college was the best.  I was going to spend a semester in London, but didn't leave until the middle of September, so it was just she and I, enjoying summer turning to fall.  Every night she would watch Larry King Live and I would read and we would chat about people, our favorite topic.  We also ate a lot of "toasted cheese" sandwiches.

She has been such a constant in my life.  She calls me her clone.  Her love has meant so much to me.  But I know that I will see her again and there is so much peace for me in that.  I am sad.  Very, very sad.  But I am so grateful for her love and that I have gotten to love her.  I pray for peace and joy and love for Amma.  May she feel the love of her family and her God forever.